Le Mont Pittsburgh

Adorning Mount Washington's lofty ledge, west side of Pittsburgh along Grandview Avenue, gleams a strand of restaurants. Notably, Monterey Bay at one end, the Tin Angel (boasting of famous guests like Bill Clinton), the Georgetown Inn, and my favorite, Le Mont.

 Appropriate for major events demanding significant expressions and outlay, Le Mont is regally arrayed in chandeliers, immaculate linens, tuxedo clad waiters bearing swaddled bottles of rare vintage.  Floor to ceiling windows perfectly frame the city of Pittsburgh below. You can watch the tour boats round Point State Park drifting from the Monongahela around the point and up the Allegheny, and back again. If your eyes are really sharp and a game is on, you can see the big screen at PNC Park. You can see the stands at Heinz field behind the Carnegie Science Center and may see people strolling the Rivers Casino walks edging the Ohio River on a clear day. One rainy night Mark and I polished off a bottle of champagne, snuggly by the window at Le Mont watching the waters of the rivers slowly rise and cover, one by one, the lights that stud the contour of Pittsburgh's Point State Park: Nature writing life' story.

seafood appetizer, flake pastry

For starters, Mark likes to order a bottle of champagne--this time we tried the Schramsberg, which pairs well with escargot. The escargot al' olio at LeMont is made just right--tender, but not undercooked. I especially like the hint of garlic--enough to season, not overpowering. Portions are sufficient but not extravagant. I tried the seafood in a flake pastry appetizer--shrimp, crab, scallops and cream sauce baked in a flaky crust and worth trying again.
Le Mont Restaurant staff deftly creates the tableside Caesar salad, though if you have an appetizer and the salad, you may not be able to finish the course, especially if you plan a thorough meal with a pasta course as well as a main dish. The Le Mont salad of fresh greens is light and palatable.

For the robust appetite, particularly if there are two of you, the Chateaubriand for two is hard to surpass, though the Steak Diane Tableside is fun. At my LeMont birthday party, the chef let Angela help with the Diane, and she did well, regardless of the cocktails.

If you are trying to cut back on calories, try the filet mignon, or even the petit filet, which is ample for a ladies' portion. The vegetables are well cooked al dente.

Mark seldom passes up lobster, and wasn't disappointed by the twin lobster tails. The difficulty was choosing the right wine, but we settled for a red Cabernet. We watched the darkening sky, the lights of the city with the dessert souffle, we tried the Nutty Irish Coffee made with Frangelico and Tuaca. It's hard not to feel romantic sitting by the window at Le Mont. My niece tells me her husband proposed to her there last year...