Then he went to Maui, Hawaii, for a time, returned and cooked at Soba Lounge. Now he's the chef at Bellini, a sister restaurant of Le Perroquet, the French bistro in Shadyside. Alain and Susan Pizzutti own both Bellini and Le Perroquet. Alain is at Bellini most evenings. The menu isn't big, but it's different and a little pricey.
Presentation is a big part of the appeal of each dish.
A square of goat cheese and potato terrine, an appetizer that's a bit of a take-off on scalloped potatoes, comes to the table with a small bouquet of herbs sticking out the top. Stacked veal medallions have asparagus spears propped up on them. Pepper-crusted tuna, served with potato, fennel and asparagus in the wine sauce, sits on a bed of carrot ribbons. But presentation isn't everything. The food has to taste good, too, and usually it does.