Date Available:

1 month

Education:Special Skills: Hotel and Banquets work experience, Asian work experience, Caribbean

work exp., Eastern Europe work exp., Opening Experience, European trained, -Sous Vide- Cooking, -From Scratch- Cooking, Large Volume Cooking

Languages Spoken:

English

Relocate To: Within CountryPermit To Work In:

United States, USA

Target Pay: US $100,000.00 / YearIndustries of Interest:

Casino, Catering/Convention, Consulting Co., Destination Management, Food Service, Hotel/Resort, Restaurant

Positions of Interest:

Chef - Executive Chef, Consultant, Food & Beverage

Experience: 25+ Years

Brian J. Annapolen Executive Chef / Father/ Husband/ Author

40 year old, New Jersey native, Brian Annapolen, is a second generation professional Chef with a family history of over 75 years in fine dining establishments. Chef Brian was trained from the age of ten to turn out the highest quality seasonal fare, and this training has grown into a passion throughout his career path. “I knew at ten years old that this is what I would be doing for the rest of my life,” said Annapolen.

“My work ethic comes from watching both of my parents, my father a professional chef and restaurateur and my mother a facilities manager and bookkeeper often worked long hours and never seemed to have a lack of energy, I find myself in the fourteenth hour of a work day and think fondly of how they did it, but more importantly why? I asked my mother after my father’s death in 1988 why my dad seemed to always be working and her answer was simple – “He loved what he did and he did what he loved”I can honestly say that I have the same genetic makeup. I can’t wait to get to work each day and do what I truly love, to cook, to feed and put on a show!”

Brian’s first Chef position was at the age of 23 when he took over operations of the famed Marco Polo restaurant located on Marco Island Florida, modernizing the

Continental Italian cuisine with a newer, fresher approach to regional Italian cuisine. Three years later, he was at the helm of The Waterfront, a 400-seat fine dining icon located at Marco Island, Florida. Noted for His Presentations, and usage of both local products, seafood and farm to table fare well ahead of the trends we see today. Successfully earning a Mobil Guide and AAA four star rating for this eponymous Island hot spot.

Four years later, Annapolen began a quest here and abroad to gather knowledge and reinforce his love for the culinary arts. Throughout his travels, he remained humble and focused on the sources of the food, the customers, the quality of service, and the experience of eating at a different level. “Traveling and living in Italy, Spain and France, I gained a new found respect for simple fresh cuisine. Local ingredients prepared in a simple and clean manner are far beyond many of the complex and exotic preparations I had encountered previously, the flavors, the clean presentations and the humility of the people were enchanting. I carry all of these experiences into the kitchen each day.” “Now that I am a Teacher and Mentor of younger cooks and aspiring chefs, I teach what I have learned and train hands on what, where, how and why”

Annapolen, with more than twenty five years of experience under his belt, has trained not only under his father but has also acquired education from some of the more critically acclaimed Chefs such as Andrew Marc Rothschild, Jean Louis Palladin, Philippe Schifano, and Thomas Keith Parker (Roux brothers’ fame) amongst others. Working in many other kitchens through out his career such as The Striped Bass in Philadelphia, Le Bec Fin also in Philly, Citronelle in DC, CPS one in NYC, Park Avenue Café NYC, Domaine Chandon in Napa, to name a few have given Chef Brian his own culinary style and “voice”.

“Having the restraint to not try and do too much at once on the plate was a hard learned skill, it took years to be able and confident enough to let the food speak for itself and not over do it.”

Being part of such award winning restaurant kitchens such as Michael’s Café, Annabelle’s (voted best 22 new restaurants in 2000 by Esquire Magazine), the famed Marco Polo, Le plummet Royal, and The Waterfront has honed this classically trained, American and French-inspired Chef to keep it simple and Seasonal. Though awarded many stars and awards for culinary prowess, he has maintained a humble approach to teaching and training others in the same fashion he learned his craft.

While Executive Chef of The Original Fish Market, he had been focusing on all things from the sea. “I like to take into account that each country’s cuisine has seafood items as a staple of their diet,” said Annapolen. “We here at the Fish Market offer many

cuisine styles, ingredients, and preparations inspired from around the World, and that is a lot of fun for our guests as well as our staff. Here at the Fish Market, we are proud to say that we offer the freshest seafood items available anywhere, our ingredients are second to none, and I have never seen a nicer quality of seafood.” Annapolen had to step the Fish market’s game up a bit, newer and more corporately structured restaurants were moving into the market making it a challenge to keep market share. He did this by offering monthly wine dinners, private tastings, chef’s tasting menus and always finding new and exciting ways to offer seafood items to the Pittsburgh market.

Having worked closely with staff members, management and the local media the focus was on the restaurants unique blend of food, celebrity clientele and a well rounded educated and polished staff. Within two years the restaurants reputation and bottom line numbers began to show healthy improvement.

”As a professional chef and self proclaimed foodie I am looking forward to working with local growers, farmers and costal fishermen to bring the freshest products to the table. Keeping the food clean, simple and sustainable are paramount to my style of cuisine. “Using only the freshest seasonal ingredients at their peak is key. I look forward to working with your company, to speaking with you about your food memories, your favorite things to eat, your likes and dislikes and what’s on your mind when it comes to food and how to offer excitement to the customer.”

Brian can be reached by e-mail, phone or fax listed at the top of the attached resume.

Restaurant Review: The Original Fish Market Restaurant

– Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewPITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Original Fish Market Restaurant, Downtown, was rushed by 350 diners for lunch one day last week, a delight for the bottom line but a hectic scramble for the kitchen, bar and sushi bar staff.

Executive chef Brian J. Annapolen hadn't even caught his breath when the hostess informed him that he had visitors from the media. Oops -- he had completely forgotten about his afternoon "Cooking Class" appointment. No ingredients had been prepared, and he didn't have a recipe in mind.

Annapolen, 37, however, viewed the situation as a challenge. Within 15 minutes, he had chosen a consumer-friendly recipe -- popular with his customers -- and 20 minutes later, the dish was plated and ready for the photographer.

Annapolen's quick rebound is just one indication of the chef's noted cooking and management skills as well as his creativity. The menu changes daily,

according to what's fresh, and it reflects the seasons of the waters as well as the land.

Featured entrees, which change from lunch to dinner daily, are crab cakes, pesto-seared scallops, steamed Alaskan king crab legs, and grilled tequila-lime shrimp and spinach salad. Sandwiches also are offered at lunchtime.

Assisting Annapolen are sous chef Sean Davies, sushi chef Mike Au and pastry chef Eugene Kanar. Patrons can sit at the sushi/raw bar and watch as Au's team prepares Japanese delights to order.

At lunch, sushi combos cost $15.50 each and include miso soup or salad. About a dozen different types of fresh oysters are available on the half-shell. Diners also can gather at the bar for drinks, from premium beers to top-shelf liquors to Island Oasis frozen drinks, a summer pleaser.

Soups include cream of blue crab, lobster bisque and Cajun seafood gumbo; and among the salads are a signature Caesar, baby spinach and "The Wedge," a wedge of iceberg lettuce with tomato, carrot and creamy blue cheese dressing.

Annapolen, who celebrated three years as executive chef on June 3 and is the father of two little boys, says he notes trends in fine dining establishments elsewhere in hopes of introducing them at The Original Fish Market Restaurant.

The latest, he says, is "a move toward light and fresh -- low-carb salads and entrees, for example -- with smaller portions and lower prices so that diners can enjoy a multicourse meal and still have room in their stomachs for dessert. It's happening in New York -- people are spending $40 for a five-course lunch, when it usually cost $110 before."

The chef says he especially doesn't want his customers to miss out on first courses such as Thai green curry mussels, hot and sweet fried calamari, and steamed middle neck clams, or Kanar's desserts, which include Key Lime Chantilly Cake, Turtle Cheesecake, Black Bottom Pie and a caramelized banana split.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant will be the site of a fund-raising dinner for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture on July 27, during which the kitchen staff will prepare area-grown or artisan foods from small farms statewide. One of the farmers will be Kathy Fields, of Flint Hill Farm, in Coopersburg, Lehigh County -- Annapolen's mother-in-law. She raises cows and goats and has begun making artisan butter and cheeses.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant, at The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, 1000 Penn Ave., Downtown, is open from 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Sundays,

11 a.m.-1 a.m. Mondays-Fridays and 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays. Details: 412-227-3657.

– Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Original Fish Market Restaurant Reels in Fresh Taste by Lisa Clark

Sinking into a seat at The Original Fish Market Restaurant is akin to trolling the ocean depths in search of great seafood. The watery palette of colors, mermaids floating subtly across the walls, and beach glass-inspired chandeliers provide a tranquil backdrop to a menu that changes daily based on the bounty of the world’s rivers, lakes, and oceans—farmed, wild, and on the half shell.

Based on shipments that arrive twice daily, The Original Fish Market’s “fresh market catch” offerings can include Rainbow Trout from Idaho, Catfish from Louisiana, Shutome Swordfish from Hawaii, and Lobster Tail from South Africa. Salmon, raised in Scotland, is so fat-laden and succulent that it tastes almost buttery.

Guests can match their favorite fish with their preferred method of preparation, such as mesquite grilled, blackened, or steamed Hong Kong-style. For those who prefer to let the chef suggest the prep, there is always a selection of fish, meat, and poultry entrées. For a mild, unfishy fish, order Fennel Dusted Waluu Loin. The Hawaii-caught fish is big, thick and tender, served with ribbons of local carrots and Littleneck Clams in a savory tarragon butter broth.

As you consider which way to cast your net, whet your appetite with one of The Original Fish Market’s appetizers, like Roasted Stuffed Oysters or Ginger Dusted Baby Calamari. Broiled Prawn Risotto is surprisingly rich, with truffles, tomato chile oil, and three monster prawns. For a second course, one of The Original Fish Market’s flavorful soups is a must. Sherry and cognac enhance langostinos in the Lobster Bisque. Cream of Blue Crab Soup, made with sherry and chunks of crab claw, is slightly lighter but no less satisfying.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant has its own sushi bar, which offers traditional soup and salads and a wide variety of sushi, sashimi, maki, and temaki. Executive chef Brian Annapolen orchestrates The Original Fish Market’s menu based on the seasons, the tides and perhaps a little magic. He makes it his business to know where and how to get ingredients that meet his high standards, even if it means tracking down a boat captain half a world away.

“I’ve always lived by the water and I’m an avid fisherman,” he says. He’s also a third-generation chef. “I remember my father taking me for sushi when I was 12.” When the restaurant opened in 1998, there were more fried selections on the menu. Today, Chef Annapolen has gently shifted the menu to more healthy offerings and eliminated notorious trans-fats. Sure, you can still get the Mixed Seafood Platter fried, but you can also have it broiled. And there’s always Old Bay Fries if you really want to be bad.

The dessert menu is the final temptation. Skip it, and you’re missing out on sweet indulgence. Try the Black Bottom Pie, with layers of white and milk chocolate mousse over Oreo cookie crust, or bourbon-laden Tennessee Rocky Road Cake, with chocolate genoise, dried raspberries, and a toasted walnut brownie crust.

Located in the Westin Convention Center Hotel, The Original Fish Market Restaurant has been serving some of the region’s best seafood for some nine years now.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant Westin Convention Center Hotel 1001 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh 412-227-3657www.originalfishmarket.com

Hours: Mon.-Fri.11:00 AM-1:00 AM Sat. & Sun. 4:00 PM-1:00 AM

Noteworthy: Complimentary validated parking in the hotel garage for checks of $50 or more.

Price Range: Appetizers — $9.00-$14.00 Soups & Salads — $4.95-$10.75 Entrées — $18.00-$55.00 Desserts — $6.95

—Lisa Clark is a writer and restaurant reviewer whose articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines.

THE ORIGINAL FISH MARKETChef Brian Annapolen1001 Liberty Ave. (at the Westin Convention Center hotel), downtown412/227-3657$-$$$This restaurant's name says it all - and chef Annapolen changes his menu as often as twice nightly to incorporate the freshest seafood and best ingredients. Savor the just-delivered catch from Hawaii at the sushi bar or in the cosmopolitan dining room overlooking the exhibition kitchen. The diverse menu offers something for everyone, including steak lovers; the extensive wine list makes the handsome bar an inviting spot to settle in for a drink.

Chef's Favorite Dish to Make: Fennel-seared waluu filet in carrot-champagne nage with buttered carrot ribbons.

The menu at The Original Fish Market Restaurant changes with the tidesBy Karin Welzel

TRIBUNE-REVIEWSunday, June 10, 2007The Original Fish Market Restaurant, Downtown, was rushed by 350 diners for lunch one day last week, a delight for the bottom line but a hectic scramble for the kitchen, bar and sushi bar staff.

Executive chef Brian J. Annapolen hadn't even caught his breath when the hostess informed him that he had visitors from the media. Oops -- he had completely forgotten about his afternoon "Cooking Class" appointment. No ingredients had been prepared, and he didn't have a recipe in mind.

Annapolen, 37, however, viewed the situation as a challenge. Within 15 minutes, he had chosen a consumer-friendly recipe -- popular with his customers -- and 20 minutes later, the dish was plated and ready for the photographer.

Annapolen's quick rebound is just one indication of the young chef's noted cooking and management skills as well as his creativity. The menu changes daily, according to what's fresh, and it reflects the seasons of the waters as well as the land.

story continues below

Fresh catches of the day last week included tilapia from North Carolina; rainbow trout from Idaho; Louisiana catfish; shutome swordfish and sushi-grade ahi tuna from Hawaii; and two Alaskan favorites, Copper River salmon and halibut. All of these fish can be prepared grilled over mesquite, blackened, steamed Hong Kong-style or steamed with Thai green curry.

Featured entrees, which change from lunch to dinner daily, are crab cakes, pesto-seared scallops, steamed Alaskan king crab legs, and grilled tequila-lime shrimp and spinach salad. Sandwiches also are offered at lunchtime.

Assisting Annapolen are sous chef Sean Davies, sushi chef Mike Au and pastry chef Eugene Kanar. Patrons can sit at the sushi/raw bar and watch as Au's team prepares Japanese delights to order.

At lunch, sushi combos cost $15.50 each and include miso soup or salad. About a dozen different types of fresh oysters are available on the half-shell. Diners also can gather at

the bar for drinks, from premium beers to top-shelf liquors to Island Oasis frozen drinks, a summer pleaser.

Soups include cream of blue crab, lobster bisque and Cajun seafood gumbo; and among the salads are a signature Caesar, baby spinach and "The Wedge," a wedge of iceberg lettuce with tomato, carrot and creamy blue cheese dressing.

Annapolen, who celebrated three years as executive chef on June 3 and is the father of two little boys, says he notes trends in fine dining establishments elsewhere in hopes of introducing them at The Original Fish Market Restaurant.

The latest, he says, is "a move toward light and fresh -- low-carb salads and entrees, for example -- with smaller portions and lower prices so that diners can enjoy a multicourse meal and still have room in their stomachs for dessert. It's happening in New York -- people are spending $40 for a five-course lunch, when it usually cost $110 before."

The chef says he especially doesn't want his customers to miss out on first courses such as Thai green curry mussels, hot and sweet fried calamari, and steamed middleneck clams, or Kanar's desserts, which include Key Lime Chantilly Cake, Turtle Cheesecake, Black Bottom Pie and a caramelized banana split.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant will be the site of a fund-raising dinner for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture on July 27, during which the kitchen staff will prepare area-grown or artisan foods from small farms statewide. One of the farmers will be Kathy Fields, of Flint Hill Farm, in Coopersburg, Lehigh County -- Annapolen's mother-in-law. She raises cows and goats and has begun making artisan butter and cheeses.

The Original Fish Market Restaurant, at The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, 1000 Penn Ave., Downtown, is open from 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Mondays-Fridays and 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays. Details: 412-227-3657.

Grilled Tequila-Lime Shrimp and Spinach Salad

Brian J. Annapolen, executive chef at The Original Fish Market Restaurant at The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, Downtown, has fresh Louisiana wild shrimp caught in gulf waters flown in every two days. If you can't find fresh shrimp, you can substitute frozen, thawing them before cooking. Some tips:

If avocado or hazelnut oil is unavailable -- look for them in specialty and large supermarkets -- substitute your favorite premium fruity extra-virgin olive oil.

To get the most juice from limes -- as much as 30 percent more -- place room-temperature fruit on a cutting board or countertop and roll them with the heel of your hand until softened before juicing.

This recipe is adapted from one on Annapolen's summer luncheon menu.

1 medium-size zucchini, unpeeled, ends removed

2 large beefsteak tomatoes 1 medium-size red onion, peeled 1 large red bell pepper 1 large yellow bell pepper Avocado oil, chilled, to taste Hazelnut oil, to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 or 5 medium-size cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 tablespoon premium tequila Juice of 4 limes Large handful finely chopped celery leaves 2 cups fresh baby spinach 16 fresh wild domestic shrimp (16-20 count per pound, jumbo), peeled, tail left on,

deveined 4 sprigs Italian (flatleaf) parsley, for garnish 1 navel orange, unpeeled, cut in 4 thick slices crosswise, for garnish

Prepare a grill -- charcoal or gas -- for medium-heat and high-heat cooking.

Meanwhile, using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the zucchini lengthwise into 8 thin ribbons (see Photo 1). Cut the core from the tomatoes and slice each into 8 wedges. Thickly slice the red onion into 4 pieces. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and slice lengthwise into wedges along the inner veins.

Place the zucchini, onion and bell pepper pieces in a large bowl, drizzle with avocado and hazelnut oils, toss to lightly coat, then season with salt and pepper. Place the zucchini ribbons on the grill over medium heat, then add the onion slices and bell pepper wedges to the hotter part of the grill (Photo 2). Cook the vegetables, turning once (more often for the peppers), just until crisp-tender. The zucchini will be done first. Remove the vegetables to a cool part of the grill or to a platter when cooked.

About halfway through cooking the vegetables, sprinkle the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and place them on the grill over medium heat (Photo 3) Cook the shrimp, turning once, until they turn opaque. Be careful not to overcook.

While the vegetables and shrimp grill, place the garlic and celery leaves in a medium-size bowl. Add the lime juice and drizzle with hazelnut or avocado oil (or a combination) to taste (Photo 4), and the tequila. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Place the spinach in a large bowl, then add the lime juice mixture.

To plate, remove the dressed greens from the bowl, using tongs, and divide among 4 dinner plates, reserving the remaining dressing in the bowl. Add the grilled vegetables and tomato wedges to the remaining dressing and toss to coat, breaking the red onion slices into rings. Top each salad with 2 zucchini ribbons and divide the bell pepper and tomato wedges around the spinach. Top each plate with 4 pieces of shrimp, then a slice

of grilled red onion. Garnish each plate with a slice of orange and a sprig of Italian parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Karin Welzel can be reached at kwelzel@tribweb.com or 412-320-7992.

Fine food far outswims surroundings at Original Fish MarketFriday, January 07, 2005By Elizabeth Downer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Fresh fish is a gift from the gods to the dining public. Nowhere in the Downtown neighborhood is it fresher than at the Original Fish Market restaurant in the Westin Convention Center Hotel.The daily Market Catch menu offers 11 fish, from Idaho trout to Alaskan salmon that can be prepared by a variety of methods: grilling, searing or steaming. The oyster menu features seven bivalves from both coasts of the United States and Prince Edward Island in Canada. They are named for their place of origin, and the names alone spark palate curiosity. Kumomoto (California), Tatamagouche (Connecticut), Hama Hama (Washington), Paramour (Virginia) and Spinney Creek (Maine) might sound like a foreign language to most people, but to an oyster-lover, they are poetry. Oysters are priced on a per-piece basis and range from $2 to $2.50 each depending on the variety. They are served with two sauces, a classic tomato-horseradish seafood sauce and a vinegar based sauce that is the traditional European accompaniment for raw oysters.

The remainder of the menu covers appetizers, soups and salads, side dishes and main courses of fish, poultry and meat. The appetizer list has some innovative creations of

Bill Wade, Post-GazetteExecutive chef Brian Annapolen displays a dish of pan-roasted sea bass with collard greens and carrots at the Original Fish Market, Downtown.Click photo for larger image.

The Original Fish Market

Westin Convention Center Hotel1101 Liberty Ave.

Downtown412-227-3657

Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Mondays- Fridays; 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Basics: A well-prepared menu of fresh fish and oysters that changes daily. Char-grilled meats and poultry also available. Excellent American food served in drab surroundings. Appetizers: $4.95 (soup)-$14; entrees: $21-$36; desserts: $7.50; wines by glass: $8-$20.50. Smoking and nonsmoking areas. Wheelchair accessible. Self parking in

the chef in addition to such standbys as poached shrimp ($11) and fried calamari ($10). Wild mushroom risotto with truffle essence and micro greens ($13) was worthy of being a main course and would be perfect for a vegetarian. The generous portion of risotto was laced with large slices of shiitake mushrooms and finished with a subtle dash of truffle essence. The result was a chewy, aromatic and memorable risotto.

Roast Duck Confit with Brandied Cherries and Toasted Barley ($14) is another appetizer that can and probably should be ordered as a main course. Although the portion of duck is small, it is very rich and the barley is filling, prepared much as a pilaf.

From the main course menu I can heartily recommend the California Cioppino ($29). The chef has used a classic recipe to assemble this lovely plate of clams, mussels, calamari, crab and shrimp cooked in a lobster broth and seasoned with chunks of fresh tomato. There was very little conversation but many sighs of satisfaction as my dining partner consumed this healthful, no-carb entree. Catfish "Au Creole" ($24) is an original creation of the chef using gumbo ingredients of onion, peppers, gumbo file and okra to make the sauce for the catfish. The okra has been pureed so that it is not immediately identifiable, but the flavor and texture shines through in the finished sauce.

Chilean sea bass prepared in the Hong Kong Style ($31) must have been sent by the gods themselves, just the right amount of Soy, Sherry, Chinese herbs and spices, anise and Baby Bok Choi were all in harmony. The Steamed Jasmine Rice was fragrant and flavorful accompaniment to the silky and luxurious texture of the seabass.

The restaurant served Mediterra Bakery bread with a pot of flavored butter. The sourdough was so good I could easily have forgone the menu and focused only on that fabulous and fragrant loaf. All desserts at the Original Fish Market are made in house and all are priced at $7.50. Don't miss the Blueberry Bread Pudding with vanilla bean ice cream and hard bourbon sauce, but do ask for many spoons!

The Original Fish Market has a much-appreciated sushi bar. Sushi is available until closing at 1 a.m. The luncheon menu seems like a reduced version of the dinner menu with reduced prices as well. It also features sandwiches that are served on sourdough rolls with sweet potato chips and coleslaw. A crispy cod po boy with spicy aioli, pickles, lettuce and tomato is $12.

The restaurant is to be congratulated for its extensive wine list and for the 62 wines that are available by the glass. The wines are conserved in a cuvinet system that prevents them from becoming oxidized after opening. The glass price is consistently one-fourth of the bottle price, which means that on a per-ounce basis, one is paying the same for a glass as for a bottle.

Executive chef Brian Annapolen arrived at the Original Fish Market in June 2004. He has made some interesting changes to the menu, most especially the addition of more seasonal and locally produced vegetables. Annapolen calls himself a minimalist. He thinks that a quality product is best when presented with simple embellishments such as lemon, sea salt and olive

oil. He interned in restaurants in France, Spain and Italy and was the executive chef at several award-winning restaurants in Naples, Fla., before coming to Pittsburgh.

Annapolen is a talented chef who deserves a remodeled interior for his restaurant. The food far surpasses the ambience. For the prices charged, I expect to be dazzled by the interiors as well as the food. Now that the Westin is our official Convention Center Hotel, the Original Fish Market Restaurant will be the first restaurant visitors to our city will see. I hope that soon it will provide interiors that are more in tune with the food.First published on January 7, 2005 at 12:00 amElizabeth Downer can be reached at edowner@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1454.