So over Thanksgiving I was disappointed that my HS wasn’t hosting a 10 yr. reunion (ok let the old jokes begin, I’m ready for it). Anyway, being the pseudo social coordinator of the group I decided to throw together a dinner with all my favorites from high school in an attempt to have our own little reunion (even though we all still hung out often, but you know: any excuse to dine out!) I wanted to go somewhere new, but also somewhere nicer than your average dinner spot. Pittsburgh downtown isn’t as large as most cities, but is known for its great arts scene. When people are out soaking up some culture they tend to dine out, so you get the point, the restaurant world is very up & coming and very good. I had a few great spots to pick from and landed on Six Penn Kitchen. Mostly so my degenerate friends and their wives would know to meet us at the corner of 6th Street and Penn Avenue.

The first thing I noticed is how cool and chic the open kitchen concept was on the 1st floor. Not only was the ambiance very high-end, it’s a real foodie find when you can peep in & be a part of the cooking. Service was also great. We were whisked upstairs to a private area with a long table for all 14 of us to be able to chat and get rambunctious off of the extensive cocktail & wine lists. Dinner was very good and ranged from braised short ribs, to almond dusted trout, to buffalo mac & cheese. The nouveau American cuisine was well executed and trendy in its presentation.

We enjoyed dinner so much that along with a round of decadent desserts, (I am talking CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE kind of decadent) came a round of 18 yr. scotches. Now granted, the waiter was a bit aloof on the whole neat vs. on the rocks scenario – which was a tad disappointing for the caliber of dining experience we were having prior to our digestifs. However, we pretty much let it slide since our bellies were full of good food and our livers were nice and loose. Overall, I’d give Six Penn Kitchen 4 out of 5 on the foodie fav scale.

To anyone else out there who’s tried it, what do you think?

Happy Eating, XO.