August 3, 2025 • 42 mins
Meet Kate Romane, the culinary force behind Black Radish Kitchen who's quietly reshaping Pittsburgh's restaurant landscape by opening her doors to emerging talent. What started as a catering business in a light-filled warehouse has evolved into an incubator for the city's next generation of great chefs.
After learning to cook in the Strip District at Enrico Biscotti Company, Kate opened E2 (E-squared) during "Snowmageddon" when Highland Park residents desperately needed a place to eat. Years later, when the pandemic devastated her thriving catering business, she pivoted again, creating "Belly Basket" - a delivery service that maintained connections with both customers and local farmers during isolation.
The magic of Black Radish extends beyond exceptional seasonal food. Kate has helped launch numerous Pittsburgh restaurants by sharing her space and knowledge with talents like Nik Forsberg of Fet-Fisk, Csilla Thackray of the upcoming Titusz, and Bethany Zozula formerly of Whitfield. "It doesn't take anything away from us," Kate explains about her philosophy of collaboration over competition. "If we don't start reinvesting in people with talent to make great restaurants, we're all going to suffer."
Kate's culinary approach centers around the table as a gathering place. This emphasis on community pervades everything Black Radish creates, from farm-driven catering menus to special dinners featuring seasonal ingredients and visiting chefs.
Experience Kate's food philosophy yourself at upcoming events like their tomato dinner or monthly Sunday Sauce gatherings.
Plus later in the show, an immersive dining experience at Just In Thyme and a recipe of beans and greens that balances hearty and light cooking! Bring your appetite.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Doug (00:01):
Welcome to the Pittsburgh Dish.
I'm your host, Doug Heilman.
What happens when you open yourcatering kitchen space to other
aspiring chefs?
Well, you help create the nextgeneration of great Pittsburgh
restaurants.
This week, we talk with KateRomane and learn about the magic
of Black Radish Kitchen.
Want dinner and a movie all atonce?
(00:24):
Ashley Cesaratto clues us in toJust In Thyme and looking to
keep your summer meal light, butwant something a little bit
more than salad?
Jen Flanagan shares her uniquetake on greens and beans topped
with a lemon vinaigrette.
All that ahead, stay tuned, I'mready.
(00:45):
All that ahead, stay tuned, I'mready.
All right, I'm glad.
Well, thank you so much forcoming over, probably during a
very busy time, and thanks forbeing on the show.
Kate (00:55):
I'm so excited to be here.
Doug (00:57):
Honored really.
Oh, would you introduceyourself to our listeners?
Kate (01:02):
My name is Kate Romane and I am the chef owner of Black
Radish Kitchen.
Doug (01:07):
And Kate, if we have some listeners that are not familiar
with Black Radish Kitchen, couldyou just explain a little bit
about what your business is anddoes?
Kate (01:17):
We're a catering and events company first, but we
have also added these elementsfrom the beginning, since we
always have space in the kitchento incubate and welcome other
chefs.
Yes, so that's a big part ofwhat makes it fun for us, but,
but catering is our bread andbutter.
Doug (01:36):
Right.
Kate (01:36):
We do events, and then we also we have the catering
companies in this big oldwarehouse with these beautiful
windows.
Doug (01:43):
It's a great space.
Kate (01:44):
It's a cool space.
Yeah yeah, super lucky to findthat, because you really rarely
get natural light when you'recooking in a kitchen.
Doug (01:53):
I think isn't Adam Milliron also in the same space?
Yes, he's a great photographerfor food.
If folks don't know, we'll haveto have him on at some point
Definitely.
But both of your spaces, likethere's just incredible light,
incredible like expanse, and Iknow when I've been there what I
(02:14):
appreciate is you still seeeverything that's kind of going
on in the kitchen.
I mean, maybe there's someshelving or something, but
you're pretty connected as aguest to your space.
Kate (02:20):
Yeah, they're all in the, we're all in the space together.
There's just some like you.
You said some shelving withsome plates on it separating us,
but it's funny you bring upadam.
The adam is the reason and howwe got into the space, really in
with, yeah, um, when he wasdoing shoots for table magazine,
um, and I was kind of in myspace with the restaurant I had
(02:40):
and kind of in between of like,what am I going to do about a
situation I had there?
I would come by and see him,and uh, and then the space
opened up across from him.
Somebody was just ready to bedone and it was like the perfect
timing to take over.
The hood was already in a lotof the major stuff it was.
(03:01):
couldn't have been a bettermoment.
Doug (03:03):
Yes, I owe a ton to to adam.
Oh my gosh, that's a greatstory.
Yeah, um well, if we're, iffolks are not familiar, if they
have visited, it's over in pointbreeze lynn way, I think it's
the street.
Kate (03:16):
It's in the x factory which is, you know, there's a
lot of different businesses inthere.
Doug (03:20):
um millie's was in there at the beginning, but now
there's Pigeon Bagel is in there, wild Rise, I heard that Wild
Rise was closing up, but anotherguest of the show, Emily Foster
of Self-Reliant Satan, ismoving into that space.
Yeah, so there's a lot ofactivity, yeah.
Kate (03:38):
Yeah, I love that Pittsburgh is.
You know, we're seeing somepeople go after the dreams.
Yeah, I loved what Oliver wasdoing with wild rice, though.
Doug (03:47):
Yeah, you actually sparked something when you said seeing
people go after the dreams,because I definitely want to
talk about that in a littlewhile.
I think you've helped so manyfolks.
Before we leave the the list ofall the things that, uh, black
radish is doing, one of thethings I know is you host
dinners, or you allow folks tohost dinners in the space, and
also the email that reminds meof you all the time is the belly
(04:09):
basket email.
Can you tell folks a little bitmore about that, and where did
that start?
Kate (04:15):
Well, it really started when, when we closed the
restaurant, we did not reallyhave a plan to be honest and a
way to to gap, to bridge the gapbetween people who miss the
restaurant and talking about thecatering company, we started
this thing called love andmeatballs, where we would you
know, we'd sell that and it wasa delivery service that we'd
bring the meatballs to you thatyou would be missing from E
(04:37):
squared.
Doug (04:38):
Um the former restaurant and I had those meatballs,
delicious yes.
Kate (04:43):
Yes, so that's kind of how it started, but then so we had
had this infrastructure in placeand then the pandemic happened.
Doug (04:51):
Yeah, you know.
Kate (04:51):
So the pandemic hit us right when we were things were
really starting to finally workfor Black Radish, we were
starting to get hit our stride,hit our numbers and then, you
know, obviously the world fellapart.
So we pivoted quickly.
I know the word of the pandemicwas pivot.
Doug (05:10):
But you had to evolve or just try new things to see what
worked Exactly.
Kate (05:15):
And at that point no one knew that there would be COVID
relief money available.
We were really in thisdesperate moment of like I
didn't we have such a good team.
I didn't want to lose them andI didn't want to lose connection
to people, even though I knewthat we were losing business by
the day.
You know, we were ironically ona plane back to Pittsburgh from
(05:36):
a catering conference when allthis started to go down.
It was just, and we were justlosing, I mean thousands and
thousands of dollars by theminute.
Doug (05:44):
Yeah, probably during the flight home.
Yes, oh my gosh.
Kate (05:48):
Literally like I don't want to talk about it but anyway
, like and the good note is,belly basket came out of it.
So we immediately just starteda home delivery service.
Like we were able to work witha lot of the vendors and our
purveyors who were had anabundance of food because no one
could sell it yeah, and ourpurveyors who were had an
abundance of food because thenwe could sell it yeah, so we're
getting it at a discounted price.
We're able to get food to ourstaff, who we did have to lay
(06:10):
off some and um into ourcustomers and keep in contact
that way, where it wasn't justabout the food that we were
delivering but that email ofkind of being like me, actually
like, really like word vomiting,being like the email is
expressive, I mean like likeyou're telling us, like hey,
things are crazy.
Doug (06:27):
Um, here's what you need.
Yeah, yeah.
Kate (06:29):
Yeah, it's really, you know, the comforting part of
food I really like to lean into,and certainly in this moment.
Sometimes I'm like God.
The news today is rough.
I need mashed potatoes.
What do you need?
I don't know.
So that's kind of that's beengood for me to be able to think
about what can be comforting inthese moments, and also like
seasonally like right now in themiddle of summer, we've got
(06:52):
tomatoes everywhere, so thesemenus for Belly Basket are
really farm driven.
Doug (06:57):
Ever since you started your first restaurant and even
now I see that, yes, of courseyou have some consistency on
your menus.
Of course Italian food hasalways been a big thing for you,
and then proteins and whatever.
But the menu itself has tochange because you really
believe in seasonality and yourpurveyors are bringing stuff in.
Who, who are some of yourcurrent like biggest partners
(07:19):
that you're you're still gettingproduce and things from we work
a lot with with Jodo at cold cocold co farm yeah.
Kate (07:29):
And with Todd over at tiny seeds.
We do work with this farm outof Ohio.
That's been great.
It's Christopher Springs farm.
I met her a few years ago, anawesome operation.
And then we're actually workinga ton with Three Rivers Grown.
They've been able to sourcefrom multiple farms and bring in
(07:50):
, you know, dry goods and greatgrains and little specialty
items, Like we're getting thisamazing sunflower oil.
Doug (07:58):
Oh yeah.
Kate (08:00):
Which we've integrated into our basic mainline oil.
Doug (08:04):
Oh, wow, you know it's funny.
You had a picture on Instagramand I saw that sunflower oil and
I tried to look it up.
I don't think I could buy it.
They were out of stock.
Because it's more local, Ithink it comes somewhere from
Pennsylvania.
Kate (08:16):
Yeah, it does.
Doug (08:17):
Yeah, I love that Three Rivers Grown.
I think I first knew them orunderstood that it was Clarion
River Organics, but now it'slike a lot more and they're
almost like an aggregator for abunch of small things and try
and get it into sort of themainstream of what you're doing.
Kate (08:32):
Yeah, I think just in the last year they've really started
to work with restaurants andthey're now in like I mean, all
of my friends are working withthem and the product that we're
able to get is awesome.
Doug (08:44):
You have me thinking too, when we're talking about
purveyors and all the greatstuff you're getting.
I know I just alluded to themenus.
Can you tell me when you'redoing these catering events, are
there any I don't know, bigrequested things?
Every time you're like, okay,this dish or this thing is of
course.
We're going to make it the mostbecause people ask for it.
Kate (09:09):
That's a really good question.
You know, I think that peopleit's been a learning curve for
me because I think having such asmall restaurant with E-squared
and then moving into you know,today we're going to cook for
450 people Crazy, you know.
I mean, I think this week it'sgoing to be like 1300 people.
And when you're working with youknow a couple and they want to
feed their friends and family,they want to keep it very
approachable.
So you know, we do just classicstuff.
(09:29):
I mean like we put there's alot of like really simple
roasted vegetables, or like likeright now we're doing a ton of
classic tomato salads and justtrying to keep the flavors good.
And that's where those um, thequality of the products have to
come in, because if we're goingto keep something really simple,
like just a tomato salad withsome like cute little balsamic
(09:53):
on it, it better be a goodtomato or it's just going to
taste like trash so yeah yeah um, and that's where I kind of
rely on those like farmers toreally do do do the work for me.
Doug (10:06):
Your most recent post and maybe you probably don't.
Do you do the social media?
Do you have somebody do?
Kate (10:10):
Oh no, I, I, I was, since since a E squared I, I don't
think I'm great at it.
And Aaron, who has?
He worked at the restaurant andhe started his own photography
company.
Doug (10:21):
He his own photography company.
He does it all for us.
Listen, he's doing a great job.
Kate (10:24):
He does a great job and those pictures he takes.
Doug (10:26):
Amazing.
I think the latest one Imentioned earlier was Churchview
Farm.
You just did a dinner there.
Can you just again, just tosort of tease us can you tell us
what was on that menu, becausethere are some beautiful
pictures Like there was a saladthere looked like maybe there
was a pasta dish, yeah, yeah,yeah.
Kate (10:44):
You know, when we do those dinners try and incorporate
what we can from the farm, whatshe has available.
At the time we did like a peach, like a stone fruit and tomato
salad with ricotta.
Yes, and we got these littleplums from Three Rivers Grown.
Oh my God, they were so good,it looks so good.
So good.
Doug (11:05):
And all the flowers like a ton of edibles, and it just
takes it to the next level, likeeach picture.
If folks aren't following yourfeed , it's beautiful.
It makes me want to come tosomething that you're doing.
And so if folks are not gettinginvited to that wedding out at
the Botanic Garden that you'rehosting, but many times you are
doing some kind of dinner atyour space.
(11:27):
So I think the next one is isit a tomato dinner or is it
Sunday?
Kate (11:31):
sauce.
The next one we have is atomato dinner.
It's actually this next week,okay.
Yeah, and we're pairing withnine o'clock wines.
Who do all natural wines?
They're two great people.
Um but yeah, you know, since youknow I love catering and I love
being a part of people's bigdays, you know, like I think
that that's what's been nice.
Um, we get to facilitate thesemeals that really just help
(11:55):
people have their big moments inlife.
But I miss being able to beconnected and, like host a
dinner party where people canengage.
That aren't, you know, having awedding or a office party.
It needs to be your partysometimes I think, Right, yeah,
and these smaller dinners thatwe do.
We can be more creative anddefinitely more farm driven.
(12:15):
So it's my favorite thing, likewe do the Sunday sauce at the
end of the month, which is acarryover from the restaurant,
but it's it's my favorite day tocook.
I am in there all day all bymyself.
I get to listen to Taylor SwiftLike I like to, and um and uh,
and I get to talk to people and,like you know, it's, and it's
(12:37):
casual enough, where it doesn'tfeel stuffy, you know it's still
just pasta and a lot of saladsand a lot of vegetables and
usually a Sundayae.
I don't think anything could bebetter for me thank you yeah,
thanks for everything you'redoing thanks and, like the other
part is that we collaboratealso when we do these dinners.
Often, um, and that's alwaysfun to get to cook with another
chef and see how they do things,and yeah yeah, I think that's
(12:59):
part of your strength is all theskills you already have.
Doug (13:02):
you You've invited so many other great folks into your
world that it's not just thatyou're sharing a space, you are
learning from them.
Kate (13:11):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I think that's been.
You know, at first it was justbecause we had so much space,
and then now it's like we needthat new energy.
You know, we've, I've been.
I'm fortunate enough that a loteverybody that works at Black
Radish has worked there for awhile and they see our food
every day and then when we bringin somebody else, it's like, oh
, look, what they're doing withthe sour cherries, or how Csilla
(13:31):
is making this dessert, or evenhow they exercise plating or
organizing a prep sheet, like itjust gets you back into your
craft to be like oh, there'sanother way we could do this,
you know, and for me it's reallygood.
You know, I love to see howother chefs work, they organize
themselves and the flavors theybring out.
(13:52):
I mean having Beth from 40North and Whitfield formerly.
She's done some dinners.
This is Bethany Zozula.
Doug (13:59):
Yeah, yes, another part of the cadre of talent that I have
seen there.
Another part of the cadre oftalent that I have seen there.
And you also mentioned CsillaThackray, who is on the path to
opening Titusz, which was theold Merchant Oyster space in
Lawrenceville.
So that's the last dinner Iwent to at your space.
Yeah, I was at the one with thechicken paprikash.
(14:19):
Oh, yeah, I was at the last onewith the duck.
I'm so excited for her, andshe's been around for a while.
Anyway.
I saw her at Fet Fisk.
I think I first met her atChurch View Farm as well.
She was out there for a bitdoing several dinners, so I'm
excited for her.
Kate (14:36):
I'm so excited for her.
It's going to be delicious andI'm sure the space is going to
be super cute.
She's got great style.
Doug (14:43):
You also mentioned Beth, and my husband Greg and I, our
favorite restaurant was theWhitfield for the longest time.
We all miss the Whitfield Ireally miss all of the starter
dishes Like I want to.
A I want to get her on thispodcast, but B I want the carrot
gratin that she used to make.
That thing is so darn good.
Kate (15:01):
Yeah, she's an amazing chef, and I've been a fan of her
since she was at 11.
So following her around andthen actually getting to have
her cook in the kitchen has beenmagic.
Doug (15:13):
Kate, since we're talking about some of these names like
Csilla Thackray and BethanyZozula, I mean this is where my
mind goes to all of the otherthings you do beyond Black
Radish.
There is this connectedness andkinship and community, and I
think that's what I love aboutPittsburgh and what I love about
the work you're doing.
I see really great chefs makingtheir way to a restaurant.
(15:38):
Did I also see, like when NikForsberg was getting FetFisk
really to fruition?
You played a big role in thattoo, didn't you?
Kate (15:48):
Yeah, I mean he is clearly the talent and Sarah have put
together something like reallybeautiful with FetFisk and
through all the pop-ups, and itwas more of that same sort of
thing where I could see thatthese are people that need that,
have the grit, they have thetalent they're, they have the
(16:08):
community.
They're bringing all thesepeople to these pop-ups that are
excited about food and they'reinto it again and they're really
creative and they approached meto just see if we could get
them to the next level.
So, an introduction with the URA.
Um, they're completelyself-funded via the URA, which
is really cool.
Doug (16:26):
To get Lombardozzi's, that old location, to get it
renovated.
Amazing, yeah.
And I just also want to pop in.
They're doing something reallydifferent with food, which is
what's exciting.
I mean, who else is doingNordic-inspired cuisine anywhere
in Western Pennsylvania?
Kate (16:41):
I don't know anybody else doing that, and it's just so
creative.
Doug (16:44):
It is.
Kate (16:45):
And the work culture that they're trying to create over
there is is really for the nextgeneration.
It's.
It's really cool.
Doug (16:51):
It's a cool tribe, like when you see all of their posts,
it's really not about puttingthe chef first either and you do
this as well it's the wholecrew and what everyone's
bringing and actually a lot oftheir posting I notice is like
spotlighting each person on thestaff and like what is their
speciality, what are theybringing to the table?
And then there's just tons ofgroup shots.
And even when they went to theJames Beard nominations, like it
(17:14):
was like here's what we didPartied all night.
All these things I'm like Ilove you.
Kate (17:19):
Oh, my God, that's so great, yeah, yeah, they're doing
, they're doing really well.
I'm excited for them, me too.
Doug (17:25):
I did notice on part of your website it's Kate Romane
productions and some of it islike this no-transcript Is
elevating a chef friend to thenext level.
Part of your mission.
Kate (17:41):
I've just started to try and put words to that.
I don't think it wasnecessarily like something that
was, you know, monetizing asmuch as I was like.
This feels like the right thingto do.
You know, I think that I cansee that there's a gap in people
trying to, and there's.
You know, since the pandemicwe've lost so many people.
They've become like, reallyjaded by the industry.
(18:04):
But there's also this placewhere I'm like there's a ton of
talent and they just want to gettheir own place and like how do
we give them the platform to dothat?
And not that I'm like reallydoing the work as much as I'm
just.
You know, oftentimes we're justcreating room in the kitchen.
Doug (18:21):
Yeah, offering the space, yeah.
Kate (18:22):
Like Driftwood was there for a very brief stint before
from going from Neil's basementinto their brick and mortar Like
that kind of just.
It doesn't.
It doesn't take anything awayfrom us.
I think what's different whenwe do pop ups or or have people
in the spaces, that we're not arestaurant, so we're.
You know it's not interferingwith our open hours If we're not
(18:45):
trying to garnish morecustomers from it.
It's literally a genuine like.
I have the space, Do you wantto use it?
Can you make something?
Can you take it to the nextlevel?
Doug (18:53):
Yeah, I think of it like an incubator for these folks.
And, um, I talked to Simon Choof Soju and he sort of does the
same thing on his off days, Likehey, come in, use the kitchen,
go do your thing, and I thinkthat's.
It's just what I love about ourculture of food here in
Pittsburgh.
So thank you.
Kate (19:11):
Yeah, yeah, I mean also, I think that we lost some really
good restaurants during COVIDand we we need to gain them back
, and I think the more themerrier like Pittsburgh as a
city needs good food and needsgood culture, and if we don't
start in reinvesting in thepeople that have talent to make
great new restaurants, we're allgoing to suffer.
I like to go out to eat.
(19:32):
I mean, this is a other part ofit.
I like all these people's food.
It's like I want to go to yourrestaurant.
Let's Get this restaurant open.
Doug (19:38):
Let's go.
Excellent food that I'm nevergoing to make at home, yeah.
Kate (19:41):
Yeah, Hi.
This is Kate Romane with BlackRadish Kitchen, and you're
listening to The Pittsburgh DishAll right, kind of jumping
forward to one of the mostrecent things.
Doug (19:51):
Did I see you starting to partner with low bar cocktails?
Kate (19:54):
as well.
Aubrey and Lisa are goodfriends and they, you know, they
kind of started this cocktailservice, which is awesome.
And it also complements BlackRadish.
So they do cocktail service forevents and it was something
that we were.
You know, we had started barservice when we first opened
Black Radish.
It was really clumsy at it.
Aubrey and Lisa took that andthen we kind of like they're
(20:15):
like a sister company, butthey've just opened a like they
have their own spot now Down inMcKee's.
Doug (20:23):
Rocks, I think Low places.
That's right, it's real cool.
Okay, I still need to make itthere, yeah.
Kate (20:28):
So they've moved out of our space I think last year and
moved once.
They bought that building Okay.
Doug (20:32):
But it was again another sort of incubation moment for
another group of talented people.
Kate (20:38):
Yeah, it's been and it's been.
Really, I think it's been goodfor our team to also see that,
like you know, oftentimes in thefood service industry, like the
way that we're portrayed on TVis that we're always in
competition, yeah, and yelling,yeah, and it doesn't.
It doesn't have to be like?
Doug (20:53):
I hope not.
I sort of hate competitionshows.
Kate (21:00):
I can't watch them.
No, I'm like, this is so much.
The only competition I'm in iswith time.
Yes, like, I'm just like.
Oh my gosh, do we have enoughtime to get this done Right?
So racing?
Doug (21:05):
against the clock, yeah.
So we're talking a lot aboutthe growth of others and how
you've helped them.
I would like to pivot a littlebit and talk about your growth
and your journey.
I know you and your name maybeclose to 15 years now here in
Pittsburgh.
Can we talk a little bit aboutyour culinary career here in the
city?
(21:26):
When did you move to Pittsburgh?
I know you didn't grow up here.
Where did you grow?
Kate (21:29):
up, I grew up and I went to high school in Columbus.
Ohio and then I have an auntNicole on the north side, just a
Hail Mary move to move here inlike 1997, right out of high
school and didn't really think Iwould stay.
Okay, but Pittsburgh is reallywelcoming.
I did try and leave a couple oftimes but we implanted the
(21:50):
magnet and you cannot leave now.
I do love Pittsburgh.
It's really been so supportive.
I mean, when I opened therestaurant, that's a whole other
story.
We'll get into that.
But yeah, I started at EnricoBiscotti Company in the Strip
District Just working thecounter and then slowly just
learned to bake.
You know, the Strip District atthat time was a lot more food.
(22:13):
So, there was, you know,produce everywhere and, like the
people at Pennmac, wereincredibly educational when it
comes to products, cheese andeverything, so learned a lot.
Doug (22:24):
learned a lot there yeah, dear heart was still there.
Oh, dear, yeah, uh, fromenrico's.
Do you remember your next gig,like, where did you work?
I feel like I've read somewherein the past you were.
Were you at big burrito groupfor a bit?
Kate (22:38):
You know, I did some catering with Big Burrito I kind
of like did.
I did a catering also with AllGood Tastes, which was, you know
, bob Sendall is an amazing chef.
Doug (22:48):
We've talked to Steven Bright, who also worked there
for a long time.
I don't know if you know Steven, I do.
Kate (22:52):
I've worked a few events with him with.
Bob.
But you know, it really taughtme like this, just elevated like
event world.
Doug (23:00):
Plating presentation.
It's all.
Get rid of this stupid chafingdish.
You know that's disposable.
No, don't do that.
Kate (23:09):
But Bob's like his level is and his clientele.
You know we got to, you know wegot to cater for Barack Obama.
Doug (23:15):
It's the best of the best.
Yeah, yeah, easy, what a greatexperience.
Yeah, so you, barack Obama.
It's the best of the best.
Yeah, yeah, easy, what a greatexperience, yeah.
Kate (23:20):
So I, you know, I kept trying to leave Enrico's, to be
honest, I was like you know, Ineeded to, like I tried to leave
town.
I then I come back.
I mean it was like home for me,so Larry would welcome me back
each time.
And then we restaurant e-squaredtogether, okay, which is why
it's called e-squared or it wascalled e-squared okay but most
(23:41):
people know it as e2 well, Ithink I've been miss saying that
, since it was open everybodyit's interchangeable at this
point, but that was um, that wasin highland park, it was super
small, it was super fun themeatballs were delicious, uh.
Doug (23:55):
So can I ask just a sidestep question Italian
cuisine, where does that comefrom?
Kate (24:02):
Really.
I mean, I'm Irish.
I didn't peg you as an Italian.
Well, I think everybody thinksI'm Italian because I cook so
much food that's Italian.
It's really that, like myfamily, when we went out to
dinner it was always to anItalian restaurant.
I went to Paragino's like everySaturday night with my
grandparents.
So for me, like that, thoseflavors were, that was good food
(24:25):
, yes.
And then, moving here, I reallylearned to cook, even when the
bakery was open.
There was a, you know, in thebasement of the back which is
now the cafe.
Yeah, it used to be a cargarage and there were two
mechanics that would cook lunchin the basement At Enrico's, at
Enrico's in the back.
It used to be like a literalmechanic garage.
Doug (24:44):
Okay, cause I've been.
You go back that, alley, andI've been there yeah.
Kate (24:47):
It's got the brick oven in it.
Yeah, there's still an enginehoist in the middle of the room,
but yeah, they would cook lunchfor us in the back, and so I
literally learned to make redsauce back there.
You know, learn to bake breadfrom the guy that lived upstairs
, like it was, you know, areally good education as far as
like intuitive homestyle, familycooking you know, and then I
(25:12):
went to culinary school, but thefirst, you know, when I learned
to make bread, the man that wasteaching me really didn't speak
much English and he was like,when it feels like boobs, you
put it in the oven.
I was like, oh, I got you.
Doug (25:28):
I don't know if you could have got a better education and
then you did go.
Was it Bidwell?
Yeah, over on the north side,which is an incredible program
Totally.
If folks don't know about itthey should look up.
And not only do they doculinary, they do like this
great, like greenhouse program.
Yeah, so many other things.
Kate (25:44):
Yeah, fantastic Bill Strickland has really made
something beautiful happen overthere, yeah.
Doug (25:50):
And so then let's just try and do the short course of that
.
So you finished Bidwell.
What are the next couple steps?
Where do you work?
Kate (25:59):
You know, I had a couple.
I was really into pastry, I wasreally into baking, so I had a
couple of pastry chef jobs whenI was really bad at it, and then
Larry had opened a restaurantin.
Doug (26:11):
Shadyside a second in Rico's.
Kate (26:13):
I was a chef there for a while I had been there, moved
around a bit Right on.
Doug (26:16):
Ellsworth Avenue.
It's a laundromat now.
It is a laundromat, yeah I knowit hurts my heart.
Kate (26:23):
The oven that they built in there was so gorgeous.
Doug (26:25):
It's a shame that they took it, but yeah, and then from
there, like E squared openedaround what 2011?
Kate (26:32):
We actually opened in 2010 .
Okay, right in the middle ofthe recession, it was a perfect
time to open a restaurant.
Yes, um, but yeah, it was a.
It was pretty clumsy.
I don't think we actually againdidn't have a plan.
Uh, it wasn't really going tobe a restaurant, it was going to
be.
It was going to be catering andLarry had planned to do some
(26:54):
production in there.
Things changed, yeah, in fact,what changed was the um when
Snowmageddon happened.
You know, all of Highland parkwas kind of isolated.
They didn't have power.
The coffee shop was closed andwe got our happened to get our
health permit that weekend, sowe just put out a sign and put
something on the list serve.
That was like we're going to beopen, we're going to serve soup
(27:15):
.
And we sold out in an hour andlike the neighborhood just came
out for us and really convincedme that they needed something,
some kind of food, and reallythey were like all asking for
brunch.
So we just started with brunchon the weekends and that took
off and then it kind of evolvedfrom there.
Doug (27:32):
So Kate, I have to say there's a through line here that
you tend to evolve in a greatway when there is some kind of I
don't know calamity happeningin the world.
Kate (27:43):
Yeah, my therapist would probably have some things to say
about that.
Yeah, yeah, I can see that now.
Yeah, yeah.
Doug (27:54):
I remember Snowmageddon, so I'm going to say I'm glad it
happened, yeah, yeah, becausewe're here today.
So you mentioned you learned alot of cooking from the guys in
Rico's space.
But tell me a little bit aboutfamily food.
You've also mentioned you'reIrish and growing up Like what
was food life like as ayoungster?
Kate (28:11):
Food was.
My grandfather was a butcher,oh so, and an artist, and so he
really didn't.
He would come home with likethe not best cuts of meat, so it
was a lot of like overcookedmeat and a lot of gravy.
But the biggest thing is thatmy mom you know my mom passed
away when I was 12.
(28:31):
And a big part of what food isto me is like is the table.
It's like she made us cometogether every night, no matter
what was going on.
Yes, and sit together and havedinner is.
The table is like.
She made us come together everynight, no matter what was going
on, and sit together and havedinner, and whether that was
ordered in pizza or somethingfrom the Betty Crocker cookbook.
It was this habitual thing thatwe did as a family and, um,
that's sort of the thing that Iwant to bring in food where it's
(28:56):
.
I think when I was early inlike really liking to cook, I
was like about flavors, and nowit's about the table.
Doug (29:04):
Yeah, the gathering, yeah, the people, yeah, thank you for
sharing that.
That was great.
And what about you personallycooking?
Um, you know, you took thisjump from Columbus to Pittsburgh
.
Were you cooking at home at anearlier age or not, until you
got here?
Kate (29:18):
I don't think that I was.
I know I knew how to scramblean egg.
Doug (29:21):
Yeah, that was kind of like my first thing.
That's about it.
Kate (29:24):
Yeah, but I like love to eat.
I think that was.
You know I'm a big I enjoy food.
I enjoy food.
Yeah, it makes me happy.
Yeah, me too.
Doug (29:32):
And so yeah, I just really like An eater more than a cook
in your earlier years.
Yeah, all right.
So all of this chefingadventure really started in the
Pittsburgh area.
Kate (29:43):
It really did.
I mean being in the StripDistrict.
I lived there and worked thereand was around food and people
who really were excited aboutfood.
Doug (29:52):
Passionate, yeah, knew their stuff.
Yeah, how great.
Kate (29:55):
And it got me really inspired.
I was kind of like hungry forsomething to be that and it got
me really inspired.
I was kind of like hungry forsomething to be that and
thankfully somebody gave me anopportunity just to start
cooking and gave me a lot ofaffirmation and I was like, oh,
I can do this, this is great.
Doug (30:08):
We're so glad that happened.
Well, let's jump forward.
Let's talk about coming back toBlack Radish.
We're in the middle of summerright now, so I always like to
ask our guests what is next onthe horizon for you and your
work?
Do you have any big events orany new goals for this year?
Kate (30:28):
Well, we do have the tomato dinner coming up next
week, which we only have a fewtickets left.
Doug (30:32):
Okay, and that is on August 8th.
Yes, okay.
Kate (30:36):
Yeah, and that's at Black Radish.
Celine and Christy are bringingsome great wines.
Yeah, who's the wine partner?
Again Nine o'clock wines.
Doug (30:41):
Nine o'clock wines, yeah, okay.
Kate (30:43):
And then after that we're going to do Sunday sauce the
last weekend of August, Is thatright?
Doug (30:49):
Yeah, I got the email for that.
It is on August 24th.
Kate (30:54):
August 24th.
Yeah, black radish, and I'msure that's going to be full of
army vegetables.
Doug (31:00):
Good Well, it's the time of year, right?
So good.
So we talked about the twodinners coming up, anything else
on the horizon.
Kate (31:08):
You know, I'm just looking forward to doing.
There's some, hopefully some ofthese bigger collaborations
that are coming up in the nextcouple of years, which are super
fun for for me.
Like I said, I love seeingother chefs and what they're
doing and bringing in somepeople that are just on the
brink of about to have theirrestaurant, when they might have
some time to be away from therestaurant and you'll see them
(31:28):
on the calendar.
I love that.
Doug (31:30):
Okay, good, I sort of wanted to ask you an
off-the-wall question.
You know we talked about wename-dropped.
Let's just say we named droppedtoday Nik Forsberg, Bethany
Zozula, Csilla Thackray.
Are there any other like sortof unknown chefs out there that
need to be known more becausethey're doing great stuff and
they don't get a lot ofnotoriety?
Kate (31:49):
Raf.
We didn't mention Raf.
Raf's been on the show.
Doug (31:52):
Yeah, I love, and we're talking about Rafael Vencio,
who's on the path of openingAmboy over on the north side.
Kate (31:58):
Yes, Can't wait.
His food is gorgeous andabsolutely just delicious
Filipino cuisine, so good yeah.
Yeah, and then Becca, who hadbitter ends, is one of my
favorites.
Okay, I can't say how much Ilove her donuts, all of her
bread, oh my.
God so good.
Oh those crazy flavors.
Doug (32:18):
I think I like a parsley glaze once on a donut.
I mean, who's doing that Like,let's have more of that please.
Jen (32:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Kate (32:25):
Yeah.
Doug (32:25):
Yeah, Becca Haggerty.
Kate (32:28):
Yeah, yeah, okay, so doing good stuff, oh my God, yeah.
Doug (32:41):
Lots of pop-up bakery.
Tell me more.
Kate (32:43):
It's out in.
It was out in Elwood City.
Okay, yeah, Again, we're justname dropping but I'm like.
I like to eat, so these arelike her, her pastries and her
cakes.
Oh my God, everything's so good.
Doug (33:00):
Are they still?
Kate (33:00):
they're out in Elwood city .
They are, but they're startingto do some pop-ups in town.
So they just did one at lowplaces with the low bar cocktail
people, and they are doing someat Spigolo, which is great
which is a new coffee shop overin Edgewood Awesome yeah.
Yeah, and Pittsburgh that's oneof the good things is it's a big
city but it's veryinterconnected and the community
that we're all building here itfeels like a small town and I
(33:22):
think you know back to yourquestion earlier, it's like when
I first opened the restaurant Ifelt like there was a very,
there was a lot of peopleopening at that time.
You know, cantina was opening,all of these young chefs that
are now old chefs like me, andthen, um, now it's I see this
next, this next group you know,coming through and they do have
(33:43):
that sense of community.
there they are all friends, aregoing out to dinner together.
They know each other from otherrestaurants and I kind of feel
honored that.
I'm kind of like the old ladyhanging out with like the new
Jen.
So I love to see this happeningin Pittsburgh and I'm excited
to eat at all these newrestaurants.
Doug (34:01):
So me too.
Yeah, thank you so much.
Yeah, all right, kate, what Ialways like to do with our
guests is just give you a secondfor folks that haven't really
found you yet or are followingyou.
Could you remind us of yoursocial handle and your website,
how people can find the links tothose dinners that we just
teased?
Kate (34:20):
Cool, cool, okay, so God what is our handle?
Doug (34:24):
Black Radish, black Radish , pgh.
Kate (34:27):
It's Black Radish PGH.
Yes, good one.
You can find us on Instagram.
There's a link tree to most ofour dinners.
You can sign up for thenewsletter there.
Doug (34:38):
I highly recommend that, by the way, because if there is
a dinner, it's going to beadvertised there and they do
sell out.
Kate (34:45):
They do knock on wood, they do sell out, but that's how
you get the Belly Basket menu'sand those belly baskets go out
every Wednesday, so it's adelivery every Wednesday.
You can buy it for the wholemonth.
The links to the belly basketand the dinners you can also
find them on our website underBlack Radish Kitchen.
(35:06):
Black Radish Kitchen dot com.
Doug (35:09):
I'm verifying that.
There's not anything extra.
It is Black Radish Kitchen dotcom.
It's Black Radish.
Kate (35:17):
Kitchen dot com.
Well, is black radishkitchencom, kitchencom.
Well, this is the thing.
Doug (35:19):
You have a great staff.
You don't need to be doingthese things.
Kate (35:23):
So, yeah, aaron has really taken all of our social media
to the next level, and you canfind him at photos by Aaron Okay
On Instagram.
Awesome yeah.
Doug (35:35):
All right, kate.
The name of the show is ThePittsburgh dish.
I always have a final questionfor our guests what's the best
dish you had to eat this pastweek?
Kate (35:48):
That's a great question.
Okay, I am a giant fan of Cafe33.
I order from there all the timeand I'm obsessed with fried
rice right now, so I had theirbasic chicken fried rice and it
slapped.
Doug (36:05):
This is a Taiwanese style cuisine over in Squirrel Hill.
Kate (36:09):
Anything else that day, the cabbage Got to get the
cabbage every time.
Cabbage and hot peppers Realsimple.
Well, you are Irish, so thereit is.
Doug (36:19):
Yeah, it's delicious.
Kate Romaine, it has been sucha pleasure to talk with you.
Kate (36:24):
This is so great.
Doug (36:25):
Thank you so much for having me on here, Well thank
you for your time I know it's abusy time and thanks for being
on the Pittsburgh Dish Hell yeahThanks.
Pittsburgh dish Hell yeah,Thanks.
Up next, we've all heard ofdinner and a movie, but how
about having it all at the sametime?
Ashley Cesaratto knows a place.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Ashley Cesaratto, the
(36:47):
co-founder of the popularFacebook group Pittsburgh
Foodies.
Ashley, I was wondering ifyou've had any unique dining
experiences lately.
Jen (36:57):
I have.
So there's a catering and eventspace in Gibsonia called just
in time and they've been doingthese dinner and movie events.
Okay, they choose a movie thathas to do with food and then
their chef and their teamcreates a menu that goes along
with the movie.
Doug (37:16):
Okay, Number one.
I'm guessing that just in thyme, time is spelled T-H-Y-M-E.
Jen (37:22):
It is Okay, yes.
Doug (37:24):
And so did you go and see a movie at the same time there.
Jen (37:28):
Yes, so they have projectors on either side of the
large room, okay, and they evendecorate the space to go along
with the movie as well.
The last one that I went to,they had kind of a costume
change for the space, so we hadmost of the meal with one set of
(37:50):
decor, okay.
And then we went outside to afood truck and got our second to
last course from the food truck, and then we came inside and
they had flipped the space to acompletely different decor.
So it's really awesome.
It's definitely an immersiveexperience.
Doug (38:06):
What were some of the food related themes or movies?
Jen (38:11):
So they started off with Julie and Julia.
Oh, how appropriate.
The Julie Child movie Exactly.
Doug (38:13):
Then they did the 100 foot journey, which is French and
Indian food.
Ashley (38:15):
So they started off with Julie and Julia.
Jen (38:15):
Oh, how appropriate.
The Julie Child movie Exactly.
Then they did the 100-FootJourney, which is French and
Indian food.
Doug (38:20):
Okay.
Jen (38:21):
Then they did the movie Chef, which had all kinds of
food in it.
Doug (38:24):
Oh yes, I've seen that one too.
Jen (38:26):
And then finally Ratatouille.
Doug (38:28):
Oh, so these have all been separate events that you can do
.
You sign up for them.
Jen (38:33):
Yeah, you can sign up on their website.
Doug (38:35):
And let me just ask for a moment how were some of the
bites?
Jen (38:39):
They were amazing.
Their chef, dave, is extremelycreative, and they have a pastry
chef that they work with, benas well, and, honestly,
everything is so good, and it'samazing to me how they can
prepare so many differentcuisines, like it's not just all
Italian food or all French food.
There's a mixture.
Doug (39:00):
Yes.
Jen (39:01):
And they even for the 100 foot journey.
They even collaborated with adoctor who loves to cook and she
was able to make some of thedishes with their chef and
brought spices that her familyused.
So that was really special andbrought a lot of meaning to the
meal as well.
Doug (39:19):
Oh, that's so cool.
So we're talking about just intime.
Normally they're doing catering, but when it's a little bit
more off season they're doingsome special events.
Folks can check out theirwebsite and see what they're
cooking up next.
Jen (39:33):
For sure.
Doug (39:34):
Thanks so much, Ashley.
Jen (39:36):
Thank you.
Doug (39:37):
You can follow Ashley on Instagram at eatingwithashleypgh
and check out Just In Thyme fortheir upcoming August dinner
and movie experiences for 2025.
You can find them on Instagramat JITcatering.
Are you looking to keep yoursummer meals light but want more
than just a salad?
Jen Flanagan of CommunityKitchen Pittsburgh shares her
(40:01):
unique take on beans and greenstopped with a lemon vinaigrette
a hybrid of light and hearty.
Let's have a listen.
Hey everybody, we're joinedwith Jennifer Flanagan, the
executive director and founderof Community Kitchen Pittsburgh.
And Jen, I was wondering if youhave any dishes that you make a
lot at home yourself.
Ashley (40:22):
I have to go to my greens and beans.
So this is my go-to.
It's a 15 minute recipe andit's really easy to make and you
don't really have to measureanything.
So I use kale.
So I know that's controversial,right it's not escarole, it's
heartier right, so you can cookit as long as you want.
If you want it softer or not, Iusually first I saute some
garlic right, mince some garlicup, saute some garlic and then I
(40:46):
add a little bit of chickenbroth and I throw the greens in
and I'm letting that cook downand then in a separate dry sauce
pan I am toasting off somebreadcrumbs.
Doug (40:54):
Cool.
Ashley (40:55):
And then in a separate dry sauce pan, I am toasting off
some breadcrumbs, cool.
And then I make a quick lemonvinaigrette, olive oil, lemon
juice, that's it.
And then you just combineeverything, oh, and then the
beans right.
So I use some kind of whitebean, right?
Whatever, it doesn't matter.
Jen (41:07):
Your preference.
Ashley (41:07):
Throw in a can of beans.
You combine everything.
You've got the greens.
You've got the greens, you'vegot the toasted breadcrumbs, the
beans, the garlic and then thelemon vinaigrette.
You throw it all together, putsome salt and pepper on the top.
Oh my gosh, if you want tothrow in some sausage, you can.
I usually don't.
It's 15 minutes, you're done.
It's a quick, nice, lovelycomfort meal.
Doug (41:26):
Sounds lovely.
Now I do have a question.
Are you, you're, you're doingthe greens and the beans in that
chicken broth?
Are you then topping it withthe breadcrumbs and the?
Ashley (41:35):
vinaigrette and the broth is just enough to keep it
a little moist.
It's not a soup it's the greensand beans.
It's not a broth I love thetoppings.
Doug (41:44):
I don't think I've ever heard that before.
Ashley (41:46):
Yeah, it's a nice little crispy crunch, you know, gives
it a nice little texture.
Doug (41:50):
Sounds delicious.
Ashley (41:51):
It is.
Doug (41:52):
Jen, thanks so much for being on The Pittsburgh Dish.
Absolutely Sounds delicious.
It is.
Jen.
Thanks so much for being on thePittsburgh Dish Absolutely.
Find out more about the eventsand great work that Jen's team
is doing at Community KitchenPittsburgh on their websites and
social, including theirupcoming gala Food is Community
on August 14th 2025.
Do you have a recipe?
Share it with us.
Just visit our website atwwwpittsburghdishcom and look
(42:17):
for our share a recipe form.
If you enjoyed the show,consider buying us a coffee for
this episode or supporting theshow monthly.
You can find links to thoseoptions at the bottom of our
show description and if you wantto follow my own food
adventures, you can find me onsocial media at Doug Cooking.
That's our show for this week.
Thanks again to all of ourguests and contributors and to
(42:39):
Kevin Solecki of CarnegieAccordion Company for providing
the music to our show.
We'll be back again next weekwith another fresh episode.
Stay tuned.
Welcome to the Pittsburgh Dish.
I'm your host, Doug Heilman.
What happens when you open yourcatering kitchen space to other
aspiring chefs?
Well, you help create the nextgeneration of great Pittsburgh
restaurants.
This week, we talk with KateRomane and learn about the magic
of Black Radish Kitchen.
Want dinner and a movie all atonce?
(00:24):
Ashley Cesaratto clues us in toJust In Thyme and looking to
keep your summer meal light, butwant something a little bit
more than salad?
Jen Flanagan shares her uniquetake on greens and beans topped
with a lemon vinaigrette.
All that ahead, stay tuned, I'mready.
(00:45):
All that ahead, stay tuned, I'mready.
All right, I'm glad.
Well, thank you so much forcoming over, probably during a
very busy time, and thanks forbeing on the show.
Kate (00:55):
I'm so excited to be here.
Doug (00:57):
Honored really.
Oh, would you introduceyourself to our listeners?
Kate (01:02):
My name is Kate Romane and I am the chef owner of Black
Radish Kitchen.
Doug (01:07):
And Kate, if we have some listeners that are not familiar
with Black Radish Kitchen, couldyou just explain a little bit
about what your business is anddoes?
Kate (01:17):
We're a catering and events company first, but we
have also added these elementsfrom the beginning, since we
always have space in the kitchento incubate and welcome other
chefs.
Yes, so that's a big part ofwhat makes it fun for us, but,
but catering is our bread andbutter.
Doug (01:36):
Right.
Kate (01:36):
We do events, and then we also we have the catering
companies in this big oldwarehouse with these beautiful
windows.
Doug (01:43):
It's a great space.
Kate (01:44):
It's a cool space.
Yeah yeah, super lucky to findthat, because you really rarely
get natural light when you'recooking in a kitchen.
Doug (01:53):
I think isn't Adam Milliron also in the same space?
Yes, he's a great photographerfor food.
If folks don't know, we'll haveto have him on at some point
Definitely.
But both of your spaces, likethere's just incredible light,
incredible like expanse, and Iknow when I've been there what I
(02:14):
appreciate is you still seeeverything that's kind of going
on in the kitchen.
I mean, maybe there's someshelving or something, but
you're pretty connected as aguest to your space.
Kate (02:20):
Yeah, they're all in the, we're all in the space together.
There's just some like you.
You said some shelving withsome plates on it separating us,
but it's funny you bring upadam.
The adam is the reason and howwe got into the space, really in
with, yeah, um, when he wasdoing shoots for table magazine,
um, and I was kind of in myspace with the restaurant I had
(02:40):
and kind of in between of like,what am I going to do about a
situation I had there?
I would come by and see him,and uh, and then the space
opened up across from him.
Somebody was just ready to bedone and it was like the perfect
timing to take over.
The hood was already in a lotof the major stuff it was.
(03:01):
couldn't have been a bettermoment.
Doug (03:03):
Yes, I owe a ton to to adam.
Oh my gosh, that's a greatstory.
Yeah, um well, if we're, iffolks are not familiar, if they
have visited, it's over in pointbreeze lynn way, I think it's
the street.
Kate (03:16):
It's in the x factory which is, you know, there's a
lot of different businesses inthere.
Doug (03:20):
um millie's was in there at the beginning, but now
there's Pigeon Bagel is in there, wild Rise, I heard that Wild
Rise was closing up, but anotherguest of the show, Emily Foster
of Self-Reliant Satan, ismoving into that space.
Yeah, so there's a lot ofactivity, yeah.
Kate (03:38):
Yeah, I love that Pittsburgh is.
You know, we're seeing somepeople go after the dreams.
Yeah, I loved what Oliver wasdoing with wild rice, though.
Doug (03:47):
Yeah, you actually sparked something when you said seeing
people go after the dreams,because I definitely want to
talk about that in a littlewhile.
I think you've helped so manyfolks.
Before we leave the the list ofall the things that, uh, black
radish is doing, one of thethings I know is you host
dinners, or you allow folks tohost dinners in the space, and
also the email that reminds meof you all the time is the belly
(04:09):
basket email.
Can you tell folks a little bitmore about that, and where did
that start?
Kate (04:15):
Well, it really started when, when we closed the
restaurant, we did not reallyhave a plan to be honest and a
way to to gap, to bridge the gapbetween people who miss the
restaurant and talking about thecatering company, we started
this thing called love andmeatballs, where we would you
know, we'd sell that and it wasa delivery service that we'd
bring the meatballs to you thatyou would be missing from E
(04:37):
squared.
Doug (04:38):
Um the former restaurant and I had those meatballs,
delicious yes.
Kate (04:43):
Yes, so that's kind of how it started, but then so we had
had this infrastructure in placeand then the pandemic happened.
Doug (04:51):
Yeah, you know.
Kate (04:51):
So the pandemic hit us right when we were things were
really starting to finally workfor Black Radish, we were
starting to get hit our stride,hit our numbers and then, you
know, obviously the world fellapart.
So we pivoted quickly.
I know the word of the pandemicwas pivot.
Doug (05:10):
But you had to evolve or just try new things to see what
worked Exactly.
Kate (05:15):
And at that point no one knew that there would be COVID
relief money available.
We were really in thisdesperate moment of like I
didn't we have such a good team.
I didn't want to lose them andI didn't want to lose connection
to people, even though I knewthat we were losing business by
the day.
You know, we were ironically ona plane back to Pittsburgh from
(05:36):
a catering conference when allthis started to go down.
It was just, and we were justlosing, I mean thousands and
thousands of dollars by theminute.
Doug (05:44):
Yeah, probably during the flight home.
Yes, oh my gosh.
Kate (05:48):
Literally like I don't want to talk about it but anyway
, like and the good note is,belly basket came out of it.
So we immediately just starteda home delivery service.
Like we were able to work witha lot of the vendors and our
purveyors who were had anabundance of food because no one
could sell it yeah, and ourpurveyors who were had an
abundance of food because thenwe could sell it yeah, so we're
getting it at a discounted price.
We're able to get food to ourstaff, who we did have to lay
(06:10):
off some and um into ourcustomers and keep in contact
that way, where it wasn't justabout the food that we were
delivering but that email ofkind of being like me, actually
like, really like word vomiting,being like the email is
expressive, I mean like likeyou're telling us, like hey,
things are crazy.
Doug (06:27):
Um, here's what you need.
Yeah, yeah.
Kate (06:29):
Yeah, it's really, you know, the comforting part of
food I really like to lean into,and certainly in this moment.
Sometimes I'm like God.
The news today is rough.
I need mashed potatoes.
What do you need?
I don't know.
So that's kind of that's beengood for me to be able to think
about what can be comforting inthese moments, and also like
seasonally like right now in themiddle of summer, we've got
(06:52):
tomatoes everywhere, so thesemenus for Belly Basket are
really farm driven.
Doug (06:57):
Ever since you started your first restaurant and even
now I see that, yes, of courseyou have some consistency on
your menus.
Of course Italian food hasalways been a big thing for you,
and then proteins and whatever.
But the menu itself has tochange because you really
believe in seasonality and yourpurveyors are bringing stuff in.
Who, who are some of yourcurrent like biggest partners
(07:19):
that you're you're still gettingproduce and things from we work
a lot with with Jodo at cold cocold co farm yeah.
Kate (07:29):
And with Todd over at tiny seeds.
We do work with this farm outof Ohio.
That's been great.
It's Christopher Springs farm.
I met her a few years ago, anawesome operation.
And then we're actually workinga ton with Three Rivers Grown.
They've been able to sourcefrom multiple farms and bring in
(07:50):
, you know, dry goods and greatgrains and little specialty
items, Like we're getting thisamazing sunflower oil.
Doug (07:58):
Oh yeah.
Kate (08:00):
Which we've integrated into our basic mainline oil.
Doug (08:04):
Oh, wow, you know it's funny.
You had a picture on Instagramand I saw that sunflower oil and
I tried to look it up.
I don't think I could buy it.
They were out of stock.
Because it's more local, Ithink it comes somewhere from
Pennsylvania.
Kate (08:16):
Yeah, it does.
Doug (08:17):
Yeah, I love that Three Rivers Grown.
I think I first knew them orunderstood that it was Clarion
River Organics, but now it'slike a lot more and they're
almost like an aggregator for abunch of small things and try
and get it into sort of themainstream of what you're doing.
Kate (08:32):
Yeah, I think just in the last year they've really started
to work with restaurants andthey're now in like I mean, all
of my friends are working withthem and the product that we're
able to get is awesome.
Doug (08:44):
You have me thinking too, when we're talking about
purveyors and all the greatstuff you're getting.
I know I just alluded to themenus.
Can you tell me when you'redoing these catering events, are
there any I don't know, bigrequested things?
Every time you're like, okay,this dish or this thing is of
course.
We're going to make it the mostbecause people ask for it.
Kate (09:09):
That's a really good question.
You know, I think that peopleit's been a learning curve for
me because I think having such asmall restaurant with E-squared
and then moving into you know,today we're going to cook for
450 people Crazy, you know.
I mean, I think this week it'sgoing to be like 1300 people.
And when you're working with youknow a couple and they want to
feed their friends and family,they want to keep it very
approachable.
So you know, we do just classicstuff.
(09:29):
I mean like we put there's alot of like really simple
roasted vegetables, or like likeright now we're doing a ton of
classic tomato salads and justtrying to keep the flavors good.
And that's where those um, thequality of the products have to
come in, because if we're goingto keep something really simple,
like just a tomato salad withsome like cute little balsamic
(09:53):
on it, it better be a goodtomato or it's just going to
taste like trash so yeah yeah um, and that's where I kind of
rely on those like farmers toreally do do do the work for me.
Doug (10:06):
Your most recent post and maybe you probably don't.
Do you do the social media?
Do you have somebody do?
Kate (10:10):
Oh no, I, I, I was, since since a E squared I, I don't
think I'm great at it.
And Aaron, who has?
He worked at the restaurant andhe started his own photography
company.
Doug (10:21):
He his own photography company.
He does it all for us.
Listen, he's doing a great job.
Kate (10:24):
He does a great job and those pictures he takes.
Doug (10:26):
Amazing.
I think the latest one Imentioned earlier was Churchview
Farm.
You just did a dinner there.
Can you just again, just tosort of tease us can you tell us
what was on that menu, becausethere are some beautiful
pictures Like there was a saladthere looked like maybe there
was a pasta dish, yeah, yeah,yeah.
Kate (10:44):
You know, when we do those dinners try and incorporate
what we can from the farm, whatshe has available.
At the time we did like a peach, like a stone fruit and tomato
salad with ricotta.
Yes, and we got these littleplums from Three Rivers Grown.
Oh my God, they were so good,it looks so good.
So good.
Doug (11:05):
And all the flowers like a ton of edibles, and it just
takes it to the next level, likeeach picture.
If folks aren't following yourfeed , it's beautiful.
It makes me want to come tosomething that you're doing.
And so if folks are not gettinginvited to that wedding out at
the Botanic Garden that you'rehosting, but many times you are
doing some kind of dinner atyour space.
(11:27):
So I think the next one is isit a tomato dinner or is it
Sunday?
Kate (11:31):
sauce.
The next one we have is atomato dinner.
It's actually this next week,okay.
Yeah, and we're pairing withnine o'clock wines.
Who do all natural wines?
They're two great people.
Um but yeah, you know, since youknow I love catering and I love
being a part of people's bigdays, you know, like I think
that that's what's been nice.
Um, we get to facilitate thesemeals that really just help
(11:55):
people have their big moments inlife.
But I miss being able to beconnected and, like host a
dinner party where people canengage.
That aren't, you know, having awedding or a office party.
It needs to be your partysometimes I think, Right, yeah,
and these smaller dinners thatwe do.
We can be more creative anddefinitely more farm driven.
(12:15):
So it's my favorite thing, likewe do the Sunday sauce at the
end of the month, which is acarryover from the restaurant,
but it's it's my favorite day tocook.
I am in there all day all bymyself.
I get to listen to Taylor SwiftLike I like to, and um and uh,
and I get to talk to people and,like you know, it's, and it's
(12:37):
casual enough, where it doesn'tfeel stuffy, you know it's still
just pasta and a lot of saladsand a lot of vegetables and
usually a Sundayae.
I don't think anything could bebetter for me thank you yeah,
thanks for everything you'redoing thanks and, like the other
part is that we collaboratealso when we do these dinners.
Often, um, and that's alwaysfun to get to cook with another
chef and see how they do things,and yeah yeah, I think that's
(12:59):
part of your strength is all theskills you already have.
Doug (13:02):
you You've invited so many other great folks into your
world that it's not just thatyou're sharing a space, you are
learning from them.
Kate (13:11):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I think that's been.
You know, at first it was justbecause we had so much space,
and then now it's like we needthat new energy.
You know, we've, I've been.
I'm fortunate enough that a loteverybody that works at Black
Radish has worked there for awhile and they see our food
every day and then when we bringin somebody else, it's like, oh
, look, what they're doing withthe sour cherries, or how Csilla
(13:31):
is making this dessert, or evenhow they exercise plating or
organizing a prep sheet, like itjust gets you back into your
craft to be like oh, there'sanother way we could do this,
you know, and for me it's reallygood.
You know, I love to see howother chefs work, they organize
themselves and the flavors theybring out.
(13:52):
I mean having Beth from 40North and Whitfield formerly.
She's done some dinners.
This is Bethany Zozula.
Doug (13:59):
Yeah, yes, another part of the cadre of talent that I have
seen there.
Another part of the cadre oftalent that I have seen there.
And you also mentioned CsillaThackray, who is on the path to
opening Titusz, which was theold Merchant Oyster space in
Lawrenceville.
So that's the last dinner Iwent to at your space.
Yeah, I was at the one with thechicken paprikash.
(14:19):
Oh, yeah, I was at the last onewith the duck.
I'm so excited for her, andshe's been around for a while.
Anyway.
I saw her at Fet Fisk.
I think I first met her atChurch View Farm as well.
She was out there for a bitdoing several dinners, so I'm
excited for her.
Kate (14:36):
I'm so excited for her.
It's going to be delicious andI'm sure the space is going to
be super cute.
She's got great style.
Doug (14:43):
You also mentioned Beth, and my husband Greg and I, our
favorite restaurant was theWhitfield for the longest time.
We all miss the Whitfield Ireally miss all of the starter
dishes Like I want to.
A I want to get her on thispodcast, but B I want the carrot
gratin that she used to make.
That thing is so darn good.
Kate (15:01):
Yeah, she's an amazing chef, and I've been a fan of her
since she was at 11.
So following her around andthen actually getting to have
her cook in the kitchen has beenmagic.
Doug (15:13):
Kate, since we're talking about some of these names like
Csilla Thackray and BethanyZozula, I mean this is where my
mind goes to all of the otherthings you do beyond Black
Radish.
There is this connectedness andkinship and community, and I
think that's what I love aboutPittsburgh and what I love about
the work you're doing.
I see really great chefs makingtheir way to a restaurant.
(15:38):
Did I also see, like when NikForsberg was getting FetFisk
really to fruition?
You played a big role in thattoo, didn't you?
Kate (15:48):
Yeah, I mean he is clearly the talent and Sarah have put
together something like reallybeautiful with FetFisk and
through all the pop-ups, and itwas more of that same sort of
thing where I could see thatthese are people that need that,
have the grit, they have thetalent they're, they have the
(16:08):
community.
They're bringing all thesepeople to these pop-ups that are
excited about food and they'reinto it again and they're really
creative and they approached meto just see if we could get
them to the next level.
So, an introduction with the URA.
Um, they're completelyself-funded via the URA, which
is really cool.
Doug (16:26):
To get Lombardozzi's, that old location, to get it
renovated.
Amazing, yeah.
And I just also want to pop in.
They're doing something reallydifferent with food, which is
what's exciting.
I mean, who else is doingNordic-inspired cuisine anywhere
in Western Pennsylvania?
Kate (16:41):
I don't know anybody else doing that, and it's just so
creative.
Doug (16:44):
It is.
Kate (16:45):
And the work culture that they're trying to create over
there is is really for the nextgeneration.
It's.
It's really cool.
Doug (16:51):
It's a cool tribe, like when you see all of their posts,
it's really not about puttingthe chef first either and you do
this as well it's the wholecrew and what everyone's
bringing and actually a lot oftheir posting I notice is like
spotlighting each person on thestaff and like what is their
speciality, what are theybringing to the table?
And then there's just tons ofgroup shots.
And even when they went to theJames Beard nominations, like it
(17:14):
was like here's what we didPartied all night.
All these things I'm like Ilove you.
Kate (17:19):
Oh, my God, that's so great, yeah, yeah, they're doing
, they're doing really well.
I'm excited for them, me too.
Doug (17:25):
I did notice on part of your website it's Kate Romane
productions and some of it islike this no-transcript Is
elevating a chef friend to thenext level.
Part of your mission.
Kate (17:41):
I've just started to try and put words to that.
I don't think it wasnecessarily like something that
was, you know, monetizing asmuch as I was like.
This feels like the right thingto do.
You know, I think that I cansee that there's a gap in people
trying to, and there's.
You know, since the pandemicwe've lost so many people.
They've become like, reallyjaded by the industry.
(18:04):
But there's also this placewhere I'm like there's a ton of
talent and they just want to gettheir own place and like how do
we give them the platform to dothat?
And not that I'm like reallydoing the work as much as I'm
just.
You know, oftentimes we're justcreating room in the kitchen.
Doug (18:21):
Yeah, offering the space, yeah.
Kate (18:22):
Like Driftwood was there for a very brief stint before
from going from Neil's basementinto their brick and mortar Like
that kind of just.
It doesn't.
It doesn't take anything awayfrom us.
I think what's different whenwe do pop ups or or have people
in the spaces, that we're not arestaurant, so we're.
You know it's not interferingwith our open hours If we're not
(18:45):
trying to garnish morecustomers from it.
It's literally a genuine like.
I have the space, Do you wantto use it?
Can you make something?
Can you take it to the nextlevel?
Doug (18:53):
Yeah, I think of it like an incubator for these folks.
And, um, I talked to Simon Choof Soju and he sort of does the
same thing on his off days, Likehey, come in, use the kitchen,
go do your thing, and I thinkthat's.
It's just what I love about ourculture of food here in
Pittsburgh.
So thank you.
Kate (19:11):
Yeah, yeah, I mean also, I think that we lost some really
good restaurants during COVIDand we we need to gain them back
, and I think the more themerrier like Pittsburgh as a
city needs good food and needsgood culture, and if we don't
start in reinvesting in thepeople that have talent to make
great new restaurants, we're allgoing to suffer.
I like to go out to eat.
(19:32):
I mean, this is a other part ofit.
I like all these people's food.
It's like I want to go to yourrestaurant.
Let's Get this restaurant open.
Doug (19:38):
Let's go.
Excellent food that I'm nevergoing to make at home, yeah.
Kate (19:41):
Yeah, Hi.
This is Kate Romane with BlackRadish Kitchen, and you're
listening to The Pittsburgh DishAll right, kind of jumping
forward to one of the mostrecent things.
Doug (19:51):
Did I see you starting to partner with low bar cocktails?
Kate (19:54):
as well.
Aubrey and Lisa are goodfriends and they, you know, they
kind of started this cocktailservice, which is awesome.
And it also complements BlackRadish.
So they do cocktail service forevents and it was something
that we were.
You know, we had started barservice when we first opened
Black Radish.
It was really clumsy at it.
Aubrey and Lisa took that andthen we kind of like they're
(20:15):
like a sister company, butthey've just opened a like they
have their own spot now Down inMcKee's.
Doug (20:23):
Rocks, I think Low places.
That's right, it's real cool.
Okay, I still need to make itthere, yeah.
Kate (20:28):
So they've moved out of our space I think last year and
moved once.
They bought that building Okay.
Doug (20:32):
But it was again another sort of incubation moment for
another group of talented people.
Kate (20:38):
Yeah, it's been and it's been.
Really, I think it's been goodfor our team to also see that,
like you know, oftentimes in thefood service industry, like the
way that we're portrayed on TVis that we're always in
competition, yeah, and yelling,yeah, and it doesn't.
It doesn't have to be like?
Doug (20:53):
I hope not.
I sort of hate competitionshows.
Kate (21:00):
I can't watch them.
No, I'm like, this is so much.
The only competition I'm in iswith time.
Yes, like, I'm just like.
Oh my gosh, do we have enoughtime to get this done Right?
So racing?
Doug (21:05):
against the clock, yeah.
So we're talking a lot aboutthe growth of others and how
you've helped them.
I would like to pivot a littlebit and talk about your growth
and your journey.
I know you and your name maybeclose to 15 years now here in
Pittsburgh.
Can we talk a little bit aboutyour culinary career here in the
city?
(21:26):
When did you move to Pittsburgh?
I know you didn't grow up here.
Where did you grow?
Kate (21:29):
up, I grew up and I went to high school in Columbus.
Ohio and then I have an auntNicole on the north side, just a
Hail Mary move to move here inlike 1997, right out of high
school and didn't really think Iwould stay.
Okay, but Pittsburgh is reallywelcoming.
I did try and leave a couple oftimes but we implanted the
(21:50):
magnet and you cannot leave now.
I do love Pittsburgh.
It's really been so supportive.
I mean, when I opened therestaurant, that's a whole other
story.
We'll get into that.
But yeah, I started at EnricoBiscotti Company in the Strip
District Just working thecounter and then slowly just
learned to bake.
You know, the Strip District atthat time was a lot more food.
(22:13):
So, there was, you know,produce everywhere and, like the
people at Pennmac, wereincredibly educational when it
comes to products, cheese andeverything, so learned a lot.
Doug (22:24):
learned a lot there yeah, dear heart was still there.
Oh, dear, yeah, uh, fromenrico's.
Do you remember your next gig,like, where did you work?
I feel like I've read somewherein the past you were.
Were you at big burrito groupfor a bit?
Kate (22:38):
You know, I did some catering with Big Burrito I kind
of like did.
I did a catering also with AllGood Tastes, which was, you know
, bob Sendall is an amazing chef.
Doug (22:48):
We've talked to Steven Bright, who also worked there
for a long time.
I don't know if you know Steven, I do.
Kate (22:52):
I've worked a few events with him with.
Bob.
But you know, it really taughtme like this, just elevated like
event world.
Doug (23:00):
Plating presentation.
It's all.
Get rid of this stupid chafingdish.
You know that's disposable.
No, don't do that.
Kate (23:09):
But Bob's like his level is and his clientele.
You know we got to, you know wegot to cater for Barack Obama.
Doug (23:15):
It's the best of the best.
Yeah, yeah, easy, what a greatexperience.
Yeah, so you, barack Obama.
It's the best of the best.
Yeah, yeah, easy, what a greatexperience, yeah.
Kate (23:20):
So I, you know, I kept trying to leave Enrico's, to be
honest, I was like you know, Ineeded to, like I tried to leave
town.
I then I come back.
I mean it was like home for me,so Larry would welcome me back
each time.
And then we restaurant e-squaredtogether, okay, which is why
it's called e-squared or it wascalled e-squared okay but most
(23:41):
people know it as e2 well, Ithink I've been miss saying that
, since it was open everybodyit's interchangeable at this
point, but that was um, that wasin highland park, it was super
small, it was super fun themeatballs were delicious, uh.
Doug (23:55):
So can I ask just a sidestep question Italian
cuisine, where does that comefrom?
Kate (24:02):
Really.
I mean, I'm Irish.
I didn't peg you as an Italian.
Well, I think everybody thinksI'm Italian because I cook so
much food that's Italian.
It's really that, like myfamily, when we went out to
dinner it was always to anItalian restaurant.
I went to Paragino's like everySaturday night with my
grandparents.
So for me, like that, thoseflavors were, that was good food
(24:25):
, yes.
And then, moving here, I reallylearned to cook, even when the
bakery was open.
There was a, you know, in thebasement of the back which is
now the cafe.
Yeah, it used to be a cargarage and there were two
mechanics that would cook lunchin the basement At Enrico's, at
Enrico's in the back.
It used to be like a literalmechanic garage.
Doug (24:44):
Okay, cause I've been.
You go back that, alley, andI've been there yeah.
Kate (24:47):
It's got the brick oven in it.
Yeah, there's still an enginehoist in the middle of the room,
but yeah, they would cook lunchfor us in the back, and so I
literally learned to make redsauce back there.
You know, learn to bake breadfrom the guy that lived upstairs
, like it was, you know, areally good education as far as
like intuitive homestyle, familycooking you know, and then I
(25:12):
went to culinary school, but thefirst, you know, when I learned
to make bread, the man that wasteaching me really didn't speak
much English and he was like,when it feels like boobs, you
put it in the oven.
I was like, oh, I got you.
Doug (25:28):
I don't know if you could have got a better education and
then you did go.
Was it Bidwell?
Yeah, over on the north side,which is an incredible program
Totally.
If folks don't know about itthey should look up.
And not only do they doculinary, they do like this
great, like greenhouse program.
Yeah, so many other things.
Kate (25:44):
Yeah, fantastic Bill Strickland has really made
something beautiful happen overthere, yeah.
Doug (25:50):
And so then let's just try and do the short course of that
.
So you finished Bidwell.
What are the next couple steps?
Where do you work?
Kate (25:59):
You know, I had a couple.
I was really into pastry, I wasreally into baking, so I had a
couple of pastry chef jobs whenI was really bad at it, and then
Larry had opened a restaurantin.
Doug (26:11):
Shadyside a second in Rico's.
Kate (26:13):
I was a chef there for a while I had been there, moved
around a bit Right on.
Doug (26:16):
Ellsworth Avenue.
It's a laundromat now.
It is a laundromat, yeah I knowit hurts my heart.
Kate (26:23):
The oven that they built in there was so gorgeous.
Doug (26:25):
It's a shame that they took it, but yeah, and then from
there, like E squared openedaround what 2011?
Kate (26:32):
We actually opened in 2010 .
Okay, right in the middle ofthe recession, it was a perfect
time to open a restaurant.
Yes, um, but yeah, it was a.
It was pretty clumsy.
I don't think we actually againdidn't have a plan.
Uh, it wasn't really going tobe a restaurant, it was going to
be.
It was going to be catering andLarry had planned to do some
(26:54):
production in there.
Things changed, yeah, in fact,what changed was the um when
Snowmageddon happened.
You know, all of Highland parkwas kind of isolated.
They didn't have power.
The coffee shop was closed andwe got our happened to get our
health permit that weekend, sowe just put out a sign and put
something on the list serve.
That was like we're going to beopen, we're going to serve soup
(27:15):
.
And we sold out in an hour andlike the neighborhood just came
out for us and really convincedme that they needed something,
some kind of food, and reallythey were like all asking for
brunch.
So we just started with brunchon the weekends and that took
off and then it kind of evolvedfrom there.
Doug (27:32):
So Kate, I have to say there's a through line here that
you tend to evolve in a greatway when there is some kind of I
don't know calamity happeningin the world.
Kate (27:43):
Yeah, my therapist would probably have some things to say
about that.
Yeah, yeah, I can see that now.
Yeah, yeah.
Doug (27:54):
I remember Snowmageddon, so I'm going to say I'm glad it
happened, yeah, yeah, becausewe're here today.
So you mentioned you learned alot of cooking from the guys in
Rico's space.
But tell me a little bit aboutfamily food.
You've also mentioned you'reIrish and growing up Like what
was food life like as ayoungster?
Kate (28:11):
Food was.
My grandfather was a butcher,oh so, and an artist, and so he
really didn't.
He would come home with likethe not best cuts of meat, so it
was a lot of like overcookedmeat and a lot of gravy.
But the biggest thing is thatmy mom you know my mom passed
away when I was 12.
(28:31):
And a big part of what food isto me is like is the table.
It's like she made us cometogether every night, no matter
what was going on.
Yes, and sit together and havedinner is.
The table is like.
She made us come together everynight, no matter what was going
on, and sit together and havedinner, and whether that was
ordered in pizza or somethingfrom the Betty Crocker cookbook.
It was this habitual thing thatwe did as a family and, um,
that's sort of the thing that Iwant to bring in food where it's
(28:56):
.
I think when I was early inlike really liking to cook, I
was like about flavors, and nowit's about the table.
Doug (29:04):
Yeah, the gathering, yeah, the people, yeah, thank you for
sharing that.
That was great.
And what about you personallycooking?
Um, you know, you took thisjump from Columbus to Pittsburgh
.
Were you cooking at home at anearlier age or not, until you
got here?
Kate (29:18):
I don't think that I was.
I know I knew how to scramblean egg.
Doug (29:21):
Yeah, that was kind of like my first thing.
That's about it.
Kate (29:24):
Yeah, but I like love to eat.
I think that was.
You know I'm a big I enjoy food.
I enjoy food.
Yeah, it makes me happy.
Yeah, me too.
Doug (29:32):
And so yeah, I just really like An eater more than a cook
in your earlier years.
Yeah, all right.
So all of this chefingadventure really started in the
Pittsburgh area.
Kate (29:43):
It really did.
I mean being in the StripDistrict.
I lived there and worked thereand was around food and people
who really were excited aboutfood.
Doug (29:52):
Passionate, yeah, knew their stuff.
Yeah, how great.
Kate (29:55):
And it got me really inspired.
I was kind of like hungry forsomething to be that and it got
me really inspired.
I was kind of like hungry forsomething to be that and
thankfully somebody gave me anopportunity just to start
cooking and gave me a lot ofaffirmation and I was like, oh,
I can do this, this is great.
Doug (30:08):
We're so glad that happened.
Well, let's jump forward.
Let's talk about coming back toBlack Radish.
We're in the middle of summerright now, so I always like to
ask our guests what is next onthe horizon for you and your
work?
Do you have any big events orany new goals for this year?
Kate (30:28):
Well, we do have the tomato dinner coming up next
week, which we only have a fewtickets left.
Doug (30:32):
Okay, and that is on August 8th.
Yes, okay.
Kate (30:36):
Yeah, and that's at Black Radish.
Celine and Christy are bringingsome great wines.
Yeah, who's the wine partner?
Again Nine o'clock wines.
Doug (30:41):
Nine o'clock wines, yeah, okay.
Kate (30:43):
And then after that we're going to do Sunday sauce the
last weekend of August, Is thatright?
Doug (30:49):
Yeah, I got the email for that.
It is on August 24th.
Kate (30:54):
August 24th.
Yeah, black radish, and I'msure that's going to be full of
army vegetables.
Doug (31:00):
Good Well, it's the time of year, right?
So good.
So we talked about the twodinners coming up, anything else
on the horizon.
Kate (31:08):
You know, I'm just looking forward to doing.
There's some, hopefully some ofthese bigger collaborations
that are coming up in the nextcouple of years, which are super
fun for for me.
Like I said, I love seeingother chefs and what they're
doing and bringing in somepeople that are just on the
brink of about to have theirrestaurant, when they might have
some time to be away from therestaurant and you'll see them
(31:28):
on the calendar.
I love that.
Doug (31:30):
Okay, good, I sort of wanted to ask you an
off-the-wall question.
You know we talked about wename-dropped.
Let's just say we named droppedtoday Nik Forsberg, Bethany
Zozula, Csilla Thackray.
Are there any other like sortof unknown chefs out there that
need to be known more becausethey're doing great stuff and
they don't get a lot ofnotoriety?
Kate (31:49):
Raf.
We didn't mention Raf.
Raf's been on the show.
Doug (31:52):
Yeah, I love, and we're talking about Rafael Vencio,
who's on the path of openingAmboy over on the north side.
Kate (31:58):
Yes, Can't wait.
His food is gorgeous andabsolutely just delicious
Filipino cuisine, so good yeah.
Yeah, and then Becca, who hadbitter ends, is one of my
favorites.
Okay, I can't say how much Ilove her donuts, all of her
bread, oh my.
God so good.
Oh those crazy flavors.
Doug (32:18):
I think I like a parsley glaze once on a donut.
I mean, who's doing that Like,let's have more of that please.
Jen (32:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Kate (32:25):
Yeah.
Doug (32:25):
Yeah, Becca Haggerty.
Kate (32:28):
Yeah, yeah, okay, so doing good stuff, oh my God, yeah.
Doug (32:41):
Lots of pop-up bakery.
Tell me more.
Kate (32:43):
It's out in.
It was out in Elwood City.
Okay, yeah, Again, we're justname dropping but I'm like.
I like to eat, so these arelike her, her pastries and her
cakes.
Oh my God, everything's so good.
Doug (33:00):
Are they still?
Kate (33:00):
they're out in Elwood city .
They are, but they're startingto do some pop-ups in town.
So they just did one at lowplaces with the low bar cocktail
people, and they are doing someat Spigolo, which is great
which is a new coffee shop overin Edgewood Awesome yeah.
Yeah, and Pittsburgh that's oneof the good things is it's a big
city but it's veryinterconnected and the community
that we're all building here itfeels like a small town and I
(33:22):
think you know back to yourquestion earlier, it's like when
I first opened the restaurant Ifelt like there was a very,
there was a lot of peopleopening at that time.
You know, cantina was opening,all of these young chefs that
are now old chefs like me, andthen, um, now it's I see this
next, this next group you know,coming through and they do have
(33:43):
that sense of community.
there they are all friends, aregoing out to dinner together.
They know each other from otherrestaurants and I kind of feel
honored that.
I'm kind of like the old ladyhanging out with like the new
Jen.
So I love to see this happeningin Pittsburgh and I'm excited
to eat at all these newrestaurants.
Doug (34:01):
So me too.
Yeah, thank you so much.
Yeah, all right, kate, what Ialways like to do with our
guests is just give you a secondfor folks that haven't really
found you yet or are followingyou.
Could you remind us of yoursocial handle and your website,
how people can find the links tothose dinners that we just
teased?
Kate (34:20):
Cool, cool, okay, so God what is our handle?
Doug (34:24):
Black Radish, black Radish , pgh.
Kate (34:27):
It's Black Radish PGH.
Yes, good one.
You can find us on Instagram.
There's a link tree to most ofour dinners.
You can sign up for thenewsletter there.
Doug (34:38):
I highly recommend that, by the way, because if there is
a dinner, it's going to beadvertised there and they do
sell out.
Kate (34:45):
They do knock on wood, they do sell out, but that's how
you get the Belly Basket menu'sand those belly baskets go out
every Wednesday, so it's adelivery every Wednesday.
You can buy it for the wholemonth.
The links to the belly basketand the dinners you can also
find them on our website underBlack Radish Kitchen.
(35:06):
Black Radish Kitchen dot com.
Doug (35:09):
I'm verifying that.
There's not anything extra.
It is Black Radish Kitchen dotcom.
It's Black Radish.
Kate (35:17):
Kitchen dot com.
Well, is black radishkitchencom, kitchencom.
Well, this is the thing.
Doug (35:19):
You have a great staff.
You don't need to be doingthese things.
Kate (35:23):
So, yeah, aaron has really taken all of our social media
to the next level, and you canfind him at photos by Aaron Okay
On Instagram.
Awesome yeah.
Doug (35:35):
All right, kate.
The name of the show is ThePittsburgh dish.
I always have a final questionfor our guests what's the best
dish you had to eat this pastweek?
Kate (35:48):
That's a great question.
Okay, I am a giant fan of Cafe33.
I order from there all the timeand I'm obsessed with fried
rice right now, so I had theirbasic chicken fried rice and it
slapped.
Doug (36:05):
This is a Taiwanese style cuisine over in Squirrel Hill.
Kate (36:09):
Anything else that day, the cabbage Got to get the
cabbage every time.
Cabbage and hot peppers Realsimple.
Well, you are Irish, so thereit is.
Doug (36:19):
Yeah, it's delicious.
Kate Romaine, it has been sucha pleasure to talk with you.
Kate (36:24):
This is so great.
Doug (36:25):
Thank you so much for having me on here, Well thank
you for your time I know it's abusy time and thanks for being
on the Pittsburgh Dish Hell yeahThanks.
Pittsburgh dish Hell yeah,Thanks.
Up next, we've all heard ofdinner and a movie, but how
about having it all at the sametime?
Ashley Cesaratto knows a place.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Ashley Cesaratto, the
(36:47):
co-founder of the popularFacebook group Pittsburgh
Foodies.
Ashley, I was wondering ifyou've had any unique dining
experiences lately.
Jen (36:57):
I have.
So there's a catering and eventspace in Gibsonia called just
in time and they've been doingthese dinner and movie events.
Okay, they choose a movie thathas to do with food and then
their chef and their teamcreates a menu that goes along
with the movie.
Doug (37:16):
Okay, Number one.
I'm guessing that just in thyme, time is spelled T-H-Y-M-E.
Jen (37:22):
It is Okay, yes.
Doug (37:24):
And so did you go and see a movie at the same time there.
Jen (37:28):
Yes, so they have projectors on either side of the
large room, okay, and they evendecorate the space to go along
with the movie as well.
The last one that I went to,they had kind of a costume
change for the space, so we hadmost of the meal with one set of
(37:50):
decor, okay.
And then we went outside to afood truck and got our second to
last course from the food truck, and then we came inside and
they had flipped the space to acompletely different decor.
So it's really awesome.
It's definitely an immersiveexperience.
Doug (38:06):
What were some of the food related themes or movies?
Jen (38:11):
So they started off with Julie and Julia.
Oh, how appropriate.
The Julie Child movie Exactly.
Doug (38:13):
Then they did the 100 foot journey, which is French and
Indian food.
Ashley (38:15):
So they started off with Julie and Julia.
Jen (38:15):
Oh, how appropriate.
The Julie Child movie Exactly.
Then they did the 100-FootJourney, which is French and
Indian food.
Doug (38:20):
Okay.
Jen (38:21):
Then they did the movie Chef, which had all kinds of
food in it.
Doug (38:24):
Oh yes, I've seen that one too.
Jen (38:26):
And then finally Ratatouille.
Doug (38:28):
Oh, so these have all been separate events that you can do
.
You sign up for them.
Jen (38:33):
Yeah, you can sign up on their website.
Doug (38:35):
And let me just ask for a moment how were some of the
bites?
Jen (38:39):
They were amazing.
Their chef, dave, is extremelycreative, and they have a pastry
chef that they work with, benas well, and, honestly,
everything is so good, and it'samazing to me how they can
prepare so many differentcuisines, like it's not just all
Italian food or all French food.
There's a mixture.
Doug (39:00):
Yes.
Jen (39:01):
And they even for the 100 foot journey.
They even collaborated with adoctor who loves to cook and she
was able to make some of thedishes with their chef and
brought spices that her familyused.
So that was really special andbrought a lot of meaning to the
meal as well.
Doug (39:19):
Oh, that's so cool.
So we're talking about just intime.
Normally they're doing catering, but when it's a little bit
more off season they're doingsome special events.
Folks can check out theirwebsite and see what they're
cooking up next.
Jen (39:33):
For sure.
Doug (39:34):
Thanks so much, Ashley.
Jen (39:36):
Thank you.
Doug (39:37):
You can follow Ashley on Instagram at eatingwithashleypgh
and check out Just In Thyme fortheir upcoming August dinner
and movie experiences for 2025.
You can find them on Instagramat JITcatering.
Are you looking to keep yoursummer meals light but want more
than just a salad?
Jen Flanagan of CommunityKitchen Pittsburgh shares her
(40:01):
unique take on beans and greenstopped with a lemon vinaigrette
a hybrid of light and hearty.
Let's have a listen.
Hey everybody, we're joinedwith Jennifer Flanagan, the
executive director and founderof Community Kitchen Pittsburgh.
And Jen, I was wondering if youhave any dishes that you make a
lot at home yourself.
Ashley (40:22):
I have to go to my greens and beans.
So this is my go-to.
It's a 15 minute recipe andit's really easy to make and you
don't really have to measureanything.
So I use kale.
So I know that's controversial,right it's not escarole, it's
heartier right, so you can cookit as long as you want.
If you want it softer or not, Iusually first I saute some
garlic right, mince some garlicup, saute some garlic and then I
(40:46):
add a little bit of chickenbroth and I throw the greens in
and I'm letting that cook downand then in a separate dry sauce
pan I am toasting off somebreadcrumbs.
Doug (40:54):
Cool.
Ashley (40:55):
And then in a separate dry sauce pan, I am toasting off
some breadcrumbs, cool.
And then I make a quick lemonvinaigrette, olive oil, lemon
juice, that's it.
And then you just combineeverything, oh, and then the
beans right.
So I use some kind of whitebean, right?
Whatever, it doesn't matter.
Jen (41:07):
Your preference.
Ashley (41:07):
Throw in a can of beans.
You combine everything.
You've got the greens.
You've got the greens, you'vegot the toasted breadcrumbs, the
beans, the garlic and then thelemon vinaigrette.
You throw it all together, putsome salt and pepper on the top.
Oh my gosh, if you want tothrow in some sausage, you can.
I usually don't.
It's 15 minutes, you're done.
It's a quick, nice, lovelycomfort meal.
Doug (41:26):
Sounds lovely.
Now I do have a question.
Are you, you're, you're doingthe greens and the beans in that
chicken broth?
Are you then topping it withthe breadcrumbs and the?
Ashley (41:35):
vinaigrette and the broth is just enough to keep it
a little moist.
It's not a soup it's the greensand beans.
It's not a broth I love thetoppings.
Doug (41:44):
I don't think I've ever heard that before.
Ashley (41:46):
Yeah, it's a nice little crispy crunch, you know, gives
it a nice little texture.
Doug (41:50):
Sounds delicious.
Ashley (41:51):
It is.
Doug (41:52):
Jen, thanks so much for being on The Pittsburgh Dish.
Absolutely Sounds delicious.
It is.
Jen.
Thanks so much for being on thePittsburgh Dish Absolutely.
Find out more about the eventsand great work that Jen's team
is doing at Community KitchenPittsburgh on their websites and
social, including theirupcoming gala Food is Community
on August 14th 2025.
Do you have a recipe?
Share it with us.
Just visit our website atwwwpittsburghdishcom and look
(42:17):
for our share a recipe form.
If you enjoyed the show,consider buying us a coffee for
this episode or supporting theshow monthly.
You can find links to thoseoptions at the bottom of our
show description and if you wantto follow my own food
adventures, you can find me onsocial media at Doug Cooking.
That's our show for this week.
Thanks again to all of ourguests and contributors and to
(42:39):
Kevin Solecki of CarnegieAccordion Company for providing
the music to our show.
We'll be back again next weekwith another fresh episode.
Stay tuned.
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