Around the corner from Leaf and Bean, Bar Marco delivers the best possible afterlife to one of Pittsburgh's old fire halls. This is how people built fire stations a century ago: tin ceilings, metal stairs, tile brick six feet up the wall.
Whoever renovated was kind to the kitchen staff—fully half the ground floor is devoted to food preparation, and the food can tell. I ordered lemon buttermilk pancakes with sweet cream, bacon and rhubarb compote. The pancakes were light and hot with crispy edges. I didn't even use the maple syrup until the last bite.
Michelle had her choice of five delicious savories and settled on an unusual, delicious burger with sweet bacon, sautéed red onion and an egg. Passed over: fried chicken with rhubarb-chili sauce, croque BLT on sourdough, baked eggs with pepperonata sauce, fried zucchini benedict.
In a 2012 Pittsburgh Magazine review, “Valentina” raved about their bar program, with bitters, tinctures, juices and syrups made from scratch. We didn't scratch the surface of their drink menu, but there was nothing wrong with the gently spicy Tito’s Bloody Mary or the glowing mimosa.
Total bill under $60. (Elise told us they "do not accept any kind of gratuities.”) Writing a food review on one’s phone over a rainy Saturday morning brunch: priceless.
(I paid with Discover.)
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