That’s right – we are going Back to Black Radish for some of Kate Romane and her team’s best flavors combined with tasty Italian wines.

For those new to OTG, we shared a neighborhood with Kate Romane’s E2 restaurant for many years. Between E2 and Black Radish they have endured countless wine dinners and wine tastings and all manner of Jack’s wine geekiness. They are still game to adventure into new OTG territory and we hope you are too.

We will have a Zoom gathering at 6:30pm.

Dinner for Two 
spinach and cici bean fritter with lemon caper aioli

joddo’s bitter greens with lemon, focaccia crumb and shaved etrusco

ricotta gnocchi, lamb bolognese with rosemary and feta

tiramisu 

BOTTLES – yep – TWO BOTTLES – of wine 
For this round Jack has curated two wines from Italy (one white – one red).

Please note that all sales are final. If you find you are unable to use your seats, please contact Kate and Jack and they will see if there is someone on the wait list who can use them (although this is not guaranteed).  Thank you.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. — Hippocrates, father of medicine, 431 B.C.

January is always one of the most difficult months; too little sun, cold weather and post-holiday-let-down.  But we know that food, wine and interaction with friends can provide some of the most sought-after feelings of well-being…  SO LET’S HAVE DINNER!!!

This month friends from Italy will join us for the Zoom call to talk about their beautiful Sicilian wine, AND we are super fortunate to have Jen Saffron and her Sprezzatura team offer a warm and hearty winter menu to match the equally warm and hearty Italian wines.   When these food-and-friends-and-wine elements combine, we believe our need for well-being will be fulfilled! 

Each purchase includes dinner for TWO PEOPLE, and TWO BOTTLES of wine. If you would like to join us – please purchase, and we will send confirmation and pick up directions.

We will have a Zoom gathering at 6:30pm.

Dinner for Two 
Citrus fennel salad over arugula with oil and black pepper

Chicken cacciatore with homemade pasta in butter herb dressing

Roasted carrots and cauliflower contorni

Almond cake 

BOTTLES – yep – TWO BOTTLES – of wine 
For this round Jack has curated two wines from Italy (one white – one red).

Please note that all sales are final. If you find you are unable to use your seats, please contact Kate and Jack and they will see if there is someone on the wait list who can use them (although this is not guaranteed).  Thank you.

Even in the darkest days there are reasons to celebrate. And while our celebrations will look different this year – one thing remains the same – the joy of food and wine with great people. To close out Off the Grid for 2020 our good friends at Sprezzatura have just what we need: comfort food with Northern Italian Flavors!   And of course, we know that “what grows together goes together” so we have two Northern Italian wines to complete the meal – should be fun, and, hopefully, comforting!

Each purchase includes dinner for TWO PEOPLE, and TWO BOTTLES of wine. If you would like to join us – please purchase, and we will send confirmation and pick up directions.

We will have a Zoom gathering at 6:30pm.

Dinner for Two 
Baccala whipped with the finest olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon into a delicious toast-topper, with baguette crostini

Organic arugula with shaved cheese and pears, homemade lemon dijon vinaigrette

Pork ragu over marscapone polenta

Roasted fall root vegetables in a cumin tumeric glaze

Flourless chocolate cake 

BOTTLES – yep – TWO BOTTLES – of wine 
For this round Jack has curated two wines from Northern Italy (one white – one red).

Please note that all sales are final. If you find you are unable to use your seats, please contact Kate and Jack and they will see if there is someone on the wait list who can use them (although this is not guaranteed).  Thank you.

Change of Seasons

Eight months into the world of COVID and we continue to seek local businesses to promote and support. As the weather turns cooler and the autumn colors emerge our thoughts turned to Prohibition Pastries with their combination of savory flavors and lovely flakey pastry. The menu calls for rustic French wines and we found two great examples to share. 

Each purchase includes dinner for TWO PEOPLE, and TWO BOTTLES of wine. If you would like to join us – please purchase, and we will send confirmation and pick up directions.

We will have a Zoom gathering at 6:30pm.

Logistics 
We will send an email confirmation with pick up details. Dinners (with the wine) can be picked up on Sunday, November 8 between 4:00 – 5:00pm a Prohibition Pastry in Point Breeze. Just pop the trunk and food and wine will be gently placed for travel.

Dinner for Two 
Feta, sundried tomato and pancetta puffs

Spinach salad with candied pecans, cranberry, blue cheese 

THREE (that’s right – 3) savory pies

• French Onion – 3 kinds of onions cooked down with vegetable bouillon and red wine, topped with rosemary sourdough croutons and swiss cheese
• Beouf Bourguignon – slow roasted top round roast (from Clarion Farms Beef) carrots, mushroom and onions in red wine sauce
• Veggie Coconut Curry – carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, green beans in coconut milk green curry (contains fish sauce and shrimp paste)

Salted caramel nests 

BOTTLES – yep – TWO BOTTLES – of wine 
For this round Jack has curated two wines from France (one white – one red).

Taste of Summer

In the depths of winter when we think about summer – what flavors come to mind?   Tomatoes, fresh herbs, peaches, rosé wine?  Put them together and we’ve got a dinner designed to leave a summer flavor memory mark on your palate.   We return (by overwhelming request!) to Jen Saffron and her Sprezzatura team for a tasty menu matched to a Rosé and a Vermentino – both wines are from next to the Mediterranean Sea, BUT on different sides of Italy.

Each purchase includes dinner for TWO PEOPLE, and TWO BOTTLES of wine. If you would like to join us – please purchase, and we will send confirmation and pick up directions.

We will have a Zoom gathering at 6:30pm.

Logistics 
We will send an email confirmation with pick up details. Dinners (with the wine) can be picked up on Sunday, August 16 between 4:00 – 5:00pm at Sprezzatura in Millvale. Just pop the trunk and food and wine will be gently placed for travel.

Dinner for Two 
Savory tomato pie with goat cheese and herbs

Chicken thighs in a caper, lemon and pistachio sauce

Mezze Rigate with Fresh Pesto

Organic field greens with peaches and edible flowers

Mini espresso chocolate tart 

BOTTLES – yep – TWO BOTTLES – of wine 
For this round Jack has curated two wines from Italy (one rosé – one white).

When it comes to celebrating the warmth of summer while suffering through the chills of winter, we are big fans!   Please join with us to celebrate a summer holiday in the middle of winter. This year we are teaming up with Penn Avenue Fish to match tasty foods with warm and cool climate Aussie wines – check out the menu below – should be good fun!

No conversation about or with Australians can take place at this moment in time, without acknowledging the massive fires that are devastating the lives of so many people and animals.   Australia’s terrible bushfires have laid waste to millions of acres of wild animal habitats, farm lands, towns and even vineyards.

While we invite you to this year’s Australia Day Dinner, we also hope you will consider donating to Australian Bushfire relief:  www.redcross.org.au or www.wildlifevictoria.org

1 
Smoked Salmon Crostini 
hand sliced smoked salmon /  house made smoked salmon cream 
cheese spread / salmon roe / fresh dill / sour dough crostini

Ninth Island NV Sparkling Wine from Tasmania

2  
Scallops & Angel Hair
browned butter / white wine & fresh herb sauce / grape tomato confit / sea salt

Alkoomi Black Label Riesling 2018 from Western Australia

3
Octopus Salad
poached octopus / peppers / onions / red skin potatoes / arugula / fresh herb vinaigrette

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2018 from South Australia

4
Lamb
ginger bbq’d lamb chops / seaweed butter / radish & spinach salad / sesame – rice wine vinaigrette 

Holm Oak Pinot Noir 2017 from Tasmania 
AND
Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2014 from South Australia

5
Apple Pie

Islands are different.   

Every island around the world has a distinct culture and character all its own. Weather, politics, technology and oceans drive these differences. The result is food and wine culture that is close to, but not exactly like, their larger continental neighbors.  

The ever fabulous Kate Romane and team at Black Radish are creating a series of dishes perfectly paired for this culinary tour. 

We hope you will join us to enjoy five distinctly different wines from five different islands – we think it will be fun and tasty!

1
spinach and ricotta fritters with lemon aioli

Jansz Premium Rose Sparkling Wine NV from Tasmania

2
smoked eggplant, marinated feta, hummus and fire bread

Boutari Kretikos White 2017 from Crete

3
octopus and potato salad

Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino 2018 from Sardinia

4
linguini with clams

Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2014 from Sicily
AND
Les Vignerons de l’Ile de Beaute Prestige du President 2015 from Corsica

5
pot a creme with whip and salted hazelnuts

Thank you for your interest. The dinner is SOLD OUT. If you would like to be added to the wait list please send an email through the contact page.

Please join Chef Toni Pais for a special dinner celebrating 20 years at Cafe Zinho.

First Course 
Foie gras truffle / Garilc tomato bisque / Sardine crostini

Quinta De Cabriz sparkling NV Dao Sul

Second Course
Scallop wraped in smoked salmon and topped with caviar

Quinta De Cabriz Colheita Seleccionada Branco Dão Sul 2016

Third Course
Crab cake and shrimp with orange vanilla sauce

Herdade do Esporão Reserva Branco Alentejo 2015

Fourth Course
Salmon with honey roasted beet sauce

continued

Fifth Course
Medallions of beef with Madeira sauce

Quinta dos Murças Assobio Red Douro 2015

Sixth Course
Prickle pear puree

Seventh Course
Beet with goat cheese timbale and caprese stick

Herdade do Esporão Quatro Castas Red Alentejo 2015

Eighth Course
Quail breast on top of duck confit cake with plum brandy sauce

continued

Ninth Course
Rack of lamb with red wine garlic sauce

continued

Dessert
Chocolate terrine and Portuguese cookie

Messias NV 10-Years-Old Tawny Port

Goodbye Pittsburgh – we will miss you!

The Smiles are swapping pierogies for satays, squirrels for monkeys and snow for tropical downpours. Please come join us for our last hoorah in Pittsburgh before we set off to our new home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

To celebrate our love of all things Australian and American with help from our great friends from Off The Grid (Jack and Kate), we have planned a menu with wine pairings that highlights the best of both worlds. In great Australian tradition, the wine is on us!

We have booked out Café Zhino in Shadyside and this event is a pre-pay night only – the cost includes meal, all taxes and gratuities. To make things easy on everyone, we ask you to click on the link and pay via PayPal by Wednesday, August 23^rd. The restaurant cannot accept payment on the night.

Look forward to seeing you there! – Wendy and Jon

First Course 

fresh goat cheese truffles with mango and almonds
and
crab cakes with dijonnaise sauce

Gruet Brut (sparkler to start of course!)

Second Course
arugula with feta cheese, granny smith apple and toasted almonds with lemon vinaigrette

A to Z Wineworks Rose Oregon 2015

Third Course
rack of lamb with garlic rosemary red wine reduction served with roasted vegetables

Chateau Ste Michelle Winery Syrah Columbia Valley 2013

Fourth Course
chocolate velvet mousse served with raspberry reduction and creme

Bleasdale The Red Brute Sparkling Shiraz

Hello everyone!

Be sure to save the date for another dinner series with Chef Kate Romane and our friends at e2 in Highland Park.

• Wednesday, March 30
• Wednesday, April 20
• Wednesday, May 11

More details to come!
Kate and Jack