An Excerpt of an Abridged History
by Jilly MacDowell
The Quiet Storm kitchen was an old-timer, which we could use as it was & only as it was, as per the health department's grandfather clause. Otherwise a full-scale upgrade would be needed, starting with a $20k hood system. So we made it work.
A temperamental but pretty awesome Diamond gas convection oven anchored the kitchen which, in the beginning, was the size of a small bedroom. We implemented a small 4-burner stove in every way possible, including the ones of which the health department did not approve. We made a panini press a big part of our menu, and used a trio of microwaves to expedite. A workhorse Zojirushi rice cooker & a pair of steam tables to hold soups, chili & specials rounded out our janky roster of heating & holding devices.
The oven did occasionally malfunction, usually on the weekend. It happened enough that we had a “no-oven” brunch plan on paper, which was successfully executed more than once. But on a regular basis, it pumped out hotel pan after hotel pan of our many staples – scrambled tofu, roasted vegetables & sweet potatoes, tofu planks & tempeh bacon, falafel, granola, mac & cheese, zucchini bread, frittatas & many beloved brunch dishes...
2001-2013
Quiet Storm Vegetarian + Vegan Café + Catering proudly & humbly served the Pittsburgh community (expressly Garfield) from 2001-2013. Developing relationships with local vendors & farms and employing creative cooks, servers & baristas, Quiet Storm served as the mind hive for brainstorms & meetings, family gatherings, first dates & brunch with friends, creating an atmosphere fueled by creativity, coffee & the unexpected.
2023-present
Quiet Storm Book is an online scrapbook & store to preserve a whole lot of people's hard work, memories & recipes. Content includes links to artists, alumni & vendors we worked with, a (sort of complete) list of the bands that played the Quiet Storm stage, a photo gallery (coming soon), information about our fundraising for cat rescues, and a store stocked with cookbooks, coffee, coffee mugs, owl logo merch & more.