An upscale take on comfort food

Six Penn Kitchen
146 6th Street
Pittsburgh, PA
412-566-7366

Last night my friends and I headed out to see Six Penn Kitchen, a beautiful upscale dining restaurant at the caddy corner across from Heinz Hall. This place was truly a wonderful restaurant to visit. The restaurant, large and spacious, is at the same time cozy and personal. I'm glad we got reservations, as upon entering we spotted plenty of groups and couples crammed in the bar and lounge areas of the restaurant. My friends and I were seated very comfortably on the second floor of Six Penn, in a warm and intimate dining space with log fire.

Our server, friendly and informative, shared with us the specials of the day: a pan-seared Ahi Tuna and a wood-stove grilled Snapper. As a starter we were served crisp flatbread and a focaccia with chutney; very delicious. We started our meal with the restuarant's famous cornbread, served in a hot skillet, with molasses butter on the side. We also ordered as appetizers: empanadas and calamari. Quick review: all three were delicious. The best was the calamari - very crisp with pieces of squid and shrimp, nice aioli sauce and tangy dipping sauce. The empanadas were good, but there was not enough of the chorizo filling; very nice side sauces. The cornbread - nice and warm with delicious butter; very good.

Entrees: We had a big variety. The Risotto - great, creamy, filling, with sweet chunks of butternut squash. The crab cakes; excellent fresh lump crab meet; They weren't the best crab cakes I have had (The top of my list is the light fluffy crab cakes of Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, followed by those served at a lovely French place I visited in Bethesda, Maryland), but very tasty, nice side with asparagus, greens, and prosciutto. Good sauce on top. The pork chops - nice and red on teh inside, flavorful with citrus. The Ahi Tuna was deliciously minty. Overall: the entrees were pleasing, but this is a restaurant where I did enjoy the appetizers better than my main dish.

In short: great restaurant; a wonderful place to go to before the Symphony. Pricey ($25-$40 per person depending on what you order, plus drinks) but they serve a good amount of food and it is well presented. Take your parents to this place.