Wrapped in flavor

The kitchen in Cafe Georgio is not much bigger than some people's closets, says executive chef Bernie Bereksazi, but it serves the purpose.

"People are amazed at the stuff we can put out from here," says Bereksazi, 36, standing in the 10-foot by 17-foot kitchen. "It's a challenge. Three of us are back here, so there's no wasted space."

Owner George Ward laughs.

"We try not to get in each other's way," says Ward, who cooks alongside Bereksazi. "We've never cut each other."

Ward and his wife, artist Grace Hopwood, have owned Cafe Georgio in Bethel Park for 14 years. Bereksazi, who has been there for 7 years, was made a partner last August. Ward came upon the original small 1950s Cape Cod-style cottage and totally gutted it after he bought it.

"It was a labor of love," says Ward. "We remodeled -- we've tweaked it. It's pretty cool. But it's overwhelming when you get 50 people in here."

The restaurant seats 60, including the porch. Hopwood's colorful artwork adorns the walls. Bereksazi and Ward create the menu and Bereksazi handles the daily specials. The restaurant also offers catering.

"Our menu is way too big and way too crazy," Ward says with a smile. "We do some really innovative things. I buy the produce and Bernie fuses it together. Bernie has been great."

Bereksazi has an ambitious menu, featuring seafood flown in from Florida and Hawaii; aged meats from Weiss Provisions in the Strip District; and blue cheese from the Maytag dairy in the Midwest. Diners can select from more than two dozen entrees.

Shrimp a la Vodka, for example, features sauteed shrimp in a vodka tomato cream sauce with garlic, fresh herbs and Romano cheese over herb pappardelle.

A combination of goose liver and prime filet with a cabernet stock reduction looks promising. Several veal dishes are available, as well as chicken and seafood.

Then there are the daily specials, which recently included grilled petite filets with gruyere cheese bread pudding, Hawaiian yellowfin tuna and nut-crusted salmon with scallops, crab cakes and a seafood stew featuring shrimp, scallops, escolar, jumbo lump crabmeat, lobster tail, mussels and clams simmered in a tomato basil vegetable broth.

Bernie's style is hard to put into words," says Ward, who refers to it as a fusion mix. "His paellas are better than what you get in Spanish restaurants and his Greek salad is better than what they have in Greece."

Bereksazi is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

"The menu is so big because we try to please everybody," says Bereksazi. "I like to bring in food from different ethnicities. You could come in here 20 times a month and not get the same thing, for sure.

"I get a lot of satisfaction out of pleasing the customers," he says. "I take pride in what I do. It's fun."

One of his specials is a Baked Stuffed Grouper for Two with Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce. Bereksazi chose to share this special dish because it has been a popular item and is not too difficult to make -- as long as you follow the directions closely.

"I like to put a little twist on the classics," he says. "I try to be a little different."

The grouper, a meaty fish, should be fresh and dried off before preparing. The phyllo dough keeps the grouper tender and moist during cooking.

Cafe Georgio is at 24 Donati Road in Bethel Park and is open from 5-10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Reservations are suggested. Details:412-833-7000.

Baked Stuffed Grouper for Two with Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon diced shallot or red onion
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon grated romano cheese
• 2 fresh grouper filets (7 ounces each)
• 5 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
• 4 sheets of phyllo dough
• 10 to 15 orange segments
• Orange Buerre Blanc Sauce (recipe follows)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

Place the diced shallot or onion and the wine in a medium-size saute pan and cook on the stovetop until the liquid is almost evaporated, for about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cheese (see Photo A ), remove from the heat, and let cool.

Cut 3 or 4 bias (diagonal) slits across the each grouper filet, 1/2-inch deep ( Photo B ). Place the crabmeat in the slits ( Photo C ), followed by the spinach mixture ( Photo D ). Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Using a basting brush, cover a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter, then place another phyllo sheet on top of the first and brush with butter. Continue until all four sheets are stacked and buttered. Cut the sheets in half.

Lay each grouper filling-side down on one of the stacks of phyllo dough. Fold the dough over the fish as though you're wrapping a present ( Photo E ) -- front to back, left to right -- then flip the wrapped fish over so the filling side is up. Put the fish on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with butter. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the grouper, or until golden brown.

To plate: Place the orange segments on the plates, then put the grouper in the middle. Spoon the Orange Buerre Blanc Sauce around the edges, but not on top, or the phyllo will get soggy. Top with a garnish of fresh parsley.

Makes 2 servings.

Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon diced shallot or red onion
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon butter

Place the shallot and white wine in a saucepan and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, then add the orange juice ( Photo F ) and the heavy cream. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain the sauce and whisk in the butter.