Monterey Bay Fish Grotto: Elevated Cuisine Atop Mt. Washington - Pittsburgh Article
Chef Edwin Smith Is Enthusiastic About His Menu and Carefully Sources Every Ingredient
Chef Edwin’s experience, enthusiasm and thorough knowledge about the source of each ingredient about the dishes he has put together are infectious. Long before Chef Edwin purchases the fish and seafood served at the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto he has thoroughly researched each fishery and the process they implement in catching and distributing the product. All fisheries he sources from must exceed he standards of the Monterey Bay Fish Watch, of which they are an active partner.
By purchasing directly from superior sources, the dishes at Monterey Bat Fish Grotto have much superior and natural flavors. Chef Edwin pays careful attention to how the food is handled from the moment it leaves the water until it reaches your plate!
Chef Edwin Wants You To Remember The Food As Much As The View
Chef Edwin’s goal is to elevate food with interesting taste combinations. Great value and great food are the perfect combination here! He likes to educate guests and staff on the thinking that goes into each dish. He considers any dish that uses more than five ingredients is way too much!
Another challenge that Chef Edwin has mastered very well is overcoming the breathtaking view that his food competes against. The view of Pittsburgh from the elegant dining room at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto is second to none in the area and certainly one of the most breathtaking anywhere in the world. The view itself would be enough to drive guest here on any given day, but Chef Edwin gives 110% effort 110% of the time. You may come here for the view but you’re going to leave raving about the food.
Chef Edwin's Multi Cultural Experinence Shines Throughout the Menu
Chef Edwin was classically trained in French cooking and has spent a lot of time as a chef in New Orleans. He learned how to cook from a Mandarin family when he was young so that experience along with his French training and southern exposure has come together to influence the menu here at Monterey Bat Fish Grotto in many ways.
The afternoon we spent with Chef Edwin ended up being an education in fine dining and how much impact his attention to detail and sourcing has on each individual dish.
Every Dish At Monterey Bay Fish Grotto Is Unique Designed In House
We started with the Seviche Scallops. These were thin sliced and served with radishes, micro cilantro, leche pearls and lemon smoked olive oil. The combination of bold flavors and the variety of textures was eye (palate) opening and made the dish incredibly enjoyable. The flavors of the lemon and cilantro came through first while the creamy scallops and pears contrasted with the crunchy radishes.
We also tried the Fire and Ice Seviche that featured Big Eye Tuna, crunch cucumber, oil and pepper threads that spiced up the dish with a little heat that did not appear until after the bite was gone.
Our next experience was a special preparation of Savoury Clams. The clams were served in a Limoncello broth of basil butter, onion powder and ground kosher salt. The clams were sweet and soft like ravioli! The sauce was very creamy but was made without any cream!
Chef had us taking many culinary adventures during our visit. Next was a dish of Artic Char and lump crabmeat complimented with Scallion Temoulade, carrot ash and Green goddess. The lump crabneat was exception and a perfect companion to the Artuc Char. The carrot ash was an unexpectedly tasty twist as well.
We next tried Blue Freshwater catfish. I have not been a fan of many catfish preparations but this one was completely fabulous! The blue catfish is a top feeder versus a bottom feeding catfish, which affects the flavor considerably. This is what chef referred to as a dirty South dish. The catfish was highlighted beautifully by just the right amount of corn meal for a perfect crunch. The tomatoes were thick and firm and made this dish one of the stars of the day!
The final entrée we sampled was the Chilean Sea Bass chimchurri. The sea bass is grilled and the grill flavor shown thorough the sea bass well and went together perfectly with the Chimchurri which provided some very mild heat.
Dining At Monterey Bay Fish Grotto Is An Adventure From Start To Finish
Our treat for dessert was the exceptionally well-made Strawberry Covered Chocolate. This is a 6-layer truffle cake and much much more than just a chocolate cake. Chef wanted this to have a consistency similar to Strawberry Shortcake and he definitely succeeded here! Chocolate sponge cake, chocolate ganache, milk chocolate, and strawberry mint sauce all come together here for a truly remarkable finish to a truly remarkable meal.
As a bonus, Chef brought us a serving of Chocolate covered bacon bread pudding. This was topped with bourbon soaked raisins and sliced pecans. Wow this was a jaw dropper! This is a unique combination of familiar flavors and we left none of it behind!
A Meal At Monterey Bay Fish Grotto Is An Immersive Edible And Visual Experience
As you can see, Chef Edwin has made dining at the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto a totally immersive experience of visual and edible delights. The entire experience will leave you talking about it for days! The words fresh, clean, unique, classy and comfortable all come instantly to mind but neither the restaurant nor its food is pretentious. This is real food prepared with love and joy by a staff proud to be putting forth their best efforts at all times.
