Chef Mark’s Palate

Went to the brunch this past Sunday… It was excellent… Everything was really good… Was very clean as well… i hadn’t been here for about six months and it looked like they updated it a little… The last time i wrote i said they kind of missed the mark with the drop ceiling because it felt like i was eating in an office… Now they have the lights turned down a bit and i think they got chandeliers as well… Much better… Didn’t feel like i was eating at my work desk this time… We’ll be back for the brunch again for sure!

Chef Mark’s Palate was a nice surprise for being tucked away in the corner of a strip mall (I definitely drove right by the first time). I was there for a rehearsal dinner so my experience was probably a little different than most.
The appetizers and wine/​beer were good — cheese plates, bruschetta, etc. First course was wedding soup and my only complaint would be that it came in a small bowl! I had the steak for my entrée and it came with mashed potatoes and veggies. The steak was well seasoned and well cooked, and the veggies were great. The mashed potatoes were made with Swiss cheese and I’m just not sure how I felt about it. Maybe not the best mix. My dessert was the mascarpone crêpe with bananas foster sauce which was AMAZING. I could’ve eaten five full servings to be honest with you.

After searching for quite a while for a place other than/​classier than pizza (what is with all the pizza joints in this area, really?) we came upon this on Unilocal.Nice restaurant, unfortunately tucked away into the corner of a dying strip mall. This place deserves a better location. The braided bread they bring out first was awesome and ours was fresh from the oven. Food including steaks and seafood was fresh and delicious and we also had great desserts which were made by a pastry chef, not brought in or frozen like some places. The prices were very reasonable for what you get. This is probably as good as you will find in this area.
On the flip side, our waiter seemed to be a host or busboy pressed into service, was a bit confused or frazzled, and spilled water all over the table. (Although ultimately he did a decent job.) The grandma style plastic table covers are out of character for this place too.

Thank’s other Unilocalers for helping us find this place! Was traveling for work in the area and noted that this restaurant stood out in the reviews. Well the other reviewers are right! It’s a little hard to find, small restaurant in the back of the mall near the theater Nice atmosphere and we happened to come in on a pasta bar night. Was with two friends and we each had different entrees. Fresh baked bread, home made soups, and fresh cooked to order pasta bar. Chef cuts and cooks your homemade fresh pasta in front of you. I had a scallops with a red pesto base with sun-​dried tomatoes. Lively dinner conversation about who had the best pasta dish, they were all excellent (but mine was the best :-)) Deserts are also home made and are gourmet quality. Did I say they really are good!!! I had a chocolate dipped cheese cake that had an unusual light fluffy consistency. Not too heavy or sweet. Price is unbelievably fair. I’ve paid much more and received much less at many restaurants. This place is a keeper!!!

Had dinner… crab cakes… good but sides are fairly small and salad seemed to be a little wilted… bread was very good and deserts were very good…70.00 a bit much for what we got but it was a birthday present. May go back for steaks some time but was really nothing special. Finally don’t go really hungry because you will not be full when you leave.

This was the best meal I can remember. I have never posted a review on Unilocal before but felt inspired after eating at Chef Marks. The atmosphere was perfect, quiet enough to talk, the tables were nicely spaced and not cramped. Our waiter Jeffery was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive (but not too much). Mark greeted us and stopped by a couple of times. He’s super friendly and made us feel so welcome. I ordered the smoked salmon, which was superb. Perfectly cooked and flavored. To die for. The braided bread was absolutely delicious, as was the grilled asparagus and tabbouleh, made with red quinoa. WOW is all I can say. I can’t wait to return next time we’re in the area. Don’t pass up Chef Mark’s!!!

We just had one of the best meals I’ve had in a very long time at Chef Mark’s. After starting with some delicious clam chowder we decided on the blackened redfish. It was perfectly cooked and included a fresh vegetable medley. Chef Mark came to our table twice, first to introduce himself and later to check on our food. His wife, Jody, also visited and brought us some complimentary fresh mozzarella The server, Haley, was pleasant, attentive and helpful… overall the service is as good as it gets. The atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed, making the experience even more enjoyable. I would highly recommend Chef Mark’s to anyone, with its superb food, moderate prices, and outstanding service. Great job and thanks. We’ll be back.

Thursday night pasta bar. Not expensive and fantastic. If you’ve never had fresh pasta, this is an excellent time to try it! He cuts it up right in front of you and cooks it like a cooking show. Fresh made meatballs, everyuthing fresh… ahhh. Fun as well as tasty.

Exceptional food and service. Though my dear wife has dined here previously, this was my first time. It was the best food I have had in the Latrobe area, and some of the best food I’ve had in my life of travels. I heartily recommend the salmon and all of the fillet and steaks. The Caesar salad was also excellent and nicely light on the pallet. Desserts are also excellent, prepared by a pastry chef. The chocolate dipped cheese cake was exceptional.

Wow I must say I have been missing… Chef Mark’s food is amazing. We just got the chance to check out Chef Mark’s Palate last week it was great from the appetizer to the amazing chocolate cake.
If you are looking for great food, friendly and an amazing price make sure you next meal is at Chef Mark’s.

I will never go back to Chef Marks. My husband and I went today for brunch yesterday. When we walked in, no one greeted us. We finally walked into the dining room and a waitress told us to sit down in a very abrupt and not friendly way. Then quickly said she d get us water and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. We never got menus of our drink options or an explanation of the buffet being our only option. We walked up to the buffet and I was not impressed. The food had obviously been sitting out a long time and was not very fresh. We got what we wanted and sat down. I then ordered a smoothie, which was not brough until the END OF MY MEAL! By that time I was full. I will say that the smoothie was good and that’s why I gave them two stars instead of one. Maybe stop in for coffee or a smoothie but I do not recommend the brunch!

Go there! Very good food and service in an area where that might be hard to find. Great dinner and really nice people. I went there with my parents on a road trip and we were pleasently suprised. It is in a shopping center, I picked it based on the Unilocal reviews and got more than I hoped. The family who owns it, including Chef Mark, were very nice. The food was beautifully presented, selection great and everything was good. We loved it.

Went here for Sunday Brunch and the food was excellent! Chef Mark was very present and quite friendly & helpful. He answered questions about the food and his cooking classes. There were, made to order, omelets as well as crepes, biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, shrimp and an assortment of skewered meats. Also a nice salad bar and variety of juices.
Now for the best part… there was a small dessert table that, at first glance seemed pretty average. However, these amazing dark chocolate cannolis caught my eye. I told my daughter, «if that is as good as it looks, it will be worth the price all by itself»! OMGoodness! By far the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had. The shell was perfectly crisp and was filled with a cream cheese and chocolate ganache-​type filling. I live in California but my daughter promised to bring me some when she comes to visit.
Bottom line, $ 14 for brunch was an amazing value and I can’t wait to go back

Had an excellent experience at chef marks! The filet was delicious and cooked just as I asked. The crab fondue was spectacular! My companion had the stuffed pork tenderloin and said it was stellar! Overall it’s a warm and welcoming place with great food.

I have been here twice and both times its been amazing both times. Both times we came for their Sunday brunch so I cant comment on their dinner service.
Their brunch is the best buffet I have been to. Everything is made from scratch from the smoked salmon they serve to their homemade breakfast sausages. The eggs Benedict is one of the best I had.
Besides amazing food the chef and his wife are amazingly nice people who will make you feel very welcomed and comfortable.
If you have doubts on this place come and try their sunday brunch, it will ruin you for all other buffets.

Excellent food and the same with the service. I was there with a friend of mine. She had the shrimp cakes… which where amazing. I had the pork medallions with berry chutney. The mix of flavors on the palate were fantastic.
The portions were just right. Chef Mark came out several times and talked to everyone. They get customer service… kudos for them.
Everyone should experience this wonderful restaurant.
Thanks Chef Mark and Jody for a great dining experience.
I will certainly tell everyone that I know in the area to come visit. It is BYOB…

The appetizer of tenderloin skewers was refreshing with fresh bruschetta and tabouleh, even though the tenderloin lacked a full flavor. The chicken and white bean soup was flavorful and the fresh bread that accompanied it was truly fantastic. This, sadly, was the end of the positive experience regarding the food.
The dinner entrees, crab cakes with garlic and herb smashed potatoes and filet was disappointing at best. It was apparent that the crab was canned crab and the cakes were polluted with filler. The broiled lobster tail added to this entrée was beyond overdone. The meat was tough and chewy and lacked any flavor as a result.
The 6 oz. filet, while prepared perfectly with respect to temperature, lacked any sort of robust flavor. The mushrooms that were added to the filet were obviously from a can and tasted as such.
The atmosphere is pleasant with a very attentive staff, but the actual dinner entrees leaved a lot to be desired. At these price points, I would expect a better performance and higher quality ingredients.

Ambience 3.5
Nice surroundings, but you’re not taken away to another time or place. An electric fireplace helps, but… it’s an electric fireplace. Not sure that a better option would have either been no fireplace, but a real one would sure kick ass.
That said, the lighting is nice. Not too dark, not too bright. I also like BYOB places. It gives it a certain air of… I dunno, pretentiousness maybe. That or I just feel a little classy.
Food 4.5
Great. I had the lamb and it was delicious.
We had crepes and chocalate dipped cheese cake. Again, phenomenal.
The food was out of sight.
Dessert 4.5
Whoops. Already mentioned dessert. Yeah, it’s good.
Cost 4.0
Good food will cost good money. Maybe offset that by bringing your favorite wine. We just had pop.
My overall summary of this place is almost Valozzi’s quality at less than Valozzi’s prices. It was really really good. But you can afford to go here more than on special occassions.
Chef Mark (I presume) also came out and asked how our meal was. 1) Never had this happen. 2) I’ve heard of this happening. 3) The man’s name on the sign is the guy cooking in the back — I like that.
The staff were friendly and polite. Mostly college-​/​highschool-​aged people. We were in the back near the kitchen and staff would congregate there. But you never heard any pissing and moaning. It was all business.
Go here.

Me: Small salad. Very good.
Wife: Cup of soup. very small
My dinner: Steak, nice portion, tough, but ok. Smashed potatoes, very good. Condiment, 4 pieces of garlic.
My wife: Salmon, good. Mixed veggies, very average. Condiment, Chutney… even though the Salmon says it comes with a chutney.
My wife who weighs 97 pounds asked if we could stop at Wendy’s afterwards, she was still hungry.
50.00, way too much.
My advice, offer 2 sides, or lower price.

3.5 Stars Overall for the more formal restaurant side.
This place is a BYOB in Latrobe. During the day I guess they have more of a café atmosphere on the other side of the establishment and it’s a different menu than the evening.
A note, don’t sit near the café side, because the refrigerators, well at least one of them, buzzes annoyingly loud.
Upon reading the menu, nothing I saw on there was like, «Oh my G-​d, that looks phenomenal and I want it!» Nonetheless, I did see a few things I thought I would like.
My partner got the french onion soup for an appetizer. He really enjoyed it. I just settled for the house salad, which was quite good, but small. Still, it was the perfect size because I didn’t over eat and actually wasn’t full before my meal came.
The bread was rather interesting. When it arrived, I lifted the napkin and saw how it was braided and it looked like there was salt on it, like a pretzel roll. However, upon further inspection, there were actually herbs on it. It was quite good, but the bread was cold when served. If it would have been heated up sufficiently, I probably would have eaten both rolls and forgone my main entrée.
Anyway, I ordered, I believe the seafood fettuccine with large scallops and shrimp in a light tomato basil cream sauce. It was OK. The scallops were nicely pan seared, without being raw in the middle. They had good flavor and didn’t have any overwhelming flavor of iodine. The shrimp were cooked equally as well, and once again no flavor of iodine. However, the overall flavor of the dish was just lacking. There were bits of tomato and basil sprinkled on top, and that was much more flavorful than the actual sauce.
Also, my partner ordered the T-​Bone. It was cooked as he asked. However, it came out with the Ponderosa style cross marks on it, like they cooked it in an oven and then just seared the marks on it at the last minute. Chef Mark eventually came out and explained to us that it was actually just cooked over a low flame and that if we ever wanted our steak like a more typical steakhouse, ask for it «Pittsburgh Style.» But last time I checked, that meant charred on the outside and rare to very pink on the inside… not exactly what my partner wanted either.
Nevertheless, this place sounds like it has some amazing desserts, especially cakes. One of the waitresses described them in such detail and made them all sound extremely appetizing. But, I just wasn’t in the mood for cake so I ordered crème brûlée. It was fantastic! Definitely would order it again.
So will I be back? Yes, I definitely want to give this place another try in a few weeks once it becomes more established and irons out a few kinks.