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At nearly 73, Hyeholde Restaurant in Moon carries its years remarkably well. There may have been some discreet work done -- a new kitchen in '96, a freshening up of the dining room -- but all in the service of maintaining an elegant appearance.
It takes some skill to balance the dual demands of history and a fickle dining public, and executive chef Christopher O'Brien, who has been working at the restaurant for 17 years (with one 10-month break), has carefully crafted a modern menu that fits naturally within the eclectic, castle-like structure.
In the largest dining room, the Great Hall, a substantial fireplace, stained glass windows and vaguely Old English artifacts such as a drinking horn add visual interest. For the best view of the restaurant's lush, natural surroundings, request a seat in the glass-enclosed garden room.
Food:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Overall:
1516 Coraopolis Heights Road
Moon
412-264-3116
- Hours: Tea and HyeTea, Monday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.; dinner, Monday-Friday, 4-9 p.m., Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
- Basics: Ingredient focused, internationally inspired, modern American menu served in a castle-like structure surrounded by woods and flowers. A country escape just minutes from the parkway.
- Recommended dishes: Heirloom Tomato, organic greens, Eichner's farm-raised chicken, Cervena elk, potato-wrapped trout, pan-roasted milk-fed veal, dulce de leche torte, cheese plate, fresh fruit with chilled champagne sabayon.
- Prices: Soups and salads, $5.75-$8; appetizers, $10-$17; entrees, $19-$49; desserts, $7-$10.
- Drinks: Cocktail list not in keeping with the overall culinary program; bottle selection of beer includes a few more interesting, food-friendly selections, such as delirium tremens. Wine list is currently being updated.
- Summary: Wheelchair accessible; credit cards accepted; reservations accepted; corkage, $15.
- Noise level: Low.
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Mr. O'Brien mentions the usual focus on seasonal, and often local, ingredients, and backs it up by making the extra effort. Last summer the restaurant added a beehive, and in a few weeks, it will have this season's first honey.
He also mentioned a greatly expanded kitchen garden, although he didn't specifically identify any super-local ingredients on the menu. There is additional proof that Hyeholde pays more than lip service to the importance of quality food -- the exceptional taste of many of its products.
Eichner's chicken has garnered much-deserved local fame, and its treatment here was exemplary. Any momentary disappointment at the sight of a chicken breast (rather than a leg) was quickly dispelled by the remarkable moisture of the meat, the wonderfully crisp skin and that genuine chicken flavor. The abundant vegetables, too, evoked farm fresh flavors: buttery spaghetti squash, parsley-flecked orzo and a summery succotash of zucchini, corn, edamame and tomato. An herb pesto added a tangy, green note to every bite.
Potato-wrapped trout was equally vibrant, perched upon a piquant salad of fennel, pickled shallots, cucumber and tomato. The sauce, made from white verjus (fresh grape juice) and butter, was a lovely play on a beurre blanc, and even more refreshing. The potato threads could have been crispier, but even without much crunch, they were a pleasantly salty contrast to the sweetness of the excellent fish.
Interesting varieties of game are another major attraction, adding good variety to the regular lineup of restaurant proteins. The slightly earthy quality of grilled boar ribs was accented by a handful of chickpeas and an almost sauce-like pool of amaranth grains ($12).
Elk loin was beautifully accented with a bright red sour cherry and bourbon sauce, an orange sweet potato puree and a pile of sauteed greens ($36); the beauty of the color palate added an extra level of enjoyment for the diner.
The attention paid to presentation is admirable, but occasionally dishes were lovelier to gaze upon than they were to eat. A trio of colorful heirloom carrots -- white, orange and red -- arrived in a pale brown pool of chestnut verjus, all covered in a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano ($10). Unfortunately, the carrots were watery and flavorless, the sauce a muddle of flavors.
In another example, a flowerlike pile of pink salmon gravlax was accented by a line of fennel tapenade and a miniature scoop of lemon poppy seed sorbet. The anise flavor of the fennel, the lemony sorbet and a dandelion vinegar somehow combined to make the salmon taste more fishy than refreshing, and the cracker at its base had somehow crossed the line from crisp to stale ($13).
A modernist heirloom tomato salad, just added to the menu, was far more successful, a rainbow of tomatoes complemented by substantial curls of manchego cheese, diced watermelon, a small scoop of watermelon sorbet and a thick balsamic verjus so sweet it could be drizzled on ice cream ($10).
The menu changes seasonally, but gradually, a few dishes at a time. This allows the kitchen to make a more seamless transition, but as a result, fresher additions make lingerers seem even more out of season, like the halibut with spinach flan, wild mushrooms and mushroom sauce ($32). The delicate flavors of the halibut can't help but seem dreary in comparison to the tomato salad. One alternative would be to change the menu more often, especially during the summer and fall season when diners are ready to revel in fresh ingredients.
The wine list is undergoing some much-needed updating. Owner Barbara McKenna said that it would be slightly shorter, but offering better value. Given the restaurant's current emphasis on higher-priced bottles, that would be a welcome change. Hopefully the new list will be accompanied by more interesting by-the-glass options and more education for staff, who offered little to no guidance. Thoughtfully, one server apologized for not being able to offer any information about a particular bottle, but said that if we didn't like it, he would happily substitute something else.
Staff was well versed in the details of service, but at this type of restaurant, well-informed servers can communicate so much more than the menu or the wine list, making the dining experience more enjoyable for the guest and enhancing the staff's ability to sell the food and wine.
Hyeholde is also one of the area's more formal restaurants, and one of a very few with a recommended dress code -- business casual, with a jacket and tie preferred for male guests. If the dress code is essential to the character of the restaurant, then Hyeholde's staff should set a clearer example by dressing slightly more formally than the dress code requests -- which is currently not the case. It may well be time to drop the dress code, which some diners likely interpret as stuffy and out of date.
These same customers will certainly want a more interesting and modern cocktail list than the restaurant currently provides.
Desserts from pastry chef Erin Ribo are on much firmer ground. The dulce de leche torte was the most impressive, an intricate composition of toasted cashew meringue, milk caramel (the dulce de leche) mousse, coconut sherbet and coconut-orange foam ($7).
The cheese plate consists of a frequently changing assortment of four cheeses, usually including a few local options. Beautifully rustic, the wedges were arranged with just the right touch of carelessness, with tiny bright red raspberries scattered across the plate and a small dish of speckled honey, its flavor indicated by a sprig of lavender ($10).
A cocktail glass of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries was served with a pitcher of thick, chilled champagne sabayon, as well as two candied orange peel cookies ($9.50).
It is a sweet and simple finish in a lovely restaurant with no ending in sight.
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