INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
Vincent Capuano, Executive Chef and
Co‑GM, Needle & Pin Cocktail Bar & Eatery
Needle & Pin Cocktail Bar & Eatery
3271 W. Liberty Ave., Dormont; 412.207.9724,
needle-pin.com cordial). Brunch is also served every Sunday
and is a variety of house-made breads, sea-
sonal jams and syrups plus libations.
On the Menu:
A modern gin bar offering an eclectic mix
of Indian and English fare. Plates include
Bombay Greens of hydroponic living lettuce,
roasted ginger and tamarind vinaigrette,
toasted cashew and coconut, cucumber raisin
and carrot with crumbled paneer; English
Cheese with Indian Accoutrement, featuring
imported English cheese, house-made jam
and mustard with English toast, pickled and
candied dressing; Scotch Eggs with chicken
sausage; Curried Chicken Pot Pie made with a
house pan gravy, mirepoix, puffed pastry and
scratch ghee; and Cumin Crusted Lamb Lol-
lipops—to name a few. The drink menu con-
sists of contemporary and historic cocktails,
from Negronita Spagliata (a Bombay dry gin,
luxardo aperitif, boiserre rouge prosecco) and
One Long Flight (two Indies Indian rum, del
professor rouge, house triple cherry bitters)
to Aviation (bluecoat gin, maraschino liquer,
lemon, demerara and crème de Violette) and
the Gimlet (Hayman’s royal dock gin and lime What led you to be a chef at
Needle & Pin?
I worked for Giant Eagle Market
District for nine years managing
different departments, but I
got my taste for food while being a butcher and
cheesemonger (an accreditation similar to a
sommelier, but for cheese). After I graduated from
California University of Pennsylvania, I earned a
job as a butcher on a farm in Uniontown. A butcher
is a butcher and a chef is a chef, but by learning
the art of butchering, I received a huge advantage
over a chef, because I learned skills that contribute
to the basics of cooking. I know techniques from
how to grind meat to emulsifying it. Last March, I
interviewed [for Needle & Pin], got the job in April
and we opened in May—and I will do everything I
can to make it work. Our owner, Shiv, is an amazing
person and our crew is small, but everyone believes
in everyone else. This job is a dream come true—I
feel like I’m in a movie.
Q A
Vincent Capuano, Executive Chef and Co-GM of Needle &
Pin Cocktail Bar & Eatery.
Describe Needle & Pin.
The concept is conceived from the British takeover
of India—or the Raj Period. And the name Needle
& Pin means “Give Me a Gin” in Old English. As
a restaurant, we [have] an Indian owner and we
address the cultural fusion of both cultures.
What’s your favorite quick meal to prepare
at home?
In my kitchen at home, I have freezer pops.
Essentially, I go to my parents’ house in Robinson
once a week and we cook a massive, full-on meal
together, such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes,
green beans and biscuits—or pasta. My father,
Timothy, cooked in Italy when he was in the Navy
and he taught me a lot—especially that anybody
can tell me anything and give me feedback on my
cooking. My dad is the most amazing man in the
world. I hope I’m half as good as him. He’s been
to Needle & Pin a bunch of times. The waitresses
say he’s so proud of me and that hit me so hard—
there’s nothing better.
Other than your restaurant, where’s your
favorite place to eat?
My favorite place is LaPrima in the Strip District.
Everything is fresh and made from scratch. It’s
Italian, not American Italian—it’s delicious. I
usually order a cappuccino and a baked good of
my choice and it literally changes my life.
Dijon and thyme crusted wild boar chops with rutabaga mash,
blistered cherry tomatoes and kumquats.
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What’s the next big food or dining trend?
It’s either gourmet BBQ, Pittsburgh heritage food,
or craft butchering (hanging meat)—they could
all be on the rise. n
—Reese Randall