Surprise and Delight with Savor Pittsburgh

On August 25th, Peoples presented Savor Pittsburgh, a celebration of Pittsburgh’s finest local chefs and cuisines, at Stage AE. Dozens of restaurants served up elegant and unique dishes to 1500 eager foodies and a handful of judges, all looking for the best dish of the night. And we have to say—it was a real challenge to pick just one favorite.

The event kicked off with a VIP wine reception featuring dishes like fresh corn and tuna tartar from fellow sponsor McCormick and Schmicks, a clear fan favorite. Guests then meandered outside to enjoy a colorful collection of food booths, raffles, auctions, and the Peoples “Savor the Summer” Tent.

Peoples teamed up with Chef Kevin of CORE Meals to present a grilling demonstration of Chipotle Lime Flank Steak with a fresh quinoa salad, all cooked on a state of the art gas grill. As people crowded around the grill, Chef Kevin shared easy to follow recipe instructions, along with some of the reasons he cooks exclusively with natural gas:  the precise heat control, the clean burn, and the ease of use. A video of his demonstration and the perfectly grilled steak he served up can be found on Peoples’ Youtube channel (you can also download the recipe here).

But Peoples wasn’t the only tent turning out delicious creations. The food tents featured an array of appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts designed to surprise and delight. For instance, a dish entitled “shrimp and grits” might not sound like a true culinary delight, but the Grand Concourse presented a shrimp and grits skewer with herb marinated shrimp, blistered tomatoes, seared jalepenos, and cheddar grits—and it had people flocking back for more. Downtown restaurant Habitat delivered a chilled buttermilk pea soup with a wasabi pea garnish that had Savor Pittsburghers adopting green food with open arms. And The Commoner restaurant (whose whipped purple potato cheesecake with pink sea salt was the surprise dessert hit of the night) won Dish of the Year with their “Pottsburgh Breakfast”: an espresso short rib, quail egg, bacon brioche, sunchoke, and sweet potato hash plum demi.  

The event, now in its 11^th year of smashing success, benefits the fight against premature birth at Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation. A speech by Peoples’ own Ed Palombo reaffirmed Peoples' commitment to such an important cause, and we look forward to supporting this event for many years to come. As event chair Michelle Kirsop introduced the emotional story of Isabella Anetakis, who was born weighing less than three pounds and spent 75 days in the NICU, we were all reminded why this event is so worthwhile. Beyond the incredible food and entertainment, it’s all about helping children like Isabella and their families. And that really is the cherry on top.

Written by Sarah U.—a Peoples employee and enthusiastic foodie. Sarah is the author of many of Peoples’ “Tasty Tuesday” recipes. See what she is going to whip up next by following Peoples Natural Gas on Facebook or @peoplesnatgas on Twitter and Instagram.