Sharp Edge offers another out-of-the-way gem
If you have trouble finding the new Sharp Edge Bistro in Sewickley, don't worry. It was kind of designed that way.
Owner Jeffrey Walewski seems drawn to odd locations. The original Sharp Edge, which he bought 17 years ago, is a block off the main drag in East Liberty. The second Sharp Edge is in a house overlooking Chartiers Creek in Crafton.
The new location, which opened in August, is on an alley at the back of a defunct grocery store on Beaver Street.
Walewski, who was knighted by Belgium for his service to that country's legendary beer industry, says he was inspired by the hidden gems he's discovered there.
"I kind of like the feeling in Brussels of how you can walk off the beaten path, and all of a sudden you find a gold mine," he says. "That's how I feel about this place."
In keeping with its upscale locale, the bistro -- formerly a beer distributor -- is done in a modern Euro style. Tables are small, and one wall is lined with dark wooden cabinets holding stacks of corked bottles.
But the flat-screen TV showing baseball games hints at the restaurant's easy mix of casual and high-end.
Like the other Sharp Edges, patrons here can order "Buffalo Bites" ($3.75) -- breaded, fried chicken with eight different sauces. But this is Sewickley, so they can also get quiche.
Walewski is all Pittsburgh, a steelworker's son who still lives in the same house in Collier where he grew up. He started out as a bricklayer, spending winters skiing in Colorado.
There he started drinking microbrews, and got hooked on fancy beer. Before long he was beverage director at the Sheraton in Steamboat Springs, which he stocked with European imports -- notably the unbeatable Belgians, which he calls "the Rolls-Royce of beer."
Eventually Walewski boomeranged back to Pittsburgh, and the rest is history.
History is what he'll be making again this summer. Van Steenberge, a renowned Flemish brewery, has been working with Walewski to create a brand new style, combining the heavy hops of US microbrews with the smooth richness of Belgian tripels, exclusively for the Sharp Edge. "Over the Edge" should be on tap by late summer, Walewski says.
Beer is why you're here, and it's priced accordingly, with the better drafts between $7.50 and $10. So start with a sampler.
For $15, you get four small glasses -- totaling 22 ounces -- of your choice from the 20 brews on tap. I went with a quadruple of tripels, the complex, sometimes fruity style invented by Trappist monks, with an alcohol content closer to wine than Budweiser.
Piraat is the mellowest, followed by the bubbly Karmeliet, a bit like champagne. Chimay, still monk-brewed, is cloudy and has the beeriest taste of the lot. The highest alcohol content -- 11.5 percent, compared to the 4 percent of American beer -- belongs to Kasteel, and you feel it.
Other drafts worth trying include Lindemans framboise, a raspberry beer similar to a cooler, and Gulden Draak, a dark, sweet brew that's almost dessert.
Two popular imports are on tap -- the wheat beer Hoegaarden and Stella Artois lager. A better choice is Leffe, a mass-produced abbey-style ale with a honey aroma. But save it for after your sampler; it's a bargain at $5 a glass.
Belgians like their fries with mayo, not ketchup. Sharp Edge Fries ($5.95), a little on the oily side, come with two kinds of aioli mayonnaise -- sun-dried tomato and ancho chili -- plus whole grain mustard.
A block of robust Boursin Cheese Baked in Flaky Pastry ($7.95) comes with toast points. The chef might want to try leaving it in the oven an extra minute. Ours was cold in the middle, as were fried Shrimp and Potato Croquettes ($7.95).
Flemish Onion Soup ($5.95) has a sweet hint of ale in the recipe, though you can hardly taste the beer in the Hop Devil Potato Soup ($6.50) over the creamy cheddar cheese.
A welcome compliment to the heavy food is the Field Greens Salad ($7.95), with diced apples, pecans, dried cherries and a sprinkling of delicate chevre. The Grilled Tilapia Soft Tacos ($12.95) are in pita bread, not tortillas, but the guacamole and whiff of fresh cilantro are authentic enough.
The bistro's Pizzas ($6.50-$11.95) on a cracker-thin fresh crust are a favorite carried over from the original bar. So are the specialty Burgers ($11.95-$12.50), with juicy patties that mix beef with lamb, veal or ostrich.
In true bistro fashion, Sharp Edge keeps many entrees in rotation. I tried an incredibly rich Sirloin ($18.95) stuffed with gorgonzola, roasted garlic and Dijon chive butter in April and was glad to have the Kasteel's alcohol close at hand.
This month features several Belgian dishes, plus Buffalo Meatloaf ($20.95). The bacon-wrapped meatloaf is very finely ground and surprisingly delicate, served with wild mushroom gravy. Ask to substitute the somewhat unappetizing mashed potato mixture with fried potato-and-cheese croquettes, which are piping hot and possibly the tastiest thing on the menu that's not a liquid.
All right, second-tastiest. By all means, save room for the thick, almost chewy, homemade Pudding ($5.95), made with the other thing the Belgians do better than anyone else -- chocolate.
You can have it over cake, or all by its glorious self, drizzled with raspberry reduction and topped with whipped cream and almonds.
Additional Information:
Sharp Edge Bistro
Cuisine: Upscale bar and bistro
Entree price range: $12-$22
Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays
Notes: No reservations; half-price Belgian drafts 4:30-6:30 weekdays; half-price appetizers 10 p.m.-midnight except Sundays
Location: 510 Beaver St. (rear), Sewickley
Details: 412-749-0305
