Welcome Snack from Csilla: Rye cracker with liptauer spread, fennel & beet (paired with a Maggie’s Farm Pineapple Punch by Joey Hilty)! The snack was so decadent and enjoyable; the punch was light & sweet (perfect for summer)!
*NOTE*: Neither Churchview Farm, Csilla Thackray, Joey Hilty, nor The Vandal asked me to write this post. I am just a Friendly Pittsburgh Foodie & Yogini, who enjoys sharing her foodie and yoga adventures with others. Photos captured with an iPhone 7s, and were edited with Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended and Instagram.
Back on Sunday, July 2nd, my Mom and I enjoyed a “Farm Dinner” at the Churchview Farm (located in the Brentwood neighborhood of the South Hills of Pittsburgh), featuring Csilla Thackray (Executive Chef) and Joey Hilty (Restaurant Owner), both of The Vandal. When it was time to pick the Churchview Farm dinner I attend, I made sure to choose The Vandal’s dinner. The Vandal is one of my favorite Pittsburgh restaurants (and, in my opinion, one of the best). Csilla’s cooking is INCREDIBLE, and Joey does a fantastic job of always ensuring that his guests are welcomed.
After the welcome snack, cocktail, and farm tour, all of us were seated for dinner. A special shout-out to the couple (and their two friends) who sat next to my Mom and me! They must’ve been the most fun people I’ve EVER dined with at the Churchview Farm!
First Course: Chilled sorrel soup with poached lobster & chips (paired with Royal Provance Rivarose wine)! Churchview Farm & The Vandal were both kind enough to make any dishes that originally had dairy in them dairy-free for me (and this was one of them)! ❤
A close up of this lovely soup! I always love the bowls and plates that the Churchview Farm uses!
Second Course: Radish, frisee, buckwheat, & service berry vinaigrette. This salad was nice and light before the new few decadent courses! This course was served “family style” (meaning the four parts of the dining room table each received platters of the salad, shared amongst four-to-six people).
Third Course: Mussels, baby vegetable ragout, bronze fennel, sunflower shoot oil & baguette (paired with Draii Laag Tafalbier). I LOVED the mussels, and the beer made me feel like I was in Belgium! This dish was also served family-style.
Fourth Course: Kohlrabi tortelloni,crispy greens, besurre monte & braised onion (*I had the dairy-free version). This was one of my FAVORITE dishes of the night! The pasta was INCREDIBLE!
Fifth Course: Quail, gooseberry chutney, tokyo bekana kraut & mashed fingerlings. I LOVED the quail; it was so smart to pair it with the gooseberry chutney. Of course, I always enjoy fingerling potatoes. Also served family-style!
Dessert Course: Paw Paw sorbet,cardamom meringue, sassafras shortbread and cherries. My favorite course of the night! I loved every single ingredient!
Well there you have it, folks! If you ever get to chance to both dine at The Vandal and attend a Churchview Farm dinner, I highly recommend both!
Next Post: either Summer Pittsburgh Restaurant Week Dinner at Hyde Park Steakhouse or Foodie Adventures of 2017!
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