DeRusha Eats: Pittsburgh Blue
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You might not expect Executive Chef Brad Berg to be searing scallops at Pittsburgh Blue.
"I guess sometimes I'm surprised we do sell a lot of seafood here," Berg said.
This is not your typical downtown steakhouse. With seafood and greens, it's more than just steaks.
"It allows us to have a little bit more creativity, allows us to feel more like an artist," he said. "Anybody can cook a steak and slap it down on a plate."
Pittsburgh Blue is named for a style of steak that steelworkers would eat after a long day in the factory.
"It had a really nice, black char around the outside, and it was still cold blue in the center, so they started to call that 'Pittsburgh blue,'" Berg said.
Virtually no one in Minnesota orders it that way, but Pittsburgh Blue sells a lot of steaks. But why would Minnesotans order something like scallops at a steak house?
"They have this sweet flavor to them, they're unlike any other seafood," Berg said. "I think they're really easy to cook and they're very approachable."
He gets his pan really hot, which is the key to make sure the seafood doesn't stick. Next, he wilts some heirloom red spinach, and ramps - with their oniony-garlicy-taste.
Still, we couldn't come here and not throw down a steak. At 800 degrees, their hot broilers can cook a filet in just about six minutes.
It creates a sear that you just can't quite get at home.
There are two Pittsburgh Blue locations in the metro area: Edina and Maple Grove.
