Kevin Hermann, the executive chef at The Porch at Schenley, runs his kitchen at the bustling Oakland bistro with an eye towards local producers.
On the menu, you’ll find from-scratch dishes, using ingredients from local farms, with seasonal pizzas, over-sized farm burgers, and fresh salads (our pick? The Rocket, with Spanish chorizo, pickled shallots, Parmesan, toasted pumpkin seeds and sherry vinaigrette).
Hermann sat down with our friends at LOCALpittsburgh to share the story of how he landed in Pittsburgh (it involved a girl, of course), his cooking philosophy, and his thoughts on the Pittsburgh dining scene.
From the article:
How do you classify your style of cooking?
I guess if I was going to classify it, it would be Mediterranean farm-to-table style. Not only how they treat the ingredients, but the family aspect of food. It’s not only about the food, but how they go about enjoying it.
You have gardens at The Porch. How much does the restaurant use?
I grow a good amount of herbs and vegetables on the roof. It’s unfortunately not enough to sustain the restaurant volume. I have about thirty beds on the roofs, and beehives. It allows me to show the staff how to garden, and use things from the garden in certain specials.
Read the entire piece – including about Hermann’s favorite places to grab a bite in Pittsburgh, and his secret junk food addition spot – in the summer issue of LOCALpittsburgh. Or, pick up a free copy at more than 200 retail locations around the city.
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