Smoked at Fairmont's Fl. 2
Smoked Old Fashioned dreamed up by Fl. 2 beverage director Erika Clark
David Sher, the new General Manager of Pittsburgh’s Fairmont Hotel, comes to our city with a 25-year resumé in the hospitality world. Thanks to stints in Dallas, New York, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Ottowa, and Chicago, he brings a broad and savvy sense of what’s going on “out there,” which he’s already combining with an appreciation for the unique qualities of Pittsburgh and its culture. During a recent conversation with him and Rodney Morrow, the property’s director of sales and marketing, it became clear that David’s first love is the food and beverage side of his career: his eyes lit up when the talk turned to food, cocktails, local restaurants, and his best meals ever.
“There’s clearly a friendliness here. You can see it in the way people greet you on the sidewalk and in stores. You can also see it while you drive.”
He first experienced Pittsburgh in March of this year. The limitations of COVID notwithstanding, he’s been impressed with the ease of the city. Access to the great, green outdoors is as simple as walking out the front door, he comments, and the people are refreshing. “There’s clearly a friendliness here. You can see it in the way people greet you on the sidewalk and in stores. You can also see it while you drive,” he says, noting other sensations elicited while driving in other cities. The charms of the “Pittsburgh left” are indeed one of the things that both puzzle and impress the ‘burgh’s newcomers.
Sher enjoys the work of Pittsburgh’s young, creative chefs: “There’s freshness. There’s originality. There’s quality.” When asked about his favorite meal so far, he turns us back to his new professional home. “The bone-in New York Strip prepared by Adam Reson, Fl. 2’s chef de cuisine, is outstanding. The crisp, contemporary plating lets you settle down quickly into the tenderness of the meat and the velvety sauce bordelaise.”
The secret Ingredient is a bar spoon of espresso.
The orange slice must be bruléed!
His favorite drink? A Smoked Old Fashioned from Erika Clark, the dynamo behind the bar at Fl. 2. Made with Highwest Campfire Whiskey, house-made smoked brown sugar cubes, and a two-inch block of smoked ice, it’s complex and amazing. Erika considers the secret ingredient to be a bar spoon of espresso. “You wouldn’t necessarily know it’s there,” she says, “but that hint of richness and bitterness adds something great.” We think the best part of the drink is the orange slice. Erika brulées each one to bring out uniquely citrusy caramel flavors. The smell is wonderful, and it elevates the garnish well beyond the usual perfunctory, last minute addition of bar fruit. She shares the recipe with TABLE readers at the bottom of this article.
Conversation with Erika as she goes through the multiple steps of preparing the Smoked Old Fashioned definitely supports David’s hypothesis that what makes Fl. 2 and the Fairmont unique is the fun, irreverent, youthful energy of the team. There’s a “whistle while you work” joy about it, which makes the drink, and the experience, delicious.
The Fairmont Hotel, following strict and careful COVID-era protocols, is open for business. Fl. 2 is open Fridays-Sundays. For information and hours: fl2pgh.com
Erika Clark’s Smoked Old Fashioned recipe
INGREDIENTS
2oz Highwest Campfire Whiskey
1 Smoked brown sugar cube
2 dashes Angoustura bitters
1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
1 bar spoon Espresso
1 Two-inch smoked ice cube
1 Orange slice, caramelized
DIRECTIONS
In shaker, crush smoked sugar cube with both varieties of bitters, and just a drop or two of water. Add whiskey and espresso, fill with ice and stir until ice melts a bit and the cocktail is cold.
Strain into a cocktail glass over the smoked ice cube.
Garnish with orange slice that has been topped with smoked brown sugar and torched.
Don’t miss a single sippable thing!