Hi all, We had dinner at the Mighty Oak Barrel in Oakmont last night (Saturday, 6/30-second time trying to post). The following is my impression. The restaurant is located on 3rd Street in Oakmont, in an out of the way location. It is hard to find without directions. In fact, the first time we attempted to go we were unable to find it! Mapquest helped the second time. It is a small, personal place. On a Saturday night, at about 9pm there were only four tables occupied. This may not be good for the restaurant, but offered great, attentive service. They seemed to have a varied selection of wines by the glass, and offer wine suggestions for the entrees. I thought this was a nice touch. We had the cheese plate to start which was a selection of dill havarti, a blue and a hard Italian cheese (sorry, I forget exactly). The cheeses were excellent: fresh and of good quality. It was presented nicely, with crackers, apple, grapes and a mustard. I would have preferred bread with my cheese. I could have asked for bread, and I am sure they would have accommodated, but I thought I would save the carbs! Salads were plain. Leaf lettuce (not iceberg) with some roasted red peppers and garbanzo beans. My dressing was a surprising pleasant chipolte ranch. It had a smoky flavor. It made me want more of a salad. For an entree, I had the filet and asiago ravioli. The filet was ample sized and done just right (medium rare). Both were presented on a dish with fresh tomatoes and a basil oil drizzle. It was a great taste combination. My partner has the putenesce (I know I got that spelling wrong and it is not going to make it through the spell checker) with scallops. The pasta was done perfectly, and a perfect oil-i.e not drowning in oil, an 'accent' to the dish. Again, the flavors blended beautifully. For dessert, we shared a nut tart with caramel sauce. The caramel sauce tasted homemade, and I am betting the tart was homemade too. Nice ending. Not too sweet, and just the right amount shared. I would have liked a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the tart, but, again, decided to save some calories. The bill, with two glasses of wine each, was 75.00, not including tip. My only complaint was the entrees came shortly after the salad, and the server did at least apologize for the early delivery. Generally, it was a very good meal. The restaurant is cute, and the atmosphere is casual. It was also a relaxed dining room for prime time Saturday night. I only hope not too many people catch on so this doesn't change! It reminds me of Recipes Remembered in the North Hills. My comment at the end of the evening was "When we want a good meal, but don't want to dress up, this is where we can come." Happy eating! Susan
Pittsburgh, PA