Whitfield

Our first visit to the Whitfield was on a Monday night – late – so we figured it would be slow we had been meaning to go so. .. We walked in to the Ace Hotel Lobby and were delighted to discover a really amazing lobby and bar full of young people and a DJ performing at a tolerable volume – enough to keep it interesting but not stifle conversation.
Went to the Whitfield area and were seated for dinner. Server came up immediately and ran through the menu with us. We split an appetizer and ordered two main courses. I got the duck, which was excellent. My wife ordered the Trout – home run.
I found the food to be well-​seasoned and prepared to perfection. My duck was perfectly done and had a nice, smooth taste to it. Definitely returning.

I stopped by here this past Friday evening for dinner with my wife and another couple. We had made reservations a couple of weeks ahead of time for 6:30 PM and whenever we arrived at 6:25 PM our table was ready. The inside of the Whitmore is quite a weird space as it is almost in the lobby for the hotel with only a latticed trellis type item as a separator. That means that the considerable noise from the bar and lobby made it hard to hear people at our table talk. Other than that there wasn’t much to speak of in terms of décor as it seemed a rather plain place with high ceilings and some weird music. At one point I swear that it sounded like there were playing the music of a drum circle but couldn’t exactly be sure with all the noise.
For dinner I decided to have the duck breast entrée with sides of crispy brussels sprouts and bacon Mac and cheese while my wife went with «the steak». Upon ordering it she was given the choice of a sirloin or a flat iron and she chose the flat iron. A couple of minutes later our server came back and let her know that it was actually a choice between a flank steak and a sirloin and so my wife went with the flank steak. After a little bit of a wait our meals were delivered to us. My entrée consisted of a duck breast over top of a bed of spatzle intermixed with pepitas, beets, sweet and sour cabbage and duck confit. Overall I thought that my entrée was very good as the duck was cooked nicely and I loved the german sides underneath. I especially loved the fact that they doubled up on the duck with both the breast and the confit. The crispy brussel sprouts were also very good as they were nice and crunchy while being well seasoned. Last but not least was the Mac and cheese which was easily the most disappointing part of my meal. It’s not that it was bad as it clearly wasn’t but it could have used something more. Maybe a cheesier sauce or perhaps some bigger chunks of bacon instead of the bacon bit like pieces that were in it.
The bottom line for me is that I probably wouldn’t come here again in the future. It’s not because of the food which I thought was excellent and on its own deserved a 4.5 star rating. I just really didn’t care for the atmosphere, hipster vibe and loud noise which made conversation difficult.

A very unique dining experience inside of the new Ace Hotel Pittsburgh. My husband and I enjoyed our Valentine’s Day dinner at Whitfield. The atmosphere is intimate, trendy, and upscale casual. The service was prompt, friendly, and energetic. Our server actually made me really excited to be there for dinner!
The drinks list was unique and extensive, with some interesting cocktails and wines. We opted for some red blend and pinot noir from CA (forgive me, I can’t remember the names!) and I was pleasantly surprised by both — interesting notes.
They are known for their farm-​fresh beef from cows right over in Bedford, PA. The cuts are large and shareable, which made for a very cool experience. My husband and I shared the 48oz bone-​in ribeye and it was flawless. It had phenominal marbling and we actually ended up cutting every morsel of meat of the bone.
What was even better than the steak were the sides. The brussel sprouts were so good that I almost ordered another helping. They are charred, crunchy, and delicious. We also shared the sauteed kale and red peppers. Everything was polished off and our plates were clean.
The price is also right for the quality you receive. We can’t wait to go back!

My parents and I came to the Whitfield on a whim for brunch this past Sunday, and it was a very positive experience. We didn’t have a reservation, but when we arrived we were told that we could sit anywhere we wanted in the Ace Hotel lobby and that a server would accommodate us. We sat down at a long wooden table in the lobby near the bar, and we were able to order as if we were sitting in the restaurant. I appreciated how accommodating the staff was for those of us who did not make reservations!
The whole vibe of the Ace Hotel is very cool, and I recommend visiting if you haven’t yet. The owners have taken a historic building and updated it to make it very hip and modern. The Whitfield is separated from the Ace lobby just by some free-​standing metal cage walls with plants cascading over them. The whole feel of the Whitfield and the Ace lobby is very airy and trendy. I could see coming here in the evening and hanging out at the bar for a drink, even if you’re not staying in the hotel.
We decided on the Grand Prix for lunch, which included a starter, a main brunch entrée, and a choice of either a bloody mary or a mimosa. The mimosas, in all honesty, were sub-​par. They were very small and tasted like they barely had any orange juice in them at all. The starters, on the other hand, were extremely impressive. There were 3 different starters to choose from, so we each chose a different one to share. We had the bruleed grapefruit pomegranate, the potato soup, and the house-​made donuts. I honestly could not choose a favorite! The potato soup was extremely smooth and unlike any potato soup I have ever had before. It had some smoked kale on the top that added the perfect crunchy accent. The donuts were crispy and sugary on the outside, and soft on the inside. They tasted faintly of almonds and had some kind of sauce on the inside that was to die for. The bruleed grapefruit pomegranate was the real surprise for me, as I never would have ordered this usually but ended up being absolutely obsessed with it. The bruleed top of the grapefruit made it so sweet and delicious. It was also topped with fresh blueberries and pomegranate seeds. Very tasty and very impressive overall!
We all chose the same entrée — The Whitfield Breakfast. This includes English muffins layered with poached eggs, roasted pork, and a hollandaise sauce. The flavors were intense and the dish was quite tasty, but I have to say that I could have done with about half of the hollandaise sauce. The entrée was absolutely drenched in the sauce, and I was only able to finish half of it because it was just too heavy. Honestly, the sauce was delicious but unfortunately completely overpowered all the other flavors since there was just so much of it. If I ever ordered this dish again, I would ask for the hollandaise sauce on the side. A bit of a disappointment on that front. On the side was a potato hash brown that looked very scary and spider-​like but was surprisingly extremely delicious. It was salty, but not overpowering. I believe it was infused with beets which added quite a depth of flavor.
Overall, I think we all enjoyed the starters more than the entrée itself, but I would love to come back and try another dish. The chef is obviously very talented and has innovative ideas. Looking forward to another brunch visit soon!

Stopped by for brunch this weekend. Interesting fare, though wish there were a few more «breakfast» options. The atmosphere is great and the interior doesn’t feel like a typical hotel restaurant. Will be going back for dinner sometime to see if it holds up and how the environment is with the open bar/​lobby.

Aesthetically, the Whitfield is a knockout. Everything – the potted plants and cross-​stitched sign greeting you with the hostess, the beautiful plates and silverware, the relaxed dress yet classy attitude of the staff, the minimal and mid-​century style of the furniture and décor, even the all-​caps nearly monotype sans serif font of the menu – is delicately planned and elegantly executed. The people dining and hanging out run the full gamut of hip Pittsburgh… the event room was exploding with what sounded like a neat party… overall, Ace did a solid job repurposing the old YMCA.
Underneath the surface of this perfectly planned capsule of style and deliberately (almost forcefully) local flair? Not a whole lot. Our duck breast was overcooked, luke-​warm, and overpowered by the cabbage below it (the few accompanying honey beets were hot and delicious, though). The gnocchi was over-​floured, luke-​warm, and the dish was overwhelmed by the small handful of olive garnish.
We had a great time at the bar, splitting a cheese plate (delicious) and a few cocktails before making our way to our later reservation. The plating and portions were perfect, but the food was luke-​warm, a little bland, and the experience was rushed. We ordered all of the recommendations, and each one came out needing a little more.
We hadn’t finished our appetizers when the entrees were served, and I was hardly finished with my first glass of wine by the time the check came. At the price point of Whitfield, I would have wanted a little more time to enjoy, drink, relax, and appreciate.
The Whitfield does a great job at atmosphere and I would come back to hang at the bar for a few drinks and light appetizers. But it’s also too expensive of a meal to be disappointed as much as I was during my visit.

Surprising find in east Liberty– excellent brunch!
Vegetarian perspective–
Lots of great salads and starters that are veggie friendly, however I just ordered the mushroom gravy with biscuits which was excellent and satisfied my southern food craving. It came with a savory shredded Brussel sprout salad and yummy green onions. Generous serving size.
My partner got the Whitfield breakfast which is like an eggs Benedict topped with chimichurri sauce which he loved. I also got to try some of the beet hash which he had on the side which was perfectly seasoned and a nice change from potatoes.
Seems like they have a nice prix fixe option for brunch which can include 2 dishes and a mimosa or Bloody Mary for $ 26.
Ambiance is great, lots of space with lots of light and service was great.
We had a 10:45 reservation but since they had plenty of seating they seated us early.
Looking forward to our next trip here! Highly recommend.

What a cool atmosphere this place has. The ace hotel is super trendy with a hipster, laid back vibe. The Whitfield dining area is small but cool with different miss matched tables and chairs and décor. The menu wasn’t huge but it was enough to choose from. Everything we ordered in our group was quite tasty, but I’d say it is a little expensive.
The one thing I did not appreciate was that we made a reservation for 2:45pm, and brunch ends at 3pm. So when we were seated, the first thing our waitress came over and said was that their kitchen closes promptly at 3pm and no more food will be made after that so we need to rush to get our order in in time. Why would you allow 2:45pm reservations if your kitchen closes so promptly and people will feel rushed from the start?
Other than that, our service was fine and everything was brought in a timely manner. I look forward to going back and hanging out in the bar area for a drink. It looks like an inviting atmosphere for grabbing a stump town coffee or a cocktail either day or night.

Had two drinks here in the late afternoon, no food, so a very short visit. There was some type of event going on so there were a lot of people strictly having drinks. The selection of beers is good, I found somethings that I had not seen in other local bars which is awesome. As for the bar itself, I have no idea what happened when they were designing it, the stools are drilled to the floor so that was uncomfortable as I had some very inconsiderate people sitting (and standing) next to me who kept on bumping into me. The bar just feels too short, and I don’t feel that the table seating makes up for lack of seating at the bar. As a person that will go to a bar lone wolf from time to time I’m not going to go and sit at a table by myself (I guess that might just be me) but the bar here just seems to be annoying. Otherwise the bartender was excellent, drank the beers and left. Price for drinks is above average, but I can be forgiving because it is in the lobby of a hotel.

I absolutely love Whitfield. I hate that it’s in the Ace.
The hotel itself was clearly rushed to the finish with the construction trailers and dumpsters outside up until, and after, opening night. With this, Whitfield is not separate space from Ace. It’s literally dumped right in the lobby with a shoddy trellis separating the bar/​lounge from the dining seating. They do weird hotel stuff like make you wait until your reservation time to seat you at a table that has been empty since you arrived (actually happened; I almost lost my damn mind) and have almost obnoxiously friendly service. Luckily, the food is beyond all this surface annoyance.
Like. The smoked chicken. I swear they dug into my dreams of dumplings and gravy and huge hunks of chicken to create this plate of new style comfort food. The +1 usually gets a burger but is most impressed with the french onion soup. Haven’t tried it personally, but he’s a pretty good indicator of what is popular.
Luckily for me, they have a French 75 on the cocktail menu as well as a few ciders on the list I had never even heard of. The cocktail menu was mostly a whiskey in a rocks glass heavy selection but still impressive.
With the worst thing about Whitfield being how crowded the lobby/​bar is, I’d say it’s pretty great. Make sure you have time to hang out; this is not quick service (not even in a negative way, enjoy yourself!). The Ace brings a loud, out of town, older crowd making it an odd spot in Pittsburgh, but the dumplings are enough to ignore the over the top attempt to be hip with an odd placement.

After hearing so much about this place, we finally ventured to Whitfield one Saturday afternoon (around 2pm). Surprisingly, they couldn’t seat us, even though there were many empty tables. That wasn’t a deal breaker for us because we weren’t all that hungry, and so we took the hostess’ suggestion about hanging out at the lounge until a table becomes ready. It was a nice lounge — comfortable chairs, airy ambiance, old school board games for passing the time, good bars too. Eventually, the hostess led us to our table; she was very apologetic. Despite the long wait, I was positively dispositioned toward the restaurant.
Sadly, the actual wait staff was pretty incompetent. Even though he took our cocktail orders, nothing materialized for 15 minutes. When asked, he replied that he was «busy» and hadn’t had the chance to go to the bar yet… except that I could see him hanging out chit-​chatting with another server the entire time (it’s not a big restaurant). Much of the meal service ran like this. He was a bit surly in attitude too, not just toward our table but to nearby tables as well (such as when they asked him for a hotter cup of coffee). My patience and interest took a huge dive while we waited for our food.
Luckily for them, the kitchen redeemed itself. Most of our orders were from very good to excellent. I enjoyed every bite of my duck leg («comfit», the waiter corrected me – even though the menu only printed «duck leg» without specifying whether it’s comfit or not); the potato soup was decent; and the sandwiches my companions got were good too. We had revived enough interest to think about ordering dessert. However, after the waiter left the dessert menu with us and didn’t check back for another 15 minutes, we finally gave up.
I would love to try this place again, hopefully after the server quality has gone up.

On a company visit to Pittsburgh, I was thrilled to try out some new restaurants. We had some wonderful experiences in this foodie destination, but this was absolutely not one of them. The restaurant comes off as a bit too cool for school. Our server asked our drink order, and then roughly 10 – 12 minutes later returned and asked for them again, as he had forgotten them.
The meals were okay, I had the berkshire pork shank. It was far tougher and cooked longer than I had ordered. When I mentioned this issue to my server, he did not seem to be willing to address the situation.
After a bumpy start to drinks and appetizers we decided to go elsewhere for dessert. The payment took an additional 25 minutes… so it was rather late when we were finished due to very few issues of our own.

In a word: meh. The best part of this place is the interior. Lots of the original architecture (woodwork and floors, for example) is beautifully preserved. The staff was nice and attentive, though they don’t come off as very experienced.
I was there with a fairly large group for brunch on a weekday. The restaurant wasn’t terribly full, but it took a ridiculously long time for our food to arrive. I got the Whitfield breakfast. One egg was poached properly (soft, runny yolk) the other yolk was completely set. The chimichurri was stingy, the hollandaise tasted like vinegar, and the hash brown was dry. A few people got the buttermilk fried chicken salad, which looked like an overdressed mess that you’d get at any Pittsburgh diner (complete with french fries, natch).
I really want to like this place, so I’ll give it another shot (probably for dinner this time) but things aren’t looking too good.

A solid nightlife spot in East Liberty, easily accessible from the surrounding neighborhoods. Quality cocktails at reasonable prices. Appetizers and entrees are shareable and adequate portion sizes. The atmosphere was the best part of the experience. Situated in a former YMCA building, the bones of building and architecture from a bye gone era give the Whitfield an edge over similar establishments in the area.

I took my girlfriend for her Birthday dinner on January 9^th. It was raining and we were excited for dinner in a new warm space. There had been a private event earlier and our reservation was at 8:30. We were seated immediately and ordered a cocktail. This is when things went wrong. It took about 25 minutes for our drinks to arrive and our waiter came by twice for our dinner order before we had a sip. The waiter knew the special was rabbit but did not know what cut. We had to ask him after he came back again, and he must have guessed because he told us leg, but came back and said tenderloin. I ordered the rainbow trout and my girlfriend ordered the filet. My fish was white? And we sent her filet back twice to get it cooked medium. A disappointing meal, and we will not be adding this restaurant to our list of recommendations.

What a wonderful addition to the Pittsburgh restaurant scene! In fact, Whitfield was such a lovely experience all around that I was inclined to sign up for Unilocal to let everyone else know that they must give this gem a try! And the fact that brunch is served everyday. need I say more?!
My mimosa to start was delectable. It was followed by the Bruleed Grapefruit which was a refreshing little slice of heaven. The crispy, sugary coating with the blueberries and pomegranate seeds on top was not only beautiful to look at but a light and tasty appetizer. For my main dish, I tried the Whitfield Breakfast: Poached Eggs, Housemade English Muffin, Roasted Pork, Hollandaise, Chimichurri, & Hash Browns. I did not leave one bite behind — it was incredible! The housemade english muffin added a nice element to the dish and the meat was tender and full of great flavor. I wish I had room for dessert because I wanted to try every single option on the menu!
I will definitely be back very soon and will continue to spread the word about this new hot spot. The staff was delightful and service was really top-​knotch.

Sitting at Ace as I type. Ugh! Want this place to be so much better. Pittsburgh needs a comforting, interesting East End spot that serves food throughout the day!
Both times I’ve been here they’ve been out of the wine I’ve ordered. In their defense, today they apologized and gave me a glass for free. Which is lovely. I ordered a medium rare burger. It was delivered 25 minutes later (it’s quiet here, it’s 3pm on a Monday!); it was without question well done. Such a bummer. I wanted a juicy decadent treat!
The staff was gracious at every turn. My hope is to soon have a place with lovely staff AND delicious food.

The ambience was pleasant with just the right level of music to counteract the people talking. The price was ok (by California standards, not sure about Pitt prices) if you didn’t go overboard with order. The food itself was both very good and ok.
First the good: the three egg omelette with smoked pepper was the ‘best omelette ever’ according to my mother with nicely flavored filling and perfectly cooked eggs. The soy latte, while small was very good. The blueberry pancake (without the crème fraîche due to dietary restriction) was excellent with maple syrup, very fluffy and with fresh blueberries.
Now the bad; the pastrami sandwich (without cheese for dietary reasons) was not up to par with the other items. First it was served with French fries, this coupled with the well buttered and thick toast overpowered the flavor of both the pastrami and the Cole slaw. The Cole slaw wasn’t acidic enough to shine through the other flavors and the pastrami was overly fatty (even for pastrami) and was not able to overcome the flavor of the bread and fries. The potato chips where good but unnecessary/​too much with the fries.

This restaurant really blew my expectations out of the water. Having staff open the door for you and take care of you throughout your meal really makes you feel special. You also see a lot more people than just your waiter which was really nice that everyone cares!
The food may have been sparse but was definitely enjoyable. There was a myriad of flavors to be had with each dish and you just have to take the time and savor those flavors. The Parsnip Bread was wonderfully baked to a nice soft center but a slightly crispy outside. Paired with the honey and the jam results in a not too sweet but extremely delicious. My mouth waters thinking about it again.
The Gravy and Biscuits was interesting because it looked like sliders at first coming to the table. The scallions had a wonderful savoriness while contrasting with a refreshing pungent taste of the sprout salad. Both these are nice to contrast with the biscuits which are coated around and inside with the gravy. Eating them quite literally takes up the space in your mouth.
As for the fried apples I was pleasantly surprised because they weren’t too covered in cinnamon or sugars, not to heavy in frying and the sauces were just right. The apples were soft and light, and definitely a nice end to the meal in fruity dessert-​ness.
All in all the portions are relatively small, but it is made up for by the flavor and deliciousness of the dish as well as the great staff who are constantly helping to make the experience great. There was no way that we could have asked for anything else from our waiter. Looking forward to trying the other dishes!

With all of the buzz around the Ace Hotel opening, we couldn’t wait to get in to try the Whitfield. The main lobby is separated with the Bar to the right and the restaurant to the left with only a flower cage dividing the two. It’s a very open and welcome atmosphere. The service at the bar was great while we waited for our table. There was a nice craft cocktail selection and the prices were on par with other restaurants in Pittsburgh.
As someone who previously worked in the industry, I know how important a knowledgeable and friendly wait staff is for a restaurant. Unfortunately, our server was so unfriendly, it really had a negative impact on our experience. He was uninterested in navigating the menu with us and when asked simple questions regarding dishes he was extremely annoyed. At one point, we asked his opinion on ordering the lamb or beef tartare as a starter and he informed us we had already ordered enough food and wouldn’t suggest either option. Quite honestly, we were shocked a server wouldn’t immediately jump at the chance to upsell a check. But, he dismissed us after we placed our order and didn’t check back on us at all.
Aside from the service we received, our meals were quite good. The strip steak and the duck breast were both delicious. The steak was prepared perfectly and very flavorful. The duck had a perfect sear on the outside and tender on the inside. As a side to our steak we chose the french fries and mushrooms and onions. I would certainly go for the brussel sprouts or another option next time as the fries were average, almost like frozen french fries and there were only onions served in our side with minimal mushrooms. The olive oil cake we enjoyed for desert was a highlight of the meal.
I’m more than aware there are always kinks to work out when a restaurant is fairly new, but with the much anticipated opening of Ace and Whitfield, I expected a bit more. I certainly will try again in a few months and hope we have a better experience. It’s been wonderful to experience the improvement of the Pittsburgh restaurant scene and while this is a solid addition to that, I do hope they improve their service.

Pittsburgh stepped up it’s Hotel game drastically in 2015, so I was very excited to visit our latest newcomer: the Portland based Ace Hotel. As of today, the hotel and its in-​house restaurant — the Whitfield — have been in business for a month, and have already completely captured their Pittsburgh audience.
The vibe is a perfect fit for this city. Housed in the old East Liberty YMCA location, the exterior is unassuming and low key. You barely recognize it as a hotel, except for the Porter who welcomes you to the hotel. However, once inside, you begin to understand what the fuss is about. The marble floored entrance hall is sleek and simple, with the Concierge station set up to right of the entrance, the neatly styled bar to the far right, the entrance to the Whitfield to the left. The restaurant is separated by on oversized flowers cage, plants an all, which allows it to maintain an open space environment.
The hostess was vibrant and lovely, seating me promptly for my 10:30 am reservation. I liked that they called earlier that morning to confirm headcount and reservation, I was mad at my own party for downsizing my reservation so drastically, but c’est la vie. My party of 5 sat against the back wall, so we had a lovely view of the entire space.
Our waiter, Andre, was cheerful, prompt and polite, immediately helping us for our water choice and coffee preference, and was steadily around for refills and any questions. For all the to-​do, my party was lame and pretty much all ordered the same thing: The Whitfield Breakfast. For being featured prominently [brunch and prix fixe menu], it turned out to be a simple Eggs Benedict dish with a splash of chimichurri sauce. Honestly, that’s an annoying and pretentious move which completely clashes with the unassuming vibe I was loving so much. If you’re going to do that, make sure it’s amazing, which in my case just didn’t happen. Andrew asked us if we required any spices for our dishes before I took a bite, but it wouldn’t have helped; one of my eggs was soft poached, the other hard poached, the hollandaise needed a kick, the hashbrown was somewhat cold and the chimichurri was just meh. I should have added a pinch of salt. [Sorry guys, this is my favorite dish and therefore I’m hard on it]
Now to the uplifting part of the visit.
If you ask the front desk, you can schedule somebody to give you a tour of the Hotel, which is cool. Here a guide will show you one of the premier suites, the ballroom and show you a peek into the gym area, which is currently still being restored [set to open 2016]. The architect put great detail into capturing the spirit of the old YMCA, updating it to a modern ‘sleekness’, yet supporting the unassuming vibe of old East Liberty.
The suite was simple yet ‘functional’; the wood theme running around the room is stained dark/​black with functional knobs every foot or so. This is neat now you can hang accessories such as a guitar, thrift store knick knacks, or a fold up table on the wall. The bathroom is surprisingly large and fully tiled in red and black [floor] and yellow and black [walls], and it holds a clawfoot bathtub with simple black faucets. [these are on the sink as well]. An escape plan for each room hangs on a knob, hand-​stitched into a piece of cloth. Snacks and beverages from local businesses are sleekly hidden away in draws and cupboards.
If you don’t take the elevator, you can take the marble and elegant wooden staircase to the second floor ballroom, where the Hotel holds many an event, such as an art viewing or a NYE’s party. The floor continues the red and black tile theme from the suite, and lots of natural light shines in from oversized windows. The white trim in the beams and over the exits is intricate and revives the feel of the old YMCA, and the full length sliding white doors which separate the room into two is my favorite detail.
While the Gym area is still under construction, you can peek into the upper balcony. Plans include to highlight and lock in the old YMCA boxer mural painting, paying forward the inspiration of decades of memories. Until then, these memories remain captured in original photographs which hang on the wall to the first floor and to the basement.
Conclusion, definitely take this tour.
Rating:
Food — 2
Concept/​Vibe — 5
Execution — 3
Tour — 4
I will need to come back for a second chance at the drinks and the dinner menu, for which I have heard very good reviews, but this dish for brunch I would skip.

$ 9 dollar mimosas made with cheap sparkling wine — $ 9 would be justified if the product was mid range.
$ 21 dollars for bad steak and frozen fries
When you think steak and eggs you don’t picture a meal that seems like it was made from leftover dinner from the night before
The server was great, staff was great, place was clean and a cool concept. This place is a little over rated, Highly priced. $ 95dollar brunch tab for two and $ 110 after tip. This is a one and done trip for us.

Walking into the Ace Hotel, you get the feeling that you are in a place with a lot of history, being that it’s the old YMCA. It’s got a cool feel to it. It’s a very open space where the restaurant and the bar are on opposite sides of the lobby and the check in desk is right in the middle. I really wanted to be impressed with the food but unfortunately it was a bit disappointing.
The ladies ordered French Onion Soup. They said it was good but very salty. This is what happens when the soup sits and the water dissolves from it. It was likely made the day prior.
We had the rabbit and gnocci dish. That was very good. Light, not gamey at all, and the beans gave it a nice texture.
We also had the beet salad and that was good.
For our main course, we had the Pork Shank. It looked great when it came out but it didn’t taste as good as it looked. The meat on a shank should fall off the bone. This had been cooked at too high a temp because it was dry and chewy. It also only had a little splash of sauce on it and wasn’t seasoned so it was bland. It needed more sauce. This was the most disappointing thing about the meal.
The couple we went with got the steak and it was very good.
For sides we got mac and cheese (fabulous), cheesy carrots (very good), Crispy brussels (liked them), and the sauteed kale (good).
We had a few of their cocktails as well. The Bourbon drink is good but small and gone quickly. My wife had the lime almond drink but it was very limey and drowned out any other flavor.
Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars if I could but for the prices they charge, I expected a little more out of the main dish and thought the drinks could have been a little bigger. I’d go back again and am sure that I will but the next time I will most likely get a steak as it seems to be more their specialty.

My husband and I wanted to have a special lunch date today so we decided to go here. I had made a reservation online and we were seated immediately.
They were still offering brunch which you could get 3 items at a prix fix of $ 26.00 or you could order off the brunch menu. We choose the latter. My husband ordered a Caesar salad and then you can add your choice of either shrimp, chicken, or beef for an up charge. I decided to go with their Whitfield burger which is a cheeseburger made with grass filled beef. It had a pepper sauce they put in it but I requested to leave it out because it would be too spicy for me.
In addition I ordered a cup of French onion soup. The sandwiches normally come with chips so if you want a side of French fries or coleslaw then you would pay extra for that.
I got my soup and was amazed to see the mozzarella cheese on a small piece of French baguette! The soup was a bit spicy but delicious! While we were waiting for our meal we were able to utilize the free Wi Fi that is in the lobby of the Ace Hotel.
We got our main courses and they were to die for! That burger was so thick and rich I couldn’t finish my chips. I ordered my burger btw well done so there was just a hint of pink in it but that did not deter from the quality of the sandwich. I sampled some of my husband’s chicken he ordered for his salad it is was melt in your mouth good!
We had prompt, professional, and friendly service which enhanced our visit. The Whitfield restaurant is located just inside the newly opened Ace Hotel in East Liberty. Pay street or lot parking is available but when we parked the car we got an added bonus of free holiday parking!
This place is pricey but dress code is casual so you don’t need to get dressed up. I would advise make reservations since the restaurant is small and will fill up quickly. This place is a welcome addition to our city and am looking forward to visiting it again sometime in the future.

Went here for lunch one Friday. The atmosphere was great, the bar area was crowded because of some party, but the dining area was calm and spacious. We didn’t have to wait for a table when we arrived around 12:30, but I’m sure that will change as more people discover it!
A full range of beverages was available, but our party stuck to lattes, drip coffee and espresso, all of which were great. The menu had brunch and lunch choices, around $ 15 – 20 each. I had the duck confit, which was very tasty but smaller than I hoped. In contrast, the burger was massive. My only critique would be to make the entrees more consistent in size or split the menu into larger plates and smaller plates. It’s always awkward when you get such different sizes meals and some folks are still hungry!
We ended up sampling a bunch of desserts since some of us still had room in our stomachs. Easily the best part of the meal! I’m partial to the lemon mousse as it reminded me a lot of the lemon tart at la gourmandine.
Overall great atmosphere, excellent service, and good variety on the menu. Will certainly return for a nice dinner at some point.

The Ace Hotel is finally open in Pittsburgh and they’ve brought along the aptly/​geographically named Whitfield Restaurant for the ride! I made my way here on a Monday evening just after their grand opening. The hotel is adorable, the designers stayed true to the original architecture and charm of the original YMCA that was housed here, and the Whitfield sits just inside the main doors to your left.
Our waitress, Angel, was a real angel and a total delight to engage with throughout the entire dining experience. Lee and I ordered the semolina gnocchi as our appetizer: made with soft gnocchi, rabbit, beans, and braised olives.
For our entrees, Lee ordered The Steak, which is the chef’s choice of cut for that day and on this particular day it was a sirloin. The Steak is served with fries and a bearnaise sauce and was excellent all around. I would highly recommend the bearnaise when choosing any of their beef options on the menu that have been carefully selected by the chef.
I ordered the smoked chicken and was not disappointed in the least. The portion sizes for all of our dishes were excellent, and my dish was no exception. A large, smoked chicken breast with perfectly crispy skin, served over gravy and dumplings… so good! It’s an upscale take on a good old fashioned, stick to your ribs chicken and dumplings that you’d get at your mom’s house. We also opted to share the bacon mac and cheese and holy Lordy was it good. I think I might just order that as my meal next time! The cheese sauce was the perfect consistency, and the panko and bacon topping was just crunchy enough. We finished off our meal with a slice of the olive oil chocolate cake.
All around it was a wonderful experience. I’m so excited to have the Ace Hotel here in Pittsburgh and will absolutely be back to the Whitfield many times. It’s obvious that the staff, from the front of the house to the back, knows exactly what they’re doing and I look forward to them keeping up this amazing, delicious work!