IN West Jefferson Hills Spring 2016 | Page 14

IN GOOD TASTE Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs Chris Slaney, Chef and General Manager, Pazzo An Italian Bistro Pazzo An Italian Bistro 1614 Washington Road, Upper St. Clair; 412.481.9100, pazzopittsburgh.com On the Menu: Scratch and made in-house traditional Italian fare. Entrees include Fettuccine Pescadores (shrimp and crab), Pollo Sorrentino (chicken) and Vitello Masala (veal). Wines include a Dragani (pinot grigio) and Dragani (montepulciano). The pizza is made from scratch. Gluten free is offered with the pasta, chicken and veal. Why did you become a chef? When I was young I would watch my mother, Cathy, in the kitchen. When I turned 16, I pursued a kitchen job at a personal care home as a dishwasher. While working there I would watch the chef make sauces from scratch. When I turned 18, I thought to myself, “I can do this.” QA Photos courtesy of Pazzo An Italian Bistro What led you to become the chef at Pazzo? While at the personal care home, I moved on to become a prep cook. After my job there, I started at Amici Banquet Center as the line cook and I met the owner, Edward Dunlap. He owned different restaurants including Café Euro South and Amici Banquet Center. I was with the company for a year-and-a-half when I began working at Dunlap’s first Pazzo Italian Bistro location in Mt. Lebanon as a line cook. Eventually I worked my way up through the kitchen to become the chef. Today, my younger brother, Jason, works for me at Pazzo \