Signature Dishes: The ‘Blackenzola’ steak at Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco in Oakmont, a tribute to late owner
This is part of an ongoing sequence highlighting Signature Dishes at regionally-owned restaurants in the area. See Trib Full Media’s new online listing of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com.
Danny Monaco’s legacy life on by way of his relatives, his places to eat and in each individual bite of a specialty steak evening meal.
The perfectly-recognised Oakmont businessman and his govt chef, Brian Leri, concocted the “Blackenzola” two many years in the past for Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco along Allegheny Avenue.
It is a middle-slice 8-ounce filet of high quality Angus beef, flippantly seasoned, pan-seared and then topped with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese in advance of becoming cooked to get in an oven. The steak is topped generously with a balsamic vinegar reduction.
A petite variation, with three 2-ounce filet mignon medallions, is also served throughout lunch and dinner.
“There was constantly an ongoing discussion, who made the dish,” Leri explained. “We usually battled. Sadly, we dropped Danny this yr. So, from this time on, I’m heading to relinquish the dish to him. We all overlook him tremendously. I think about him each individual working day. He was such a good presence at the cafe. We’re heading to hold every thing heading in his honor.”
Monaco and his brother, Tom, began the business enterprise in 1971 with their grandmother’s Italian recipes. It went below big renovations in 1990. The family also owns and operates Chelsea Grille, just a several doorways down.
Monaco died from covid troubles in January after battling the virus for about 3 months. He was 75.
“He wanted to make confident almost everything was ideal all the time,” said Leri, 47, of Tarentum. The pair worked jointly for about 26 many years.
The Blackenzola is available day by day and comes with two sides. They can be salad, soup, greens, rosemary mashed potatoes or yet another starch. It is also served with bread and butter or a rosemary solar-dried tomato dipping oil.
Leri reported the evening meal ($38.99) is bought about 40 occasions a 7 days, and the petite serving ($21.99) is on about 200 plates weekly.
“The quality of the items is No. 1,” the chef explained. “That’s a super easy dish. It is steak, some seasoning, cheese and then the sauce. The sauce is sweet. It goes with the sharpness of the cheese, a minor little bit of the spiciness with the steak. All close to, it wraps jointly and it is fantastic.
“You can make the fanciest dish in the planet, but if you don’t have very good quality ingredients, it isn’t going to be extremely very good.”
Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco (hoffstots.com) is at 533 Allegheny Ave. in Oakmont. Open each day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday as a result of Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday. 412-828-8555.
Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Evaluate staff writer. You can get in touch with Michael at 412-871-2367, [email protected] or by means of Twitter .
Groups:
Editor’s Picks | Food items & Consume | Lifestyles | Regional | Oakmont | Plum Progress Chief