Special order of Danny's Salad

Most everyone in Oakmont has probably eaten at Chelsea Grille at 515 Allegheny Boulevard (next to the Oakmont Bakery), and, if they haven’t, they should. It is an outstanding restaurant that serves top quality dishes at reasonable prices.

Chelsea Grille is a long time favorite of a steady clientele coming from a ten-mile radius. Some come three times a week. Some have come for years and are now in their 90’s. Some are three generations of the same family. Once you’ve eaten there you’ll understand why Chelsea Grille commands such loyalty.

The lunch and dinner selections offer a broad range of tastes that should satisfy anyone. There are nine appetizers that could be meals in themselves, such as Grande Quesadillas offering a choice of three fillings such as Fried Chicken Breast, Grilled Spicy Shrimp, or Portabella Mushroom, all served with roasted red pepper and goat cheese. Of course, there is the freshly made soup of the day and Seafood Soup followed by a house salad or eight choices of other salads. Does Citrus Coconut Shrimp salad sound interesting? How about Grilled Tuna Nicoise or Parmesan Crusted Chicken Salad?

Dan Monaco, Owner

Actually, there is one other salad that is not on the menu and I was fortunate to have it. Danny’s Salad is Dan Monoca’s, the owner, personal dish and you can have it by request. It comes with four pieces of toasted bread that has roaster garlic, basil pesto, fresh tomatoes, red onion, Parmesan and provolone cheese on it with sundried tomato pinenut vinaigrette. The lettuce bed had red onion, cheese and sliced cooked potatoes chilled with Italian and Balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I couldn’t believe the light and fresh taste it had. The bread sticks were out of this world. We haven’t even reached the main dishes yet and you can rapidly see why Chelsea Grille is so popular.

The main luncheon entrees also offer much, along with the Italian Entrees and Pasta. Three luncheon entrees caught my eye: Idaho Trout, Ahi Tuna and St. Peter’s Fish (Fresh Tilapia fillet offered a la meuniere or chargrilled). In fact, the Idaho boneless fresh Trout is also offered with the same cooking styles and the Ahi Tuna Dijon style or chargrilled. You do not see these types of dishes at lunch too often. The price range is $6.95 to $12.95 per dish.

My main dish for lunch was the special of the day Peppered Salmon with strawberries and cabernet Balsamic vinegar sauce with a side dish of rice, spinach, and pine nuts with garlic cheese stock. I have to confess that I am not a salmon lover, but this dish was so good I would have it again and again. I may have been converted to salmon because of this marvelous dish.

Executive Chef John Fraser has been with Dan Monoca and Chelsea Grille from the beginning

I sat down with Dan Monoca, owner, to learn more about Chelsea Grille and why it is so successful. I can tell you after an hour with Dan that his zeal for creating an enjoyable dining experience is the “why”. He said that both restaurants (he also owns Hoffstots) are like “his child”. He works long hours and goes 13 days before taking a break. He had arrived at 6 a.m. the morning of our interview. Dan pays attention to every phase of the dining experience, from the purchasing, preparation to dining room serving.

One place this shows up is in customer service. The staff is cheery, positive and delightful to be around. If there is ever a dining problem and the waitress is concerned, Dan will instantly respond and handle it personally. This prompt concern over any problem has led to very, very few customer complaints. Another part of Chelsea Grille’s success is the staff. Executive Chef, John Fraser, has been with Dan since he started in 1992. The Sous Chef, Don Wilson, has also been at Chelsea a number of years. Dan said many of his staff has four, seven or ten years or more service. That makes a statement about the restaurant. Dan was named “Restaurateur of The Year” for western Pennsylvania a few years ago.

Dan started his restaurant career in Pittsburgh and was manager of Dell’s in Bloomfield for five years. He came to Oakmont and has owned Hoffstots Restaurant for 35 years. He bought the former Vescio's Restaurant in 1992. Executive Chef John Fraser, a native of the area, was Chef there and continued on with Dan.

Sous Chef Don Wilson plies his cooking skills

Chelsea Grille is undergoing a renovation and will have a new look. The front will be painted with a new color scheme and two new 84” windows will replace the former 36” ones. The lobby, dining and lounge rooms will also be renovated.

In addition to lunch and dinner at Chelsea Grille, Dan offers indoor banquet facilities to parties of 60 on the lower level and 40 on the main floor. He also offers outside catering. He does a brisk business and many local companies appreciate Chelsea Grille’s quality and service. One RIDC Park Company uses Chelsea Grille up to twenty times a year.

If you dine out, put Chelsea Grille on your list. You will never regret it and I’m sure you will soon become a regular customer. If you go, the hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You may call 412-828-0570 for more information or to make a reservation on the more busy nights. Chelsea Grille is located at 515 Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont.