Pittsburgh Blue

I don’t know why I enjoyed a revisit to this yearling restaurant  more than my recent trips to its sibling Manny’s, but I did. I like the relaxed feel of the place, I like the lack of shtick and bluster that can be prevalent at Manny’s, and maybe it’s a mirage, but it seems like you can eat here and not go home needing to sell a bond.

Now, off the bat I was recognized, so I had very attentive service, but my experience here has been that everyone gets attentive service. We started with a tasty, but unexceptional, cup of steak house chili—a little more attention and it would be craveable. The lump crab cake with spicy mustard mayo was darn serious, not quite Oceanaire caliber, but similarly built. A sizable spinach and applewood bacon salad came slightly overdressed with a tangy bacon dressing.

The restaurant has a serious selection of fish on the menu, so I ventured into the realm and found my meal’s only clinker. My server suggested broiled fresh halibut, which arrived swimming in an oily pool of water. The fish was either old or overcooked or both as it was both dry and mealy.

The meaty side of things were substantially better. A slab of baby back ribs were not exactly smoky but were perfectly cooked and sided with a thick sauce. The accompanying crispy and thin fries evoked the superb ones at sister restaurant Salut. The dry-aged prime sirloin on the menu is really choice meat, but it proved a perfectly cooked slab of meat with nearly the leanness of a filet but with lots more flavor.

Sides are a must at a steak house, and I had few quibbles about thick, al dente asparagus, deliciously decadent thick hash browns with onions, and rich creamed whole spinach leaves with mushrooms and toasted bread crumbs.

A “one-scoop” hot fudge sundae fed most of our table while the signature Parasole bakery Key lime pie is as good as ever, though when it’s not served well-chilled, it quickly loses its edge and goes limp.

Service is friendly and helpful, the pacing can be a bit rapid—we felt rushed in the first half of the meal—so let them know if you’re looking to chill.

As for the grand experiment of whether a reasonably high-end steak house could make it in the wilds of Arbor Lakes—the verdict is in: Pittsburgh Blue is packed and pretty much deserves to be.  —Adam Platt

Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, 11900 Main St. N., Maple Grove, 763-416-2663