the future of notion

In November 2010, I took ownership of, what was then, the Boulevard Bistro at 314 Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont PA. Certainly I knew the risks associated with operating a restaurant. Especially one in a small community and even more so with our style of food and service. Knowing the challenges we would face as a team, we moved forward. 

Before the doors opened, we had a plan in place that would allow us to move notion to a more suitable location but still stay in the city we love. In every conversation in the last year about our future we talked about "when we move". For us the plan was always moving forward, since day 1. Our plan was simple; 

-Don't over do it

-Introduce ourselves to the city 

-Make a good name for the future of notion 

-Make a positive impact (no matter how small) on the rapidly progressing food scene 

Simple, and we knew if we executed, it would work. 

With that said, I am happy and excited to tell you that in anticipation of a May 2012 opening in East Liberty, our last dinner service at notion will be Saturday, December 17, 2011. (Yes, read it again)

In its place, we will open "314 Pasta and Prime" on January 16, 2012 . 314 Pasta and Prime is going to be a community restaurant. Plain and simple. All you can eat salad and bread, pastas, prime steaks. We are even going to have a 10ft by 30ft chalkboard wall for our little artists to draw on. This place is going to be great for us and offer a service to the community. We are really looking forward to getting to know our neighbors. I love Oakmont. I love living here. I love that my kids walk to school. This is our way of becoming part of the community that I have chosen to call home. 

As for notion, we have a plan for the future in place, and a lot of it is already taking shape. Are there still a lot of uncertainties? Sure. I can think of 500,000 of them. The money, the space, the investors, all up in the air. Even so, I am confident that I will be able to build a dramatic, emotion space that allows us to be creative and work at a high level everyday. I am confident that by May, notion will resurface in East Liberty as the restaurant it is meant to be. But even in my confidence there lies a chance that notion never opens. Its hard to imagine, and it has been a difficult decision to make, but it is a risk I have to take. 

Theres so much more to be said, but I think this sums it up. So if you haven't eaten at notion and want to, better act fast, December 3 through December 17 could be your last chance for a while. 

Id like to thank everyone who has supported us for the last year.  It has been an amazing ride and without your support, Id never have the nerve to take this leap of faith. You are all such a huge part of the success, and future success of the my company and the notion family. Thank you all. 

A New Beginning

Officially, November 1, 2010 I signed the documents to buy notion restaurant. notion will occupy 314 Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont which was formerly the Boulevard Bistro space. I had reservations about moving into a previously existing restaurant space, but this presented an opportunity 9 months in the making and there was no way to pass this up. I suppose my biggest concern is that people may have a hard time separating what the restaurant was and what I intend for it to become. My intention is to serve the food I am passionate about in an environment that is completely un-intimidating and unpretentious. I want people to enjoy my food and not feel like they have to sit a certain way, or talk a certain way or make a certain amount of money. My food is fun. Its fun to cook and its fun to eat. It makes you think, not every bite, not every dish, but it has the potential to raise questions and that is exciting. I intend for this restaurant to change the way the city and the people who enjoy dining think about food. I intend for this restaurant to be one of the best in the country. Mostly, I intend for this restaurant to be a way for us as chefs and service professionals to convey our energy and passion for our craft to each and every guest.


There will be more in the days and weeks and months to come. As for now, We are focused on completing renovations and recipe development and pushing forward quickly to open before the end of the year.