INGOOD TASTE
Kelly Engel, Chef and Owner, Eggs N’ at
Candid conversations with the dining scene’ s most engaging chefs
Eggs N’ at 8556 University Boulevard, Moon Township; 412.262.2920, eggsnat. com
On The Menu: Classic American breakfast and lunch including a four-egg omelet, sourdough French toast, specialty pancakes, breakfast burritos, breakfast pizza, half-pound burgers, grilled chicken salads, buffalo chicken wraps, etc. Every recipe is fresh and created in-house with hand-cut home fries, hollandaise from scratch and homemade sausage gravy, to name a few.
Q A Why did you become a chef
and owner? My passion for cooking started at a very young age. When I was about 8 years old, my brother Bill and I would wake up early Saturday mornings and make breakfast for our parents, Karen and Curt. My sister, Lucy, would help too, though she was very young at the time. My parents would wake up to eggs, bacon and toast with fresh coffee and we would serve them as though we were at a diner. It was then I realized cooking from the heart was a great way to make people happy. Growing up in Dormont, my grandmother, Josie Patterson, would take us to a local diner every Sunday after church. We’ d visit the Dor-Stop as well as Tom’ s Diner and Gab & Eat. Spending time in these places with my family gave me wonderful memories and a great sense of community. Not to mention I was a big fan of the TV show“ Alice” back then, and I found myself wanting to have a diner like Mel’ s. I realized that a diner was a way to connect with people, to create my own sense of community and to have a meeting place for families, travelers and anyone hungry for a good meal and a warm, friendly place to go.
Eggs Benedict served with two poached eggs and Canadian bacon on an
English muffin topped with homemade hollandaise sauce and homefries.
What led you to own and operate your business? When I was in high school I attended Parkway West Vocational Technical School for the culinary program. I spent two years with great teachers who taught me everything about food preparation and service. After high school I attended the International Culinary Academy for the Le Cordon Bleu program and graduated with my associate degree. Over the years I worked for companies such as Eat’ n Park, Atria’ s, Lydia’ s and Pamela’ s— to name a few. Each company taught me great diversity in cooking, as well as managing. When I was ready to open my own place, I approached my uncle, Terry Engel, owner of Eggs N’ at, with a business plan and he had graciously offered for me to take over. My uncle opened Eggs N’ at in September 2006, and by September, 2010, I was able to purchase 90 percent of the company. The rest is history.
Who has influenced your cooking the most? My late grandmother, Esther Engel, was an amazing cook and a natural in the kitchen. She and my grandfather, Jack, raised six boys, so they had a real knack for volume cooking. She made everything from scratch, and with love, and was very versatile in her recipes— which were all handwritten and organized in tins and books around the kitchen. When her boys left home and got married, her recipes made their way to the next generation, and when her grandchildren started coming along, her cooking branched out even further. After she passed, my family and I continued to make and share her recipes, keeping her legacy alive through cooking. We use a few of her recipes at the diner, too. Nana will live forever in our hearts and bellies.
What kitchen tool can’ t you live without? Tools are extensions of us. But the“ tool” I can’ t live without is adaptability. I could say a sharp knife or solid flat top grill, but the truth is no matter what you’ re cooking on— or with— you have to be adaptable. Working in a kitchen is never perfect, and there are always obstacles. Whether you are in a top-of-the-line facility, at a friend’ s house making a birthday meal, or camping with a rack over the fire pit, your skill needs to compensate for your tools.
Best cooking advice for a novice? Accuracy first, speed second. People would rather wait a few extra minutes for something to come out clean and cooked perfectly, than something that was thrown together in a rush. Do not serve
Kelly Engel, owner and chef of Eggs‘ N at.
anything that you wouldn’ t eat yourself. Being a chef isn’ t exactly for“ picky eaters.” You have to know what you’ re serving, know what it tastes like, and know which ingredients complement and which contrast, and you have to be consistent. Once you find the balance of a recipe, keep it that way. Customers are looking for consistency in their experience; whether they dine with you once a week or twice a year you want them to have the same experience. Also, use criticism to make you better. Your most upset customer can be your biggest teacher.
Your favorite quick meal to prepare at home? Grilled chicken with vegetables mixed with pasta in a veloute sauce is one of my favorites. I grill skinless chicken breasts in a sauté pan and remove them to cool. I then make a blond roux in the same pan and add chicken stock to make the sauce. I bake my squash, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers and Brussels sprouts with bacon and coconut oil until al dente, boil some whole wheat pasta and put it all together. Sunday dinners mean a lot to my family and me, and when the food is as good as the company, all is right with the world.
Your favorite go-to ingredient? Bacon! Adding bacon to any recipe, whether it’ s an omelet, a burger or a pancake, is sure to be a hit. I add bacon to vegetables, potatoes and salads, too. And it doesn’ t stop there. Bacon can bring life to any dish!
What is the next big food or dining trend? I can hope that bringing things back to basics will take off. In a world of big business, we are often desensitized to how gratifying it is for a customer to have something unique and special, not to be found on every street corner. Hopefully, small business will come back full swing and help build communities and a sense of place and belonging for decades to come. n
— Reese Randall
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