INGOOD TASTE
Kate Lasky , Co-Owner and Co-Chef , Apteka
Apteka 4606 Penn Avenue , Bloomfield ; 412.251.0189 , aptekapgh . com
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
On the Menu : Central and Eastern European vegan fare , utilizing the techniques and ingredients from that region while incorporating local produce from western Pennsylvania . In addition , there is a natural wine list that reflects the intentional vegan menu . There are favorite dishes offered year-round such as pierogi and gluten-free kluski dumplings . Every January the restaurant features a vegan burger , fries , and sunflower milkshake pop-up called Crapteka . Apteka is open on Friday , Saturday and Sunday for dine-in from 5 – 10 p . m ., with reservations available for parties of four or more .
Why did you become a chef ? I ’ ve been cooking in the industry since I was a teenager . I worked at Make Your Mark Café in Point Breeze from the age of 16 through college as well as some other spots in my early 20s . When I finished my undergraduate
Barszcz Marchewkowy is a carrot borscht soured with carrot zakwas , celeriac , onion , potato , double fat , dill , and spent seed toast .
Pierogi z Ziemniakami features boiled potato and cabbage with double fat , czarna salsa , and beet horseradish .
degree at the University of Pittsburgh and my partner , Tomasz Skowronski , wrapped up his degree at Carnegie Mellon , we started a pop-up restaurant called Pierogi Night . We hosted the event at different bars , galleries and a community center across the East End . We really loved cooking together , and we decided to do a more permanent project . After a Kickstarter and a pretty barebones buildout , we opened Apteka in February 2016 .
Apteka co-owners Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski .
Who has influenced your cooking the most ? Tomasz grew up spending summers in Poland with his extended family — many of whom were really great cooks . He got to really experience the bounty of Poland as well as a lot of interesting regional and familial traditions . That has really impacted the way we look at Central European food , as well as the traveling that we have done through the region . Additionally , we are both vegan , and that ’ s been the lens through which we experience food .
What tool can ’ t you live without ? We cut a lot of onions and cabbage , big bulk produce , so we rely on a sharp knife .
What is your go-to meal when you cook at home ? When we cook for ourselves , we usually make a soup like borscht .
What ’ s your best advice for a novice ? I suggest doing as much reading and travel as possible . And save money .
Other than Apteka , where ’ s your favorite place to eat in Pittsburgh ? Thai Gourmet on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield . Everything is good there . We love their curries .
What ’ s your favorite go-to ingredient ? That ’ s hard to say . Onions and cabbage are staples of what we make . They ’ re very versatile — they take smoke well , and we also make a lot of sauerkraut .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? Not that it ’ s new , but I would expect to see even more of a push toward mindful eating ; more locally sourced products , more regenerative farming , more people eating vegan or plant based . n
— Reese Randall
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