The Café Carnegie Chef Collaborative Series
The Café Carnegie’s Chef Collaborative Series is, an exploration of the diverse and talented culinary scene in Pittsburgh. Doug Genovese, executive chef for the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, assembles a brigade of chefs representing the many cultures and ethnic cuisines found in neighborhoods in all parts of the city. Every quarter, Chef Genovese invites a local, prominent chef to create a signature dish for The Café Carnegie’s menu which is featured as a lunch special for the following three months. “This project is a fun way to showcase the abundant culinary talent we have here in Pittsburgh,” stated Chef Genovese. “I like the idea of our local chef community working together to produce something unique for our guests in a museum environment.”
SUMMER 2024
Monique Ruvolo started her professional culinary journey at Cafe Allegro in the early 2000s. At the same time, she and her best friend from college, Nicole Payne, started Above & Beyond Catering. Monique, who grew up in New Jersey as a first-generation Egyptian, was always inspired by her family’s Middle Eastern cuisine and the variety of international cuisines she was surrounded by. So naturally, she and Nicole, a Pittsburgh native & Italian American, love to fuse a variety of flavors and cultures. They opened Above & Beyond Cafe in 2018 in their neighborhood of Baldwin. They offer private events, pop up dinners, cooking classes, everyday bites and scratch-made baked takeaways. The two feel very lucky to share their love of food and people with their community and more.
Above & Beyond’s dish is a Pan-seared Mahi Mahi with a Mediterranean Salsa.
SPRING 2024
Chef Dana Patton is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, where she started in the culinary world working at a banquet center during high school. Chef Patton recently joined the Inn on Negley team as Sous Chef, where she has been collaborating on fresh new breakfast, brunch and high tea menus. Prior to the Inn, she worked in corporate dining in the Strip District. Prior to that, she worked at the Fairmont Hotel in
downtown Pittsburgh for 8 years in a variety of roles.
Dana’s dish is Braised Chicken Thigh with Pan Jus and Savory Cous Cous Pancake, Arugula and Lemon Salad
Winter 2023
Kate Romane is a chef, business owner, and consultant who has been working in the city’s food scene since 1997. She focuses on elevating community relationships, equality, safety in the workplace, great food experiences, and local sustainability. In 2016, Kate started a catering and event planning company called Black Radish Kitchen that produces boutique events, home delivery services, and corporate catering and serves as an incubator for emerging small food businesses.
Kate’s Featured Dish is Rigatoni and Lamb Bolognese with
Rosemary Crumb (gluten free).
Fall 2022
Nik Forsberg is the Chef and Owner of Fet-Fisk, a multifaceted culinary project in Pittsburgh. Forsberg pulls from his Nordic heritage and five years of experience in organic farming to provide exciting food experiences to the city.
His menus are informed by the produce growing at Fet-Fisk’s own half acre urban farm as well as sustainably harvested seafoods and locally raised meats. Fet-Fisk’s began as a pop-up restaurant in the winter of 2019 and is currently hosting dinners every other week at Soju restaurant in Garfield. Reservations can be made online at fetfisk.net. Additionally, Fet-Fisk’s excellent line of prepared foods can be found at the Bloomfield Market every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can find more information and updates on Fet-Fisk’s Instagram @fet_fisk.
Nik Forsberg’s dish is rabbit braised in cider with apples, spaetzle,
radicchio, and farmer’s cheese.
Summer 2022
Next up, Sarah Baugher, Chef de Cuisine at The Speckled Egg. Sarah’s Special is Ramp Top Tortellini filled with Twin Brooks Ricotta, Lemon Caviar, Local Snap Peas, Beurre Blanc. It made its debut at The Café Carnegie June 13.
Spring 2022
The first Chef participating was Csilla Thackray, Executive Chef, Church View Farm.
Csilla’s special was a roasted carrot risotto with dill ricotta, pecorino romano, and toasted pistachios.
It debuted on the lunch menu on March 21, 2022
THE CAFÉ CARNEGIE
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 622-3225
www.carnegiemnh.org
www.cmoa.org
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