If you plan to open a destination restaurant, you have to have a destination chef. Greg Alauzen fits the description.
The Lamatrice family -- Angelo and sons David and Joe, who operate the Clark Bar & Grill on the North Shore -- branched out to fine dining nearly 10 years ago with the opening of Caffe Amante at Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown. Now it's time for more growth as they finish construction on two new establishments, Cioppino restaurant and Il Mercato specialty food store at the Cork Factory in the Strip District.
Overseeing the culinary side of the businesses is corporate chef Alauzen, a Bridgeville native and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He is a familiar name to Pittsburgh diners, who enjoyed his talents with seafood and fresh, local ingredients at the former Steelhead Grill at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, Uptown. He also was opening executive chef for Eleven restaurant in the Strip District, where CIA graduate Derek Stevens, who helped to open Eleven, is now in charge.
"I took a year off," Alauzen says. Part of that time was working as executive chef at The Club at Nevillewood, a private golf facility in Collier. But Alauzen is back to make headlines again with the opening of Cioppino -- an upscale American restaurant -- and its sister food store in mid-July. He also is tweaking the menus at the Clark Bar and Caffe Amante.
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The chef is excited.
"The new restaurant features a lot of mahogany," Alauzen says, which makes for a comfortable atmosphere. "I want it to be fun and approachable.
"There's a wine cellar in the corner of the back of the dining room, which will seat 60, a bar and lounge with 60 seats and a separate cigar bar with a built-in humidor."
A private dining area accommodates 20. Bar patrons can order from a small-plates menu -- for example, little lamb sliders or white bean puree as a dip -- or the main dining room selections. The small plates also are available to guests in the main dining room.
Cioppino will have a chophouse-style menu featuring "the best ingredients possible, totally seasonal," Alauzen says.
"It won't be a really big menu, maybe six meat items -- including big steaks -- and six seafood items. Cioppino is our signature dish."
Entree prices will range from $14 to $42.
Alauzen, who lives in Eighty-Four, will continue to focus on fresh, local foods and sustainable agriculture, from meats to fruits to vegetables.
"There's a farmer down the street where I can pick up tomatoes on my way to work," he says.
Il Mercato will offer deli meats, sandwiches, salads and other prepared foods for lunch. At breakfast, fancy pastries such as pain du chocolat will be available, as well as gourmet coffees.
"We'll offer homestyle dishes to appeal to the residents at the Cork Factory," Alauzen says. "They can pick up a piece of chicken or lasagna and a salad and take them right home for dinner."
Artisanal cheeses from small American producers also will be stocked, along with dried pastas, olives and other specialty products.
Meanwhile, Alauzen is working at Caffe Amante with executive chef Rosendo Paez on a changing menu that offers "a little bit of everything," according to manager Deborah Doucette. Many of the dishes are Italian-influenced, she adds, but the kitchen can be flexible with its Continental cuisine.
Among the appetizers at Caffe Amante are batter-dipped fried zucchini with lemon and cheese; jumbo Gulf shrimp cocktail; jumbo lump crabmeat dressed in tarragon vinaigrette over roasted red peppers; and escarole, sausage and cannellini beans sauteed in oil and garlic with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Entrees include English-style spots broiled in seasoned bread crumbs with jumbo lump crabmeat, lemon beurre blanc and Tuscan green beans; an oven-roasted New Zealand baby lamb rack; char-grilled Atlantic salmon; New York strip steak; crab cakes; roasted pork loin with black raspberry sauce and herbed mashed potatoes; and Portobello and Eggplant Parmigiana.
Chicken Amante is a Pierre breast with sausage, peppers, onions and fresh tomatoes on sauteed escarole. There are several choices for pasta and veal lovers -- shrimp and scallops in a white clam sauce over capellini; cheese tortellini with pancetta, onions and cream; veal Milanese; and Veal Amante, featuring veal medallions, prosciutto, peppers, portobello mushrooms and masala wine.
Side dishes -- served a la carte -- are fresh broccoli, Tuscan green beans, sauteed escarole, risotto, herbed mashed potatoes and Pasta Amante.
Grilled Tuna and Eggplant with a Green Bean and Tomato Salad
Greg Alauzen, corporate chef for the PIPA Group, which operates Caffe Amante, offered this "great summertime dish, nice and light" to Trib readers. "You can do the ingredients ahead of time and just throw everything together," he adds.
• 1 small eggplant, stem and blossom ends removed, cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
• Salt
• 10 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pure olive oil, more for rubbing on tuna
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup bias-cut fresh green beans (1/2 inch), blanched and shocked in ice water, drained
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh basil cut into chiffonade
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional
• 1 tuna steak, 7-8 ounces
About 2 cups washed and dried spring greens salad mix
Salt the eggplant: Sprinkle the slices of eggplant generously with salt and place them in a colander for about an hour. Liquid will start to rise from the surface. Rinse the slices under cold water to remove the salt. To draw out all of the moisture, squeeze several slices between the palms of your hands, then pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, light a grill for high-heat direct cooking.
Prepare the dressing: In a food processor, whirl the garlic, red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper until well combined. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 1 cup pure olive oil and 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.
For the green bean salad: In a medium-size bowl, place the tomatoes, capers and green beans. Using a fine grater, grate the lemon peel directly onto the vegetables (see Photo 1), then add the lemon juice, a pinch each of salt and black pepper, and the fresh basil. Gently mix to combine. Add enough of the dressing to lightly coat the salad (Photo 2). Taste for seasoning, adding 1 tablespoon more extra-virgin olive oil if needed.
When the grill is ready, season the tuna with salt and pepper and rub with a little olive oil. Oil the grill grate and add the tuna. The tuna can be seared on both sides quickly and served rare, if desired (Photo 3). To cook through, grill each side for 4 to 5 minutes. (After searing, the fish can be finished in a 450-degree oven.) At the same time, place 4 eggplant slices on the grill to cook, turning once, until tender, for 4 to 5 minutes (Photo 4).
Place the spring greens mix in a bowl and sprinkle with about 1 cup green bean mixture. Toss.
To plate (Photo 5), place the eggplant slices on one side of a dinner plate, overlapping slightly. On the other side, place a handful of the greens. Place the tuna on the eggplant, then top the tuna with some of the green bean salad.
Makes 1 serving.