Lifestyles

Six days a week, the executive chef at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto consults clipboards and spreadsheets before dialing in orders from a network of suppliers he's built up from his years of cooking in Hawaii and Colorado. He casts a wide net, plumbing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf Coast for Mako Shark, Little Rock Clams, Mahi Mahi, grouper and Ahi Tuna.

Perched atop an apartment high-rise on Mt. Washington, the airy dining room, lounge and wine cellar windows command panoramic views of the Golden Triangle, the two sports stadiums and various road construction projects.

"For being here for four years, you get a feel for how many people you're going to do on a Monday as opposed to a Friday, and you order accordingly," he says.

Every Friday, Hall and his sous chef David Indorato start cutting 200 pounds of fish at 10 a.m. They finish at 3 p.m.

They served 300 meals on a recent Tuesday night. So much for the faltering economy.

"It's definitely a very grueling job," says Hall, who typically works from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. "You have to have the passion for it."

His 14-year career took him from his native Pittsburgh to the Pacific and back again. He graduated Thomas Jefferson High School in Pleasant Hills and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

"I went to IUP to get into business with my dad, but found I didn't want to wear a suit and sit behind a desk," says Hall, an intense, barrel-chested individual who says he inherited a zeal for cooking from his mother. He changed course and enrolled at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Culinary Arts Academy in Punxatawney.

After graduation, Hall moved to Maui, where he externed as a line cook at a popular restaurant. Living in paradise is one thing, working in a hot kitchen in paradise quite another. Many of his co-workers were surfers, which meant that, when the surf was up, they'd call off and he'd often be sauteing and grilling by himself.

"I really learned to do high-speed work, pumping out 600 (meals) a night," he says.

After five years, he moved to Colorado, where he worked at the Lodge, a popular game and seafood restaurant in a converted 19th-century log cabin. The restaurant, affiliated with Vail Resorts, has scored consistently high in the Zagat Survey.

It was a change from Maui, except that many of his co-workers were ski bums. When the powder was deep on the mountain, he says, they'd call off.

If Hawaii was boot camp, Hall's job at the Lodge schooled him in the nuance and finesse of fine dining.

"It refined my skill on the art of the plate," he says.

He started at Monterey Bay as a sous chef before stepping up to his current position.

The Mt. Washington location, which opened in 1997, is the second restaurant opened by owners Glenn and Lisa Hawley. They opened the Rodi Grille in 1991 in Penn Hills. It became Monterey Bay Fish Grotto in 1995 when it moved to the Jonnet Building in Monroeville. It's now at Monroeville Mall's outdoor District section. The Hawleys opened a third location in Tysons Corner, Va.

This Hawaiian fish is a quick, easy meal that's perfect for late summer backyard dining or for a more formal dinner. Executive chef Travis Hall finished this meal in less than five minutes, rolling the tuna in black sesame seeds and sprinkling on spices before putting it on the stove. White sesame seeds will also work, he says.

Wasabi, sometimes known as Japanese horseradish, can be found at most supermarkets. A pre-mixed variety is available in a toothpaste-style tube. The powdered version can be mixed with water and put in a squeeze bottle.

Cooked 1 minute on each side, sliced and fanned out on a plate, the rare to medium tuna has a crusty exterior and succulent, pinkish center.

• 8 ounces Big Eye tuna

• 1 cup black sesame seeds

• 1/2 cup wasabi powder

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 ounce pickled ginger for garnish

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

Slurry:

• 1 teaspoon corn starch

• 2 teaspoons water

Pre-heat grill to 350 degrees.

Mix wasabi powder and 1/4 cup of water together into a smooth sauce.

Place soy sauce in pot, turn on heat, bring to boil.

Once soy is at a boil, slowly whisk in slurry until soy thickens. Simmer for 30 seconds, remove and let cool.

Roll the tuna in the sesame seeds until tuna is coated (Photo 1).

Char-grill the tuna, about 1 minute each side for rare to medium rare and 5 minutes each side for medium to well-done (Photo 2).

Place grilled tuna on cutting board and slice into thin pieces (Photo 3).

Fan tuna on plate and serve with wasabi and soy sauce, garnish with picked ginger.

For a bit of extra flair, drizzle the wasabi and soy sauce in the shape of a fish or dragon (Photo 4).

Makes 2 servings.

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