Colony restaurant given new life in regional fine dining

The Colony restaurant in the South Hills was "in bad shape" when Edward and Anna Dunlap bought it in June 2001.

Open since 1958, The Colony had been a premier restaurant frequented by Pittsburgh's movers and shakers and visiting celebrities.

By the 1990s, however, old age had set in. The Colony had lost most of its luster.

The Dunlaps, who own the management company called Pittsburgh Fine Dining, sunk more than $3 million into rehabbing the establishment. They previously renovated the four-star Le Mont restaurant on Mt. Washington during 1999 and 2000 for nearly $8 million.

"There were three fine dining restaurants in Pittsburgh — the Park Schenley, which opened in 1954; The Colony in 1958; and Le Mont in 1960," Edward Dunlap says. "We took Le Mont first, then The Colony. We're looking at doing the Park Schenley next year."

Dunlap says their goal is to expand. They hope to put in another Colony in the North Hills and maybe one Downtown.

"We bought the Le Mont when it was pretty tired and worn down, and we bought The Colony when it was tired and in bad shape," Dunlap says. "We gutted the whole building and added on. It's been very well received."

Manager Craig Dixon says he couldn't be prouder of the "new" establishment (its full name is The Colony Restaurant and Lounge). While giving a recent tour, he pointed out the stained-glass windows depicting dancing couples from the 1920s, the copper-top serpentine bar and fiber-optic floor in Club Colony, and new furnishings throughout the 160-seat restaurant.

Club Colony is a piano bar inside the restaurant featuring Pittsburgh jazz singers, including Etta Cox, every Wednesday night.

"The original building was very dark and had no windows," Dixon says. "Now people like a lighter atmosphere. People have wondered when it would reopen. It's been closed for one year and five months. We just opened Oct. 7."

The kitchen staff trained at LeMont over the summer, and some LeMont employees are working at The Colony, including executive chef Michael Lee. Lee had been with LeMont for seven years when he opened The Colony, featuring an American menu with French influences.

"People like to eat something they know about," says Lee, a graduate of Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. "We play around a little with our specials, but most of our food are well-known dishes."

The Colony originally was known as a steakhouse. For "Cooking Class," Lee prepared a strip steak with "new millennium" touches.

Blackened Strip Steak with Banana Pepper Salsa is an incredible journey for the taste buds. The steak is grilled and then broiled until medium-rare. The pepper salsa, mixed with Gorgonzola cheese, is placed on top of the steak and then heated under the broiler for a minute before serving.

Lee also serves three Cajun-style shrimp on a skewer with each serving and a tomato "crown" filled with seasoned bread crumbs.

He suggests a hearty merlot with this robust meal, which he accompanies with sauteed asparagus spears.

Buy a blackening rub at your favorite specialty foods store, or look for mixtures along the herb-and-spice aisles or at the fresh meat counters in supermarkets. To make the tomato crown, use a gadget called a "crowner" (it has V-shaped edges) to cut a tomato in half. Scoop out the seeds and fill the halves with seasoned bread crumbs. Bake in a heated 350-degree oven for eight to 10 minutes.

• For the salsa:
• 2 fresh banana peppers, diced
• 1 sweet green pepper, diced
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

• For the steak :
• 2 New York strip steaks
• Blackening rub, for coating
• 6 pink uncooked shrimp
• Vegetable oil
• Butter, melted

Assemble the ingredients <!-- ( see Photo 1, below ) --> . Prepare the salsa: Combine the banana peppers, sweet peppers, tomato and lemon juice. Gently stir in the cheese. Set aside.

Coat the steaks with blackening rub on both sides. Sprinkle the shrimp with the rub, then place 3 each on a skewer and brush with the oil.

Heat a grill to medium-high. Heat an oven broiler.

Place the steak on the grill and sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until you smell the spices <!-- ( Photo 2 ) --> . Transfer to the oven broiler and cook for 5 minutes for medium-rare, longer depending on desired doneness.

Meanwhile, grill the shrimp for about 4 minutes and brush with melted butter when done.

Place some of the banana pepper salsa on top of the steaks <!-- ( Photo 3 ) --> and return to the broiler for about 1 minute. Serve each steak with a skewer of shrimp.

Makes 2 servings.