Brent Bowen has a different kind of responsibility than most restaurant owners and chefs who open a new restaurant in an old location: He has to live up to the success of the former establishments.
Nardi's Fine Dining, at the top of the Jonnet Building in Monroeville, inhabits the plush space that started as The Penthouse, and then became D'Imperio's for more than 10 years, and finally operated as Monterey Bay for 15 years.
The prime location was vacant for five years before Bowen opened Nardi's eight months ago because the building's owner wanted to keep it for a restaurant, says Bowen, 49, who used to own Johnny's in Wilmerding, and the now-defunct Market Place in Peters.
"Every restaurant that has been here has been successful," he says. "I'm in a unique position because I developed a good following at Johnny's who have come here, and the customers of the former restaurants have good memories and want to try us out. Business has been great."
Diners take the elevators to the 10th floor to enter the elegant restaurant, which seats 150 in three separate dining rooms. Sage green walls and olive carpeting are soothing contrasts to the white linen tablecloths on the wooden tables and the blue-clothed chairs. Walls of windows allow diners to watch busy Route 22 as they enjoy their meals.
"When I looked at this location, I fell in love with it," Bowen says. He's married and the father of two sons, ages 19 and 21. "People are still going to go out to eat no matter what the economy, and having another option for them is a good choice. We do casual fine dining."
Nardi's continental menu is heavy with Italian influences. Bowen, who says he's Welsh, German and half Italian, uses old family recipes for many of his dishes.
Four other cooks work with Bowen, who says they serve 150 dinners on a busy night.
"My philosophy is to keep it classic, simple and use the best ingredients, because everything starts with ingredients," he says. "Everything is made fresh to order, and we use local products as much as we can."
His menu can best be described as comforting, with few surprises. Appetizers include calamari, shrimp cocktail, stuffed portobello mushrooms, fried zucchini, French onion soup and oysters. Bowen makes two soups every day, and serves pasta dishes such as ravioli, linguine with clam sauce, fettucine primavera and lasagna.
There's plenty of aged filet mignon and prime New York strip steaks, as well as Virginia spots, crab cakes, shrimp scampi, seared scallops, salmon, and South African lobster tail. Veal scallopini, veal parmesan, veal Romano and saltimbocca are featured, along with chicken Romano, chicken parmesan, chicken Florentine and his signature Godfather's chicken, which is a breaded breast browned in olive oil and sauteed with hot peppers and mushrooms.
"I get my produce from Frank and Dom's out of Penn Hills, and the meats from Weiss Provisions in the Strip District," says Bowen, a Mt. Lebanon native. "I get a lot of imported items from Pennsylvania Macaroni in the Strip. "
Bowen got into the restaurant business 12 years ago as his second career because he loves food and being in the kitchen, he says. His first career, after graduating from University of California at Berkeley with a business degree, was as a hockey coach and scout on the West Coast.
"My dad was in Penguins management from 1968 to 1975," he says. "My hockey career didn't work out, and I came back to Pittsburgh."
A five-year stint at Pennsylvania Macaroni convinced Bowen to stay in the food business and to open his own restaurant. He never went to culinary school, but learned skills from both of his grandmothers and mother, and on his own.
"You gotta love it and have a passion for cooking," says Bowen, who spends 75 minutes every morning commuting to Nardi's from his home in Peters. "I work 60 to 70 hours a week. Organization is important, especially for us in this small kitchen. You have to do five hours of prep for every four hours of service."
Bowen says the best part of his job is pleasing customers.
"People don't come out to eat because they get bad service and crappy food," he says. "They want memorable experiences. Food is emotion."
Veal Saltimbocca
Nardi's Fine Dining executive chef and owner Brent Bowen is sharing his signature veal dish, Veal Saltimbocca. This is a perfect dish for dinner parties because not only is it easy, but guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen.
Bowen suggests serving this succulent entree with a pasta of your choice -- he likes bowties -- and a good Cianti or pinot noir wine.
For the Romano Batter:
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Splash white wine
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
For the veal:
- 4 (4-ounce) veal cutlets
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Granulated garlic, to taste
- 4 slices Imported prosciutto
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- Grated Romano cheese, for sprinkling over veal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup blended vegetable oil and olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup Marsala wine
- 1/4 cup beef or veal stock
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
To prepare the Romano Batter: Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together. Add the lemon juice, white wine, grated Romano, parsley and pepper. Whisk and set aside.
To prepare the veal: Pound each veal cutlets until it's thin. Sprinkle salt, pepper and granulated garlic on the top side of the veal. Cover with 1 slice prosciutto. Top with 1 slice provolone, and sprinkle with grated Romano. Roll up each veal cutlet and press together at the ends. Dust the rolled cutlets in flour and put them into the Romano Batter.
Put the blended oils in an ovenproof pan on high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Lift each rolled cutlet out of the batter and drain. Place them into the pan of oil. After 1 minute, turn the cutlets until they are browned on all sides. Drain the oil from the pan.
Add the white wine, Marsala wine, veal or beef stock, fresh mushrooms and veal cutlets. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture back to a boil, and then place the pan in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place each cutlet on a plate and cover with sauce and mushrooms.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Additional Information:Nardi's Fine Dining
Cuisine: Continental with Italian influences
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 4-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Entree price range: $14-$48
Notes: Major credit cards accepted. Handicapped accessible. Daily specials. Full bar, with extensive wine selection. Private dining room for special events and business meetings. Live entertainment on the weekend. Reservations suggested for the weekend, and can be made online.
Address: 4099 William Penn Highway, top of the Jonnet Building in Monroeville
Details: 412-372-1595 or website
