INGOOD TASTE
Scott Croyle, Executive Chef,
Table 86 by Hines Ward
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
Table 86 by Hines Ward
530 Northpointe Circle, Seven Fields;
724.741.0860, hineswardstable86.com
On the Menu: Freshly prepared made-fromscratch entrees, from pasta and seafood to
steak, specialty sauces, salads, soups and
desserts. A variety of dishes include Butcher
Block burgers, Korean BBQ ribs, pulled pork,
smoked ribs and chicken wings. A full wine
bar includes Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and
Cabernet Sauvignon, to name a few.
Why did you become a chef?
I was raised in a food-oriented
family and I could always be
found in the kitchen with my
mom, Marguerite, or my grandma,
Katherine. I grew up in my grandma’s kitchen—
she was one heck of a cook. Being that she was
Syrian and Italian, my grandmother would
make everything from stuffed grape leaves to
meatballs—every Sunday. I loved cooking and
attended the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute.
I started my career at Scoglio’s and went from
making salads to becoming one of the chefs.
I jumped around downtown quite a bit after I
worked there and ended up opening Piccolina’s
Restaurant in Upper St. Clair as one of the chefs.
After Piccolina’s, I went to work at Atria’s in
Murrysville, Mt. Lebanon and Pleasant Hills for
three years.
QA
What led you to work at Table 86 by Hines
Ward?
I reached out to Hines Ward’s partner, Howard
Shiller, and before I knew it I had a meeting with
their general manager, Howie Gardner. We had a
quick phone interview and a follow-up meeting
and I got a phone call the next morning with
the great news. We opened in August 2015, and
once or twice a month Hines will come in and
enjoy the food, plus his Vines Wine Bar, which
is adjacent to the restaurant, where we sell Hines
Ward’s Napa Valley Cabernet. I think a lot of
people expect Table 86 to be a sports bar—and
there are flat-screen TVs available for sports—but
it’s a great family-oriented restaurant and is priced
accordingly. There is something for everyone,
even for kids.
Who has influenced your cooking the
most?
Gary Komoroski, the chef and owner at Scoglio’s,
taught me a great deal about having a strong work
ethic—and how to make delicious soups and
sauces. I was 20 then and I still use everything I
learned from Gary today.
What kitchen
tool can’t you
live without?
I have 15 line
cooks working
for me now,
but when I was
cooking on the
line I had a sauté
fork made of
wood and steel
that I couldn’t live
without. I used it so much, every day, that I joked
with our line cooks that nobody was allowed to
touch it. I could change a tire with that fork.
Photos courtesy of Table 86 by Hines Ward
What is your best cooking advice for a
novice?
Find a durable sauté fork—and buy a good pair
of shoes. This career is rewarding, but it can have
long nights and weeks. For me, it’s also about
endurance. No matter what, at
the end of a 15-hour day, I still
Table 86 by Hines Ward
in Seven Fields
love cooking. I come to work
every day and I love what I do.
What’s your favorite quick
meal to prepare at home?
I usually eat what’s left on
my kids’ plates. If I do pull
something together I will make
my grandma’s recipe for pork,
beef and veal meatballs with
Italian sauce.
Scott Croyle, Executive Chef,
Table 86 by Hines Ward in Seven Fields
A plate of house-smoked and
char-grilled Korean BBQ ribs
with French fries.
Other than your restaurant, where’s your
favorite place to eat?
Mallorca Restaurant on East Carson Street in the
South Side. I’ve never had a bad experience there.
When my wife, Jeannie, and I go we try different
things, such as the wild boar and duck.
What is your favorite go-to ingredient?
Traditional sweet cream and salted butter! It
makes everything taste better.
What’s the next big food or dining trend?
I think burgers are still a big trend with all the
burger joints popping up—the community is
focused on it. My favorite burger we create here at
Table 86 is the Pub Burger. But, the most popular
burger customers order is The MVP Burger made
with an 8-ounce ground steak patty, cheddar
cheese, crumbled bacon, Korean pulled pork and
Asian slaw on a Brioche bun. n
—Reese Randall
Hampton | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 11