Social House Seven, Pittsburgh

Social House 7 invites guests in for an upscale experience that fuses pan-Asian and European cuisine.

• The chef: Phillip Milton's culinary journey started at home, watching his mother and grandmother cook up inspiring dinners in his Michigan home. In time, his passion for food would take him to culinary school. After graduating, however, Chef Milton put his career on hold, feeling compelled to enlist in the U.S. Army. It wasn't long after his enlistment was complete that he returned to his one true love. In fact it was his other true love—his wife—who managed to get the chef to finally put down roots in Steel Town, where he's been wowing taste buds ever since.
• The cuisine: The izakaya tradition can be traced back to the 18th century, when standing sake shops began enticing travelers with an inviting sit-down atmosphere. Today, izakaya can be found across Japan, a kind of gastropub equivalent. Social House 7 takes this tradition to heart, inviting guests to select from the Asian fusion menu complete with inventive sushi rolls to wok-charred rice cakes in Thai barbecue sauce to scallop pad thai with peanuts and scallions.
• The atmosphere: Equal parts elegant and exotic, Social House is far from your average gastropub. As guests walk in they'll notice the koi pond—built directly into the floor—and the beautiful Buddhist icons that oversea the central communal and bar area. Dark wood and stone complete the intimate atmos.