This spot at the bottom of South Main Street in Greensburg has housed a series of bars over the past 40 years.
The Headkeeper, which opened here two years ago, is one of the best arguments for evolution we've seen in a long time.
Although the Headkeeper boasts 600 domestic and foreign beers, it's about so much more these days.
Chef Ray Flowers' menu features tapas, or small tasting portions -- and they've attracted quite a following. Last summer, the Headkeeper added the "patio" for outdoor dining. Weekends and weeknights alike, the patio is full well after dark.
Flowers says the restaurant's name harkens to one of the site's prior incarnations, circa 1970s. Workmen found the plaque during renovations, and the name stuck.
The boxy, two-story gray industrial building at a busy intersection belies a bar with a mind-boggling assortment of beers and a well-appointed contemporary second-story dining room.
On warm evenings well into fall, the patio, a dining area that is hidden behind an iron fence and tall shrubbery, provides a green getaway from the world outside. But for an occasional roar of a passing motorcycle, you could be at the beach -- that is, if your favorite beach had an eatery with great food at reasonable prices.
There is a casual, upbeat feeling here. Tapas are meant to be tasted and shared.
Between the patio and the dining room, the Headkeeper can seat about 200.
The Headkeeper features an eclectic array of tapas. No one type of food dominates. And the menu changes with the seasons.
While nearly every restaurant features a warm cheese-based dip these days, the Headkeeper's Langostino Jack Cheese Dip ($10) with fresh, adobo-dusted tortilla chips has to be among the best we've tried in a long time. Brimming with buttery langostinos swimming in a sea of spicy cheese, the dip was a great distraction, while we nursed a pair of Magic Hat ($4.50) drafts.
Caribbean-Style Bruschetta ($9) was a perfect accompaniment to a summer evening. The ciabatta toast was piled high with a mixture of fresh tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese and cilantro that tasted as though it had just hopped from the garden to our plates. Our server said white truffle oil is the special touch that ties it all together.
Don't like your vegetables⢠The Balsamic Marinated Grilled Vegetables ($7) might change your mind. The plate of zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper topped with pesto and a balsamic reduction arrived hot from the grill and screaming with taste. The Grilled Asparagus ($8), wrapped in prosciutto and finished with a balsamic reduction, sounded like a good idea; unfortunately, it spent a little too much time on the grill.
Flowers says Claw and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes ($11) have become the Headkeeper's signature dish. Ours arrived topped with a gorgeous, tasty array of toothpick-thin straw fries propped over the crab cakes and served with a chipotle cream sauce.
Pan Seared Ahi Tuna ($11) came on skewers, done to a perfect pink, draped with a bright green wakimi seaweed salad -- eye catching and palate pleasing. A sweet chile sauce rounded out the plate. A Petite Fillet Mignon ($13) featured a silky herbed goat cheese and red-wine reduction.
If you have room for dessert, it's $5 and, like the other offerings, changes with the season. Flowers says there is always a Creme Brulee. And we're dying to go back and try the Sun-Dried Cherry White Chocolate Bread Pudding.
Additional Information:The Headkeeper
Cuisine: Nuevo tapas
Hours: 3-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 3-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3-9 p.m. Sundays
Entree price range: $10-$13
Noteworthy: The Headkeeper features 600 foreign and domestic beers by the bottle as well as a changing selection of domestic and imported beers. Major credit cards accepted.
Location: 618 S. Main St., Greensburg
Details: 724-838-7439
