Infuzed Bistro reopens its doors in Brackenridge

Infuzed Bistro in Brackenridge is back in business, dishing up high-end, fresh fare in a cozy family-style setting.

The upscale eatery with everyday prices is the passion of chef Tim Emery, a New York native who began tinkering in the kitchen as a child at his grandmother’s knee.

“Whatever she was doing, I was always interested in,” said Emery, who trained briefly at a culinary institute before heading his first kitchen at age 18.

Emery, 38, opened the bistro in 2019 with the intent of bringing the area a three-star menu “without the three-star cost.”

“I want people to try things they normally wouldn’t be able to afford, without having to go to Pittsburgh,” Emery said.

Just six months after opening the doors, Emery made the decision to shutter the restaurant because of the uncertainty related to the covid-19 pandemic.

“We needed to change our business model until everything was more stable,” he said.

In the meantime, he served up barbecue from drum grills in the bistro parking lot. He also offered catering and family platters to-go.

Just last month, he opened a custom furniture store, On the Edge, along Corbet Street in Tarentum.

The kitchen – and his desire to infuse more variety into the area – kept nagging him.

“I had to get back to my passion,” Emery said. “Building this place, offering fresh food and a personal experience, is what this area needs.”

The bistro has a high-profile location in its favor. The former site of the Chalkboard Cafe, it sits inside a century-old Victorian residence along 10th Avenue, adjacent to Prospect Cemetery.

Seating is scattered about an enclosed porch, naturally lit by wall-to-wall windows. Emery cut seating in half, to 22, to keep it manageable in the lingering age of covid.

The homey exterior belies the skill set in the kitchen.

Sean Sekeras joined the kitchen as a sous chef and has become part-owner of the restaurant. A Tarentum resident, he trained under Emery and adopted his philosophy of farm-to-table with an exotic flair.

A specialty of the duo is a one-pound New York strip steak cured with a rub and seared with sesame oil on a flat-iron skillet. Accompanied by roasted potatoes, the meal costs $30.

“Everything is fresh — the meats, seafood,” said Sekeras, 22, a Highlands graduate. “We don’t even own a freezer.”

A limited menu features appetizers that include Asian sticky ribs ($10) and a salad of cucumber and sea weed ($8).

“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to cook,” Sekeras said. “To see where I am now, and to be a part of this group that’s offering a once-stagnant community something unique, I’m proud.”

Patrons with dietary limitations can chat one-on-one with the chefs to have their needs met.

“We love to come out to the table and give you a personalized dining experience,” Emery said. “We love to create things on the fly.”

That customized approach is the foundation of Emery’s business mantra.

“We love to make that human connection,” he said. “I want this restaurant to spur hope and growth in this region.

“In the two years that we’ve been here, we’ve built so many collaborations with local businesses and I think it’s an example that if you work together, this region can really flourish.”

Infuzed Bistro is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. It’s BYOB with no corkage fee.