Justin Severino’s next project is on track in McCandless
A California-inspired, quick-service spot that caters to mountain bikers in a McCandless strip mall is a long way from the recently closed Cure in Lawrenceville. But it’s the direction chef owner Justin Severino is going for his next restaurant project.
Mr. Severino’s to-be-named restaurant is on track to open late summer at 9559 Babcock Blvd. The 50-seat spot he’s opening with partners Matt Fromm and Brian Lorence will offer an outdoor patio and will serve lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
It will be an amenity, he hopes, for mountain bikers headed to nearby North Park. Many hang out at Trailflo Bikes, located next door to the restaurant space. The restaurant will have its own dedicated dining area but will be internally connected with the Trailflo showroom.
He didn’t exactly plan to open another restaurant on the heels of the upcoming June debut of Larder of Larimer in East End Brewing, with brewer Scott Smith at 147 Julius St. But he had had his eye for a while on the McCandless space that was occupied by Golden Land
that was occupied by Golden Land Thai, he says, and the opportunity arose when the restaurant closed recently.
“Before I returned to Pittsburgh to open Cure, I spent several years cooking, making salumi and biking in northern California,” Mr. Severino wrote in his news release. The restaurant is his homage to the food and culture of his previous home.
He says he’s going for a “casual, brunchy, everyday kind of vibe,” at the new spot, which means “lots of fresh ingredients and lots of tortillas.”
The short menu will be divided into pre-ride, with light, healthy fare, like salads and smoothies. The post-ride part of the menu will offer heartier fare for refueling after a long workout, such as carnitas tortas, ribs, chicken wings and burritos. The cafe will also serve as a tap room for East End Brewery with a dozen beer lines, which will be poured alongside all-day margaritas and bloody marys.
Regarding his pivot from semi-fine dining at Cure to super casual plates and space, he says, “I cornered myself into making fancy stuff with powders and foams, but this is what I want to make right now.”
Mr. Severino and his wife and business partner, Hilary Prescott Severino, closed Cure in March and had at first intended to use the Lawrenceville space as a commissary for his mailorder charcuterie company, Salty Pork Bits. But they’ve since changed plans, listing the restaurant and its assets, including a liquor license, for sale.
“We realized we need a much larger space for production and potential retail,” Mr. Severino says. “Cure just isn’t big enough.”
Until the place is sold, Mr. Severino will continue to hold a monthly series of Cure’ated events at the restaurant.
He also oversees Morcilla in Lawrenceville with chef partner Nathan Hobart.
“People come to me and tell me they’re sorry that Cure has closed,” he says. But he’s thrilled that he’s freed up to pursue new directions.
“This gives me the opportunity to spend more time with Franny,” he says of the couple’s baby “and to focus on things I’m really passionate about.”
The Severinos opened Cure in December 2011 and Morcilla in 2015. Mr. Severino has been nominated for “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” by the James Beard Foundation multiple times, and he was a winner of “The People’s Best New Chef Mid-Atlantic” in Food & Wine in 2014 and 2015.
“I’m 40,” he says. “Now is the time to make it all happen. I’m trying to knock things out of the park.”