Summer is never long enough. But the end of the season has a special energy. The long afternoons, buzzing cicadas, and gentle, fragrant breezes are a reminder that, while all good things must come to an end, it’s essential to cherish them in the moment. It’s the perfect time to sit down outdoors at your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant and enjoy end of summer. The themes of our chef menu updates are tomatoes, seafood (we spotted more than one Chilean sea bass special), and sweet cocktails: all great ways to indulge one last time before fall really sets in. But don’t look ahead to colder, greyer days. Allow food to ground you in the present and make the best of summer while it lasts.
End of Summer Menu Updates to Toast to Good Times
Fet-Fisk
Nik Forsberg and his team have had a hell of a year. Post-James Beard Finalist crowning, they’re continuing to provide high-quality Nordic food that responds to seasonality for their end of summer menu. For tomato season, one new special is Thick-Sliced Oxhart Tomatoes dressed in a fines herbes oil and fresh chopped dill, and served over top a smoked almond dressing. This dish is not vegan and delicious. The bar staff is also debuting a Tequila Sunrise—the perfect summer drink—but with a Fet-Fisk twist of house aquavit and lingonberry.
Apteka
At Apteka, Tomasz Skorowonski and Kate Lasky have added several seasonal dishes for August. As with much of their menu, you’ll need to swallow your pride when trying to pronounce them as you order them, but the result is well worth the potential embarrassment. First, the Kapuśniak Pomidorowy is a sweet and sour soup with tender summer cabbage and first tomatoes. As a main, the try the Mamałyga z Bakłażanem. (FYI: The ł is pronounced like an English “w” and the ż is pronounced like an “s.” You’re welcome). This literal mouthful of a dish is polenta, eggplant, sweet/sour roast, walnut, almonds, and green tomatoes. Or, cool off with Tarator, chilled yogurt and cucumber Bulgarian soup, delicious and much easier to pronounce.
Altius
The summer sunset from Mt. Washington is one of Pittsburgh’s most beautiful sights, and Altius is the perfect spot to look at it. Start off your meal with the Asian-fusion Footprints Farm Duck Confit Bao Bun or the decadent Ora King Ceviche. For fish lovers, the Chilean Sea Bass makes a flavorful summer entrée with basil pesto, grilled summer vegetable ratatouille risotto, tomato confit, and Parmesan frico. Finish off with the over-the-top work of pastry artistry that is the Banana Trois: banana milk diplomat, brown butter wafer, banana milk anglaise, milk sponge, banana semifreddo, and caramelized banana.
Bistro 19
Tomato is everywhere, and Bistro 19 is no exception. The Heirloom Tomato Salad uses the freshest seasonal tomatoes with Burrata di Bufala. The Orange Poppy is another delicious addition, with mixed greens, dried cranberries, pecans, goat cheese, house made orange poppy dressing. If you’re craving a big plate of pasta, the Truffle Pasta elevates comfort food with shaved truffles, parmesan grana, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers.
Dish Osteria
At Dish, you can get several new pasta dishes this August. The vegetarian option Mafaldine ai Funghi Selvaggi has almost every type of mushroom you can think of: garlic and shallots with wild pacific north west lobster mushrooms locally foraged chicken of the woods and cultivated oyster mushrooms. But there’s plenty for meat eaters, too. It’s hard to find rabbit on the menu at Pittsburgh restaurants, despite that its status as an Italian country cooking classic, and Dish is now offering it in the Mafaldine al Sugo di Coniglio. That plate is South Carolina Blue Ridge Farm rabbit, red and yellow Carmen peppers, mushrooms and fennel, Parmigiano Reggiano, and thyme.
The Commoner
For an upscale and atmospheric meal out downtown, The Commoner is an ideal spot. For summer, diners can enjoy seafood like the Rock Shrimp with sweet corn butter sauce, Chorizo oil, and summer squash; and the Bass with Thai basil sauce, Coldco Farms zucchini, and fennel salad. Two new cocktails play on fun summertime nostalgia themes—the Godzilla Returns has Hake Vodka, sake, midori, honeydew melon soda, matcha, and lime, while the Ice Cream Party has Hennessy VS, amaretto, clarified ice cream, and cone foam.
Palm Palm
Palm Palm is one of the new kids on the block in the Pittsburgh dining scene, and it debuted at the perfect time. The beachside vibes will continue even into the autumn, but for now, soak up the end of the summer with Pommes Frites & Caviar, Shrimp Ceviche, and Whole Branzino. The Tuna Taco withcucumber, scallions, and spicy mayo served in a jicama shell is a particularly good summer snack. We can’t wait to see what Palm Palm does with their menu next.
Khalil’s
Middle Eastern cuisine is ideal summer food, with the right nutrients to refresh your body and cool down your soul in the heat. At Khalil’s, a new addition for summer is the Fatayer Bi Jibney. This delicious new appetizer is made with cheese, spinach, and egg then wrapped in fresh baked dough. For something you don’t see every day in Pittsburgh, try The Flirting Camel, made with camel milk straight from Dubai camels, date syrup from Syria, rum, and coconut. Be the first of your friends to have tried camel milk…that’s a great fun fact to pull out at parties.
Square Café
Adults can enjoy sweets too with Funfetti Pancakes available at Square Café as an August brunch special. It’s what it sounds like: buttermilk pancakes filled with rainbow sprinkles and topped with buttercream frosting, powdered sugar, and more rainbow sprinkles. However, if you are trying to be healthier, the Migas Bowl. That dish is pan fried tortilla squares with scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes and garlic is a slightly more proteinaceous meal. There’s room for both in the world of end of summer brunch, after all.
Lilith
A new addition at Lilith for summer is the appropriately-named Wahoo: Fennel pollen crusted salsify and bok choy-artichokes-castelvetrano salad, with heirloom tomato and tomato vin. (Salsify, sometimes called “oyster plant,” is a crunchy root vegetable). If you’re craving a New England seafood summer, also try the Fancy Lobster Roll or the watermelon-infused Shrimp Ceviche. And as pastry chef and co-wner Dianne DeStefano is always finding new ways to innovate desserts, beat the heat with the Frozen Chocolate Torte.
Story by Emma Riva
Cover Photo Courtesy of Altius
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