'Inherent love for food' drives Joseph Tambellini Restaurant
At birth, Joseph Tambellini's destiny was to continue the fine-dining reputation the Tambellini name is known for in Pittsburgh.
And he's not complaining.
"I can't imagine doing anything else," says Tambellini, 42, from his namesake restaurant in Highland Park. "I've been in the business since 1979, when I started washing dishes at my dad's place."
His father, Robert, operated the successful Robert Tambellini Downtown from 1965 to 1991. His great-uncle, Frank Tambellini, opened a still-popular restaurant on Seventh Street, Downtown, while Louis Tambellini, a second cousin of Robert, opened the famous Tambellini restaurant in the South Hills.
Tambellini's ancestors hail from the Lucca Tuscany region of Northern Italy.
"Yes, we're all related, but we're not affiliated with each other," Tambellini says. "We all share an inherent love for food."
Tambellini remembers his father going to the grocery store every day from their home in Beechview to get the freshest ingredients for their family's dinners. His mother, Gloria, had multiple sclerosis and was unable to cook. She died in 1996 and Robert died in 1998.
"We never had groceries for the whole week," he says. "I'm the only one in my family who's a chef, out of four kids. I just took to it. The most important thing I got from my dad was a big heart and a good backbone. He always said, no matter what you do, be the best."
After working for his dad until 1991, Tambellini cooked at various establishments, including a six-year stint at Joe Carmassi's restaurant Downtown, and then opened Franco's Trattoria in Dormont with Franco D'Amico in 2000. But the itch to have his own restaurant never left Tambellini. When the three-story building on Bryant Street that housed the acclaimed Laforet Restaurant became available, he and his wife, Melissa, bought it three years ago.
They didn't have to change the elegant, understated decor much, says Melissa Tambellini, 41, who oversees the business end of the restaurant. The taupe walls nicely set off the cream-colored tablecloths and black linen napkins on the square and round tables. The dining rooms on the first and second floor seat about 70, and a private room on the third floor seats 20 guests.
Tambellini keeps the family tradition alive of knowing customers by name and treating everyone like royalty. He's humble, down-to-earth, and truly loves what he does.
"It's such an honor that people let you cook for them," Tambellini says. "That's as flattering as it gets. My philosophy is that God did all the hard work creating this food. I'm just trying not to screw it up on the way to your table."
Everything is made fresh daily, he says, and he's in the Strip District regularly obtaining what he needs for the night. Seafood comes from Penn Avenue Fish, while Jo-Mar Provisions Inc. provides the meats. A lot of his Italian goods come from Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, and he receives homemade pastas from Fede Pasta in North Huntingdon. Produce comes from Sunfresh, in the Strip, and Penn's Corner Farm Alliance.
"It's really important for me to stay local," says Tambellini, who lives in Shaler with Melissa and their girls, Victoria, 10, and Juliana, 7. "I change the menu seasonally, and have four to six daily features."
His menu is classic, comforting Italian. Among the many seafood entrees are jumbo lump crabcakes, grilled Copper River salmon, broiled South African lobster tails, and seared jumbo sea scallops, all prepared with delicate sauces that bring out the flavor of the fish.
"You don't have to cover up a dish with a heavy sauce," he says.
There are antipasta platters featuring escarole and white beans with sausage; sauteed, fried or arrabiatta calamari; stuffed banana peppers; and smoked salmon capers. Pasta dishes include old-world style tagliolini (a flat-sided spaghetti), mafalda (the ends of lasagna noodles), trenne (triangular-shaped penne) or whole-wheat varieties made with different sauces and vegetables. And, of course, what Italian restaurant would be complete without chicken parmesan, marsala, Romano, piccatta and lucca?
Mouthwatering desserts feature his famous tiramisu; luscious chocolate mousse cake; a butterscotch pound cake with vanilla bean ice cream and candied pecans; a pecan ball; creme brulee and a pear-apple tart.
Tambellini stays extremely busy, serving 150 dinners on a weekend night, and says he couldn't do it without Melissa.
"She is the heart and soul of this restaurant -- she runs the business," he says. "Running the kitchen is second nature for me, but the business end is the most challenging. It's comforting for each of us knowing we have each other's back."
Chef Joseph Tambellini is sharing his Copper River grilled salmon recipe, which uses a saffron vinaigrette that complements the buttery smooth salmon. The salmon flakes off the fork and is so flavorful you'll savor every bite. The chef suggests serving this dish with a good sauvignon blanc.
• 2 (8-ounce) salmon fillets, coated with garlic oil and sprinkled with sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups raw baby spinach
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 8 asparagus spears, blanched and then grilled for 2 minutes
• Saffron Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Heat the grill to high and place the salmon skin side down. Grill for 4 minutes each side for medium-rare doneness.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat and saute the spinach until wilted, for less than a minute. Squeeze the lemon juice over the spinach when done.
To plate: Place equal amounts of spinach on each plate and put the fillet on top of the spinach. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the salmon, then carefully place the grilled asparagus spears upright in a crisscross pattern on the sides of the salmon. Makes 2 servings.
Saffron Vinaigrette
Allow at least 2 hours to prepare this dressing. This vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for as long as 1 week.
• 1 tablespoon Spanish saffron
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 big basil leaves, chiffonade
• 2 tablespoons sweet yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 8 dashes Tabasco sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Mix the saffron with the rice wine vinegar 1 hour before adding the other ingredients.
Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and let stand for another hour, or prepare a day ahead of time.
Additional Information:
Joseph Tambellini Restaurant
Cuisine: Classical Italian
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 4-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4-9 p.m. Sundays
Entree price range: $20-$42
Notes: Major credit cards accepted. Reservations highly recommended for weekends. Large selection of California and Italian wines, with weekly featured wines. Daily cuisine features.
Address: 5701 Bryant St., Highland Park
Details: 412-665-9000 or website
