The Elbow Room in Shadyside has been known for American comfort food in a homey atmosphere since its beginnings in 1947.

With its forest green booths, hardwood floors, wooden tables, track lighting and lovely outside patio, The Elbow Room attracts patrons from all walks of life.

"It's a place where people go to hang out," says manager Keri Chitester, 27. "Everybody comes in -- Mike Tomlin brings his family in here. We get a lot of regulars."

The Elbow Room is part of the B2 restaurants group, along with Bites and Brews next door and Buffalo Blues along South Highland Avenue. Bites and Brews is a pizza-and-beer joint, while Buffalo Blues is more of a sports bar.

What's different about The Elbow Room is that it offers eight-ounce glasses of wine for $8, every day.

"We're known for that, and for our 10-ounce burgers and Cajun pasta," Chitester says. "We've received awards like 'the 10 best bets in the city,' and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl came in to eat last summer. We're a destination place. The manager of the Marriott on Neville Island put us on a list of places to go in Shadyside, and we've gotten a lot of visitors from that."

The 120-seat restaurant serves about 240 dinners a night, depending on the day, and employs about 50 people. One of them is sous chef Logan Roper, a fresh-faced 25-year-old from York. He graduated four years ago from the culinary arts program at the Yorktown Business Institute.

"I came to Pittsburgh on a whim," Roper says. "There's not a whole lot of opportunity in York for restaurants, and Philly's too expensive. I've been here a year."

Roper's aspiration is to "make good food that people enjoy," and he achieves that regularly with dishes such as Charles Pasta, which he chose to share with Cooking Class.

Other entrees he likes to prepare include pecan-crusted chicken, crab cakes, homemade meatloaf and chicken marsala. The featured fish of the day comes with a choice of toppings such as pecan crusted with a coconut cream sauce, blackened with Cajun seasoning, and a lemon caper sauce.

The Elbow Room has a popular "Lobster Tuesday," which features a boiled lobster, potato and dinner salad for $25 for the first lobster and $15 for the second one. The kitchen pre-cracks the lobster for customers.

The restaurant features large salad bowl entrees, such as a hot steak salad; hot chicken salad; crab and asparagus salad; salmon salad; grilled chicken and eggplant salad; taco salad; and chicken, apple and pecan salad.

On Saturdays and Sundays, brunch is offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The staff whips up three-egg omelets, bangers and mash, cinnamon French toast, crab and asparagus benedict, artichoke, sun-dried tomato and zucchini frittatas, and thick Monte Cristo sandwiches.

"I've always enjoyed cooking," Roper says. "My mother taught me how to cook as a way to relax. The hardest part about being a chef is standing all day and the long hours, but it's not so bad. I live in Friendship, and I walk to work."

Charles Pasta for One (but is enough for two!)

This pasta dish is one of the biggest sellers at The Elbow Room. Sous chef Logan Roper says the restaurant makes its own, secret Cajun seasoning in house, but readers can buy Cajun seasoning at any grocery store.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

• 1/4 cup sliced onions

• 1/4 cup sliced green peppers

• 1/4 cup cooked chicken, cubed

• 1/4 cup cooked sweet sausage, crumbled

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

• 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked

• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, or to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms, onions and green peppers until translucent (see Photo 1 ). Add the chicken and sausage, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the Cajun seasoning and the heavy cream ( Photo 2 ), and cook until the cream is reduced by half ( Photo 3 ). Then add the penne pasta, and toss until thoroughly incorporated ( Photo 4 ).

Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pasta, and plate immediately.

Makes 1 or 2 servings.

Additional Information:

The Elbow Room

Cuisine: American

Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays. Brunch offered 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Entree price range: $11-$24

Notes: Full bar and extensive wine list. Suggested wine pairings with meals. Handicapped accessible. Seasonal outdoor dining. Daily specials. Major credit cards accepted.

Address: 5744 1/2 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside

Details: 412-441-5222

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