Station – Pittsburgh, PA

As a Penn State Nittany Lion I’ve obviously made friends in Pittsburgh. I’ve been a couple times, but let’s just say it’s been awhile since I’ve graced the city with my presence. It’s just close enough that driving there is a bit annoying and just far enough and flying there seems silly. However, when a very good fellow lion calls and tells me he’s getting married I make sure to circle it on my calendar to make sure I’m not traveling to anywhere that weekend, except Pittsburgh!

The wedding was over Labor Day Weekend 2017 so I knew I would have some free time and the thing I remember best about Pittsburgh, besides the numerous bridges, was the food scene. I looked into some of the restaurants in Pittsburgh and came across Station in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh.

Bloomfield is located about three miles outside of downtown Pittsburgh and has been referred to as Pittsburgh’s Little Italy. What I find interesting is that it was settled by Italians from the region of Abruzzo. In my life I’ve met three people from Abruzzo, two brothers living in Roma and a young woman who’s family is from Abruzzo but lives in New York. Abruzzo sounds like a beautiful small village. The region of Abruzzo is located in central eastern Italia. Thus far most of the Little Italy sections I have visited in America were settled by people from Napoli, which is where my adoptive father’s family is from. Not to say I haven’t eaten food cooked by Italians from Abruzzo. though Those brothers I mentioned? They were roommates to a friend of mine and were so generous as to cook me dinner one evening and when I say it was delicious, that is an understatement.

I’m getting a bit off track here, let’s get back to Station. Curtis who is the owner/chef was so generous to invite me in for dinner. He was even so accommodating to work around my busy schedule and opened early just for me.

I arrived and was bought to my table. I soon met my server Jesse who would be my guide throughout my meal at Station. Jesse told me about the new menu items that rolled out just the day before my arrival. Jesse was knowledgeable on the menu, professional, courteous, and made me feel at ease.

For my party’s meal we went with a couple new menu items as well as their most popular dish. To start, we had the fairy tale eggplant which Jesse described as not bitter as one has come to expect with what you would consider traditional eggplant. I myself have never been a fan of eggplant but Jesse’s description on it sold me on trying it. I wouldn’t say it was sweet by any means, but I wasn’t told it would be sweet, I was told it wouldn’t be bitter, and it wasn’t. It is sous vide in miso and olive oil for about and hour then slow roasted to order. The salad that was served with it was fragrant and earthy. The black garlic was something I could put on almost anything. (Italians and Koreans both love garlic!) Their garlic is locally sourced and fermented in house for up to 6 weeks. Chermoula is a middle eastern condiment much like Salsa verde with evoo, parsley, cilantro, organic cumin, coriander, allepo, lemon and lime zest.

I ordered the pork chop and pierogi meal which was served with a huckleberry mustard that was sweet and tangy. It was almost at the top of my list for favorite things there. I’m really into condiments, and this was a creme de la creme of condiments. The pork chop which was a bone in (my favorite) was cooked to perfection, oozing juice as you cut into it.

The tagliatelle is one of the most popular dishes at Station and I must say, it was to die for. It had a nice smoky flavor that I wish all restaurants were able to create in such a delicious way. If I had room in my belly I would have eaten both plates myself.

Upon finishing the main course we moved on to dessert. They serve but two at Station, and both sounded delicious. Both were ordered and we shared. The lavender pound cake was sweet but heavy. I could have drank the syrup that it was soaked in. (Again, I like condiments, probably a little bit too much.)

My absolute favorite thing at Station, the panna cotta. While in Roma I learned panna cotta is simply cooked cream. I’ve had it many times in Italy and a few times in the states. Nothing compared to that first time in Italy, except finally here at Station, I’ve found one comparable. Panna Cotta I find can be very bland if done incorrectly. But this just like the one in Roma was sweet but not overly so and you could still taste the creamy milkyness of it. To top it with popcorn was new for me, but it gave it texture and crunch.

The cocktail menu is comparable to your hot spots in New York and should not be taken lightly. Their drinks are tasty and well crafted. Thanks to a knowledgeable bar staff that all contributes to bring you the libations that will keep your mouth happy until your meal arrives and makes your mouthy doubley happy.

Curtis himself said, “We let the menu change very organically, when the markets dictate good looking produce or products, and when some of our farmers have an excess of a certain meat. There are several things that never change, the mousse, the tag, and the carrot salad, but everything else is very fluid around it.”

If I sold you on a particular dish I’m sorry if it’s not available when you go, but from my experience there, you really cannot go wrong with trying something new, and if all else fails, definitely get their most popular, the tagliatelle.

Thank you Curtis for having me in to experience one of the best spots in Pittsburgh.

Have you been to Station? What was your favorite dish? What other spots in Pittsburgh would you suggest?

*** This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are my own.***