Back Porch Restaurant in Lower Speers gets back to basics

Fine dining can be found in an unlikely place along the Monongahela River where Washington County meets Fayette.

The Back Porch Restaurant in Lower Speers offers lunch and dinner to guests who can relax on the shaded back porch -- there's a sunny area, too -- or inside the refurbished home, or "underground" at its Side Door Bistro. It's owned by founder Joseph Pappalardo of Greensburg and operated by his son, executive chef Joe Pappalardo and the chef's sister Patty Keller.

"My father started the restaurant in 1975 after five years of restoration," says the chef, who remembers having to come to the run-down house -- built in 1806 and once used for lumber-yard storage -- to strip furniture when he was in high school. "(Dad) had just looked at the building and said, 'That would make a great restaurant.' Everybody thought he was nuts, especially since the steel mills were going down."

Turns out, the elder Pappalardo had good foresight.

The Back Porch has become a destination for gourmets in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Washington counties, says Keller, and a place where ski enthusiasts can stop for a meal before or after hitting the slopes. Many patrons tie a visit in with enjoying the autumn leaves, "and we get a lot of people from the South Hills," she says.

Chef Pappalardo received his education in food-service management, graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"My father came up with 90 percent of the menu, and a cousin who had just graduated from culinary school did the rest," he says. His career at the restaurant started with waiting tables, then bartending, then working in the kitchen after graduating from college. Keller runs the front of the house.

They work closely with the culinary school at Westmoreland County Community College, offering apprenticeships to students.

The Back Porch is applauded for its marinated grilled baby back pork ribs -- "we sell a lot of ribs for a white-tablecloth restaurant," the chef says -- mixed grill, crab cakes and filet mignon. Another sister, Jamie Spadafore, makes the majority of the pastries at an off-premise bakery. Desserts include a triple layer chocolate cake, white chocolate cheesecake, creme brulee and cannoli.

The lunch menu features sandwiches such as a fresh tuna steak wrap, classic Reuben and Monte Cristo, along with one filled with open-face prime rib. They are served with fresh broccoli salad. Mainstays on the soup menu are Canadian cheddar cheese and lobster bisque.

An array of fresh salads are offered: Chicken Veronique; spinach and strawberries; pear and walnut chicken; pecan-crusted salmon; char-broiled steak or chicken; and a classic chef's. "One-Plate Meals" include Bistro Salmon (or tuna), Steak Bruschetta (which Chef Pappalardo shared with Cooking Class readers), and Bistro Artichoke Francaise.

The last features artichoke hearts dipped in a parmesan and egg batter that are pan-fried in olive oil and topped with mozzarella and sweet red peppers. Steamed asparagus, garlic toast and salad greens with vinaigrette are served alongside. The Side Door Bistro -- with less expensive items -- also features the salads, one-plate meals and sandwiches.

The Pappalardos pull out the stops with their primarily American cuisine once dinner is served, beginning at 4 p.m. A big seller is the appetizer sampler, featuring baby back ribs, stuffed mushroom caps, Artichoke Francais and a flame-broiled shrimp cocktail. Among other selections is smoked salmon on basil chips; Prince Edward Island mussels; baked brie; veal-stuffed banana peppers; and fried calamari with marinara sauce.

The house salad contains mixed greens with a choice of homemade dressings, including raspberry vinaigrette with crumbled blue cheese, and creamy garlic with chives.

Pappalardo and Keller say they steer away from trends such as fusion or experimental cuisine because it's not what their customers want.

"People buy what they are familiar with," the chef says. "But people also like variety. We're a special-occasion place."

The entrees certainly reflect that touch of variety: crab-stuffed shrimp, English-style scrod, poached salmon, cioppino and gnocchi, Australian lamb chops, breast of duck Chambord, veal Oscar, chicken carbonara, and Tuscan chicken. The vegetarian selection is a stuffed portobello mushroom, which is grilled and stuffed with spinach, red onion and cherry tomatoes and sprinkled with feta. The mushroom is set on a bed of parmesan risotto, then drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction.

The Back Porch Restaurant -- the building dates to 1806 -- is the former home of Henry Speers Jr., who owned a local ferryboat company in the early 1800s to assist with cattle drives from the western territories on their journeys to Pittsburgh. The towns of Speers and Lower Speers are named after him.

Henry Speers used local stone and river sand for the hand-formed, baked bricks that shielded his family from the elements. The brickwork still is visible in the dining rooms.

The house was passed down through several generations, then made into apartments, then back to a single-family home before its tenure as a warehouse, the chef says. At one point, the Speers house also is said to have been used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

This dish is on the menu at the Side Door Bistro and The Back Porch Restaurant in Lower Speers, Washington County. It's a creation of executive chef Joseph Pappalardo, who owns the restaurant with his sister Patty Keller.

• Shallot and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, recipe follows

• Blue Cheese & Red Pepper Butter, recipe follows

• Jezebel Sauce, recipe follows

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter

• 1/2 clove garlic, very finely minced

• 4 slices baguette, sliced on the diagonal about 1/2-inch thick

• 3 beef tenderloin filets, 6 to 8 ounces total

• Olive oil, for oiling grill

• 4 spears fresh asparagus

• 1 1/2 cups fresh mixed salad greens

• 1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped

• 3 or 4 thinly sliced red onions

Prepare the Shallot and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese & Red Pepper Butter, and Jezebel Sauce.

Prepare a grill for direct high heat cooking.

Melt the butter and whisk in the garlic. Spread some of the mixture on both sides of the baguette slices. Set aside.

Brush a little of the Jezebel Sauce on both sides of the beef tenderloin. Oil the hot grill, then place the beef on the grid directly over the heat source. While the beef cooks to the desired doneness (chef Pappalardo cooks it medium-rare) -- turning once -- place the asparagus spears ( see Photo 1 ) and baguette slices on the grill. Turn the asparagus until it is cooked crisp-tender. Toast the baguette slices, then remove from the grill.

To plate: Place the toasted baguettes side-by-side on the edge of a large shallow plate ( Photo 2 ). Smear 1 tablespoon Jezebel Sauce onto each of the bread pieces ( Photo 3 ).

Lay the hot filets on top of the baguette slices (on top of the Jezebel Sauce), overlapping the slices to cover them ( Photo 4 ). Top each filet with a generous spoonful of the Blue Cheese & Red Pepper Butter. Lay the grilled asparagus perpendicular along the bread slices, next to the filets.

Place the greens in a bowl, add the tomato and toss with some of the vinaigrette, to lightly coat ( Photo 5 ). Nestle the greens against the asparagus and top with the red onions.

Makes 1 serving, with leftover Jezebel Sauce, Blue Cheese & Red Pepper Butter, and vinaigrette.

Shallot and White Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 large shallot, cut in small dice

• Pinch of dried oregano

• 1 cup white balsamic vinegar

• 3 cups canola or very light olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, shallot, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil until the mixture is emulsified. The vinaigrette can be made as long as 3 days ahead; cover and chill, bringing to room temperature before making the dish. Refrigerate leftovers.

Blue Cheese and Red Pepper Butter

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

• 1/2 pound blue cheese crumbles

• 1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for flavors to meld. Bring to room temperature before using.

Jezebel Sauce

This is a Cajun recipe that's used on ham, chicken, beef or over cream cheese for an appetizer with crackers. It keeps in the refrigerator for a long time.

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves

• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish

• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate.

Additional Information:

The Back Porch Restaurant

Cuisine: American

Entree price range: Main restaurant, $18.95 to $26.95; Side Door Bistro, $13.95 to $17.95

Notes: Full bar, large selection of wines. Outdoor dining on the sunporch or on the patio, subject to weather. Accommodates 150 diners. Reservations recommended.

Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Dinner, 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Address: 114 Speers St., Lower Speers, Washington County

Details: 724-483-4500