Bartender of the Year - 2012

Each year I will be nominating and electing my own personal "Bartender of the Year." As a cocktail insider, I'm confident that I can and have given an accurate representation of who's hot in the Pittsburgh mixology scene. Like the "History of Craft Cocktailing" post that precedes this posting, this is strictly my point of view, and open to debate. I welcome the opportunity to discuss who YOU think is the best bartender in the city.

There are a lot of amazingly talented mixologists in the city. There are legends, great dive bartenders, cocktail "chefs", professional flair bartenders, and bar owners/managers that I foresee winning the title in years to come.

This is my blog - this is my choice for 2012:

Summer Voelker

I first met Summer back in the early '00s when I was General Manager at Cafe Allegro. Iguana Grille was across the street and I often went there for a pre-service barbecued burrito, or an after service Guiness. 

After leaving Southside for Shadyside restaurants I rarely saw Summer, aside from the occasional after service trip to Tiki Lounge in Southside. I saw more of her when Kevin Sousa took over the kitchen at Iguana Grille and helped change the concept to Yo Rita! I became a somewhat regular and started spending more time at my favorite spot... the bar stool. 

It wasn't until I started at Embury that Summer and I got closer. She was very interested in the craft/speakeasy cocktailing that Fred Sarkis was doing at Embury. She'd always been passionate about good liquor and cocktailing, but like most of us in Pittsburgh, had no working knowledge of technique. She was soon to join Geoffrey Wilson and I at Embury, following Fred's departure, but not before taking second place at the Art in the Age Root Liqueur competition with her Root Malta -- a mixture of Root, rum, Malta syrup and vanilla soy milk, garnished with grated nutmeg, as well as being featured on AitA website as an up and coming Pittsburgh bartender. 

ROOT Malta
1.25 oz ROOT
1 oz Sailor Jerry Rum
.5 oz vanilla soy milk

.25 oz Malta syrup

Shaken and poured into a festive glass. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg

Summer and I worked closely together at Embury/Firehouse. She dedicated herself to the studying of the cocktail recipes and the imbibing of Green Chartreuse. During this time Summer also applied for the Tales of the Cocktail "Cocktail Apprentice Program" or CAP. Many Pittsburghers applied for the coveted position of heading down to New Orleans and studying under the country's best bartenders and mixologists. Summer was the first Pittsburgher to be accepted into the program. She returned to Pittsburgh from the cocktail conference with a massive amount of knowledge gained, that she shared with the bartenders at Embury.

And suddenly the teacher became the student. I learned a lot from Summer during the short time we had together following her return. We started plans for a Pittsburgh Craft Cocktail Guild, but I eventually left for a new position. Geoffrey had left as well, making Summer the Queen of cocktails, holding court at Embury and teaching the second generation of Embury bartenders the craft of cocktailing.

Kevin Sousa, former chef at Yo Rita! was quick to acquire Summer for his new restaurant in Garfield; Salt of the Earth. Alongside Maggie Meskey, Summer collaborated on a cocktail menu that quickly became the talk (toast) of the town. Maggie and Summer designed a limited cocktail menu which utilized the fresh kitchen ingredients and a base spirit for each cocktail to complement the cuisine that Chef Sousa was designing in the kitchen. It was a bold menu hailed by local critics, criticized by less experimental imbibers, and emulated by local bartenders. A typical menu could read: 

Mezcal

Del Maguey, Lillet Rose, Galliano, lemon

Rum

Banks 5 Island, Kronan Swedish Punsch, grapefruit, lime

Gin

Bluecoat, Becherovka, Dolin dry vermouth, Meyer lemon

Vodka

Boyd & Blair, Campari, blood orange, molasses, cocoa

Punch

tequila, Agricole rhum, Cointreau, hibiscus, Fernet Branca

Rye

Wigle Cherry Wood, Green Chartreuse, Amaro Averna, cherry

Bourbon

Four Roses, Kummel, Benedictine, orange

With a selection of wines by the glass and local beer on draft, it was a bartenders bar, changing seasonally to reflect fresher ingredients and seasonal cocktails. One of my favorites was the Winter Eggnog made with Stregga, Buffalo Trace bourbon and Zyrbenz. Salt of the Earth was a place you could always depend on for a perfect cocktail. 

Summer, Maggie, Spencer Warren (owner of Embury and Firehouse -  the man who hired both Summer and I), and I collectively started a Pittsburgh Chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild, evolving from the original Pittsburgh Craft Cocktail Guild ideas formulated while we were all at Embury together. Through Punch Socials and membership drives within a year, we were able to accumulate 30+ members to get the organization off the ground. The 25th Chapter was formally recognized by the national organization in July, 2011. Summer took on the treasurer duties. As a Nationally recognized chapter we legitimized the Pittsburgh cocktail scene, offering bartenders access to health care, and introducing forums for bartender to teach, learn and compete together.

USBG Pittsburgh Founding "Fathers" - Maggie Meskey, Me, Spencer Warren, Summer Voelker

Summer continued to study, travelling to New Orleans TotC, networking with bartenders nationwide, stodging in Chicago where her cocktail was added to the reknowned Drawing Room cocktail menu. Her cocktails appeared nationally in Gaz Regans 101 Cocktails of 2011 for her cocktail Lock and Key, and TastingTable.com "Top Shelf" series for her cocktail The Caspian Pink.

Lock and Key

1.5 oz Buffalo Trace bourbon

.5 oz Stregga

.5 oz Carpano Antica

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

3 drops Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters, as garnish

1 mint leaf, as garnish

Shake all ingredients and double strain into a chilled coupe. Add the garnish.

Caspian Pink
1 ounce Bluecoat gin
1 ounce fresh tomato juice
.75 ounce dry Junmai sake
.5 ounce Bénédictine
.25 ounce lemon juice
.25 teaspoon salt
Sungold tomato, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, tomato juice, sake, Bénédictine, lemon juice and salt. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with the Sungold tomato and serve.

Sisters Allison Hixon & Summer Voelker with Allieson Contreras

Summer eventually left Salt of the Earth to assist Kevin Sousa in opening Harvard & Highland, a craft cocktail bar located on the top floor of his barbecue eatery Union Pig & Chicken. H&H is the first, dedicated craft cocktail bar in Pittsburgh since Embury's closing. Summer, Sousa and Jessicarobyn Keyser (Union Pig GM) created a cocktail list, again, sourcing from the best quality ingredients and seasonal produce. Summer also reached out to bartenders she'd befriended over the years and asked them to contribute to the cocktail program. Josh Pearson from Sepia in Chicago was the first to answer the call and add a specialty cocktail to the list.

Over the years I've seen Summer grow from a roller-derby-beer-slinger to Pittsburgh's foremost authority on craft cocktailing. She has been a close friend and confidant and I'm happy to name her the first "Pittsburgh Bartender of the Year" on this blog post.

History of Craft Cocktails in Pittsburgh Pt. 2

Alongside it's many historic cocktail accomplishments, which include the Boilermaker and I.C. Light Mango, Pittsburgh is also known as the creator of the term "Speakeasy".

The origin of the word predates Prohibition by at least 30 years. Samuel Hudson, a newspaperman in the late 19th century, said he heard the term used in Pittsburgh, PA. in the 1880s by an old Irish woman who sold liquor without a license. She told her clients to "spake-aisy" if they wanted to buy some. The Cassell Dictionary of Slang lists the word as coming into usage around 1890. 


According to Erika "Jiggerfingers" Joyner, that same old Irish woman(who's name was probably Kitty or Kate) had a whip she would crack every time she scolded her patrons to lower their voices. I can find no historical reference to support this embellishment... but it's too good a story not to be true.

Pittsburgh USBG at Boyd & Blair Distillery

Craft cocktailing is, in essence, a return to creating cocktails using freshest ingredients, highest quality spirits, precise recipes and attention to detail. The genre can include everything from homemade ingredients to seasonal farmers market produce. It hearkens back to a pre-prohibition era style of making drinks, a skill that was, for all intents, lost when prohibition made true bar craftsmen's skills illegal. 


I first heard about a bar called PDT when, at Soba, I found a recipe online for a Bacon infused Old Fashioned. Soon after stories started returning from New York about these new styled bars; the secret entrances, the reservation only cocktail bars, the mustachioed chemists behind the stick... but, most importantly, the comments about the cocktails themselves; "The best drink I'd ever had in my life!"


The craze was reaching Pittsburgh at a most opportune time. I had just taken over the beverage program at Eleven with 2 of Pittsburgh's finest bartending talents; Maggie Meskey and Michael Mincin, who both were aware of the oncoming trend and enthusiastic to spearhead a Pittsburgh movement. At the same time local distiller Boyd & Blair were just starting up a vodka distillery which was eager to help support the Pittsburgh cocktail culture... and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had recently hired a young lady as food critic who had also been following the craft cocktail trend as she visited other cities, and was including cocktails in reviews about the local restaurants.

Pittsburgh USBG Spring 2011 at Salt of the Earth, Garfield

Craft, or Speakeasy-style cocktailing in Pittsburgh came over a century later. As noted in Pt. 1, Pittsburgh was a little behind the gun on the craft cocktail scene. In 2008 most bars were still touting cocktail lists that were primarily populated with sickly sweet vodka concoctions. Craft cocktailing had taken off in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other major cities across the U.S. In Pittsburgh we read about trend in trade magazines and NY Times articles, but had no opportunities to see a craft cocktail bar in action unless we travelled to one of those cities.

China Millman had as much to do with the breakout of craft cocktails in Pittsburgh as any working mixologist. Constant criticism of the local restaurant cocktail selections raised the bar on most dining destinations. For years articles were being written regarding Pittsburgh restaurant wine lists. Very seldom, leading up to China's arrival, was a cocktail ever mentioned in a dining review. After China discovered what other cities were doing with cocktail programs her insight into the Pittsburgh cocktail scene helped open local restaurant bartender's eyes to the trends occurring in other cities, and show where a well crafted cocktail fit into the guests dining experience. Where most restaurants thought of the cocktail menu as a second class citizen next the wine list, it was now being considered an integral part of the meal.

And then China and Bill Toland (Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Spirits writer) introduced us all to Pittsburgh's 1st celebrity bartender...

Fred Sarkis

Enter Fred Sarkis. To be completely fair, it was Bill Toland who originally brought Fred to my attention, but China was constantly comparing Pittsburgh cocktails against the masterpieces that Fred was creating at local bar Embury. Named for classic cocktail writer David Embury, the newly opened bar, on the 1st floor of The Firehouse Lounge, boasted the very first craft cocktail bar in Pittsburgh. Almost overnight every cocktail menu in the city changed. Every passionate bartender visited Embury and brought a piece of Fred's craft back to their own bar to share with their patrons. Watching Fred working with fresh ingredients, measuring pours for specific recipes, sharing the history of spirits and cocktails reinvigorated the local bartender's "spirits".

At Eleven, our cocktail list went from vodka laden crowd-pleasers to gin and bourbon filled triumphs of flavor. Egg whites started appearing on lists. Round Corner Cantina in Lawrenceville offered a phenomenal savory cocktail called the Red Pepper Red Pepper. Better spirits were being used alongside obscure mixers, house-made bitters, fresh juices and infusions (not vodka). Everywhere in the city Fred's influence was being felt.

Staff at Embury

Fred held court at Embury framed against a backdrop of until then unknown bourbons, amaros, vermouths, bitters, liqueurs. Every night, select bar craftsmen from around the city would appear to watch Fred work and taste a little Chartreuse. Sitting at Fred's bar was a revelation.

Eventually I left Eleven and was hired by Spencer Warren (Embury owner) to apprentice under Mr. Sarkis. Everything I knew about bartending was thrown out the window. It was back to school, relearning new techniques and throwing out old, bad habits. I went back to the books, studying David Embury, David Wondrich, Gaz Regan, Jerry Thomas, Ted Haigh and Dale DeGroff. It was hours online learning about Carthusian monks, Absinthe, Bourbon, Gin, and following cocktails websites like Liquor.com, Serious Eats New York, Liqurious and Esquire.

Me, Jason Littrell (NYC), Gardner Dunn (NYC) and Mikey Flair

Spencer Warren and Fred brought bartenders in from other cities and taught Pittsburghers the joy of mixology. The wealth of knowledge gained from Embury was priceless. Alongside Geoffrey Wilson and soon Summer Voelker we were making a name for cocktailing in the city of Pittsburgh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AEyERlMi5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94d4qE_eAdM

Maggie Meskey was a frequent visitor to Embury and learning a lot on her own behind Eleven's bar. Nathan Lutchansky, Craig Mrusek and John Pyles all spent time behind Embury bar before heading out into the Steel City to spread the Gospel of Sarkis. I took on Eddie Riddell as an "apprentice" and when Fred and Geoffrey both left Embury, Summer and I trained a new crew of future local celebrity bartenders; Mike Mills (Meat & Potatoes), Allieson Contreras (Verde), April Diehl (Gooskis) and Skooby.

Both Summer and Maggie ended up heading to New Orleans "Tales of the Cocktail" on the apprentice program, studying under the nations top mixologists, and bringing that knowledge back to Pittsburgh.

I eventually left Embury and took a GM position at Mio Kitchen & Wine Bar in Apsinwall, but was back once a week to help out on Mondays and train newer staff. Mio closed and I was back at Embury for another week before heading to Andora in Sewickley as GM.

At each location I brought the precepts of Embury to the cocktail program. Mio worked well... Andora not so much. Harder to get the guests to buy-in to craft cocktails was re-educating the bartenders to take their time and measure pours at each bar. I had Eddie with me at Mio, so that was easier. At Andora I had bartenders who were too commited to their bad habits, but those habits seemed to work for them in a bar that was selling more Yuengling then cocktails.

In the meantime Kevin Sousa was busy opening Salt of the Earth in Garfield, and had hired both Summer and Maggie as his bar managers. When Salt opened in the fall of 2010 Pittsburgh had it's 2nd Craft Cocktail bar. Summer and Maggie put together a limited cocktail menu that would complement Sousa's culinary vision.

Me at Spoon bar

I returned to Pittsburgh city proper as General Manager of Spoon/BRGR in East Liberty and immediately set to fixing the cocktail program there to reflect the craft cocktail education I had received at Embury. My bar manager Heather Perkins was enthusiastic to do more classic crafted cocktails as well, and with her help we redesigned to the Spoon cocktail menu to complement Chef Brian Pekarcik's cuisine. Suddenly, there were 3 craft cocktail bars in Pittsburgh!

Due to issues with the landlord, Embury closed soon after I started at Spoon. Though in it's wake other restaurants were dedicating more time and enthusiasm into their cocktail programs. At Soba, Rob Hirst was reinventing classic cocktails to fit the craft trend. Mike Mills took over the cocktail program at Meat & Potatoes and re-educated his staff. Erika "Jiggerfingers" Joyner was accompanying Maggie & Summer behind the Salt bar.

In Pittsburgh local restaurants opening placed significant focus on their cocktail programs. Verde, Bar Marco, Legume, Union Pig & Chicken all sought to raise the proverbial bar with complex, well balanced cocktails.

In Spring of 2011 Maggie, Spencer, Summer and I (alongside 30+ founding members) celebrated the founding of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild. After months of membership drives, filing paperwork and hosting "Punch Socials" the four of us, as acting founding officers, finally got notification from National Headquarters. The 25th chapter in the National organization brought credence to the Pittsburgh cocktail scene. Pittsburgh had arrived on the craft cocktailing scene.

Now Pittsburgh boasts numerous locations where a patron can get a great cocktail. From older established spots that have welcomed the trend such as Big Burrito Restaurant Group to Kelly's in East Liberty, to newer opening locations such as Harvard & Highland (Kevin Sousa & Summer Voelker), Acacia (Spencer Warren), Rowdy Buck (Phil Ward). More owners are looking to support the craft cocktail theme, such as Tender which will be opening by February of 2013 and boasts classic American cocktails with classic American food pairings. 

Rob Hirst (Soba) Mike McCoy (Sienna) Alyssa McGrath (Spoon/Dish) Jim Young (Salt of the Earth), Summer Voelker (Salt/Harvard & Highland) at USBG Pittsburgh event

This proliferation of Craft Cocktail Bars shows Pittsburgh's population is not only open to the concept of craft cocktailing, but welcomes the newer bars with admiration, enthusiasm and a quivering liver.

The History of Craft Cocktails in Pittsburgh Pt.1

    There is a saying: "everything happens in Pittsburgh 5 years after New York City". That has certainly been true for the current Craft Cocktail (or Pre-Prohibition Cocktail) bar explosion. The argument could be made that it's even taken 10 years to fully bloom in Pittsburgh? In 2012 the new trend that has developed in the restaurant and bar world is finally taking root here. Like so many other forms of art, it has evolved with a distinct, Pittsburgh touch. The bartenders who have taken up the cause have been forced to create a hometown cocktail culture primarily by visiting other cities or studying books, trade magazines and online resources to emulate the cocktail craze sweeping the country. Like our music scene which has very little influence from touring acts (Pittsburgh is not considered a viable stop for up-and-coming independent performers - though I should mention this changing as well) we've had to improvise, and that improvisation has given Pittsburgh a very unique "sound". 

    I imagine in the 1880's, before radio, television or the internet, that trends reached Pittsburgh 20-30 years after New York? Which might explain the lack of cocktail culture in Pittsburgh when the rest of the world was seeing an explosion of this new style of imbibing. By the time the news hit Pittsburgh, the city was probably gearing up for Prohibition? There are no articles about Pittsburgh bartenders in local archives. The only evidence I could find that there were any disciples of Professor Jerry Thomas to be found on the Three Rivers was from David Wondrich's book Imbibe where a recipe for a Bronx Cocktail was credited "A la Billy Malloy, Pittsburgh, PA". But even then, it was well know that Billy Malloy was not the creator of the drink, only credited with the 'first on record' in William T. Boothby's World Drinks and How to Mix Them. 

    Pittsburgh is no stranger to a cocktail scene, but cocktails have always been overshadowed by Pittsburgher's love for beer. The strong Scot/Irish, Welsh, German and Eastern European immigration to the steel city fortified beers stranglehold on the imbibing population. East Carson Street has often been noted in the Guinness Book of World Records as owning the highest density of bars per square footage. Originally the number of bars were built to satisfy the steel workers who would end a shift and cross the street to the closest watering hole for a beer (or two... or three) before heading up the the steep slope steps towards home (and to often stop at another of the numerous saloons that littered the hillside, conveniently located next to the slope steps). Presently, the bar proliferation serves to quench the thirst of thousands of students who attend one of the many educational institutions that reside in the 'Burgh (Duquesne University, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham College, etc...). 

    Pittsburgh social archives are littered with cocktail parties and receptions... but almost all take place after Prohibition. While I certainly doubt cocktails were not being made during the great cocktail boon of the late 19th century, I could not find any written articles in my meager research (to that end, I would relish any information that a reader might possess). One interesting piece I did find was written in a 1932 Rochester Evening Journal article by a NYC traveller on a steamship headed for England where "The tall cedar of Lebanon, Sam Hellman, bumped into an enthusiast from Pittsburgh who insisted upon being joined in a Puddler's Cocktail - straight whiskey with a chase of beer." Reinforcing my Pittsburgh=Beer argument. Later bartenders confused by Puddler's Cocktail would soon realize that it is a simple Boilermaker, which coincidentally was created in Pittsburgh by the blue collar steel workers. Gary Regan writes in The Joy of Mixology "Indeed, the boilermaker was popularized by 19th century steel workers in Pennsylvania, who drank to wash away the taste of factory life. It's not a story with a lot of romance. It was such a horrible job, you'd just want to slam a whisky before you had your beer." 

    The History of Craft Cocktail in Pittsburgh should mention that the foremost authority on antiquated imbibing, David Wondrich, was born here in Pittsburgh in the early 60's. How much that affected his love for classic craft cocktailing, I'm wary to say, but certainly he grew up in a time when the bar was a very important part of the social structure in Pittsburgh. As previously noted, the workers from the steel mills would, without fail, visit the saloon closest to the gates of the mill that they exited and end their shift with a beverage. Many bars had urinals built into the bar so the patrons could relieve themselves while sipping on their pousse-cafes (read: Boilermaker). You can't get any more comfortable in a place than that!

    And so cocktails in Pittsburgh were primarily ignored for over a century. No mentions save for numerous high society charity events labelled "Cocktail Party" or "Cocktail Reception" or "So-and-so wearing this gorgeous cocktail dress". Police logs replete with a disturbing amount of news stories mentioning Molotov cocktails. News coverage was limited to "New Cocktail Lounge Opening!" but nowhere was there a mention of what the bartenders were creating behind the stick or if these "Cocktail Lounges" even served cocktails? Childs Surrey Bar opened in 1946 with the motto "Let's Hurry to the Surrey" and beautiful Jerry-Thomas-worthy illustration of a cocktail, but no corresponding news about how the cocktails were crafted, how they tasted or what was on the menu?

    The 1990s changed in Pittsburgh. Alternative weekly newspapers InPittsburgh (later InPGH), City Paper and Pulse targeted a younger audience and the drinking culture could not be overlooked. The larger daily newspapers followed suit. Big Burrito Restaurant Group were following trends in NYC and saw the impact NYC cocktails were having on it's dining scene. South Side entrepreneurs Scott Kramer and Steve Zumoff created the Lava Lounge from the remains of an old steel workers bar called the Liberty Bell with the dream of creating a great cocktail bar.

    In the late '90s Don Bistarkey was the King of Pittsburgh Cocktails behind the bar at Lava Lounge. Two time InPGH Magazine "Bartender of the Year" recipient, Don could not only create a classic cocktail, he could also share the history of the drink, as well as some jazz-infused footnotes to the cocktails popularity. Don was a soundman at Lava Lounge when originally trained by Joe Beckham who later moved to Philadelphia to open The Walnut Room. There were few people working behind the bar who took that much care and consideration in their craft. Not to say Pittsburgh didn't have any good bartenders who could make a delicious drink and make you feel at home, but Don took the guests experience to a whole new level. Lava Lounge was a temple to the cocktail while Don was behind the bar. People came to see Don and if he was working that night, chances were you were going to bypass your standard Guinness for an opportunity to have Don make you something you'd never order for yourself... because you'd never heard of it.

    I was bartending myself, down the street at Club Cafe and Cafe Allegro, but my knowledge of mixology was limited to Mr. Boston drink recipes and an outdated Harvard University Master in Mixology certificate. Don had engaged something deeper. A love for the craft. He could recite long lists of cocktails and techniques that had long since been thought extinct, drowned in a sea of Cosmopolitans and Lite Beers. Don was the Noah of the Pittsburgh cocktail world. It was no wonder that organizations such as L.U.P.E.C. would go to Don for recipes and histories behind endangered cocktails or to create new cocktails such as the Red Velvet Swing. He introduced me to King Cocktail Dale DeGroff's writing. He gave me an appreciation for the bar and all it can aspire to be for a patron. He inspired me and other up-and-comers to the cocktail scene, including a starry-eyed newbie Lexi Rebert who gained fame as one of Pittsburgh's preeminent bartenders and songstresses.

    Alongside Lexi and Don was Amy Beatty who had also won the prestigious bartender of the year award, and also a young man who barbacked for Don, and directly trained under him, named Phil Ward. Phil eventually left Lava Lounge, travelled Europe, moved to NYC, worked at the best cocktail bars in NYC and eventually opened his own bar called Mayahuel which won Spirited Award "Best Bar in the World" at New Orleans annual Tales of the Cocktail.

    When I took over the helm at Cafe Allegro, I was fortunate to have Don come work our bar for a short time. He taught me the secret craft of bartending, the craft that skirted the Roses Lime Juice, sours mix from a bottle and Vodka martini, and dived feet first into fresh squeezed juices, bitters and Gin cocktails. Where bartending was not about pouring, but about perfecting. The Cafe Allegro cocktail menu changed from a menagerie of flavored Vodka martinis to include the full spectrum of the spirit world. We started making infusions (then unheard of), house-made syrups and limoncellos, we stocked the best quality spirits for the specialty cocktails, and we added Whiskey, Gin, Tequila & Rum drinks to our Vodka heavy menu.

    Don left Cafe Allegro for the newly opened Tiki Lounge which again harkened back to an era of well crafted cocktails. When originally opened it boasted the greatest collection of rum ever to assemble on a back bar in Pittsburgh. Don and the staff took their time mixing beautiful Tiki drinks in appropriate glassware, surrounded by walls adorned with bamboo, thatch huts and cascading waterfalls. It was a glorious place when it first opened in 2002, but before long the shot-and-beer crowd required the bar to slowly allow the Vodkas to invade the rum shelves until all that was left were a collection of Bacardi flavored rum rubbing shoulders with Stolichnaya flavored Vodkas.

    But in all, these were small blips on the radar of craft cocktailing in Pittsburgh. While Big Burrito continued to push the envelope in their numerous specialty restaurants, and smaller independent restaurants were playing around with their cocktail lists, the majority of cocktail programs in Pittsburgh were over sugared, flavor Vodka laden mixtures that did nothing to "... whet the appetite... stimulate the appetite... be pleasing to the palate... be pleasing to the eye... have sufficient alcohol flavor to be readily distinguishable from papaya juice..." as noted cocktail author David Embury would recommend.

    In New York City Milk & Honey opened in 2000, Employees Only opened in 2004, Pegu Club opened in 2005, both Death + Company and PDT opened in 2007. Violet Hour in Chicago opened in 2005. All across the world, from London to San Francisco, craft cocktail bars were popping up everywhere.
    Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, a good cocktail was relegated to the pre-dinner crowd who had the good sense to show up half and hour early for their reservation to get a cocktail at notable restaurant bars like Eleven, Tamari, Yo Rita, Soba, Casbah or Dish. At each of these bars, and select others, bartenders were expanding on their craft, playing with new flavors and learning techniques from aforementioned books and now the more accessible internet. But it was all very elementary. We mostly muddled our way through recipes without the proper knowledge or training or prestigious genealogy that other city bartenders boasted. 

     Until we had our first Pittsburgh celebrity bartender who could teach Pittsburgh bartenders craft cocktailing in practice, and a food critic who had partaken of the wonderful potables which other cities offered and was willing to encourage the newly changing cocktail scene in Pittsburgh.

My Kinda Town...

Yeah, I know... corny opening. Can't imagine how many times that line has been used as an introduction to an article about Chicago. But it is my first trip, wanting to visit since the early '90s. Finally, 20+ years later, my brother invites me to the windy city for his bachelor party, and I have the opportunity to visit the city that has affected me with both it's cocktail and culinary influence. So please allow me this one trite opening and read on...

Through Priceline I was able to book flight and hotel for 2 nights for under $300, and I was on my way.

First night there was regular bachelor party fair. I arrived at 9am (after working 'til midnight the night before and catching a plane at 6am) and met up with my brother and his friends. We drove to Wicker Park for lunch and after much searching and indecisiveness we settled on a barbecue spot called Lillie's Q.

Offering a nice selection of all the barbecue greatest hits, we stumbled upon a highly rated barbecue joint that also specialized in Moonshine cocktails. And, as this was a bachelor party, we decided to start imbibing at lunch. I had a the Morning Lillie to start with, a version of Bloody Mary made with moonshine. The moonshine added a subtle sweetness to the drink that worked well with the contrasting spicy and savory characteristics.

Second round was a M&M&M which stood for moonshine, Maker's Mark and mint syrup. The mixologizing at this small pub was evidence of how the cocktail culture was becoming entrenched in even the simplest bar set-ups in Chicago. Another well balanced delicious cocktail, as was the next one Lillie Q Rita; Margarita with moonshine and barbecue smoky sauce added. Finally, I had to try the Lillie's Oyster Shooter. That was just the pick-me-up on-your-way closing act I needed to help me forge ahead into the evenings festivities; moonshine, bloody mary mix, fresh oyster shooter.

After lunch we regrouped at the hotel room. Drank some Bud Lite, played some caps and readied ourselves for Bachelor Party Battle. The evening was typical bachelor party fare; bars, pool halls, Guinness, Harry Carey's for dinner, a bottle of Chapoutier Le Bernadine 2008 Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Maker's Mark on draft at our own private table.

Amid the calamity of a bachelor party, there was a bright spot when we visited my friend Fred Sarkis at Sable, a glorious new cocktail bar in the heart of Chicago that was dedicated to the art of mixology. While the V.E.P. Green Chartreuse shot was happily accepted, the stop off was bittersweet. I did not have the opportunity to fully engage this amazing temple built to the gods of carefully crafted cocktails. Walls of liqueurs, liquors, bitters, and bourbons greeted us, but our destiny, if only for this one night awaited us elsewhere.

After the pool halls and Irish pubs I bid adieu to my companions, ending the night with a drunken subway ride back and forth, completely lost in the city, riding the rails by myself at 2am, finally finding my way back to my hotel overlooking Grant Park and a restful night, to gather my strength for the following day.

My brother and his friends had left early the next day, but I had planned my trip to take in more of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this city which had so long eluded me, by booking another night at the Chicago Essex Hotel. I woke up around 10 and made a few calls to friends who were living in the area. Most importantly my good friend Claire who was a dear friend from college and even a bridesmaid at my wedding. I wanted to revisit Wicker Park, after having spent a few hours there the day before and seeing all the great places to visit. So I was back on the train and headed west.

The day before as we looked for lunch, I had texted Claire for recommendations, and so I used those recommendations today, as I wandered around Wicker Park area. First stop was Big Star a taco bar that's part of One Off Hospitality Group (kinda like the Big Burrito Restaurant Group of Chicago) There stellar family includes Violet Hour, Blackbird, Avec and more. I just wanted a taco. Which apparently everybody in Chicago on that Sunday morning wanted as well. There were no tables and an hour long wait. So I moseyed up to North Ave and walked around for awhile, did some window shopping, priced some Mallort, before returning to Big Star. Still a wait, but at this point I was getting hungry so I headed to a place I'd seen that interested me called Piece.

It was a pizzeria and brewpub emulating the '60s hippie counter-culture. I found a spot at the bar and ordered a single pie and some house brew. The Red Sox were playing the White Sox on the big screen TV, and as I was in enemy territory I silently rooted on my home team and enjoyed my lunch. As much as we love our wives and husbands, there is a secret thrill in traveling alone, and being able to order that green olive, garlic and pepperoni pizza that your wife will never let you eat at home.

That and a cold glass of Piece's Top Heavy Heffe Weizen made for a perfect lunch. Piece has a limited back bar selection, but why would they need it when the beer was this good? Tattooed staff and chalkboard menus adorned the walls and I was sad to leave, but there was so much more to experience.

I headed to Big Star again, and yes, again, they were on an hour wait, with no room even at the large circular bar which was the centerpiece to the restaurant. So I was back on the train and headed downtown.

I retraced our step from the previous night and took a walk along the river, and was about to head back to the hotel when Fred Sarkis called. Wanted me to meet him for a late lunch/early dinner. Back on the train.

I met Fred at a restaurant called Avec, which was right next to the also famous Blackbird. Fred was seated at the end of the bar. I was still a little full from lunch, so wasn't expecting to eat much. I ordered a glass of wine, a Spanish white, and Fred went ahead and ordered some food to share. As I said, I was not particularly hungry, but when the food came out and I had the first bite of each dish, well, a second and third bite soon followed.

We had crispy pork belly crostini with peaches, marinated kale and white beans. We got marinated hangar steak with summer squash, asparagus, apricot and bone marrow. Fred got an octopus special which was cooked as tenderly as I'd ever had octopus. And the star of the set was chorizo stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and pequillo pepper-tomato sauce.

The sweetness of the dates combined with the spicy chorizo and smokiness of the bacon, acid from the tomato-pepper sauce... my mouth waters thinking back to that dish. The location was very utilitarian, one long bar (or dining countertop) stretched the entire length of the restaurant, with long communal tables opposite the bar. 3 people worked the kitchen which was exposed and shared space with the end of the bar. It was impressive how few people they needed to put out such mind-blowing dishes.

After Avec, Fred brought me across the street to Sepia, which he said is one of his favorite bars in Chicago (he may have even said "favorite"). Sepia had a lot of exposed wood and antique varnish with numerous photographs throughout the restaurant which were all... you guessed it sepia toned. The space was warm and inviting but also winked an eye at modern craftsmanship through it's use of space. Apparently it had been a print shop in a prior incarnation. We were full from Avec, but the Manager insisted on sending out a cheese plate,

which we could not pass up. I needed a strategy for choosing what to drink from the massive cocktail lists I'd been presented at every stop. So I started my strategy of picking cocktails that had Green Chartreuse in them. I figured I'd get the most varied results by sticking with one modifier liqueur. And the strategy paid off immediately at Sepia. I got the Boston Martha to complement our cheese plate, a terrific blend of magnolia and oolong tea infused Bushmill's Irish whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, honey, lemon, egg white and orange bitters. Great mouthfeel, just the right amount of sugar vs. bitter, with some subdued floral notes. The whiskey was definitely the work horse, though.

It was time to meet Claire. We had originally planned on going to Aviary, Grant Aschaltz new cocktail kitchen. I had been excited to try it out, as I'd heard great praise from both the media and from friends, but apparently in the last few weeks they had discontinued Sunday service. I was disappointed, but that only gave me an excuse to return to Chicago at a future time.

Fred had offered to drive me back to Wicker Park, where Claire and I had settled on Violet Hour as a place to meet. Violet Hour was a destination for me on this trip, and while Claire had had reservations about going, due to a past poor experience, she complied and we were to meet up soon... after 12 years of not seeing each other!

Fred knows everybody! So it was no wonder he knew the doorman at Violet Hour and we chatted outside for awhile before gaining access to one of the premiere cocktail lounges in the world. Violet Hour is directly across the street from Big Star (which was still on a 2 hour wait). The front of the building looks like a long brick factory wall, painted yellow, with a tiny doorknob for an entrance. No signage, no logo, no windows... nothing! And if I hadn't been with Fred, I no doubt would have missed it completely. We entered the door into pitch blackness. A sign hung on the inside of the door which I neglected to see which read, among other things "no cellphones... no baseball hats... proper attire requested". I was in violation of 3 of the basic house rules. Cocktails and munchings at Avec & Sepia had cut into my planned sprucing-up-before-the-big-night-on-town. So I showed up at Violet Hour in my fanciest Green Lantern t-shirt and a classy Pittsburgh Steelers ball cap adorning my shiny scalp. Later I would break out my phone and start snapping photos of the cocktails we consumed. Fred was too much of a gentleman to point out my egregious faux pas.

Once we passed down an unlit hallway, through velvet curtains, we entered into an enormous warehouse that was redesigned into a luxurious house of cocktology with beautiful large backed chairs in circles around short tables, the length of the old storage house seperated by large velvet curtains as the ones we'd passed through to enter, and fully stock bar running the length of the building housing every obscure potable you could find under one roof. The entire lounge lit only by candlelight, it took awhile for our eyes to adjust, but once they did it was amazing how well we could see in the dimmest lighting I've ever been engulfed in.

Finally Claire arrived and we ordered some cocktails. I stuck with my Chartreuse strategy and firstly ordered the Fang's Out; a blend of Junipero, Antica Carpano Formula Vermouth, Green Chartreuse and Cynar. The Green Chartreuse stuck out alongside the sweet vermouth and bitter Cynar, while the gin gave a solid foundation for which the other components could build upon. The next cocktail was my favorite of the two: The Pusher Man, Lunazul Blanco tequila, pineapple, egg white and Green Chartreuse. Something about tequila, pineapple and Chartreuse... it really does work so well together. Sweet, herbaceous, smoky, peppery all frothed up and made lighter and heavier at the same time with the egg white. Claire had the famous Juliet & Romeo, and it changed her opinion instantly about Violet Hour. The bartender shared a shot of Chartreuse with us and again we were moving to a new location. Claire mentioned Big Star and I laughed out loud.

But, sure enough, as one of the premiere yoga instructors in Chicago, Claire also knows everybody, and the hostess at Big Star was no exception. We were seated within 15 minutes! Claire was a regular at Big Star and recommended a few dishes which followed our cokctail deliveries. I started with the Pine Belt Punch; Lunazul Blanco, Green Chartreuse (again?), cucumber and lime. Light, refreshing and perfect Chicago patio cocktail.

Then, I made the switch. I was off the Chartreuse, and I went for the Rio Bravo. While there was no Chartreuse, this cocktail had other enticing ingredients that I could not pass up; Sombra mezcal, Lunazul Blanco tequila (remember I said that Big Star was part of the One Off Hospitality Group, which explains why I was drinking so much Lunazul Blanco), strawberries and Gosling's ginger beer. It was a good choice (could've been made better if Chicago had access to Natrona Bottling Company's Jamaican Ginger Beer) that pared well with Claire's food choices; Taco de Pescado and the almost famous

Taco de Huitlacoche: roasted corn, corn truffles, fresh oregano, chipotle, avocado and cojita cheese. Even Fred had mentioned thus earlier in the day when I had told him about my numerous attempts to eat there. It was well known and the praise was well deserved. At $3 a taco I could have eaten a dozen if I hadn't already gorged on Chicago cuisine all day.

The night ended, Claire and I said "goodbye" and I was back on the train to the hotel. I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, as well as an overwhelming sense of satiation. In one day I was able to visit Piece, Avec, Sepia, The Violet Hour and Big Star. I was able to revisit old friends, and spend some time with my brother before he takes the great leap into marriage.

Chicago is an impressive city, on the cutting edge of culinary and cocktail culture. Every corner seemed to boast a unique, enticing kitchen, a knowledgeable bartender plying the trades of his exotic well-stocked back bar. Innovative, enterprising, experimental... Chicago truly is my kind of town, and I can not wait for the next visit.

The Last Days of Mio Kitchen & Wine Bar, an insiders point of view

When the Chef calls you into the office, it's never good news.

On this particular day, at 10pm, service was slowing down and Chef Matthew Porco had just come in from the newly opened pizza shoppe just down the street. He was covered in flour, head to toe. It followed him through the upstairs hallways, an ashen monkey doppelganger clinging to it's host. I was leaving for vacation the next day, and thought he just wanted to discuss the upcoming week with myself and Cara Moody, the server who would be handling all managerial duties while I was on leave. When we got to the office, however, the topic of discussion turned out to be very different.

"I've got bad news... Mio is closing. We're gonna run through the next two weeks and close on Saturday, August 28th."

My first thought and subsequent response was "Shit. I wish I didn't just spend $2,000 on our wine inventory." My next thought, which I kept to myself for the time being, was "How is this going to affect my vacation?"

Chef talked a little about options he had on the table which he'd hoped could pan out before we actually had to shut the doors, but I think he knew it was over. Confiding in us with the news was the last piece of the puzzle to complete the portrait of Mio as a sun setting over the Allegheny.

"I feel terrible. Sean you are the classiest manager I've ever had here. I wish I'd hired you 3 years ago. Cara, you are like a sister to me, and I hope you know if there's anything either of you ever need, you can always call me." and with teary eyes and a cloud of baking flour left in his wake, Matt returned to Mio Pizza, and Cara and I returned to the floor to announce the news to the unsuspecting staff.

It had been apparent from the beginning of my short tenure at Mio that the restaurant was not doing well. Although when I took the position the Chef had just been named "Pittsburgh Magazine's Chef of the Year", and deservedly so. Hailing from Veritas in New York, Matt had wanted to bring New York city style fine dining to his hometown of Aspinwall. (Interesting side note: Mio was closing it's doors on the same night that Veritas was closing it's doors in NYC) A lofty ambition that succeeded greatly for the first year or so, but as the economic woes started to deeply affect Pittsburgh's dining culture, the cash slowed, the service staff was cut down to 1 server 1 bartender on the weekdays, and the wine cellar quickly diminished leaving only the higher priced bottles and shortages of medium value wines.

I came on in April and went immediately to work on the wine list which had been grossly overpriced, putting NYC price tags on an Aspiwall cellar. We ran with a tight crew throughout the lean days of summer. I brought in servers I had worked with in the past, the line in the kitchen basically ran on a 3 person staff with two on the grill & saute and one garde manger/dessert. One dishwasher, sometime 2 on weekends was all it took to support the line. A Saturday expo/food runner was added for FOH support. In all we had just over 10 on staff to operate what was considered one of Pittsburgh's top 10 Restaurants.

But what a staff we had!

Front of House we had Cara Moody who I referred to as "The Boss". Cara was the veteran, and the one who called me when the GM position opened and gave me a stellar recommendation. She knew the ins-and-outs of Mio better than anybody and helped me settle into my new position with great ease. Cara and I had worked together at Casbah 3 years earlier, along with my first two hires Eddie and Angela F. Upon starting I was introduced to Alyssa & Dana, both of whom I grew to love as fellow family members. Such is the small restaurant life.

We had many cameo appearances throughout the summer, including Joanne (Casbah again), Maggie (bartender from Eleven), Angela D. (who I worked with at Firehouse Lounge), Rachel (a terrific college kid working through the summer), and the one-night-only return of Raj to help us close on a high note.

Back of House was equally talented, if not doubly-so. Ephraim and I worked together at Casbah as well, and he helmed the ship as Exec Sous Chef. With a poorly tuned song in his heart and a Will Ferrell quote on his tongue, he kept the kitchen tight and consistent until he left us in July for the new restaurant Elements.

Derek stepped into Ephraim's shoes without hesitation, and, quite frankly, caught us all off guard with his talent. We worked together well, and I had very high hopes for the future with him and I, as a team, running Mio.

Sara came from Kaya and was quite at home in the spaciousness of the line, after being stuck in the Kaya cubicle of a kitchen for so long. Always smiling, always cheery, she was the pixie sprite fairy of the Mio kitchen line.

I fell in love with Megan immediately when she took over the garde manger position and we regaled in our commonalities which we shared: Thundercats, Mountain Goats, a game of pool, and deepening regard for Chartreuse. In the last week there Megan & I collaborated on the taste sensation that became Green Chartreuse Sorbet. She even took it a step further, creating Yellow Chartreuse Gummi Bears which she promises to make for me whenever I beckon.

The heart of any kitchen is always the dishroom. It beat strong at Mio pulsing freshly polished silverware, glassware and pots & pans through the veins of our little restaurant. Gi was master of this domain and he kept spirits high in down times with a half thought through joke or ribbing, mingled with Buddha-like sage wisdom.

On the weekends, his cousin Lou would come in to help. Much rougher around the edges, with street wisdom masked amidst vulgarities. I imagined him as a reflection of Gi, 20 years earlier, though you could never tell him that. There was no way you couldn't love Lou.

So these were the people all out of jobs in 2 weeks. But nobody was too distressed. When everyone on staff is as talented as this crew, we all just kinda shrugged our shoulders and said "onward". Before the end of the night everybody had a backup plan, including myself. After securing my job at Firehouse/Embury back, I had one plan: to join my family in Tionesta, sit in a river all day and not think at all about Mio. And that's what I did for week #1 of the two week closing period.

On my return we were faced with a few obstacles to hurdle. Mainly fielding angry calls from customers about redeeming gift certificates, calling all reservations for after Aug. 28th, recreating the menu daily to move through the last of our supplies, and answering the same question over and over and over and over again "Why are you closing?"

Now I can appreciate that each guest can not possibly be aware that I just answered that question 2 minutes ago and 2 minutes before that... and just got off the phone with somebody who wants the number for the pizza shop "oh, and did I hear you were closing?"... but please, do not ever ask a restaurant manager why their restaurant is closing and follow it up with "That's too bad. I love this place even though I haven't eaten here in years." Because, quite frankly, THAT's why we're closing.

My favorite was "I'm so sorry you're closing. This is my first time here. I can't believe you're closing, the food is delicious. What happened?"

Sometimes it can be very difficult not to strike a fellow human being.

The true frustration with that question is that it's not an easy answer. No one thing ever happens to a restaurant or any business that forces them to close. There was a different answer for every table. And by answer, I mean the individuals version of what they THINK actually happened. For Mio, it was the economy, it was the price perceptions, it was Route 28, it was the pizza shop, it was the huge staff turnover, it was the hot summer weather, it was the location, it was the fact that Pittsburgh has so many great restaurants, it was the fact that so many great restaurants opened over the summer... these all contributed to the demise of Mio. But what it really boils down to is that people were not walking in the door and spending their money there.

So after fielding all the inevitable calls, it's time for service. And here's were the professionalism of Mio's staff really shined. Running out of food daily, juggling hours and shifts, knowing there is no silver lining in the week following, where most would lose any sense of pride in their work place, Mio put out the best last week of business it possibly could. Booked all week with Gift Card redeemers and 1/2 off bottle of wine seekers, there was not a step missed or a gracious smile not given. It was beyond business as usual. It was "let's go out on the highest note we possibly can." And we succeeded.

Some highlights from that week included:

• Serving Allen Chen from Tamari, and his family the last order of sweetbreads
• Megan's concocting of my Green Chartreuse Sorbet idea
• Casbah night where I called up the reserves of Casbah employees and the whole FOH that night was Casbah employees circa 2006-7
• Raj lighting each candle in the restaurant for each past employee of Mio on the last night..."and this candle is for Bob Flood..." Survivor style.
• The chef cooking the very last order of short ribs for me.
• The final, heartfelt toast at Mio given by Chef Matt Porco thanking everybody for their dedication and loyalty.

After opening a few choice bottles and sharing some stories, it was time to go.

I was the last to leave. I shut off the lights, turned off the stoves locked the front door, headed to the back and added one more item to the 86 Board... "Mio"