Pittsburgh born now Brooklyn based, Brent is the butcher and restaurateur behind Rippers, a Far Rockaway beach joint, The Meat Hook, and Whitfield at Ace Hotel in East Liberty, PA. Brent will share how he helped shape the Whitfield to be noted as one of the country’s best restaurants in the country noted by bon appétit in 2016. He’ll also share trends and experiences that shaping his culinary experience and help us try to define what an inclusive food scene can be for our region.

This week’s talk will take place at Smallman Galley--a boutique restaurant and food incubator in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Come early to enjoy their brunch, have a drink and learn more about the space. The featured speaker will begin at 2pm.

(Please note: brunch is not included with admission).

Beyond The Menu is series of gatherings, talks, and events to celebrate Pittsburgh’s food and beverage culture. With you, we’ll reflect on the industry’s growth and share ideas about what it means to have a thriving food culture in a major metropolitan region. Most importantly, we want to tell our stories, learn from others and determine how we can continue improving our city, while providing accessibility to all. During each event, we will be crowdsourcing through Twitter to establish a Manifesto for what Pittsburgh food should be. The goal is to provoke conversations about who’s left out, how we can affect change, and where we might go in the future through innovation and collaboration.

The series is in collaboration with MIT Enterprise Forum, Thrill Mill, Smallman Galley, First Course, Shift Collaborative, AlphaLab Gear and other leaders in the food entrepreneur and culinary sector. New Sun Rising is the 501 c3 fiscal sponsor for Beyond the Menu. Flaherty & O’Hara is the presenting sponsor. The event is also part of the City of Pittsburgh’s signature Bicentennial Events happening in 2016.