Chris J.
Yelp
Four of us decided to grab an early dinner en route to a Pirates baseball game. 4PM Friday and with no reservation. The first thing to hit your senses coming in the door is the comfortable smell of wood smoke from the wood-fired brick oven. It gives a sense of warmth and nostalgia.
We were greeted and seated immediately. The place has the vibe of a vintage bar/restaurant with a large bar on one wall extending two thirds into the room and a long bench for seating at twos and fours along the other. Crowded but well laid out. While you are close to the next table, you aren't sitting on top of each other.
The drink menu features several wines and mixed drinks as well as a rotating selection of nearly 30 beers on tap. My spouse had a local blueberry ale, and I grabbed an orange sour; both were served correctly and tasted good.
The table ordered two appetizers, Proper's famous Candied bBacon and a Pepperoni Roll. The bacon was a serving of eight half-strips of thick cut pork belly with a brown sugar glaze and cracked black pepper. My sister said it should be considered dessert! It was wonderfully chewy and the pepper adds a little "bite" to the finish. The Pepperoni Roll was very similar to a Stromboli or calzone. Fresh focaccia stuffed with mozzarella and pepperoni and served with a side of marinara. All seemed very fresh and house-made.
For entrees we chose two salads and two pizzas. My spouse and I ordered the House Salad which consisted of bib lettuce, candied walnuts, red pears and goat cheese with a white balsamic vinaigrette. The balsamic and the walnuts were a great sour and sweet combination while the pear added some additional crunch. The simplicity of the dish made it refreshing after the heavy appetizers. My sister and her spouse chose the BLT salad with spinach, red onions, bacon and roasted Roma tomatoes. The salad had a great splash of color and again tasted very fresh.
The two pizzas were larger than the advertised 11". They were both very rustic-looking and heaped with the toppings. Crust on both was crisp enough to keep everything from making the whole pie soggy. We ordered the Mediterranean while my sister had the Pesto. The Med had baby artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, oven roasted Roma tomatoes, feta cheese and red onions. It was topped with fresh arugula. While my wife doesn't much like olives, the way in which they are heated on this pizza softens them, making them a salty counterpoint to the sweet Roma tomatoes. The arugula provides a nice textural element and a little peppery finish.
The Pesto also had over-roasted Roma tomatoes, a basil pesto sauce, mozzarella balls (melted and gooey) and parmigiano-reggiano, caramelized red onions, roasted garlic oil and small cubes of smoked pork belly. I tried a slice and found it to be sweeter than the Med, but no less enjoyable. The pork belly and tomatoes gave it a smoky taste while the pesto and garlic gave it earthy tones.
We all enjoyed the meal and were quite full heading out to walk the bridge. Service was on point throughout. Our server knew the menu, knew how to handle multiple tables at once, and knew how to professionally navigate the space.
A great local dining experience.
