I just tried "Mata at Stacy J's", a new restaurant in West Homewood (421
West Eight Avenue, about 4 blocks from the Homewood bridge, a right turn
off the bridge if you're coming from Oakland/Squirrel Hill). It's housed
in an unlikely setting for a place with aspirations to haute cuisine (a
neighborhood Irish pub). But if you're up for some creative cooking
without spending as much as it usually costs around here (and don't mind
60's Pittsburgh diner/bar chintz), I'd definitely recommend giving it a
try.
The menu is fairly small and eclectic - apparently it will be changing
weekly (at least at dinner; the lunch menu, which is basically the same
except the entrees are three or four bucks cheaper, is supposed to stay
the same). Some of the dishes include a variation on pasta puttanesca
(fettucine with caramelized onions in a tuna and tomato sauce, $6.95); a
winter vegetable salad with roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes,
beets, parsnips, mixed greens, fennel and a citrus vinagrette ($6.95);
banana peppers stuffed with veal, fresh thyme, and pine nuts, on lemon
couscous with a tomato coulis ($9.25); and a grilled
orange-honey-tarragon chicken breast served on toasted challah with
orange bernaise ($5.50). They had two soups for $2.50 each and a few
appetizers, including a baked brie with roasted red peppers and
home-baked foccacia ($5.50).
I started with a very good gingered chicken liver pate peppered with
pine nuts, served with half of an excellent toasted sourdough baguette
($4.50). For an entree I had pan-seared scallops in a chipotle cream
sauce, served with a very generous portion of angel hair ($10.95). The
scallops were perfectly cooked and very fresh, but the chipotle flavor
was a bit overpowering for my taste (if you like really hot stuff you'd
probably disagree), and the pasta a bit undersalted. It was supposed to
be topped with "frizzled" shallots which apparently the kitchen ran out
of; it probably would have benefited from them, but still it was
definitely a cut above the average seafood pasta dish around here. The
scallops came with an excellent side salad with spinach and romaine
lettuce, slow-roasted yams and butternut squash, pine nuts, and just the
right amount of a citrus dressing.
For dessert I had a tart tatin with creme fraiche. This $3 dessert was
offered apologetically for free (!) as they had run out of the house
specialty (a ricotta torte with rasberry coulis), and the tart had been
a somewhat failed experiment (the apples had over-caramelized a bit -
nevertheless it was quite good).
They don't have a wine list yet but you can get a glass of quite decent
house wine for $2.50 (Chilean chard, Cabarnet Merlot, or zinfandel) .
With the arrival of Kaya and Casbah and the like, creative cooking has
finally started to take off in Pittsburgh, but it's still pricey and
often pretentious. Although the physical ambience at Mata leaves
something to be desired (at least for now: apparently the propieter,
Brad Mata, and the chef, Kevin Mckee, are planning to renovate and
expand the seating from 35 or so to 60), the staff were very friendly
and attentive (the chef even asked for feedback!), and it's quiet,
casual and comfortable. I figure they did pretty well for opening week,
and you can't beat the prices!
Their hours are 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon-Sat., tel. 464-1860.
- BobPittsburgh, PA