The Carlton, Pittsburgh, PA

The Carlton, Pittsburgh, PA

The Carlton is a staple in the city of Pittsburgh.  The restaurant is in located in one BNY Mellon Center.  Nationally recognized, the Carlton is the only eatery and recipient of the Distinguished Restaurant of North America Award.  Kevin Joyce, the owner and proprietor, is quite proud of this fact.  If you choose to dine at the Carlton, you will see Mr. Joyce on a regular basis; he likes to be in the thick of things.  Kevin also is actively involved in local politics- it’s been rumored that he will one day run for Mayor.

The Carlton has an extensive wine list, with over 550 selections; the wine is very reasonably priced, significantly below that of his competitors.  If you’re looking for a great place to relax and unwind after work, you can’t go wrong at the bar. The walls are decorated with caricatures of regulars and other famous people that have eaten at the restaurant.  The bar is stocked with top shelf liquor; aged scotch, bourbon, and of course, wine any of the more 550 wine selections!  If you need to vent, the bartenders are always friendly, and happy to lend an ear.

The food at the Carlton is top shelf as well.  You can get almost anything you want from Chilean Sea Bass, to a piece of Rib Roast- which I highly recommend.  We opted for the Calamari for a starter.  It was crisp and fresh, nicely seasoned and served with a tomato-basil sauce; excellent.  The crab cakes were also good, with julienne vegetables and a Dijon-cream sauce.  The dinner salad was comprised of field greens, tomatoes with lemon-honey vinaigrette.  For my entrée, I chose the grilled Atlantic salmon.  The salmon was seasoned, and cooked to a perfect medium, also very good.  My guests had the Rack of Lamb ($33.95) and the Herb Grilled Chicken ($27.95).  The lamb was tender and juicy, and the chicken was quite good too, with hints of rosemary, garlic and spicy olive oil.  Our waiter was attentive, but didn’t bother us too much- a good combination.  Other entrées on the menu include: Ahi Tuna ($27.95), Grouper ($30.95), and Sea Scallops ($32.95).  If there’s something you want that’s not on the menu, just ask, and Chef Mark Swomley will prepare it for you.  The menus are seasonal, so you can always count on a wide variety of selections during the year.

In addition to the regular menu, The Carlton also offers wine dinners.  The special meals include several courses of meticulously prepared food with some of the finest wines of the region; a rare and special treat.

My favorite part of eating at the Carlton- the desserts; they’re all made in-house by the pastry chef.  Try the crème brulee, or the chocolate cake.  There are many different kinds of deliciousness too choose from, just make sure to try something!  If you’re looking for the best birthday cakes in the city, order one from Eadie’s on the first floor, also owned by Mr. Joyce.

If you haven’t sampled the food at the Carlton, make a reservation soon.