Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 37

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Friday, September 4, 1.987 PRE VII DIMIMG OUT Fall's new restaurants are few, but formidable 281-7100.) Le Bistro, sister restaurant of La Normande, Shadyside, has moved to a new home, the former Webster Hall in Oakland. The new site previously housed a casual restaurant called Pinnochio's, and, before that a more elegant place called Tiffany's. 1 new Le Bistro, to debut on Tuesday, will have a new menu and feature late-night dishes (the kitchen will stay open until 1 a.m.) Appetizers, like steak tartare, es-cargots, goat cheese en croute garnished with melon, will range from $2.50 to $7.50, Katz said. Entrees, which will come with a house salad, will cost from $7.50 to $15. Another new feature will be Le Bistro's sandwiches, including hamburgers and devonshires, offered both at lunch and on its late-night menu.

kosher Downtown. A second kosher operation is planned for the city, in addition to the recently opened Dairy Planet, reviewed here favorably last month. It will be in the Westin William Penn and will be used exclusively for catered affairs there, according to hotel spokesman Dave Kosick. For about 30 years, the hotel had an in-house kosher operation, but it was shuttered three years ago. "It will be the only approved hotel kosher kitchen in town," he said.

Kosick, who predicted the kosher kitchen will in operation by the end of the month, said it will be under the direct supervision of the Pittsburgh Rabbinical Council. Rabbi Baruch A. Poupko, who heads the supervisory panel, said: "It will be a very significant service to Jews throughout Pittsburgh who observe their religion's dietary laws." (For more information call Don Berger at the hotel at and $1 1.95 a la carte," he said. He said lighter fare also will be a part of his restaurant's bill of fare, with those dishes in the 7 range. Zins has revamped the dining and bar area and the bathrooms of the former Cafe Blvd.

He also has improved the kitchen, including developing catering facilities. The 52-seat restaurant, at 5242 Baum Shadyside, will have a staff of 22, Zins said. Downtown will get its first steak-house this November when Ruth's Chris opens in PPG 6. The 185-seater will be one in a national chain of 1 8 restaurants by the same name, which is based in New Orleans. The restaurant will feature aged, prime beef as well as live lobster.

A la carte prices will range from Things are getting a bit more They said the moderate-priced menu will change monthly to take advantage of seasonal specialties, such as baked trout with a pineapple salsa, lamb with beetroot confit, aged filet of beef and a warm duck salad with fig chutney. All desserts will be made by Allen, an Austrian-trained pastry chef formerly with La Normande and Le Pommier. Uricchio worked in London at two Michelin-starred restaurants, Carrier's and the Rue St. Jacques, and at Orcades in Sydney, Australia. Uricchio and Allen's former base, Cafe Blvd, has been taken over by Zins and renamed Cafe Sam.

He plans to open by mid-September. The former executive chef of Le Petit Cafe, Zins said his menu will be "eclectic," and feature French, Northern Italian and California cuisine at moderate prices. "My regular menu will consist of entrees that will cost between $8.95 By Mike Kalina Post-Gazette Staff Writer JJ" he bad news is that fewer jn new restaurants will be I I opening in Pittsburgh this LJ fall than in any fall season in the last five years. The good news is that the ones to debut here have the potential for greatness. Three of the city's top young chefs, Michael Uricchio, 25, Can-dace Allen, 26, and Andrew Zins, 30, will be opening new restaurants this month.

A Highland Park landmark, The Chariot, 5701 Bryant has been doused in coral tones and renovated to reflect the menu created by its new owners, chefs Uricchio and Allen. They're the duo who made Cafe Blvd, Shadyside, such a big success in less than a year. They said they plan to continue their innovative blend of French and Califor-nian cuisine at their new restaurant, which they've christened Laforet. Second City trains 'em to 'think fast on their feet' ill NIGHT LIFE fR7 it Some of the members of Second skits in the troupe's current repertoire. "They're talking about Vietnam, they're talking about growing old.

What we do is behavior. There's a fallacy that it's political. It's behavior and it's lasting. That's why people laugh; because people love to see themselves portrayed." At the end of each performance, By Scott Mervis Ihicago must have been a funny place last week. I Over 400 comic actors, of I varying qualities in come dy and acting, gathered in the Windy City to audition for openings at Second City.

If it's not the country's breeding ground for comedy, then Second City is at least, as Gilda Radner described it, a "university of the bar in the Second City theater hang the pictures of its, illustrious alumni. Not just the former SCTV cast of John Candy, EVERY WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING, H.B. Bennett Kenny Karsh Trio Wednesday and Friday Evenings. Opie Bellas Saturday Evenings Complimentary indoor parking with dinner validation. iff )t lJ, cCrtr Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, etc.

hang there, but others like John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, David Steinberg and Robert Klein. Then there's the elder classmen: Joan Rivers, Alan Arkin, Ed Asner and Stiller and Meara. Executive producer Joyce Sloan said she recently saw a man guiding his family through pictures. It turned to be Joe Flaherty, the "vary scary" Pittsburgh alumnus who was promoted into the ensemble from stage manager. All these stars were trained at the Second City theater and the comic ritual still happens there each night.

In addition to the resident company and another in Toronto, a separate touring troupe romps back and forth across the country presenting the same skits that are written and performed back in the home office. Sloan says there are about 30 lamp's restaurant STEELER FEAST SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 ROAST TENDERLOIN 595 STUFFED SOU WITH CRABMEAT 1 495 Dinners include salad, potato, vegetable or rice Try dinner on our OUTSIDE DECK RES. 261-1990 212 BLVD. OF ALLIES AT MARKET City's touring group. it's improvisation time.

The players take suggestions from the audience and ad lib their way through the situation. When they've learned the ropes and can think fast enough on their feet, they graduate to the resident company, where most of the new ideas are generated. Considering Second City's track VEAL EGGPLANT $750 PARMESAN record, it's safe to say that there are future superstars among both the touring and resident ensembles. With a hint of modesty in her voice, Sloan, a 26-year veteran of Second City, agrees that she can pick 'em. Although she's seen so many great comics come and go, Sloan holds that her favorites are "always the present company." Pressed to pick the most talented of the alumni, she demurs.

"I had the great privilege of spending a day with novelist Isaac Bashevis Singer. Somebody asked him, 'Which of your books do you like He turned to this woman and he said, 'Which of your children do you like Iff you're going Second City performs at Graffiti Saturday night at 8. 682-4210. DINNER SPECIALS FRESH SEA BASS English Style $795 I I incl. vegetable or potato ulad Friday Seafood Smorgasbord 5:30 pm Soup Sandwich Buffet IJ.9S 1 1 am-2 pm Appearing Sept.

15th St loth "The Chippcndalca".