What if you could be transported to the Mediterranean without leaving your neighborhood? That’s the vision at the new Pine Bistro, which opened in Southern Highlands in October.
“We actually took a trip to the Middle East and that region last year to try the best Lebanese in the world in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and see ... how we can best represent that in a new modern space here,” says Lowell Raven, partner at Ayya Hospitality.
What that translates into is ingredients like sumac, za’atar and tahini throughout the menu, and a dining experience welcoming guests into a world of flavors.
“We wanted it to be an elevated dining experience, but we still wanted it to be approachable. And I think that’s a very hard thing to do, especially when you’re elevating any space. You want people to come in and feel comfortable,” Raven says.
Diners are welcomed by cold mezza (appetizers) like lemony, garlicky baba ghanoush ($13) with pomegranate seeds and olive oil garnish. The fattoush salad ($15) is made with garden greens and sprinkled with toasted pita, pomegranates, herbed sumac and lemon vinaigrette. Kibbeh Nayeh ($23), sort of the Lebanese version of steak tartare, is prepared with bulgur, onion and mint. On the hot mezza menu, an eggplant and zucchini tower ($21) offers lightly battered squash topped with Lebanese yogurt.
Main courses are a mix of individual and shareable dishes. The kafta loula kabob ($27)–ground beef and lamb seasoned with sumac, onion and parsley and served with rice and signature yogurt–comes hot off the skewer. The whole fish platter ($57) features the fish of the day grilled or fried.
And while the Pine Burger on the dinner menu ($23) is meant for one person, a late-night menu allows for social sampling. Made with the same kafta beef used for the kabobs and topped with arugula, honey and the signature yogurt-based spread, the burger is converted into sliders on the late-night menu, available at 10 p.m.
Salads, rakaket jebneh or Lebanese cheese rolls ($13) and sambousek meat pies ($13) and beef shawarma plate ($23) transfer to the late-night menu seamlessly.
“Late night is usually more social than traditional dinner service. … We’re expecting larger groups to come,” Raven says. “What we did is build out that menu … so multiple people can try the same things with an order.”
You can’t have a good social scene without good cocktails. And Pine Bistro delivers with a program spearheaded by Lewis Caputa, who formerly helmed mixology at Rosina at the Venetian.
“We freshly juice all our items. We make our own syrups. And we do the correct icing and correct preparation. I think it goes a long way in delivering a pinnacle project,” Raven says.
Try the Sumac Smack with Leblon cachaca, sumac syrup, pomegranate juice and lemon; or the Arak sangria with the regional, liquorice-like spirit, red wine and seasonal fruits.
Hookah service, which is confined to the patio until 9 p.m., offers three different levels. The first level uses one flavor—think mint or pineapple. The second “mocktail” level combines two or three different flavors.
“And the last piece that you won’t see anywhere else in town is a cocktail hookah selection. … There’s about two to four ounces of additional spirit put into the water base, which makes it taste a little bit different. And it’s curated to match whatever is inside the bowl,” Raven explains.
“One thing we experienced when we went through our travels was [hookah] was everywhere, and it was so social. When you usually think of hookah in Las Vegas, you’re thinking of a dark little hidden hookah lounge. The main thing we wanted to do is make sure that in the venue, the hookah experience felt more elevated than the traditional connotation.”
PINE BISTRO 10620 Dean Martin Drive, 725-214-3280, pinebistro.com. Daily, 5 p.m-2 a.m.
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