Signature Dishes: Jerk tofu part of authentic Caribbean menu at 2 Sisters 2 Sons in Sharpsburg
This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com.
When Marline Siddo visits her family in Jamaica, she comes home to Pittsburgh’s North Side lugging stuffed suitcases.
They are not filled with souvenirs. Rather, she is carrying a plethora of authentic Caribbean spices used to pack a punch at her Sharpsburg restaurant, 2 Sisters 2 Sons.
“I make my curry and all my sauces from scratch,” said Siddo, who, with her sister, Denise Josephs of Monroeville, opened the small Main Street spot in July 2020.
“These are all natural, not like the stuff you buy at the store. My grandmother was from India, and I learned to make my curry from her.”
While the menu boasts recipes straight from the islands — there’s brownstew shrimp and Escovitch red snapper — it’s the curry/jerk tofu that brings a crowd through the neon green storefront.
The finely sliced tofu is coated with a secret concoction that is their small-batch seasoning.
“My aunt is the top chef for our vegan options,” said Siddo’s son, Kwasi Prince, who runs the front-end operations with his cousin, Michael Brown.
“She and my mom are all-stars in the kitchen. They take onion and peppers and grill them up and chop it all down with secret spices.”
Jerk cooking is native to Jamaica. Spicy notes usually are a result of garlic, thyme, allspice and peppers, though many cooks tweak it to their liking.
The key to authentic jerk cooking is slow roasting over pimento wood to allow the beef, fish and veggies to absorb the smoky flavor.
Prince said 2 Sisters 2 Sons keeps it like Jamaica, despite being located on the main drag of an Allegheny River town.
“It doesn’t matter how hot or cold it is outside, we have a grill out back and it is always on,” he said. “It needs to be authentic.”
The tofu dish is loaded with fresh veggies like English cucumber, peas and sweet potatoes.
The cost is $15 and the meal comes with a choice of two sides that include steamed cabbage and fried plantains.
“We’re one of the only Caribbean places where you can get such a variety of vegetarian options,” Prince said.
That’s not to say that people don’t come hungry for the curry goat, the oxtail or the Jamaican patties (beef fried in a golden crust).
“We serve a whole red snapper where you get the head and the tail, including the eyeballs,” Prince said. “People usually have a fun reaction to that.”
Anyone who’s been to the Caribbean islands might appreciate the Escovitch, a mix of vinegar and scotch bonnet peppers, much like the brine used by beachside chefs who grill for tourists.
It’s what first earned them a following for spiced-up dishes at Highland Park’s annual Jerk Fess. The sisters also were previously behind the 3 Sisters eatery in Wilkinsburg.
“Sharpsburg seemed like a good fit for us when we decided to open up last year,” Prince said. “They’ve been so welcoming from the start.”
The family is scouting a second location, possibly in Monroeville or the city’s East End.
2 Sisters 2 Sons (1882 Main St.) is open from noon to 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 412-252-2864 or visit facebook.com/2sisters2sons.
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
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