INGOOD TASTE
Cory Hughes , Co‐Owner , Fig & Ash
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
Fig & Ash 514 East Ohio Street , Pittsburgh ( North Side ); 412.321.2222 , figandashpgh . com
On the Menu : A locally inspired and seasonally focused restaurant , Fig & Ash offers small and large plates . Small dishes include a Lacinato Kale Salad with cured carrot , orange and ginger vinaigrette , apple and pepitas ; Pork Belly with red pepper miso , bok choy and pickled pepper relish ; Heirloom Carrots with honey whipped ricotta , Marcona almonds and sage brown butter ; Oishii Shrimp with tabbouleh , smoked mint yogurt and za ’ atar ; and Brussels Sprouts with smoked onion purée , pickled red onion , cranberry mustard vinaigrette and parmesan . Large dishes range from Delicata Squash Curry featuring potato , house-made curry , coconut milk , chickpea and basmati rice ; and Ora King Salmon featuring oven-roasted tomato , Swiss chard , chickpeas and grilled lemon ; to Pappardelle featuring mushroom Bolognese , confit leek and parsnip ; and a Short Rib & Pork Belly Meatloaf featuring baby carrot , cauliflower mash , sugar snap pea and horseradish crème fraiche . The finishing elements include libations from
A large plate of Short Rib & Pork Belly Meatloaf featuring cauliflower mash , baby carrot and sugar snap pea with a horseradish crème fraiche . the bar with after-dinner drinks , mocktails , draft beer and wine , and sweet treats such as an Oatmeal Cream Pie ( an oatmeal cookie with buttercream frosting ), a Cast Iron Kahlua Fudge Brownie , Millie ’ s Vanilla Ice Cream , and a Lemon Pound Cake .
What led you to becoming a chef ? I started working in the restaurant industry in 1994 when I was 14 years old , as a dishwasher . By the time I was 16 , I worked my way up to an apprentice chef at La Fourchette in Philadelphia — my hometown . During my junior and senior years , I would leave school at noon every day to go to work while I earned class credit . I grew up in the suburbs and would take the train every day while I worked my way up . One of my most memorable experiences was when I made a honey herb chicken dish for a staff meal . I used all of our cast iron skillets and destroyed them all one hour before service . That was way back when chefs could be mean to you . Eventually , the Food Network reached out to me and I was going to be on Guy Fieri ’ s TV show as a judge and compete against Bobby Flay . I can ’ t imagine doing that today … putting in 16-hour days while being filmed . It ’ s a younger guy ’ s game .
Explain your path to becoming co-owner . I was working as the chef at Six Penn Kitchen downtown , and the position for chef at Google in Bakery Square opened up . The opportunity to work at Google was good for me and my family because it meant the hours were more traditional and I could be home on nights and weekends . So , I left Six Penn to take over the Google account . I was at Google for two years when I let the management team at Parkhurst Dining ( the account holder for Google [ and the Pittsburgh Steelers ]) that I was leaving to pursue opening my own restaurant . Until I officially opened , Parkhurst kept me employed as the special events director , northeast division , which included being chef at the Steelers ’ training camps at St . Vincent College .
Working as the chef at Google and for the Steelers was a fantastic job , however when my brother-in-law , Alex Feltovich , was looking at a property to open a pizza shop , he asked me to join him . He found our building , but the owner didn ’ t want to put in a pizza shop . So , in January 2017 we created Fig & Ash , sat
Cory Hughes , co-owner of Fig & Ash .
down with the building owner and thought we would be up and running in 2018 . However , the North Side ’ s Deutschtown neighborhood is an historic district along the East Ohio corridor and we had a lot of paperwork and permits to complete with the City of Pittsburgh before moving forward . It wasn ’ t until September 2020 that we finally opened . The restaurant is modern and the layout includes a kitchen , bar , dining room and a courtyard equipped for year-round dining .
What is your favorite dish at Fig & Ash ? The heirloom carrots are really good . We serve them with honey whipped ricotta , Marcona almond and sage brown butter . It ’ s one of the last dishes I had any influence on , since I haven ’ t cooked anything for about a year now . We have a talented group here , which includes Chris Shuplock ( executive chef ), Jennifer Walsh ( chef de cuisine ) and Rachel Sinagra ( general manager ).
What is your favorite go-to ingredient ? Butter makes everything better . Most of the butter we buy comes from Turner ’ s Farm in Penn Hills .
What kitchen tool can ’ t you live without ? For cooking — I can ’ t live without an offset spatula . It ’ s the best tool because you can flip a fish or ice a cake with it . Mostly , I couldn ’ t do any of this without our team . I live by the mantra that staff is family .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? We ’ re seeing an end to fine dining and an increase in casual dining , with most people wanting quick , accessible comfort food without reservations . A place like Moonlit Burgers is not a flash in the pan — it ’ s casual comfort food that will last for years . n
— Reese Randall
8 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE ❘ icmags . com