Bright Eastern European Flavors Shine at Titusz

Titusz, located in Lawrenceville, is the first solo venture from renowned local chef Csilla Thackery, who ran the kitchens of The Vandal, Legume Bistro and Churchview Farm. Thackery drew on her Austrian and Hungarian heritage for inspiration for Titusz’s menu; she even named the restaurant after her grandfather.

The bird’s-eye view of Titusz from its second floor

The restaurant is in the former Merchant Oyster Co. space, but Thackery completely redesigned the space to make it feel cozy — just like your grandma’s house. There are benches with plump cushions, bright yellow and blue ceramic countertops, and whimsical patterns scattered around the restaurant. The second-floor dining area has the perfect bird’s-eye view of the restaurant and Butler Street beyond the windows. I loved getting to see the comings and goings of the people dining at Titusz throughout the evening.

Titusz serves a variety of inventive cocktails and unique wines by the glass

A drink is necessary at Titusz, since they have so many unique cocktails and wines by the glass. A few highlights are the Misty Meadow, made with chamomile-infused slivovitz (a traditional, strong plum brandy) and the Vodka Chambord!, made with żubrówka bison grass vodka. I opted for the Disco Ricky, made with white wine, marillenbrand (brandy made with apricots), pineapple, ginger, lime, and a Midori-Chartreuse-cucumber foam. This drink spoke to me, since it was two of my favorite things: fruit-forward and carbonated. The foam was a fun visual and textural element to the drink. My dining partner ordered the Zweigelt+ Brut Rosé from Austria and noted that it was bright and fruity with a touch of acidity. All of the wines on Titusz’s menu are from Austria and Hungary, keeping in theme with the food menu.

Titusz’s food menu isn’t exceptionally large, so that made it a little easier to narrow down what to eat, but honestly, I still wanted everything. The kaspressknödel, a cheese dumpling in charred leek and sauerkraut broth, and the liptauer, an Austrian cheese spread with kornspitz crostini, were both tempting, but ultimately, the langos, fried potato bread topped with topfen (a dairy spread similar to plain yogurt), goat gouda and herbs won out. The fried potato bread was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, which provided the perfect textural contrast to the topfen and goat gouda. The topfen was creamy and tangy, like plain yogurt, but with the thickness of cream cheese. The goat gouda added another layer of cheesy goodness with its mild, nutty flavor. The microgreens on top added a freshness to the entire dish. This was one of my favorite items of the evening.

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Another favorite was the sorrel soup, which is sadly no longer on the menu at the time of publication. Hopefully, it makes a comeback next summer, as this cold soup was bright and full of vegetal flavor. I normally don’t enjoy soups with greens as the main ingredient, but I really loved this one. Sorrel leans more on the zesty side of greens, and it also has a slight tanginess, which makes it ideal for a cold soup. The dill oil drizzled on top added another herbaceous element, while the sour cream plopped on top added more tanginess. This soup was summer in a bowl.

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The potato salad arrived next, and it was different from any other potato salad I’ve ever had. Instead of mayonnaise, this salad was mustard-forward and, much like the rest of the menu, leaned into using fresh, sweet herbs, like tarragon. It complemented both of the other dishes we’d had well. Titusz’s whole menu works so well together that no matter what you order,all of the flavors will be harmonious.

The salad, which uses seasonal produce and changes often, was comprised of mixed greens, fennel, corn, zucchini and a toasted caraway vinaigrette when I visited. While I enjoyed this fresh, crisp element to our meal, I wished I had opted for another one of the staples instead. This was just a bit plain compared to what I was craving that evening, but if you’re a salad lover, then you’ll enjoy this.

Csirke paprikás

The csirke paprikás, or braised half chicken, was not what I expected. I thought, like the rest of the menu, that it was going to lean into herbaceous flavors, but this dish took a hard left and came out with a thick tomato and paprika sauce covering the tender chicken. While unexpected, it was homey and comforting and added depth to the exceptionally juicy chicken. The nokedli, egg dumplings similar to German spätzle, added to the coziness of this dish. The cucumber salad and sour cream brought a tangy flavor, which is Titusz’s signature.

In a city filled with dishes inspired by immigrant grandparents, Titusz stands out. There are very few restaurants in Pittsburgh representing Austria and Hungary, but Titusz does it exceptionally with bold, exciting flavors. I’m looking forward to Titusz’s future; I know that, just like its menu, it’ll be bright.