Root 174 Plans for Summer Opening

Keith Fuller is bringing his signature style of modern food with a twist to Root 174, a restaurant born out of the square root of two local zip codes.

“Root is growing, planting seeds and giving back and that’s the community aspect,” Keith Fuller, the chef and business owner, said. “It’s a little play on words.”

Fuller, 31, of Polish Hill, has been the noted chef of downtown’s Six Penn restaurant for about six years. He said he felt it was time to go after his more than decade long dream of owning his own restaurant.

Fuller and his business partner, Patrick Bollinger, said Regent Square is the perfect place for him to do it.

“It’s prime real estate for us because he has a vision of community, which is what we really like about Regent Square,” Bollinger said. “That vision is important and because of that feel in this area, we just thought this is the perfect place to be because we feel like as we grow and support the community, the community will support us.”

Root 174 , which is moving to Oakland. Legume’s owner, Trevett Hooper, is friends with Fuller and called him about the space when he knew they would be leaving.

“We have been friends since they moved here and we share the same philosophies on food with farm to table, curing meats and it’s nice – he wanted me to have this space,” Fuller said.

The new restaurant will open in June and will be BYOB. Fuller described the food as contemporary, modern “food with fun.” Brunch and dinner will be served at Root 174.

“They will be concepts of food taken apart and being put back together, like a BLT Risotto and weird stuff like that,” Fuller said. “We will have vegan and vegetarian options.”

The menu will change on a weekly, sometimes daily basis with a chalkboard menu.

“The menu will always change, which is nice because I will make something one day and then I always say, 'How can I make that better,' or ‘What’s missing?’”

The new space in Regent Square is much smaller than Fuller’s former home at Six Penn. Bollinger said the benefits of a smaller sized restaurant will shine through in the food.

“That’s the problem and the great thing about this space – it’s a small space but it allows Keith to be the artist that he wants to be with food so we don’t have to worry about filling 150 seats every night,” Bollinger said. “Keith is very creative with food and wants to find new things all the time and it allows him to get a clientele that is really interested in that and to serve those people.”

Fuller and Bollinger both agreed that coming into the neighborhood over the summer, along with the established neighborhood restaurants, including and Regent Square is on the cutting edge of food in Pittsburgh.

They also credited that reputation with the work owners accomplished over the last few years.

“We think the Regent Square foodie neighborhood people are really going to connect with what Keith is creating,” Bollinger said. “It does speak to what Trevett has done – I think he has brought a new view of food that may not have been here and I think he did great work.”

General Manager Will Groves lives in the Wilkinsburg section of Regent Square and said he will now be walking to work every day.

“I have lived in Regent Square for four years and it’s just my favorite place I have ever lived,” Groves said. “I am looking forward to giving back to the community because it’s given me a lot.”

All food aside, the new neighborhood business owners are excited to make new friends, connect with the Regent Square community and create events that bring people together.

“We are trying to get some space in the back to do a Regent Square Days type of thing or a barbecue day and things like that that we really feel like this neighborhood would respond to,” Bollinger said.

Fuller and Bollinger said supporting the local businesses around their new venture is just another aspect – and perk – of moving to Regent Square.