One fateful Saturday night, I was invited to attend one of the limited-run “Up Late” Studio A.M. dinners, co-hosted by Baron Batch (Former Pittsburgh Steeler, now a popular Pittsburgh Artist, & the main brain behind Studio A.M.) & Bobby Fry (Former Owner & Manager of Bar Marco, Former Owner of The Livermore, Restauranteur, and Events Coordinator for Studio A.M), with TWO (count ’em, TWO) chefs: Studio A.M.’s in-house resident cook, Chef Steve, and the lovely & ever-so-talented guest chef, Jamilka Borges (Former Executive Chef of Bar Maro & Legume. She has recently accepted a fellowship with the James Beard Foundation).
My partner-in-crime for the event was Tasha of The Food Tasters, Eat Local and Shop Small! She is a local food blogger, event planner, and entrepreneur!
As soon as the two of us walked in, we were greeted by Jamilka (who I was DYING to meet! There have only been six Pittsburgh Chefs that have totally BLOWN MY MIND when it comes to their food, and she is one of them. One of the most talented chefs that I’ve met ANYWHERE)! The lovely Chef Borges led us to the downstairs cellar, where Bobby was eagerly waiting to make cocktails for us, and offer small bites of food that Jamilka made for the guests!
Shortly after the cocktails and nibbles of food, we met Baron Batch, our gracious master host of the evening! Both Bobby & Baron showed us their latest project: painting the SWING TRUCK (which was originally Jamilka/Bar Marco’s food truck, and is now in the hands of Chef Steve & the rest of the Studio A.M. crew).
Once cocktail hour ended, it was time head back upstairs, take our seats, and prepare for the first course!
I must apologize in advance: my phone was having a LOT of trouble with storage that night. Thus, I only was able to take pictures of two courses, but I’m hoping my writing expertise makes up for the lack of photos in this post. 😉
Course #1: Corn Custard & Tomato Salad, Ricotta, Basil and Arugula. This was absolutely PEFECT! Light and airy- perfect for that summer-to-fall transition! Everyone at the table (Baron, Tasha, and Baron’s Publicist) was RAVING about this dish!
Course #2: Shrimp, Green Goddess, Hackelback Potatoes, Picked Onions and Tostada. I loved this dish! I could tell Jamilka had some influence on this dish; green goddess was a staple on the Bar Marco menu.
Course #4: Chickpea, artichoke ravioli, black pepper, confit garlic. Artichoke & ravioli, together in one dish? I’m sol!
Course #5: Tomato Risotto, Roasted Beef, Tomato Hollandaise. This was the only dish that I didn’t like. The Risotto was thin & runny, and the roast beef was VERY rare (sopping in blood rare). Don’t get me wrong: I love a medium rare hamburger, but this was a little too rare for my liking.
Our table’s server (Dan) did an INCREDIBLE job of bringing the dishes, explaining the courses, and clearing our plates from the table. I have officially dubbed him “Server Extraordinaire- DAN”!
Bobby Fry was the evening’s resident Sommelier and Mixologist, providing two glasses of wine for each person at each table, enlightening, intelligent, and fun conversation, AND he even made a special cocktail for everyone, to seal off the night!
It was REALLY fun to get to know Baron! He would comment on each dish, talk about his latest project, the next event he had to attend, and bantered quiet a bit with his publicist.
All in all, it was a truly SPECTACULAR night! Similar to the Salons of Paris (that I learned about in my Art History classes), I felt I was in a place with creatives, philosophers, and entrepreneurs, discussing ideas, observations, and life in general!
Once the courses ended, I chatted up Jamilka quiet a bit, and learned about her history as a Pittsburgh Chef, the story behind the Plantain dish, and what’s possibly in store for her in the future.
Three cheers to good food, local entrepreneurs, chefs, and food bloggers!
-Friendly Fitness Foodie
Mindful Pittsburgh Foodie 