Pittsburgh: Morcilla (September 2019)



My spouse and I dined at Morcilla for dinner on a Saturday evening in late August 2019. Morcilla is open for dinner Wednesdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays). Diners can reserve a spot using the online Open Table reservation system. 

Morcilla opened in 2015 in a storefront in Lawrenceville; just a year later, it was a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. The name “Morcilla” refers to a Spanish blood sausage, which the restaurant serves. The front of the space offers a long bar (the very end seats of which adjoin the (sometimes open) front window. The middle of the restaurant offers seating at stand-alone tables for about 50 patrons, while the rear offers an open kitchen. Décor features earth-toned paint, exposed brick, wood paneling, and even some food ingredients (the cured ham legs are used in their dishes). The owner of Morcilla also operates nearby Cure (where we dined in September 2017; see our separate review). 

Morcilla serves Spanish cuisine in a tapas (small plates) format. We ordered five dishes to share, including the salt cod fritters, braised oxtail montadito (stacked on a crisp crostini with onion and cheese), a charcuterie board (with four or five meats), mushrooms (topped with an egg yolk and served with bread slices), and the pulpo (octopus plated atop potato fondue). For dessert, we shared a frozen version of creme brulee. 

We loved our tapas meal at Morcilla; the food and service were excellent.











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