IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Spring 2016

IN GOOD TASTE Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs Chris Slaney, Chef and General Manager, Pazzo An Italian Bistro Pazzo An Italian Bistro 1614 Washington Road, Upper St. Clair; 412.481.9100, pazzopittsburgh.com On the Menu: Scratch and made in-house traditional Italian fare. Entrees include Fettuccine Pescadores (shrimp and crab), Pollo Sorrentino (chicken) and Vitello Masala (veal). Wines include a Dragani (pinot grigio) and Dragani (montepulciano). The pizza is made from scratch. Gluten free is offered with the pasta, chicken and veal. Why did you become a chef? When I was young I would watch my mother, Cathy, in the kitchen. When I turned 16, I pursued a kitchen job at a personal care home as a dishwasher. While working there I would watch the chef make sauces from scratch. When I turned 18, I thought to myself, “I can do this.” QA Photos courtesy of Pazzo An Italian Bistro What led you to become the chef at Pazzo? While at the personal care home, I moved on to become a prep cook. After my job there, I started at Amici Banquet Center as the line cook and I met the owner, Edward Dunlap. He owned different restaurants including Café Euro South and Amici Banquet Center. I was with the company for a year-and-a-half when I began working at Dunlap’s first Pazzo Italian Bistro location in Mt. Lebanon as a line cook. Eventually I worked my way up through the kitchen to become the chef. Today, my younger brother, Jason, works for me at Pazzo as the dishwasher and he’s starting to take steps to learn the ropes in the kitchen, too. At the original Pazzo—after I became the chef—I was also named the general manager. We opened Pazzo in July 2015 and had our grand opening September 8. I have a very strong work ethic and I don’t stop until the work is done. Who has influenced your cooking the most? Honestly, my mom. She makes her signature dish called Broccoli Casserole—I’ve grown up on it and we have it at every holiday party. The recipe is simple and calls for broccoli, Velveeta cheese, Ritz crackers and butter. I’ve made it myself, but it doesn’t taste the same. I use a metal casserole dish and she uses glass. Her casserole tastes better. Besides, my family doesn’t like whenever I cook—they say I make too much of a mess. Chris Slaney, Chef and GM of Pazzo An Italian Bistro What kitchen tool can’t you live without? I can’t work without my chef ’s knife. I use it when preparing my chicken and veal, because it gives the meat and poultry a more traditional cut. What is your best cooking advice for a novice? Keep cooking through thick and thin—meaning, when you have a bad day or what you cooked didn’t turn out right, don’t give up, give it another try—it does pay off. I am living proof you don’t have to go to culinary school to become a chef. Hard work will pay off and you’ll see it in the dishes you’re making. What is your favorite quick meal to prepare at home? Creamy Chicken Marsala with broccoli. Broccoli is my favorite vegetable and garlic is my favorite ingredient to use for flavor. I think my house smells like garlic. And what’s surprising is I actually don’t like onions or peppers, but it doesn’t bother me to cook with them. The Lombata Pazzo Pazzo, a pounded veal chop lightly breaded in Italian bread crumbs and seared to a golden brown, topped with arugula , tomatoes, diced onion and finished with a balsamic vinaigrette. Other than your restaurant, where’s your favorite place to eat? I don’t like traditional, well-known chain restaurants, but I like Bahama Breeze in Robinson Township. It’s a fun, Caribbean-inspired place and it’s something different from the norm. The last time I ate there I ordered the Firecracker shrimp—it was really good. What is your favorite go-to ingredient? Basil is my go-to herb for a lot of things, because it has its own unique flavor. I use it a lot in our pizza and sauces. It can also be used in drinks or cocktails to infuse the flavor. What’s the next big food or dining trend? So many people are trying to eat gluten free because they want to be healthier. So we offer gluten-free dishes at Pazzo. And, the next big thing for us is we’re looking for locations in Pittsburgh to expand Pazzo. n Pazzo An Italian Bistro in Upper St. Clair The wine bar at Pazzo An Italian Bistro 12 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall —Reese Randall

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