Mino Fazio is the real thing. The executive chef and co-owner of Ciao Baby restaurant in Market Square, Downtown, began cooking when he was 5 years old as a boy growing up in his hometown of Bari, in the region of Puligny, Italy. For many generations, his extended family has been involved in cultivating grapes for wine, figs and olives, he says, proudly displaying photos of a recent visit, his first trip home in three years. Fazio is a graduate of Del Paulo cooking school in Verona, Italy, where the chef/instructors were no-nonsense. "They were very strict," Fazio says, and he continues to run his kitchen the same way. The son of a chef, he studied and practiced at Del Paulo for four years, then was hired by Costa Cruise Lines. Fazio came to the United States in 1991 and had restaurants in New York and Massachusetts, one called Da Mino, the other, La Toscana. In 2001, he was recruited by another Pittsburgh restaurant to be its executive chef. With two partners -- Rick Gaetano (managing partner) and Rick Butts -- Fazio opened Ciao Baby last November in the building that formerly housed Jamie's on the Square. He says that four more restaurants are planned. Ciao Baby's menu is primarily Italian; some Continental and American favorites, such as Caesar salad, grilled steak, burgers and wraps are served at lunchtime. Dinner selections, however, reflect Fazio's Italian roots. Among appetizer choices are Bresaola -- air-dried beef with spinach, parmesan cheese and lemon -- as well as calamari two ways, sauteed in a spicy tomato sauce or lightly dusted and deep-fried, served with marinara sauce. Crab cakes and fried zucchini also are starters. Dinner pastas include Fettuccini con Fungi Porcini and Tuna -- fettuccine with tuna, porcini mushrooms and a cognac cream sauce, and gnocchi with chopped clams, shrimp, scallops, artichokes and plum tomato sauce. Main courses range from grilled prime sirloin steak, grilled double-cut veal chop, roasted duck with mixed berries and champagne, herb-encrusted rack of lamb, and grilled salmon. Other seafood items are pan-seared tuna with wasabi, sesame seeds and balsamic soy sauce; sauteed red snapper with onions, kalamata olives and capers in a light tomato sauce; and grilled swordfish with artichokes, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. True to his upbringing, Fazio is a from-scratch chef. Stocks are cooked for 72 hours, he says, until the bones are "melting." Specials are offered, which gives Fazio the ability to focus on the seasons -- fall brings porterhouse steak with wild mushrooms and brandy sauce, and "the best" pappardelle with Bolognese sauce, he says. Patrons can look forward to a choice of light appetizers for "happy hour" from 4 to 7 p.m. as soon as menus are available, he adds.

Shrimp Belverde Executive chef and restaurant partner Mino Fazio, of Ciao Baby, uses a blend of extra-virgin olive and vegetable oils for sauteing the shrimp. Frisee, a member of the chicory family, has delicately slender, curly leaves that range in color from yellow-white to yellow-green. Wash just before using. 4 uncooked shrimp (16 to 20 per pound) 1 to 2 ounces Asiago cheese 1 or 2 slices bacon 1 to 2 tablespoons blended oil 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry white wine Pinch of salt Pinch of ground black pepper 1 lemon, quartered 1/2 cup chicken stock 2 cherry tomatoes Chiffonade of fresh basil leaves 4 pieces frisee or green salad leaves

From the underside of the shrimp and using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise from tail to head, making sure to not cut through. Fan the shrimp out so it rests on a flat surface. Cut the Asiago cheese into thin pieces that will fit into the shrimp cavity. Cut excess fat lengthwise off the bacon slices and cut crosswise in half. (You want the meaty parts with just a bit of fat.) Take each piece of bacon and wrap it around each shrimp to enclose the cheese, making a seam where the shrimp sits flat on the surface. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat an ovenproof skillet, then coat the bottom with 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil blend. Heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Place the shrimp, seam-side down, in the skillet, pushing the tail down to flatten the shrimp so they stay upright. Sear the shrimp for about 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Meanwhile, heat another skillet and add the garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the white wine, the salt, pepper and juice of 3 lemon quarters. Heat to simmering to cook off the alcohol. Add the chicken stock. Reduce the sauce by about one-fourth. Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer until heated through and the sauce has thickened. Swirl in the chiffonade of basil just as you remove the skillet from the stove. Arrange the frisee leaves like spokes around a plate, with the stems facing toward the middle. Top each with a shrimp, tails facing outward. Pour the sauce over the top. Makes 1 appetizer serving. Additional Information:

Details

Ciao Baby, 435 Market St. (Market Square), Downtown, is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Details: 412-281-7400. Send requests for your favorite restaurant recipes to Cooking Class in care of Living, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, D.L. Clark Building, 503 Martindale St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Fax: 412-320-7966.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---