CHICKEN SANDWICH FROM GIVEN TO FLY | PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Some of Pittsburgh’s fried chicken experts are hatching a new concept in Bloomfield.

Troy Beck, who runs Given To Fly with executive chef Katie Peric at Federal Galley on the North Side, announced on social media that he acquired the Station restaurant space at 4744 Liberty Ave. In February, after nine years in business, chef Curtis Gamble closed the popular eatery and moved to Tennessee.

“While there will be a rebrand,” Beck said in a post, “I promise to honor Curtis as much as we can as his menu was one of my favorites in the city.”

Thankfully, Beck and Peric will keep slinging chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings at Federal Galley while they create the new space. Their Truffalo Chicken Sandwich is one of my favorite meals in the city. I’m also a fan of the Andrew McClucken, their fowl tribute to our 2023 Pittsburgher of the Year Andrew McCutchen with Black & Gold BBQ sauce, fresh jalapenos and fried onions on a brioche bun.

I love a good pun on a bun!

In 2022, Given To Fly opened at the restaurant incubator run by Galley Group, a company that’s also branching out by rebranding Mindful Brewing in Castle Shannon.

Before the pandemic, Beck worked front-of-the-house positions at Garbarino’s and The Twisted Frenchman (both in East Liberty), and behind the bar at Poulet Bleu (Lawrenceville) and Meat & Potatoes (Downtown). Peric came to Pittsburgh from Morgantown, West Virginia, where she served as pastry chef at Table 9.

With all the fun foodie activity that’s been happening in Bloomfield, including the opening of Scandinavian eatery Fet-Fisk and the 10th anniversary of Linea Verde Green Market, I can’t wait to see (and taste!) what this dynamic duo brings to the neighborhood.