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Cala Lily Café
seemed to burst suddenly onto the dining scene. But chef/co-owner
Rick "Chico" Rivero had long been dreaming about it. "I've
always wanted to own and operate a small, more casual restaurant,"
he says. "But one with upscale quality. And I wanted to create
an environment where the staff, including me, would look forward
to going to work every day."
From conversations
overheard as he schmoozes the dining room, Rivero thinks his customers
enjoy the diversity of the menu and all the friendly people buzzing
around -- including partner Paul Anzaldi, wife Connie and sous chef
Ron Jelinek. Every night he also reads the guest-book comments.
"It gives me reason to get up the next morning and do it all
again," Rivero says.
The long menu
certainly is diverse, reflecting Rivero's life experiences. Of Mexican
descent and Spain-born, he lived in Germany, France, Texas and Alabama
before working for 24 years in Rico's. Dishes reference all of these
cuisines, but Rivero personalizes the traditional with his own inventions:
adding pistachios to oysters Rockefeller, stuffing poblano chili
rellenos with Spanish drunken-goat cheese, creating a version of
the spicy Spanish relish pico de gallo, called "pico de Chico"
-- nine different chilies, four vinegars, vegetables, potatoes and
pureed lentils, all cooked down for hours.
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At 28, executive
chef Jennifer Hagar radiates energy and a gratifying food philosophy.
"I respect Italian cuisine, with its emphasis on freshness,"
she says. "My food language changes with the seasons. And I
love learning."
Originally
from Brookline, Hagar traveled -- Key West, Old San Juan, St. Thomas
-- waiting on tables and tending bar, before coming home to attend
the Pennsylvania Culinary Academy. After completing the course,
she accepted a job cooking at now-defunct Viaggio, where she met
future husband Gino Girasole.
The couple
subsequently worked at Il Pizzaiolo, then moved on, with Gino's
father, James, to open Girasole, a petite Italian restaurant in
Shadyside. "I enjoy the manageable size," she says. "I
can order in small quantities and have everything fresh."
On the usual
day, Hagar directs the kitchen's two talented chefs, Derek Lowiak
and Chris Corminski, writes the menus, makes all desserts and dreams
of expanded horizons. After traveling to other cities for ideas,
she thinks Pittsburgh needs more tapas bars as well as a dessert
bar -- but that's in the future.
Meanwhile,
she's looking to expand Girasole's catering business, and she's
busy turning out gelato on her new super gelato-making machine.
The restaurant's also bought a "beautiful" Italian-made
gelato cart. Look for it on Walnut Street.
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Executive chef
Susie Treon admits that pastry making has always been her favorite
culinary activity. That's what she did in previous positions --
at Jackie's in Webster Hall and at All in Good Taste Catering.
Now, of course,
she's in charge of the entire kitchen at the Frick Café.
She still bakes, but so does her chef team -- sous chef Jackie Karkowsky,
Carrleen Kemble, Lynn Lewandowski, Nancy Trice and April Kobeda.
It's an amazing pool of talent in one small kitchen.
Each chef works
from the same philosophy: Everything must be fresh, seasonal, with
the highest-quality ingredients and house-made daily. Nothing comes
from a package, and forget the processor: The chefs use their hands
for making pastry -- the way Susie's mother taught her. The love
and care that go into the preparation shine in the delectable and
beautifully presented finished product.
Every day the
Café serves five to eight frequently changing desserts. A
recent selection offered creme brulee tart, lemon meringue cake,
white chocolate almond cake with amaretto butter cream, sinfully
sumptuous chocolate caramel pecan turtle cakes, and a Basque-inspired
gateau filled with pastry cream and fruit.
Located on
the lovely grounds of Clayton, the Frick family estate in Point
Breeze, the cafe also offers elegant soups, salads, sandwiches and
afternoon tea. Just save room for dessert.
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"I let
foods speak for themselves," says Laforêt chef/co-owner
Michael Uricchio. "If I'm using a top-quality product, I'm
not going to disguise its flavor with chipotle mayonnaise."
A truly polished
professional, Uricchio has been cooking all his life and all around
the globe. In the first incarnation of Laforêt, he played
with Asian influences and fusion dishes. After a six-year hiatus,
when Laforêt reopened in 1999, his cuisine of choice was classic,
though modernized, French. That's where his sensibility and accomplished
technique naturally place him.
But he's been
working steadily to make French food and his menu readily approachable.
Certainly you can order foie gras here, but you'll also find steak,
lamb loin and grilled fish. Today he stands firmly in the ranks
of contemporary chefs simplifying preparations and sourcing the
very best ingredients.
"I'm always
looking for better products to bring to my customers," he says.
"And newer, better ingredients keep the staff excited."
Uricchio avoids
over-processed meats, and he works with local farmers on specialty
produce. He's connected up with Four Story Hill Farm (in Wayne County),
owned by an innovative French woman who produces an amazing variety
of organic meat and poultry -- milk- or fig-fed chickens, apple-fed
pork, milk-fed veal.
"These
are irresistible foods," notes Uricchio. "Foods with natural
good taste."
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