Up Modern Kitchen

If you plan on coming here, stick to the antipasta. Artichoke dip is fab. Service is decent. Main dishes were a severe disappointment and definitely not worth the higher price. Chicken penne was bland and overcooked, ciopinno was incredibly salty and the ravioli was plan and raw.
Would only come back if it was the only place open. Save your money and your taste buds.

I think out of all my friends, I’m the only true fan of Up. My friends have found the food a little bland. I think they’re crazy, ordering the wrong thing, or need to ask for salt and pepper.
Obviously the half-​price wine night is awesome. Enough said there.
As for the dining experience, it is always pleasurable. The menu is always changing, and the staff is generally extremely friendly and helpful. They also appear to be knowledgable about the menu items as far as preparation and ingredients go. They also will be quick to suggest a favorite, and they haven’t steered me in the wrong direction yet!
I also love that they have a mailing list because on my birthday, I get a free meal!
Sometimes I think it’s a little overpriced, but usually I am getting some kind of fish entrée, so I really think my food is just the right price. But I’ve seen friends order dishes that seem way too expensive for the amount of food they get.
Anyway, I love this place, and I will always come back on a date! Or a wine night!

My roommate and I decided to splurge and treat ourselves to a nice dinner during Pittsburgh’s 2014 winter restaurant week. After much deliberation, we chose Up because neither of us have been before, and its short walking distance from our apartment didn’t hurt. We both chose the prix fixe menu they were offering for restaurant week, and I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful our meal was. I started off with an arugula salad with goat cheese and walnuts that was lightly dressed, but the star of the show was my entrée, the rosemary chicken with polenta. We finished our meal with a light limoncello sorbet and a glass of prosecco. There were no survivors at that meal. Best part? The prix fixe menu items are all from their regular seasonal menu. I will definitely be back for a special occasion!

I had their special Lobster Ravioli and was very pleased, flavorful and minimal or prolly no cheese! The octopus appetizer was surprisingly very fresh and delicious, husband loved his Salmon and our friend enjoyed his Risotto. But another friend ordered some kind of fried oyster thing, and she hated it, which is obvious cos I don’t think oysters are meant to be fried: D, eat them raw, bad idea to fry them !
Very few italian restaurants impress me. But this one was wonderful, I will go there again.

I thought this restaurant was supposed to be more upscale, however, it definitely was not. Pretty casual place. I ordered the scallops for my dinner and although they were definitely prepared the correct way, I felt that the cost was a bit much for five scallops with a cauliflower purée. The cocktail menu was so-​so. I ordered the wood fashioned and it was just alright, nothing I couldn’t make at home. I would probably give this place another shot, but not for awhile.

We went for valentines day and had the pre fixe menu and it was amazing. The bacon wrapped scallops were cooked perfectly. The filet was one of the better steaks I’ve had among any restaurant. The desert could have been a smidgen better but everything else was so good I’ll forgive them. The wine pairing was right on par and was a pretty decent deal to boot. As much as I love trying new restaurants when I travel, it will be hard to avoid returning to Up if I’m in Pittsburgh again.

I really wanted to like this place– the décor was great and the menu had some nice diversity but there were just some things that I think should have been done a lot better– especially for the price & hype that surrounds UP. For example:
— The salumi & chese plate was blah blah blah. The 2 different cheeses literally tasted like… well, nothing. It’s not that hard to find a good cheese in Pittsburgh– just go down to Penn Mac and get something to make it worth the $.
— My scallops were tasty but cold. My husband and I were there for an early dinner and were one of the only people in the restaurant so I don’t understand why it was so hard to make sure our food was hot.
— Finally, I understand toddlers are hard to control but when you have parents that are literally encouraging their child to crawl around on the floor like a gorilla (their words, not mine) and screaming/​playing right next to people who are out for a nice dinner and paying a nice price, I would appreciate someone asking the parents to at least not encourage their child to treat the restaurant as their playground.
We’ve only been there once but unfortunately I think the hype that surrounds up be just that… hype.

I was her for a non-​profit planning meeting and got to try the spinach artichoke dip, salsa, and pizza. The dip and salsa were fantastic and large portions. I loved that both were served with tortilla chips AND pita bread. The pizza I tried had feta, tomato, and spinach and was really good. The crust was thick and golden. The toppings were plentiful. I was really digging the atmosphere here. Dark walls and light wood tables. Very clean and modern. I really want to come here again and sample from their regular menu!

Up is good (usually very crowded though) place to hang out. I like the wednesday night wine nights (both at shady grove and at up). Apparently Wendesday is the new Thursday as they have a live DJ, half price bottle of wine and the works. I have not had an entrée here yet so from what I had (which was the fries I think), it was fine. Smaller portions.
It’s good for group events. Carnegie Mellon has done some group events, where the food has been actually really good. It’s not that quiet, so you will have to speak over people for them to hear. They do make decent drinks too. If you’re looking for a good night, definitely go on Wednesday.

I generally do not write negative reviews. If I find a business I really like or I have a great experience I feel compelled. I really enjoyed myself at Up Modern Kitchen. Visiting my college student staying in Shadyside we cancelled our downtown dinner on account of snow and ice and walked over to Up Modern Kitchen. First thing that struck me was the clean simple modern décor. We were met by the friendly attentive staff and seated immediately. The drink menu during happy hour was perfect my son had a delicious Stout and my wife enjoyed the apple sangria.
I ordered the salmon entrée from the main menu and was very pleased. Served with an ample portion of sweet potato and cabbage the salmon was cooked to perfection.
My wife got the cioppino a seafood stew of scallops, fennel, mussels, and shrimp all in a red sauce with italian bread toast (I ate what she could not finish It was all good). No over cooked rubber mussels or chewy scallops.
My son had the ravioli special. The homemade sausage ravioli was tender, filling and tasty!
We finished with dessert cannolis, nutela gelato, coffee and a tea assortment.
The service was attentive and good. As my wife is allergic to eggs the waitress astutely substituted plain walnuts on the side for the candied walnuts that usually come with the salad she ordered (saving a lot of angst).
Needless to say we had a nice evening reconnecting over good food.

I’ve come here many times and always enjoyed the food and the service.
Tonight, we had the warm olives, a cabbage, fennel and potato soup, and a linguini with mushrooms. All were outstanding. We particularly enjoyed the soup this time, and the pasta, which is made in-​house, was excellent. We typically sit at the bar and have had no service issues during that time, something that is referenced below and surprises me. Every meal I’ve had the owner comes by and asks how things are going and everyone is attentive. I would agree with the reviewer who complained that they didn’t give you any place to put your olive pits – a small bowl would be appropriate. Haven’t seen it for myself, but I was told by the bartender that they have brought back the brunch menu on Sundays. I loved their brunch and was disappointed when they went to the buffet format (Not my thing).
I highly recommend.

I went here with a girlfriend about a month ago. It was surprisingly delicious. We both had red sangria and shared the braised octopus, french fries, gazpacho duo, caesar salad, and the seasonal risotto. The sangria was just about perfect. I’m a big fan of good red sangria. The braised octopus was also really delicious, it was perfectly cooked, not chewy, and there was a ton of octupus hidden in the caponata. Definitely get that. The french fries were delightful. Perfect amount of parmesan and truffle aioli dipping sauce was perfectly truffle infused. The gazpacho duo left something to be desired. Sort of bland and one tasted like straight garlic. The caesar salad was a little bland, also. I’m a caesar salad snob, though.
The risotto was incredible. All in all, we shared everything and really enjoyed it all. Definitely try it out for small plates and an intimate surrounding.

Came here for brunch — so so so so good! i really love how open and spacious the place is with the big windows. service is excellent and so is the food. cant wait to come back.

I have always wanted to try Up Modern Kitchen. My friend suggested we go here instead of Shady Grove, which was a big mistake. I ordered the butternut squash and gorgonzola cheese cavatelli with chicken. Obviously, you cannot go wrong with a gorgonzola cheese sauce but the butternut squash was almost invisible. In addition, the chicken tasted like it was either 1. sitting in a fridge for a week or 2. frozen. It was not fresh whatsoever.
Another person in my party ordered the seasonal risotto (wild mushroom) which was tasteless. We were joking around and she ALMOST asked for tobacco but wasn’t courageous enough. I don’t even think they threw in the least bit of salt or pepper. Finally, the last person in the party ordered the trout. It came with the skin, which she does not like, so this could have been a preference type thing, but she did not like her entre either.
The fried ricotta (as an appetizer) was the only thing we ordered that was semi decent.
ON THE OTHER HAND I did like the décor inside. Very rustic chic-​ish. They also have a wine night on Tuesday and Wednesday which would be fun to go to with a bunch of your friends. I think the only way I would ever go back would be to have a drink or two and that’s it.

It was my husband’s 40-​something birthday, and he was craving Italian. We didn’t have a reservation, but it was Sunday night so we thought we’d take our chances. We checked out the line at Girasole, and, of course, it was too long… so we found ourselves across the street at Up.
Within the first few minutes, we were starting to regret our decision. They were out of half of the items on the menu and the beer list. Some things on the specials board were still left over from lunch – and likewise unavailable. Our snooty waiter told us repeatedly that we couldn’t make ANY modifications to the menu. At first we had only asked for the sauce on the side. SERIOUSLY?!? Even McDonald’s can put the sauce on the side! The only other thing was that my husband wanted a side dish of pasta of the pasta that was already on the menu. We pleaded with the waiter: we’d pay any price. Also, it was his birthday!
When the dish came, it had no sauce instead of sauce on the side. Oh, well. They came through with the pasta. Well, I should hope so – how hard is a side of pasta with sauce that is already on the menu?
I had the ½ chicken. It arrived looking juicy and delicious. I opened it up. Ugh. ¼ of it was undercooked!!! Let’s all say it together: salmonella. I sent the thigh and leg back. Of course, when it re-​arrived, it was no longer juicy or appetizing. The breast was actually quite good, but it was overshadowed by the undercooked dark meat.
My daughter had the tuna. Yes, dear waiter, my daughter likes raw fish. We can read, thank you. It was delicious, actually. I would like to have tried to sauce that was supposed to have been served on the side! Anyway.
My husband had the meatball sub, and said it was good. The pasta was pasta. The fries were fries. Nothing to write home about.

Wow. And not in a good way. J and I came in on a Friday night around 6. There were several tables finishing their meals and several large tables that were still on drinks.
We were still in happy hour time, so we decided to get a few drinks and a few apps before moving on to the main course. After looking through their extensive drink menu, I decided upon a bourbon based drink that should have had blackberry and peach flavors. Filling a cup with ice, pouring in some bourbon and putting a blackberry in the glass doesn’t make you a hot mixologist.
On to the apps which came out so quickly I am still not really sure how — which was definitely the highlight of the meal. I had the roasted olives and J had the meatball. The olives were awesome. Roasting them gave them a really deep earthy flavor and seemed to mellow the saltiness of the brine. J’s meatball was pork and beef with a hint of cheese. It was definitely one of the best meatballs ever.
Sadly, our meal came out before we were even done with the appetizers. Why are we so rushed? At a place that has $ 25+ main courses, I expect a bit of a relaxed and easy going meal. I felt like the server was desperate to get us out of there so that they could focus on the large table that was still on drinks and ordering food when our main course came out. I ordered the seared trout, served with parsnips and mushrooms. J ordered the braised lamb shank. Covering your food with olive oil does NOT a sauce make. Mine was so oily that I expected the fish to be greasy. Strangely, the fish had no flavor. We make trout at home a lot — generally grilling it and ours is always awesome. This was the blandest fish I have ever eaten in a restaurant. J’s lamb shank wasn’t even warm which again makes no sense with how fast everything came out. Is it already cooked and sitting under a lamp? No idea. His was in a lake of grease. A lake. The broocoli rabe that came with it was completely undercooked and the potatoes were good, but once you got down into the grease lake, there was no fishing them out.
By this point, I wanted to get out of there to go down the street to Mercurio’s and wash away the grease flavor with some amazing gelato.
The only reason I gave 2 starts instead of 1 was the meatball and olives. Both were perfect. If they can figure out the timing and maybe how to make a sauce and season things, we might be back — but it’s doubtful. Such a shame.

Meh.
We were able to get a reservation to Up, but when we arrived, we found that we did not need it because the place was practically empty for dinner around 6pm. The décor was sparse and was bright, but they did bring the lights down about halfway through the meal. It had a nice urban/​modern look, but if the restaurant were full, it may have been loud when full and with the music. Up did not feel as crowded as other restaurants in the area. I appreciate that they laid out the floor plan in a logical way instead of a ‘let’s see how many tables we can cram in here’-way.
Our server was kind, attentive and informed about the menu. The service was the best part of the meal.
We got Pâté for an appetizer. It was okay with interesting flavors, but I wouldn’t get it again. I had the Bolognese and my partner had ravioli. The pasta was slightly undercooked. My portion was adequate, but the ravioli portion was small. They were both ‘Meh’ too. I thought there was a lot of sweet flavors incorporated into a meal I expect to be more savory. The presentation for the pâté wasn’t very good, but the others were presented better, but not to a level that one would consider elegant. There wasn’t anything bad about the food, but it just wasn’t good either. Needless to say, despite the portion size, our plates were left about half full and we didn’t bother with a to-​go box. Although we usually get dessert, based on the appetizer and the meal, our expectations were too low.
They were transitioning to a new menu at our visit, so perhaps the chef hasn’t refined the menu yet.

My friends and I had intended to go to Shadygrove downstairs for their half priced wine special and for dinner, but it was pretty crowded this evening. They initially said the wait was 20 – 30 minutes so we decided to wait, but while we were waiting the staff kept trying to talk us in to going to the restaurant upstairs called «Up» which originally I had thought was part of the same restaurant and that «Up» was more of a directional sign than an indication of a separate restaurant. Once it was explained that it had another fancier menu we took a look, but it looked a bit overpriced and fancy for the casual dinner we were looking for. And it was concerning that downstairs was packed while upstairs was empty, despite their pleas for people to go up there. The staff were persistent in trying to talk us into it. Finally I said, well how about you bring some appetizer samples and that might entice us. The owner actually agreed to this and after about 15 minutes he came down with some ratatouille on mini toasts that was much like a bruschetta. It was decent, but all it consisted of was some marinated vegetables on toast. I tried to find the item on the menu and it was not there. I eventually figured out it was part of a portabella/​mozzarella/​ratatouille appetizer but they left out the portabella and mozzarella and only gave us the cheaper ratatouille. I found this to be rather tacky, especially since I intended to try it to figure out if I really wanted to go to the restaurant or not, but this was not a representative appetizer.
We still wanted to go to Shady Grove but it turned out the wait was actually going to be much longer than originally estimated. As a result, we finally gave in and went to «Up» upstairs. We ordered a $ 32 of Malbec red wine at half off, which was a good deal for half off though $ 32 was overpriced for that particular wine (and this was one of the cheaper priced ones). In fact, the menu listed it as a «2010» vintage but they brought us a «2011» and they spilled some on the tablecloth and menu while pouring. I ordered the Bolognese pasta for dinner for $ 24 and it tasted just ok and was a decent portion, but the quality was certainly not worth $ 24. There was a decent amount of meat but the pasta texture was off (a little chewy/​undercooked) and while the sauce was ok it tasted like it came form a can/​jar rather than homemade. It also wasn’t a traditional italian Bolognese (meatballs instead of a meat sauce and an unusual choice for the pasta type, not sure of the name for it), though it didn’t claim to be the traditional version. And no offering of Parmesan cheese to top it off. I’ve had much better pasta at Olive Garden for cheaper. Although it was kind of an interesting variant on the traditional Bolognese. Also, for $ 24 you might expect some salad, soup or bread included with your entrée, but there was nothing but a very thin and small slightly burnt toast crisp on the plate. One of my friends had a burger for around $ 12 which he said was good, but the fries were cold and soggy. Another friend had a «small plate» of crab tacos also around $ 12 but it came with 3 of the tiniest tacos I had ever seen (barely bitesize) though she said they tasted good. The presentation of the food was nice and probably their best feature. Service was fine but nothing stood out. The owner did check up on us once but he seemed bored with so many empty tables. The décor/​ambiance has an odd blend of casual features with a fancier atmosphere and the music choice didn’t fit well with the ambiance.

I ended up on Walnut Street in Shadyside earlier this week looking for a bite to eat and haphazardly came across recently opened:^Up Modern Kitchen (It’s in the space where Walnut Grill used to be).
If you had ever been to Walnut Grill, you’ll notice some similarities, mainly the same general floor plan. Other than that it has a completely fresh and urban yet retro feel inside.
String pendant lights fill the stairwell, large sliding barn doors directing you to either: «eat up» or «drink up», greet you at the top of the stairs, and simple tea towels from Ikea are used as napkins. Both my dining companion and I commented on how nice the space looked and felt.
The menu is 2 sides, one for an extensive speciality drink and wine list and one for the food made up of 6 sections: bites (2 – 3 «bites» of something), soup & salads, small plates (appetizers), sandwiches, plates (main courses), and desserts.
Considering the simple décor and feel of the place, I thought the price points would be slightly lower. I didn’t do a deep dive into the menu and order several bites and small plates like I wanted, but went with a menu go-​to: meatloaf. Only this meatloaf was made with short rib and came as a sandwich with a fried egg and pickled onions on top.
I was terribly excited for this dish because I LOVE meatloaf. And was briefly disappointed when it arrived due to how sad the plate looked. Sandwiches come with fries but they were seriously the saddest looking skinny fries I’ve ever seen. Plus they were cold and over-​cooked. The sandwich made up for that sadness though. I skipped the top of the bun and attacked it as an open-​faced sandwich with a knife and fork (it’s beach season, people!). While the «put an egg on it» trend doesn’t seem to be dying anytime soon, it was a nice touch to this sandwich. And was cooked nicely with the yolk running just enough to not overpower any bite.
My dining companion had a lobster and shrimp rock roll. I thought it was going to be served in grilled, top-​split bun. Wrong. It was like a crispy grilled hot dog bun that was split apart and topped with lightly dressed big chunks of shrimp and lobster. This «sandwich» was also accompanied by those sad, sad fries. It was good. That is all.
While I wasn’t blown away by the sandwiches I sampled, I do want to go back and get several of the small plates and bites, as those seem to be big hits.

The old Walnut Grill has been recreated into a modern atmosphere. Gone are the warm wood tones and in are the grey and steel. It’s not a bad thing, a fresh look is needed when you take over a well known place.
We happened to come upon this place on a Wednesday night. Why mention the day of the week you ask? Because it was half off bottle of wine night! Score! So of course we picked the cheapest Malbec and had a nice little time with our $ 15 bottle o’ wine!
The menu looked pretty good, with some tempting dishes, so I went with the Cioppino. It came out with massive pieces of shrimp, clams, mussels and halibut nestled in the middle. The thing that really made the dish was the spicy tomato broth. It tasted awesome with the whole dish and throw in the garlic crostini to soak up the sauce was awesome! At $ 23 it was well worth it for the amount of seafood you get!
I’d for sure stop in again, probably on a Wednesday because this girl likes a deal… and some wine!