The Vandal — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

So to be clear, a good friend of mine, JJ, works in the kitchen here and he had been asking me to swing by and check out the place for months. I finally had the time and occasion to bring my girlfriend here the other day, and regardless of my buddy working here or not, it deserves more than 5 stars.

The atmosphere of the place is quaint and cozy yet also exudes a subtle hint of class that made me feel foolish for wearing a hoodie and jeans. Alison our waitress was pleasant as could be, and was also able to answer a question or two about the wine selection that my girlfriend had without skipping a beat. She recommended a fantastic white that I can't remember the name of, but it was none the less delicious. I myself ordered a whiskey/amaretto cocktail that had a wonderful smoky aftertaste that caught us both completely by surprise.

We started the meal with grilled asparagus on top of a ramp pesto, topped with a foamed ramp butter, fresh cracked pepper, and fresh greens grown the garden behind the establishment, and a special that my buddy recommended, which consisted of Toulouse sausage with charred fennel, green garlic soubise, orange slices, and salsa verde. The locally sourced sausage was cooked to perfection and when combined with the garlic and orange, made for a wonderful dance of flavors in my mouth as I ate it.

Our main course was locally sourced chicken breast with fresh snow peas and pickled ramps. I had never thought that the phrase "fall off the bone" could apply to anything more than ribs, but the chicken was, again, cooked to absolute perfection. It fell right off the bones as we ate it and was easily one of the juiciest and most tender pieces of meat I've ever had in my life, and the peas and ramps were perfect compliments to the dish.

To cap off our meal, we got a chocolate pot de creme for dessert, and if you want to talk about an exemplary use of Swiss dark chocolate, look no further that the dessert team at The Vandal.

So to conclude our lovely evening with my wonderful date, we found out that my truck's battery was dead when we got back to it. As a Hail Mary, I texted JJ at the Vandal and asked if he could run out and help me jump it whenever he had a break next. Come to find out, one of his coworkers, Jeff, had a jump pack that he was kind enough to lend me, and we were able to get back on the road much faster than we expected. This alone is what, in my mind, sets an establishment like The Vandal above other places like it. As I told JJ, I wouldn't have expected such a "blue collar" favor from such a high class establishment, and what that tells me is that the whole staff there are as good people as the food they serve is delicious. My lady and I already have decided that this will be a place that we plan on frequenting much more...

Stopped in here on Friday 8/29. We planned on getting some drinks and sharing some smaller plates. The restaurant wasn't full or busy, and the staff seemed confused that we wanted a table. Confirmed they had room and it wasn't reservation only but even getting seated was a very strange experience- they seemed flustered by a totally normal 2 top walking in on a Friday evening. The food was excellent. We had been traveling and weren't super hungry yet, so we shared some oysters, farmer's cheese, and tartare. The drinks were alright- creative and sounded good, but more beautiful than tasty once they arrived. Nothing to complain about, though. The service was... some of the worst service either of us have ever received. We've both worked food service for years and are pretty relaxed, understanding of how that job can be. This tiny little place had an INSANE amount of floor staff, kind of just bumbling around and bumping into each other, but they still couldn't get it together. No one seemed to know who our server was or what was going on, and for whatever reason two of them went on long little speeches about how they're glad we "found them" (This place is very prominently on a main street.) We placed our drink orders with one employee, then several minutes later someone else tried to take our drink orders. A different employee took our food order. Several different employees showed up asking questions, trying to refill drinks when orders were already in with different servers, etc. This would be annoying but OK at a sports bar, but is really not acceptable at a nicer place when the staff is also as haughty as they are here. For all their speeches about coursing things out for us, our food started arriving before our drinks. Lots of little things that, coupled with the strange atmosphere and attitudes, added up.

Again, the food was great. The kitchen staff is doing something right and carrying this place on their backs. Overall, the floor staff seemed like maybe none of them have ever been to or worked in a restaurant before, and also somehow with very rude inflated egos as well. What a strange combination. Without a good floor manager that actually understands how to run a place like this, they probably won't be around...

The Vandal, at least for breakfast, is not the place to go for something inventive or delicious, but it is worth a visit for staple dishes presented in a healthy, sustainable, and simple manner. The restaurant is not trying to wow you with creativity, but fill a void where people can go out and find food prepared in a basic and responsible way.

My original rating was lower and less complimentary, but after speaking with the owner who is impressively dedicated and professional, I believe I have a better understanding of The Vandal's goal. They want to prepare food in a holistic manner, where inventiveness is not a driving factor. I don't know how much of a market there is for this business model. For example, my breakfast experience was unexceptional, but not bad. The food didn't make me want to return or share with my friends the details of what was created. However, what I did order (Granola, Light Scramble, and the Breakfast Sandwich) didn't taste bad, and weren't filled with ingredients purchased from Giant Eagle.

For these reasons The Vandal may not light the world on fire, or have a marketable place in it. But if it is successful, obviously they found market to serve and will thrive. I personally don't know what it will be. I think I can sum up the whole experience by saying that if the process by which the food makes its way to your table is more important than the taste of the food itself, then visit The Vandal. On the other hand, if you are out for a meal where you want something you haven't had before, then explore Pittsburgh's more...