Owners work magic on Cross Keys Inn

Brothers Michael and Robert Uricchio have transformed a rundown, 1850 hotel along Dorseyville Road in Indiana Township into an elegantly casual restaurant that features several private dining rooms.

The Uricchios, who owned the award-winning Laforet in Highland Park until they closed it in 2006, decided to venture into the restaurant business again after driving by Cross Keys Inn several times.

"It was a real fixer-upper," says Michael Uricchio, 47, of Fox Chapel. "It took a long time to renovate -- everything needed work."

They found broken windows, broken pipes and a destroyed roof, to name a few projects. As in any old building, there were challenges, he says. Cross Keys Inn served as a stagecoach stop for travelers. Now a historical landmark, it has about 4,000 square feet.

"It had a front porch and sleeping rooms, which was unusual for the time," Uricchio says.

The restaurant boasts 110 seats, including six private dining rooms on the second floor. Visitors can wait for a table in the comfortable lounge, complete with a wood-burning fireplace and hardwood floors, or at the snazzy bar.

"What we're trying to accomplish is an American bistro -- simple, casual elegance," he says, adding that Cross Keys Inn opened Jan. 2 and already has been well-received by the community. "We are maintaining the quality we had at Laforet with everyday good food.

"We are serving American cuisine here, with simple sauces and homemade bread," he says. "If someone just wants soup and a salad, that's fine. If they want a four- or five-course dinner, we can do that, too."

Uricchio studied in London for two years, then served as a head chef in Sydney, Australia. His wife, Candace, is a pastry chef, and they traveled around the world a couple of times before settling down in their hometown. The Uricchio brothers grew up in Squirrel Hill and went to Allerdice High School. Robert Uricchio, 48, still lives in Squirrel Hill.

There are similarities and differences between Laforet and Cross Keys Inn. Both restaurants are known for their cuisine and atmosphere, but Laforet had more tables of two and had only 50 seats in all.

Here we have larger groups," Michael Uricchio says. "It's more loose and lively. It's a nice change from what we come from."

The kitchen is large and airy, with plenty of room for employees to move around while preparing meals. Cross Keys Inn has four chefs, including head chef Jake Walchesky, 28, who has been a chef in various capacities for four years.

"I've actually been working as a cook for 10 years, but finally decided to go to school for it," says Walchesky, who graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2004. He and the other chefs regularly prepare 150 dinners a night.

"We interviewed a lot of people," Uricchio says. "We were looking for someone who could run a kitchen and who cared about presentation."

The Uricchios get their meats from Butcher Block Meats in Pittsburgh, lamb from Elysian Fields and fish from Hawaii. You can find them every day in the Strip District, looking for the best produce. In season, they haunt the local farmers markets.

"Our goal is great food and a great atmosphere," he says. "We want to be a good part of the community -- approachable for everyone. It's been fun."

Michael Uricchio chose to share his Roasted Chicken Soup with Cooking Class. It's easy to prepare and makes for a delicious lunch or dinner on a cold day.

"This is one of my favorite dishes in the winter," he says. "Once you add the onions and garlic, it makes a great stock."

• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, olive oil, divided

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cleaned and dried

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 onion, diced, plus 1 onion, sliced, divided

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup white wine

• 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

• Water

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 3 ribs of celery, sliced

• 1 leek, sliced

• 1 bunch parsley, chopped

Dumplings (recipe follows)

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil and the butter in a large pot; season the whole chicken with salt and pepper and saute it in the pot, browning on all sides.

Add the diced onion and garlic. Saute with the chicken for 2 minutes or until they start to color.

Add the white wine, rosemary and enough water to cover the chicken (see Photo 1 ).

Cover and cook the chicken until done, for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool.

Sautee the carrots, celery, sliced onion and leek in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 3 minutes ( Photo 2 ). Add to the stock.

Pick off all the meat from the chicken and shred ( Photo 3 ). Add the meat back to the stock and bring it back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add chopped parsley and the dumplings. Reheat and serve.

Dumplings

• 2/3 cup whole milk

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into the simmering stock. Cook for about 2 minutes ( Photo 4 ), remove and let cool.

Additional Information:

Cross Keys Inn

Cuisine: American

Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays

Entree price range: $18-$29

Notes: Cross Keys offers half-orders of pasta, light fare and burgers, for those not hungry enough for an entree. Major credit cards accepted. Handicapped accessible. Reservations accepted. Private dining rooms available.

Address: 599 Dorseyville Road, Indiana Township

Details: 412-967-1900