Lifestyles

As if they had to.

They are celebrating 10 years of business at their Mighty Oak Barrel Restaurant, tucked along an out-of-the-way street in Oakmont. When it's time to let the world know what's going on at the tiny establishment, they use their Web site or word-of-mouth. Patrons pack the place five nights a week, enjoying a meal at a cozy table or the U-shaped bar.

Rusak, a self-taught chef, works out the seasonal menu and weekly specials with executive chef Douglas Shirey, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute who joined the staff about two years ago. The Clarion native, who lives in Cheswick, brings extensive experience from Florida; family ties brought him back to Pennsylvania.

Trainor uses her in-depth wine knowledge to ensure complementary pairings. And the duo aims to keep a lid on prices.

About 20 wines by the glass, including ports, are offered for less than $10.

"People want a bang for their buck," says Rusak, explaining the recent addition of an international tapas menu of tasting-size portions -- under $10 each -- that features dishes inspired by Tuscan, Asian, Spanish, Mexican, Moroccan, Thai and Indian cuisines. There also are three tapas and three entree specials every week.

Entrees are geared for large appetites and reflect Rusak and Trainor's focus on fresh ingredients. For example, a friend grows fresh herbs for them, Rusak says. The ciabatta bread is from Breadworks, served with flavored butter. Unique homemamde salad dressings include toffee cappuccino vinaigrette, pear and roasted shallot vinaigrette, and a dressing of the week. They can be purchased for $5.95 a pint.

The spring menu features pan-seared duck, salmon with a roasted red pepper and garlic saute, seared tuna with haricots verts, a frenched pork chop with sauteed chorizo, lamb loin chops with minted mojito sauce, and Jamaican jerk-seasoned shrimp with a pineapple-kaffir lime sauce. Each dish is matched on the menu with a suggested wine, which might be from Australia, France, Argentina, Italy, California or Washington state, or patrons can choose another selection, with Trainor there to assist if necessary.

The restaurant sponsors monthly wine tastings for $26. Upcoming topics are Pacific Rim pinot noirs, Napa Valley summer wines and an evening of vintages from Lolonis winery in northern California, featuring winemaker Maureen Lolonis. Reservations are required.

In addition to choosing the wines, Trainor, a native of Ireland, shares authentic Irish coffees in two varieties: Ultimate Irish Coffee, made with Celtic Crossing liqueur, Tullamore Dew whiskey, hot coffee and cool cream; and Nuts & Berries Coffee, with Frangelico Hazelnut and Chambord Berry liqueurs in steaming coffee that's topped with cream. Other flavors are added, including chocolate, honey and a secret "family" ingredient passed through the generations.

The Mighty Oak Barrel Restaurant is known in the community for sponsoring fund-raisers for charities, such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation to fight cancer, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Rusak says.

"We love to feel good at the end of the day for all reasons," she says.

For the Komen Race for the Cure, Rusak rode from San Francisco to Colorado -- 1,435 miles -- and she will tack on another 150 miles in early June to benefit efforts against MS. This will be Trainor's first year in the latter event, called "MS Escape to the Lake (Erie) Bike Tour." Every organization has realized thousands of dollars in donations from The Mighty Oak, some in the tens of thousands.

Executive chef Douglas Shirey of The Mighty Oak Barrel Restaurant in Oakmont suggests serving this dish, developed for Cooking Class, with a saute of vegetables, including snow peas, mushrooms and zucchini slices. Roasting and adding the garlic to the polenta is optional.

For the salsa:

• Water

• Salt, to taste

• 4 ears fresh sweet corn or 1 package (16 ounces) frozen sweet corn, thawed

• 1 red onion, finely diced

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon chile powder

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

For the pork chop:

• 1 double-bone pork chop (16 ounces, 2 inches thick) or 2 single-bone pork chops (8 ounces each)

• Salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the polenta:

• 1 whole garlic bulb

• Olive oil

• Instant polenta

• Heavy cream, to taste, optional

For the salsa: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the corn ears until tender, cool down under cold water, pat dry and cut the kernels into a bowl. If using frozen corn, prepare according to package directions.

To the corn, add the red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin and chile powder. Gently stir in the cherry tomatoes and green onions. Mix well, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to marry the flavors. If desired, chill in the refrigerator until needed, bringing to room temperature before serving.

For the pork chop: Prepare a grill for medium direct heat. Season the chop(s) with salt and pepper. Place the chop(s) on the grill (see Photo 1) and cook, turning once, for about 9 minutes for each side (16 ounces) or 4 to 5 minutes (8 ounces). (Photo 2)

For the polenta: If desired, roast the garlic bulb to flavor the polenta. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel away the outer layers of the bulb's skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, trim 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top of the bulb to expose the individual cloves. Place the garlic head in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil, making sure it is well coated. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cloves are soft and golden brown.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, slightly cut the skin around 6 to 8 cloves. Using a knife or your fingers, pull or squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins. Mash, using a fork.

Prepare the instant polenta according to package directions for 1 or 2 servings. If desired, whisk in roasted garlic to taste and add cream to the desired consistency.

To plate: Place the polenta in the middle of a shallow bowl (Photo 3). Lay the pork chop(s) on top of the polenta and top with the salsa (Photo 4).

Makes 1 to 2 servings.

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