Cafe Georgio's chefs prepare elegant and often exotic food, then serve it in an eclectic, two-story dining room decorated with paintings of roosters, scarecrows and small elephant "heads" for hanging diners' coats.
When owner and chef George Ward opened the Bethel Park cafe -- just down the street from South Hills Village -- in 1991, he envisioned a "pasta-seafood-bistro style of a cafe" where he could serve his special recipe for Tuscan-style flatbread. Soon after he and his partner, Grace Hopwood, a professional artist, opened the restaurant, they adorned it with her creations: paintings of fruits, homes, flowers and several roosters, and a chest of drawers in multiple bright colors in a corner of the first-floor dining area.
"The cafe has a funky and zany decor," says Ward, 49, of Venetia in Peters. "It's been a wonderful run for us, and we love it; it's as cute as can be."
Cafe Georgio's menu, which Ward describes as "new world fusion," has pasta, seafood, pork, beef, veal and chicken dishes. Exotic game meats frequently rotate onto the menu, including rattlesnake, alligator and ostrich. Entrees incorporate many ingredients and flavors as accents, says Ward -- for example, Cafe Georgio's macaroni and cheese features roasted garlic, five cheeses and Cognac.
"A lot of people perceive us as being real fancy, but we try to downsize that and let people know (that) you can be as casual as you want," adds Ward, who has worked at restaurants in New Orleans, Seattle and Virginia Beach, Va.
"Our food is real elegant, and you can enjoy it any day of the week and every day of the week."
Ward combines his talents with his executive chef, Bernard Bereksazi, to prepare the constantly shifting menu and daily specials. Ward, a native of Washington, Pa., has been cooking for 25 years, and Bereksazi, 34, got his first taste of the cook's life after a restaurant dishwashing job at age 16.
"I just took off there," says Bereksazi, a Cranberry native and 1992 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. "I felt the need and drive to cook -- the feeling and passion for it."
Passion, he says, is what makes a quality chef and restaurant. "My main philosophy is to cook with feelings; that's something that you just can't teach," says Bereksazi, a Brookline resident and former executive chef at Amel's restaurant in Baldwin. He has been with Cafe Georgio's for about six years.
"Anyone can follow a recipe and cook something," he says. "I want to please the customer and make them say, 'This is something different, something nice.'"
Souffles are tricky and must be handled quickly from oven to table, or they will start to fall and lose their fluff, says Bernard Bereksazi, Cafe Georgio's executive chef. Once you have the souffle mix ready, put the zucchini rolls immediately into the oven; then, when finished, serve the food immediately. The chef recommends Pecorino Romano cheese as the finest quality; however, any Romano cheese can substitute.
Zucchini-Wrapped Sea Scallops and Crab Souffle
- 2 medium zucchini
- Salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- { 1/4} cup fine dry bread crumbs
- Virgin olive oil
- { 1/2} teaspoon finely diced red onion
- {3/4} cup white wine
- { 1/2} cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons lump crabmeat
- 1 teaspoon grated Romano cheese
- 15 jumbo sea scallops (1{ 1/2} ounces each)
- { 1/4} pound jumbo lump crabmeat
- Toothpicks
- 3 large egg whites
- Sauteed Spinach (recipe follows)
- Red Pepper Coulis (optional, recipe follows)
- Pesto Aiolo (optional, recipe follows)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Chive blossom, for garnish (optional)
Cut the two zucchini lengthwise into a total of 15 thin slices -- about 8- by 2- by {1/8}-inch thick -- preferably using a mandoline or vegetable cutter.
Lay the zucchini out and lightly season one side of the slices with salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Using a small amount of olive oil, about 1 teaspoon per two strips, sear the zucchini in batches, as you would slices of bacon, on a 400-degree griddle or in a hot saute pan, for about 10 seconds, or until light brown. On a sheet tray, lay the strips out to cool.
Place the red onion and white wine in a small saute pan and reduce over high heat until the mixture is almost dry, for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the heavy cream, reduce by half, and add the 3 tablespoons lump crabmeat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and the Romano cheese. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, remove the side muscles from the scallops. In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil almost to the smoking level, and quickly pan sear the scallops on both sides until a light brown color has formed. The whole process, including heating, should take no more than 3 minutes. The scallops will be nearly half-cooked.
Roll each scallop up inside a zucchini strip, with the crumb side on the outside. Stand the zucchini rolls up, like tubes, and press the scallops to the bottom to form a "cup." Fasten each wrap with a toothpick inserted halfway in the scallop. Put 1 or 2 nuggets of jumbo lump crab meat into each "cup" atop each scallop.
Prepare the souffle topping: Beat the egg whites to medium stiff peaks. Quickly fold them into the cream mixture and spoon enough into each zucchini wrap to fill to the top. Place the wraps on an oiled sheet pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the souffle is risen and browned.
To assemble the plate, put a scoop of Sauteed Spinach in the middle. If desired, make a decorative arch around half of the edge, using three small spoonfuls of Red Pepper Coulis, alternating with two spoonfuls of Pesto Aiolo.
Place two zucchini wraps on top of the sauteed spinach, and sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh parsley. Garnish with a chive blossom, if desired.
Makes 3 entree servings, using 5 scallops each, or 7 appetizer servings.
Sauteed Spinach
- 1/2 pound fresh spinach, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
- Splash of white wine
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper, freshly ground
Heat olive oil in a saute pan to just when it starts to smoke, and quickly cook the garlic until light brown. Add the spinach, then the wine, salt and pepper. Stir, turn off the heat, cover and let rest for 1 minute.
Makes about 2 cups, enough for 1 small portion on 7 appetizer servings.
Red Pepper Coulis
- About 4 roasted sweet red peppers
- 3 teaspoons whole butter
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
- Splash of sweet Marsala wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper, freshly ground
Puree enough roasted sweet red peppers to make 1 cup of smooth puree. In small saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon butter. When the butter starts to turn light brown, lightly brown the garlic. Add the Marsala, pepper puree, chicken broth, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons butter.
Makes about 1 cup, enough to garnish at least 7 appetizer servings. Leftovers can be used as a dip or pasta sauce.
Pesto Aiolo
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (about 12 leaves)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- Splash of white wine
- 3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Chop the basil either with a food processor or a French knife. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan until it just begins to smoke. Add the pine nuts and cook until they turn a very light brown. Add the garlic and cook until it is lightly browned, then add the wine. Remove from the heat and add the basil, Romano cheese, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix well and let cool.
Makes about 1 cup, enough for at least 7 appetizer servings. Leftovers can be used as a dip.
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