Cafe Momentum-“Teaching Kids to Play with Knives and Fire”

Opened in March of 2023 and quickly proclaimed one of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Best New Restaurants, Cafe Momentum is opening doors for the city’s justice-involved youth.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on them and/or making a purchase, I may make a small profit. Thank you for your continued support!

What is Cafe Momentum?

This page usually displays my travel adventures with my kids, this time, however, I am writing about my travels and kids. Cafe Momentum is an upscale dining experience available in Pittsburgh, Dallas and soon in Atlanta. I had the opportunity to eat at the Pittsburgh location recently and was unsure of what to expect; despite the swanky vibe, the staff is almost entirely made up of teenagers!

These teenagers are 15-19 years old and have some sort of experience with the justice system. Cafe Momentum provides the opportunity for these kids to gain hands-on work and life experiences otherwise not afforded to teens in their position. During my meal, our party spoke with our server about the one-of-a-kind job training she is receiving. On a personal note, she is lovely and I hope to hear only the best for her future!

How does it work?

Cafe Momentum offers paid internships to youth ages 15-19, who have been incarcerated or on probation within the past 12 months. There is an application available on their website.

The restaurant is only open Wednesday-Saturday evenings. The other days of the week interns are learning not only the restaurant jobs, but also life skills. Our server shared that the interns rotate jobs within the kitchen. She obviously was serving that evening, but also shared greeting duty at the host stand. The teens also prep and cook the food. Imagine being in the juvenile justice system and only a few months later someone taking the time to teach you to cook pumpkin bisque with duck. This program is life-changing for its participants.

At Cafe Momentum, all tips go straight to the donation jar. Tips pay for additional trainings, mental health services and team bonding actvities. They also help pay for the shower facilities and toiletries available to staff. Here are all of the benefits according to the website:

• Paid workforce development training
• Life skills and social skills training
• Academic and financial education
• Career exploration
• Mental health services and support
• 24/7 case management

Professional head chefs supervise the teens in the kitchen. We also met the manager of the restaurant during our meal. She was lovely and chatted with us about the program.

The Cafe Momentum Dining Experience

As I mentioned, the Cafe is open with limited hours from Wednesday to Saturday from 5-10pm. Reservations are suggested and available on OpenTable. Parking is available in paid lots around the city. Given the ambiance and menu selections, this is not necessarily a restaurant for the younger kiddos to enjoy. I would not bring kids younger than 13 to this dining experience. As most of the staff is learning on the job the meal does take a bit of time to complete.

The Menu

A version of the menu is available online, however it does change. Divided into four sections, Bites, Large Plates, Salads and Sides, the items would fit in with any upscale dining locale. There is also a separate dessert and coffee/tea menu.

Of note- Cafe Momentum serves still and sparkling water, coffee and tea only. Should you wish to drink wine, you are welcome to bring your own bottle and pay a corkage fee.

Appetizers

Called ‘Bites’ on the menu, the appetizer selection does not dissapoint. Our table was immediatly intrigued with a dish called, “Butter”. We received homemade biscuits and two types of bread, along with three dishes of housemade butter. Each was delicious and the table favorite was the buffalo style pictured in the center.

A fan of anything fig, I also ordered the ‘Brie and Fig Flatbread’. According to the online menu, this is flatbread served with, “brie cheese, fig, pistachio, ginger honey.” It was served piping hot and we devoured it all. The fig was certainly the forward note on the dish and the flatbread was the perfect texture, some chew, without being overly chewy.

Large Plates

The four of us in our dining party each ordered something different. As a less adventurous eater, I went with the

“Smoked Fried Chicken-$27- mashed potatoes, ham hock collard greens, buttermilk
biscuit, black pepper gravy”

Clearly not a professional food critic, just a happy eater, I will give this my best shot; I believe this was a boneless chicken thigh. It was incredibly moist and tasted as if it had been both brined and smoked. This was the best fried chicken breading I’ve ever eaten. The biscuit was buttery without being overly greasy on my palate. The mashed potatoes were very creamy. The gravy was peppery and flavorful. I also enjoyed the collard greens, which is saying something since I’ve never had them before!

More Main Entrees

“RED SNAPPER 31
pan roasted, squid ink and smoked shallot lentil cake,
charred broccolini, Thai coconut beurre blanc”- Gluten Free

Pork Chop

On the online menu the following is listed:

“JERKY PORKCHOP 35
porterhouse cut, hatch chili jerk sauce, mushrooms,
sweet greens, popcorn grits, balsamic reduction” Gluten Free

I am not 100% sure if this is the exact dish that was on the menu the evening we dined. However, my tablemate did order a pork chop and cleaned his plate!

Last, but not least, and sadly unpictured, the last of our party ordered a seasonal risotto.

Cafe Momentum

We were exceptionally pleased with the quality of our meal and I felt like the pricing was fair as well. As I mentioned above, tips do not go directly to your server, but instead are used to fund more experiences for the entire intern staff.

This program began in Dallas in 2015 and as of this writing (and per the website) has helped over 1200 youth. I believe the importance of a program like this cannot be overstated. The teens involved have adults that believe in them. They are gaining work and life experiences allowing them to reset and evolve into positive community members.

Please show your support by going to the website, sharing this cause on social media, referring a youth to the program, donating or best of all, making a reservation and enjoying a meal!