Lifestyles

When Mantini's Wood Fired was on Sixth and East Carson Street for three years, the restaurant received rave reviews but was in a bad location, according to owner and chef Matt Mantini.

He moved up the street to 1209 E. Carson St. in February, and business has been booming ever since.

"We have 88 seats in the dining room and 24 at the bar, and we turn over three times on the weekend," says Mantini, 45, who was a Marriott corporate chef for 18 years and created more than 3,000 recipes there. "I'm here 14 hours a day, seven days a week. The hours are hard. But I do four times the business I did down the street.

"The work never ends," he says. "You have to be disciplined in your routine to get everything accomplished."

Mantini gutted the location, which formerly housed Old Europe, and created an open-air kitchen where he can see the diners and they can watch him and his cooks prepare succulent dishes. Nothing hangs on the 100-year-old brick walls. Mantini wanted subtlety and he got it, with subdued lighting, white linen tablecloths, two gas-burning fireplaces and gleaming hardwood floors. Earthy blues music plays in the background.

"The open-air kitchen creates a sensory perception. I know my food is good, and it makes my cooks neater and cleaner," Mantini says. "The most rewarding part of the business is when people tell me it's the best food they've ever had. I like to create memorable dining experiences for my guests."

The wood-fired grill is a big selling point for Mantini. He goes through one cord of cherry wood every two weeks. He describes his cuisine as "classic American dressed up with casual sophistication."

"This is not a pizza joint," he says with a chuckle.

Indeed not, with mouthwatering entrees such as slow-smoked barbecue ribs, grilled Canadian lobster tail and grilled jumbo gulf shrimp. Every day, he features a vegetarian entree, a fresh pasta entree and a fresh fish entree. Desserts include a delectable bourbon pecan creme brulee with chocolate sauce and fresh baked fruit cobbler with French vanilla ice cream.

Mantini, a native Pittsburgher who began cooking at age 14, is an award-winning corporate chef who represented Marriott in grilling contests all over the Southern United States. He uses barbecue sauces and spices liberally in his dishes to give them that extra zest and zing.

"I like to have a bit of flavor in my foods," says Mantini, who has two teenage boys and a fiance. "There is a lot of commonality in Pittsburgh foods -- a lot of the same flavor profiles. I want my food to be a little bit eclectic."

A fishing captain in Florida catches fresh grouper and other fish, and overnights them to Mantini.

"It makes all the difference in the world," he says. "Every night, I do one or two fresh fish that are grilled. I grill 365 days a year."

Mantini, who hopes to open an Italian restaurant someday, likes being in the South Side with so many restaurants for diners to choose from.

"It's nice that most of the restaurants here are individually owned," Mantini says. "The neat thing about the South Side is that it's a very eclectic neighborhood. You have so many different choices of where to eat. It helps everybody."

Matt Mantini chose to share his Grilled Fresh Florida Grouper with Black Bean Grilled Vegetable Salsa with Cooking Class. The spicy marinade can be used with any firm, meaty fish, such as snapper, salmon, tuna or swordfish. This dish is best served on a bed of rice, with a good, robust red blended wine, such as Menage a Trois from California.

• 10-ounce portion of fresh boneless, skinless Florida grouper

• 2 ounces Grouper Marinade (recipe follows)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 cup cooked rice

• 2 ounces Black Bean Grilled Vegetable Salsa (recipe follows)

Place the grouper in the marinade (see Photo 1), and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Set a grill to medium-high. Remove the fish from the marinade, place on the grill (Photo 2) and cook for 2 minutes. Rotate the fish a quarter-turn and grill for another 2 minutes to create crisscross grill marks. Flip the fish over and repeat the procedure.

Remove the fish from the heat and place on a metal sizzler tray with the butter. Bake in a 500-degree oven for 5 minutes or until done. Place the fish on a bed of rice, top with the salsa and serve (Photo 3).

Makes 1 serving.

Grouper Marinade

• 1/3 cup Sriracha Hot Chile Sauce (Made with sun-ripened chiles, it can be found in fine grocery stores or Asian markets.)

• 1 1/2 cups olive oil

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper supreme seasoning

• 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a stainless-steel mixing bowl (Photo 4), and mix well.

Black Bean Grilled Vegetable Salsa

• 1/4 cup red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wheels

• 1/4 cup zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wheels

• 1/4 cup yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wheels

• 1/4 cup eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wheels

• 1/4 cup Italian dressing

• 1 cup black beans

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup roasted red pepper

• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cut the vegetables and marinate in the Italian dressing for at least 2 hours.

Remove the vegetables from the marinade and grill over medium-high heat (Photo 5) until done.

Chop the grilled vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces (Photo 6) and place 1/4 cup of each in a stainless-steel mixing bowl. Combine all other ingredients and mix well.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

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