Four Pittsburgh Chefs Selected to Bottle Signature Dressings

PITTSBURGH, PA — Ask any local foodie about the diversity of dining options in Pittsburgh, and they'll rave about the great cuisine available to satisfy any palate. All it takes is a stroll down East Carson Street, across Grandview Avenue, or through any number of other neighborhoods to uncover some of the city's best-kept culinary secrets.

A few of those secrets have just been revealed, and are now on supermarket shelves for the public to buy and incorporate into their own recipes.

Cleveland-based New Day Enterprises announces the selection of chefs at four distinctive Pittsburgh restaurants whose one-of-a-kind signature dressings have been bottled under New Day’s 4CHEFS of… brand, and are now available in Giant Eagle supermarkets throughout Western Pennsylvania. Retail price of the dressings is $3.99 per bottle.

The chefs are:
* Franco Gaccetta of Franco's Ristorante (Aspinwall)
* Kevin Hunninen of Isabella on Grandview (Mount Washington)
* Sabatino DiBattista of VIVO (Bellevue)
* Tom Rebstock of Bruschetta's. (South Side)

The Pittsburgh chefs were personally selected by 4CHEFS of… owner James B. Cox, a prominent Cleveland chef, restaurant consultant, and caterer for more than 23 years. He evaluated numerous Pittsburgh chefs and restaurants based on several specific criteria, including ownership of the restaurants they represent, regular use of the chosen dressings in dishes prepared there, and how the restaurants are rated in readers’ and diners’ surveys.

The Pittsburgh dressings join the rapidly growing family of 4CHEFS of… products, which launched last year with 4CHEFS of Cleveland dressings. The Cleveland dressings have proven extremely popular in that market, motivating Cox—a frequent visitor to Pittsburgh and appreciator of its restaurants—to develop a line of Pittsburgh-based dressings. Cox plans to offer signature dressings in other U.S. cities on a region-by region basis.

The Chefs and Their Products

Franco Gaccetta, a chef for over 36 years, believes that cooking is an art, not a job. He studied throughout Northern and Southern Italy and across Europe, and based the authentic taste of his Italian balsamic vinaigrette—a mix of fresh herbs, lemon and vinegar—on the influence of his homeland. The dressing can be used to add taste to a salad or as a marinade for meats and vegetables.

Sabatino DiBattista is a 30-year chef whose career includes an apprenticeship at the Hilton Hotel. His Artichoke Balsamic is made with ripe artichokes and works equally well with tossed fresh pasta and zucchini, and used as a dip for crusty bread. The balsamic is a mainstay at his Italian-influenced VIVO, whose menu mainly consists of grilled items.

Kevin Hunninen’s Herbs De Provence vinaigrette, which includes toasted garlic and a variety of herbs, has a unique taste and is very versatile and complex. The chef, who studied at the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, says the vinaigrette is ideal with mixed green salads, pasta, fresh vegetables, fish, and such lighter meats as veal, pork, and chicken.

Tom Rebstock’s lemon vinaigrette is Bruschetta’s house dressing, equally appropriate with salads and as a marinade for chicken, fish, or pork. The 17-year chef, who also graduated from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, describes his approach to cooking as fresh, rustic, and free-form, and based on the philosophy that "less is more." He prefers to grill, a skill he uses to create the restaurant’s signature veal entrees.