At CC's Cafe, every dish made to order
CC's Cafe in Sharpsburg has never advertised, but the 60-seat restaurant has thrived for 15 years on one basic philosophy: Give the customers the best that you have, and they'll come back for more.
The loyal customers at CC's Cafe keep returning, and their positive comments to others bring in more new diners, according to Anita Schaming, who owns the homey, comfortable restaurant with her partner, Cyndy Charmo.
"Our diners come from all over Pittsburgh," says Schaming, who also serves as executive chef. "I can usually tell who's coming each night."
Schaming and Charmo don't rush customers through their meals. Schaming, with the help of sous chefs Corey Ferson and Scott Wagner, makes every dish to order and uses only fresh ingredients.
"That is very important for our guests to understand, that the preparation takes a little more time," Schaming says. "Dining out should be a relaxing experience. It scares me when people are in such a hurry. Good food and a good glass of wine makes for a great evening."
It's easy to miss CC's Cafe, which sits at the corner of 23rd and Main streets. The small white building, a former bar many years ago, is situated just off the Highland Park exit from Route 28. Inside, the understated earth-tone decor and dim lighting puts the emphasis on the quality of the food that is served, rather than the surroundings.
"We have an extensive menu that I change every six months, but we don't need to change it often because we have so many daily specials," says Schaming, who grew up in Brentwood and learned how to cook as a teen and young adult.
"One of my employees, Bee Dolan, makes all the soups fresh every day," she says. "We make our own salad dressings and blue cheese, and we get all of our pastas fresh from Victor's Ravioli in Verona. It's our recipes, but he makes them for us. We got lucky."
The American and Italian menu offers interesting appetizers, such as homemade butternut squash ravioli, smoked chicken and artichoke dip, stuffed hot banana peppers, crab cakes, baked brie, crab bruschetta and sausage-and-pesto-stuffed mushrooms. CC's Cafe is known for its roasted red beet salad, which is layered with herbed goat cheese on a bed of greens, candied pecans and raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.
The menu features 20 pasta entrees, with Italian favorites like pasta carbonara, chicken linguine, Sicilian pasta, shrimp or scallops Alfredo and chicken diablo. Chicken and veal entrees include piccatta, parmesan and marsala; while the seafood dishes feature Atlantic salmon with a cashew crust and blackened Ahi tuna steak. All entrees come with a house salad and a choice of homemade pasta, potato, vegetable or mushroom risotto.
"Our fish is flown in every week from Hawaii," says Schaming, who lives with Charmo next door to the restaurant. "Our veal comes from Fiore's Meats in Penn Hills, and it's all antibiotic-free and grass-fed. We get a lot of our produce from Patty's Farm Market in Aspinwall. I make features based on what I find."
Schaming received an associate's degree in restaurant management from Community College of Allegheny County and then moved to Florida, where she ran a restaurant for five years before moving back to Pittsburgh in 1990. She and Charmo opened CC's Cafe in 1995.
"Thanks go to our families, because everyone helped us out," Schaming says. "We have 10 employees, all of whom are either family or friends. We can take vacations with trust, and we're very fortunate to have the dedicated employees we have. We really enjoy what we've done here."
The hardest part of owning a restaurant, she says, are the long hours, which never end.
"We get up at 6 a.m.," Schaming says. "If you don't love it, don't do it. It's a lot of paperwork, and you won't be a millionaire. But the best part is the freedom to create and to enjoy our guests."
Schaming has some good advice for the home cook.
"Don't be afraid to try," she says. "If it's not the greatest the first time, it might be spectacular the next time. It's all about getting together with friends and having fun. And if it doesn't work, order a pizza. Or better yet, order takeout from CC's."
Anita Schaming, co-owner and executive chef of CC's Cafe, chose to share her popular Shrimp Diane recipe.
It's a simple, colorful dish that uses fresh herbs for flavoring. It would be great for a spring dinner party or just a romantic dinner for two.
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 10 large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, mixed
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 16 ounces cooked linguine or pasta of your choice
Heat the olive oil and butter in a saute pan over medium heat, and saute the shrimp until slightly pink, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, green onions and garlic.
Continue to saute until the mushrooms are slightly soft, for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Add the brandy and return to the heat (be careful of the flame). Add the cream, marinara and the rest of the ingredients, except for the pasta.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Toss over the pasta and enjoy with a glass of Soave white wine from Italy.
Makes 2 servings.
Additional Information:
CC's Cafe
Cuisine: American and Italian
Hours: 4:30-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 5-10 p.m. Saturdays
Entree price range: $16-$28
Notes: Full bar, with many varieties of wine. Offers 20 different bottles of wine for $20 each. Accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover. Reservations required for five or more. Free parking across the street at Ryan's Auto Glass. Handicapped accessible.
Address: 2218 Main St., Sharpsburg
Details: 412-784-8338 or ccs-cafe.com
