E2 in Highland Park can solve the problem of where to eat
Background
E2 may be one of the few good things to come out of last winter's monster snowstorm.
Owners Kate Romane and Larry Lagattuta had recently taken over the Highland Park restaurant space with the intention of using it for their catering business. They had then inaugurated Saturday and Sunday brunches as a way to promote their catering efforts. But when they noticed snowed-in neighbors wandering the streets in search of somewhere to go, they began opening their doors at lunchtime and serving hot, steaming bowls of soup. Customer enthusiasm led them to start serving lunch on weekdays.
On Oct. 1, they ventured into Friday and Saturday dinners. As of Nov. 1, the restaurant is now serving dinner Tuesdays to Saturdays
Romane, who serves as the restaurant's executive chef, began her food service career at age 19 when she was hired by Lagattuta, who owns Enrico's Biscotti in the Strip District. "I learned from personal experience -- guys in the Strip District who taught me about food," she says. She also studied culinary arts at the Bidwell Training Center, then got professional experience at restaurants in Colorado and Florida as well as with Pittsburgh caterers All In Good Taste Production.
Atmosphere
Intimate and casual, E2 is resolved to be a neighborhood resource for people who live in the Highland Park area. They're also happy to welcome those who come from elsewhere -- most often those familiar with the Enrico Biscotti Cafe in the Strip District.
E2's menu also leans toward Italian. But it's more like an urbane bistro than the brick-oven lunches and family-style dinners served up at the Strip District location.
Up to 30 diners can be accommodated at the 11 tables in the main dining room. The downstairs, mostly used for private events, can seat another 100 or so.
The wood floor looks distressed and worn, though whether that's by accident or design is difficult to tell. Tabletops look like rough hewn slate with words scrawled across the surface. Each table has a small arrangement of fresh but droopy flowers and small, framed images adorn the long wall.
The wait staff is young and enthusiastic about the menu. What they don't know about an item's specific ingredients or preparation, they cheerily find out.
The restaurant has already proven itself popular and it fills up fast on weekend evenings. When it does, the room's hard surfaces help raise the decibel level, especially when a large party takes over the room.
A BYOB policy is in effect, at least while Romane and Lagattuta pursue the possibility of obtaining a liquor license.
It comes with a steep $6 per bottle charge. That didn't seem to dissuade most diners who arrived toting bottles for uncorking.
Menu
On one wall a chalk board announces the small selection of appetizers and desserts, which change regularly.
But so does the list of mezzos and pastas on the printed menu.
Romane creates her menu from seasonal, locally grown produce and meat, so take the menu on the website as more of an indicator of what's offered than a firm promise of specific items.
Almost everything on your plate was prepared in-house, including the ice cream and the bread.
A few items, such as the wonderfully crunchy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside macaroons ($6) come from the ovens at Enrico Biscotti.
Small plates and lots of sharing are encouraged both by the menu and the waitstaff.
Portions are small but imaginative, and you can order a wide selection of them without too much damage to your wallet. Dishes emerge from the kitchen as soon as they are ready, without being constrained by the traditional sequence of appetizer, salad, main course, dessert.
That's a good idea since something listed as an appetizer, such as the Cannelini Beans and Basil ($3) could as easily be enjoyed as a starter or a side dish. The same might be said for the delicious Wild Mushroom Aranchini ($9), deep-fat fried balls of risotto, mushrooms and melted mozzarella with crisp Panko coating that could serve nicely as an appetizer or an accompaniment to the Lamb Ragu ($14).
Definitely order the Grilled Prosciutto ($8), a simple but satisfying package of melty and fresh mozzarella and basil wrapped round with crisply grilled prosciutto.
The Cage Free Chicken ($12), stewed with figs, olives, sausage and fresh oregano seemed a little skimpy and overcooked. But pairing the sweet fig with the briny olives was a nice touch.
The Mushroom Tortellini ($14) was soft and bland but the tomato sauce had the flavor of fresh sun-ripened tomatoes.
There's no faulting the oxtail ($14), a hearty, meaty hunk of tender braised meat with a hearty red wine sauce. It was even better the next day when rewarmed.
Desserts change regularly. But if the baked apple ($6) is on, order it. Large chunks of softly baked and sweetened apple come with a trio of beignets or tiny doughnut holes and a dab of marscapone cheese. We also enjoyed the Sea Salt Chocolate Ice Cream ($6), though we failed to notice the salt. Maybe it's because we were distracted by the thin slabs of chocolate candy and the biscotti that came with it.
By the time we thought to focus on the salt we had already scraped the last puddle of ice cream from the dish.
Additional Information:
E2
Cuisine: Casual Italian-inspired
Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.Tuesdays to Fridays; dinner, 4-10 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays and 6-10 p.m. Saturdays; brunch 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Entree price range: $6-$15
Notes: Accepts all major credit cards; BYOB with $6 per bottle corkage fee; reservations accepted and encouraged for parties of 6 or more;
Location: 5904 Bryant St., Highland Park
Details: 412-441-1200 or website
