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