Pittsburgh Restaurants

Restaurants in and around Pittsburgh

Meat and Potatoes Brunch

April 8, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

On Saturday, we ventured out for brunch and a stroll around the strip district. We needed buy some cheese, rice, and a few spices at Penzy’s. Last weekend we went to Eleven, so we decided to try brunch at Meat and Potatoes this weekend. We had been there before with friends and the food was fantastic. This brunch was on my must try list.

Photo Apr 06 12 33 42 PM

We started with the homemade Monkey Bread. It was sweet and soft, coated frosting. There was crispy sugar on the bottom and lots of cinnamon. It was very moist and fluffy. This is a must try.

Photo Apr 06 12 33 50 PM

For my brunch cocktail, I enjoyed the Irish Breakfast. I love Irish coffee. I drank it all the time when I studied abroad in Spain. There was a small little bar that served a fantastic version. So, when I saw it on the menu, I had to order it. The coffee was slightly sweet from the maple whipped cream with Jameson whiskey.

Photo Apr 06 12 35 13 PM

Pierre ordered the French 76 upon our waitresses recommendation. It contains rosemary vodka, lemon, and champagne. I thought it was refreshing and tasted a little like grown up lemonade.

Photo Apr 06 12 48 41 PM

For one entree, we ordered the carbonara. Meat and Potatoes makes pasta in house. This dish consisted of a very creamy sauce with pancetta, parmesan, green onion, and a fried egg. The pancetta was fantastic. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Photo Apr 06 1 13 50 PM

Finally, we ordered the Chicken and Waffles.

Photo Apr 06 1 13 55 PM

It is four very large pieces of fried chicken with a cheddar jalapeño waffle and bourbon bacon syrup. It was a lot of food. The chicken had a very thick crust on it. The syrup definitely tasted like bacon, but I didn’t get much of the bourbon. While I liked this dish, I would probably not order it again next time. Overall, we had a delicious brunch. I really enjoyed both visits to Meat and Potatoes.

Meat & Potatoes on Urbanspoon

Tags:

Alma Pittsburgh

March 11, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

I love Latin American cuisine. So, naturally I wanted to go to Alma since it opened in Regent Square. The Pittsburgh Restaurant Week blogger dinner was there in January, but I was unable to attend. We decided to final make our way over there on Friday for dinner. The restaurant is on the corner of 5th Avenue and South Braddock Avenue. It offers on street parking and has a dining area as well as a cantina. In warmer weather, they offer outdoor seating as well.

Simple Clean and Homemade

We started our meals with cocktails because they offer an interesting and exciting selection. I went with the Horchata Martini. It is creamy with cinnamon and vanilla and has a cinnamon stick as a garnish. It tasted a little like really good arroz con leche.

Simple Clean and Homemade

The other cocktail was a Caribbean Mojito. It was the special of the evening. It is a play on the classic mojito, using pineapple rum and I think coconut rum as well. This is a truly tropical drink. I hope to go back and sit outside in the hot weather and sip this cocktail.

Simple Clean and homemade

I ordered the Cuban Sandwich. It came perfectly toasted and crispy with slow-roasted pork, ham, and Jarlsburg cheese. The cheese made it so creamy.

Simple Clean and Homemade

The best part of the Cuban sandwich was the Yuca fries. They are crispy and pair well with the dip.

Simple Clean and Homemade

For our other entree, we ordered the Tarrejitas de Frijolitos. It featured two blackbean cakes, collard greens, lentil fritters, and ripe plantains with grilled asparagus spears. The cake was crispy and well seasoned. It paired nicely with the collards.

Simple Clean and homemade

We expressed to our waitress that we enjoy spicy food, so she brought us this habanero hot sauce. It is spicy, but not overwhelming for me.

Simple Clean and Homeade

And for dessert, I had to order the Tres Leches. This was by far the highlight of the meal. It was creamy and moist. The strawberries complimented the creaminess of the three milks. The perfect ending to a delicious meal.

Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Brunch at Eleven II

February 12, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

I know I already wrote about brunch at Eleven once, but it is just so good there that I had to share our fab meal from the weekend. You can read about our last visit here. Now let’s look at the food. Unfortunately these iPhone pictures are a little fuzzy and dark.

Photo Feb 10 11 45 34 AM

I love a brunch cocktail. So, despite my love of mimosas, we decided to try new drinks this time. This first drink is the Eleven Mules. I was sold on it as soon as I read the words “house-made ginger beer”. Seriously? How could I pass it up. This drink was lightly sweet with a fresh flavor from the cucumber vodka, lime, and slices of mini cucumber floating on top. Wow. It may be the best cocktail I have ever tasted.

Photo Feb 10 11 45 58 AM

We also ordered the sangria. It features tempranillo, cherry vodka, apricot brandy, Primm’s, agave, apples, lime and orange to garnish. It was delicious. Perhaps a little too sweet for my taste, but a nice offering. I will order the Eleven Mules next time.

Photo Feb 10 11 46 08 AM

Photo Feb 10 11 46 12 AM

Eleven always offers an amazing house-made basket of breads. This one featured two miniature biscuits, a croissant, a banana muffin, and a chocolate chip muffin. My favorite item in the basket was the mini biscuit with the banana muffin as a close second. The croissant was excellent, although we eat them once or twice a month from a local bakery, so we enjoyed the other offerings instead. The chocolate chip muffin was the best one I have ever had and even made me think twice about my long standing hatred for chocolate chip muffins. The butter is whipped with honey and was delicious with each bread. The jam of the day was orange or tangerine. I don’t really remember. It went well with the banana muffin.

Photo Feb 10 11 50 05 AM

For one appetizer we ordered the Charcuterie. It featured Surryano ham, pork rillette, duck proscuitto, hot pepper jam, pickled vegetables, and some grainy mustard. I thoroughly enjoyed the duck proscuitto and the hot pepper jam.

Photo Feb 10 11 50 11 AM

The Pastrami Hash was the other choice. It featured a perfectly poached egg, mustard seed, horseradish, and chunks of pastrami. The potatoes were slightly crispy.

Photo Feb 10 12 10 50 PM

For my entree, I ordered the Smoked Lamb Huevos Rancheros. The dish was a large pile of smoked, pulled lamb on top of a crispy fried tortilla layered with refried lentils, and topped with two sunny side up eggs. The dish was enhanced with the acidic tomatillo salsa and goat cheese. The first bite surprised me by how good it was. We ended up eating most of it and taking the Eleven Burger (our staple) home to finish for dinner. It was the perfect brunch. I highly recommend visiting one Sunday morning.

This trip was in honor of my birthday using our Big Burrito birthday coupon. It is an excellent birthday gift of a free entree at any Big Burrito restaurant except Umi. You can sign up for it here.

Eleven on Urbanspoon

Tags:

Nicky’s Thai Kitchen

February 11, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

Nicky’s Thai Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. It is located on Western Avenue on the North Side. They have recently opened a second location downtown, but I have not gone there yet. Nicky’s is a small restaurant in a restored row house. It has gorgeous outdoor dining that feels like you are not in a city at all available in the summer months. It is my favorite lunch spot because of the little surprise that sits atop the rice.

Photo Feb 09 11 53 15 AM

To start at lunch, all meals come with salad or soup. I always get the soup. It is a small cup of thai-flavored chicken noodle soup. It features a light broth with a hint of lemon grass and rice noodles. It is the perfect start to the meal.

Photo Feb 09 12 01 54 PM

I order the same thing every time we go there. I order the Spicy Green Beans. Nicky’s offers a variety of protein choices as well as a vegetable option. I order the veggie option without the tofu. That basically means that they add on a few more vegetables. The spicy green beans have a red curry sauce and are slightly spicy. Nicky’s allows customers to choose spiciness on a 1-10 scale. I like a 9, but it is better to be safe than sorry. If you order your meal and it is not spicy enough or you are sharing with someone who does not like spice, ask for the spice tray. The mini peppers are amazing!

Photo Feb 09 12 01 59 PM

Crab Rangoons are the special surprise on your plate at lunch. They serve one as a garnish. Nicky’s has the best crab ran goons. They are crispy and slightly sweet. I save mine for the end of the meal. It is like dessert.

Photo Feb 09 12 02 07 PM

The other dish that we ordered on this trip was the jalapeño peanut. It was jalapeños and onions mixed with beef, chicken and port in a brown sauce topped with fried peanuts. This dish was also very good being slightly spicy. The meats were perfectly seasoned.

Typically we order Pla Lad Prik. It is a crispy fried tilapia fillet with veggies and a spicy chili sauce. I highly recommend that dish. I mean, if I didn’t love the spicy green beans. I really do love them.

Nicky's Thai Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Tags: ,

Mad Mex Robinson

February 4, 2013 in Pittsburgh Restaurants, Recipes, Robinson | No comments

Mad Mex. It is probably one of the restaurants we go to the most. I didn’t love it in the beginning. In fact, I really had not found anything that I liked there until about a year ago aside from the chips and salsa. Now I know exactly what I like there and I am going to let you in on my secrets.

Photo Nov 21 6 16 33 PM

This is the cranberry margarita. It could be your new best friend. It is only there prior to Christmas, but it is so good. It is tart and sweet, but not too sweet. It is just right. When this isn’t available, I like the white sangria.

Photo Jan 30 5 59 01 PM

My favorite salsa is the fire roasted tomato chipotle salsa. I like to douse it in habanero hot sauce to make it hotter. It is consistently fabulous.

Photo Oct 09 5 38 23 PM

One reason we go to Mad Mex all the time is the awesome Happy Hour deals. I love happy hour. This one is sweet. From 4:30-6:30 on weekdays, wings and drafts are half off plus they have discounted margaritas. Sometimes, we go there just for some beer and wings. We always order these Chipotle Honey BBQ wings in insanity with the blue cheese. You will not regret this decision. It is savory, sweet, tart, and crispy. I like extra celery so I can enjoy their delicious blue cheese dressing.

Photo Jan 30 6 16 17 PM

We have learned that we like the Burritos Fabulosos section of the menu. Pictured above is the Shrimp Mushroom Spinach Burrito. We always make them a Bare-ito, which means that it is served without the tortilla but in a bowl. This one has shrimp, mushrooms, black beans, and Monterey Jack cheese. It comes out steaming and is so yummy.

Photo Jan 30 6 16 22 PM

This Burritos Fabulosos is the Thai Curry Burrito. We got it with chicken, but next time we will get it with shrimp. The rice has a delicious coconut flavor. The peanuts add a savory flavor that contrasts the pineapple and curry sauce. This one does not have cheese. Again, it is a bare-ito. Our first bare-ito from the Burritos Fabulosos section of the menu was the Carnitas Burrito which inspired this recipe.

If you have not gone to Mad Mex, or have not found something you love, I highly recommend these selections. Plus, sign up for the mailing list here. You will get a free burrito for your birthday!

Mad Mex on Urbanspoon

Tags:

Brunch at Eleven

December 17, 2012 in Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

My favorite time to go out to restaurants is during brunch. I love it. I love mimosas and choosing between breakfast and lunch food. I love that I have all day to digest. My favorite brunch location is Eleven Contemporary Kitchen in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. Today was our most recent trip there for brunch. It features two-story seating with fireplaces and sophisticated holiday decorations.  When we arrived, we were promptly greeted and shown to our seat upstairs overlooking the spacious bar. The brunch menu features a pre fixe meal for $25 that includes a brunch cocktail, an appetizer, and an entree. We made out selections and enjoyed the ambiance in the setting that certainly was lifting my Christmas spirit. 

Photo Dec 16 11 07 41 AM

The mimosa at Eleven is fab. It is effervescent with a splash of orange juice. Both of us chose to order the mimosa. 

Photo Dec 16 11 09 58 AM

Soon after our mimosas arrived, our pastry basket also came to the table. It featured two biscuits, one white chocolate turnover (like a scone), one carrot muffin, and one cinnamon muffin. 

Photo Dec 16 11 10 10 AM

The pastry basket comes with house made honey butter and apple compote. Both were delicious. I enjoyed the white chocolate turnover the most. The butter complimented the biscuits very well, adding a slightly sweet punch of honey flavor. The apple compote went best with the cinnamon muffin. I was surprised at how concentratedthe taste of apple was in the compote. 

Photo Dec 16 11 16 14 AM

As one of our appetizers, we chose the oysters. They come with house made habanero hot sauce and a shallot sauce.  The hot sauce is slightly sweet on the tongue with heat at the finish. When added to the oysters, thedish is a briny mix of oyster, hot, and slight shallow flavor. It is the perfect oyster bite. 

Photo Dec 16 11 16 27 AM

For the second appetizer, we had to order to beignets. The house made beignets were light a fluffy. They had a slight punch of meyer lemon and tangerine sauce. They were warm and dreamy. 

Photo Dec 16 11 32 28 AM

As an entree, we ordered the steak and egg. The steak is cooked to order. I always order steak Pittsburgh rare (charred on the outside and rare on the inside). This was cooked perfectly for me. It was cool on the inside and had a charred flavor on the outside. Highlighting the dish were creamy grits, roasted red peppers, and a béarnaise sauce. 

Photo Dec 16 11 33 41 AM

Now, let’s talk about the egg. I was most excited about the egg, and it did not disappoint. The crispy egg was just that. It was crispy on the outside and runny on the inside. It is first poached and then lightly fried. The egg added a richness to the dish that made it out of this world. 

Photo Dec 16 11 32 48 AM

For our second entree, we ordered the Eleven burger, just because it was so good last time. The Eleven Burger is topped with braised veal, black pepper bacon, crispy onions. We chose the goat cheese to top it. It comes with a crispy pickle and fries. 

Photo Dec 16 11 37 19 AM

It is cooked to order. I typically order burgers medium and this was! It is one of the best burgers that I have tasted in the city. 

Eleven is the perfect brunch spot. Almost everything is house made and features local, fresh ingredients. It is a great place for a special occasion or would make a great birthday celebration. I highly recommend brunch at Eleven. 

 

Eleven on Urbanspoon

Tags:

Bubba’s Gourmet Burghers and Beer

December 10, 2012 in Burgers, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

After shopping at the outlet mall on Friday night, we needed a quick dinner on the way home. We decided to try Bubba’s Gourmet Burghers and Beer. It is located in Bridgeville in a new plaza on Washington Pike. 

Photo Dec 07 8 39 39 PM

When we arrived (around 8 on a Friday night), we were a little surprised that there were only about 5 other tables. We were seated at a table along the far wall. Our waitress was very friendly and took our order promptly. 

Both of us went with the classic burger. It comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo with a side of their fries and a pickle. I like to order a classic burger when we first try a new burger restaurant. They have to be able to get the basics right. 

Photo Dec 07 8 41 51 PM

Any time we go to burger places, I order my burger cooked medium. This one was cooked perfectly. It was nicely seasoned and very juicy. The burger was good, not my favorite of all the burger places in the area. It was very greasy. In fact, there was a puddle of grease left in the bottom of my dish.

Photo Dec 07 8 39 52 PM

All of the burgers come with fries. The fries are a mixture of sweet potato fries and regular fries. They have a slightly smokey flavor. These fries would have been really good if they were hot. Unfortunately, they were room temperature. It was a little disappointing considering that they weren’t even busy. 

Overall, the meal at Bubba’s was good. It wasn’t great and it wasn’t bad. It is a good option in Bridgeville in the evening when other places are closed. We might go back, but I would probably try something else. 

 

Bubba's Gourmet Burghers and Beer on Urbanspoon

The Weekend Is Over

December 3, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh events, Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

I have to confess that I have been procrastinating. I have put off buying Christmas presents because I was waiting for one very specific local Pittsburgh Event. This weekend, we headed out to Bakery Square in East Liberty. Bakery Square hosted a Winter Wonderland event on November 30th and December 1, 2012. I can’t say that it was much like winter, as the temperatures were 58 degrees on the first day of December, but it was a great opportunity to buy some unique Christmas presents from local venders and enjoy local food and beverages.

First we headed to the I Made It! Market. The show was quite large and featured tons of handmade items at reasonable prices. I know I bought a few items that I plan to give as gifts. I would say these events are more centered around locally made arts. It is not your typically craft show. 

Photo Dec 01 12 56 51 PM

Just outside of the I Made It! Market was the Tapped. Popped Up Beer Garden. Tapped has featured pop up beer gardens around the city this summer. We were so excited that these two events were held at the same location so we could enjoy both at the same time. Naturally, we picked up some lunch and enjoyed the beer garden. 

Photo Dec 01 12 57 11 PMThe event featured burgers from BRGR restaurant. BRGR currently has two locations in addition to the food truck. The burgers are fresh, juicy, and made to order. This burger was perfection. It was cooked medium with  lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. They offered two other items. All were meat burgers. 

Photo Dec 01 12 57 03 PM

In addition, Franktuary set up serving three choices of hot dogs with various toppings available. The options were a regular dog, veggie dog, or local beef hot dog. We went with the local beef hot dog. It was a very good dog. I was excited about the choice of three different kinds of mustard. We went with the brown mustard. While I am not a hot dog lover, this was quite good, the bun was just a little thick for my taste. 

Photo Dec 01 12 57 17 PM

At the time we arrived at the beer garden, there were only three options. I went with the Arsenal Cider. I am not exactly sure which one this was, but it was fantastic. It was slightly effervescent with a spicy taste and a light, crisp, apple flavor.Photo Dec 01 12 57 19 PM Pierre chose the Festivus from Full Pint Brewing. It was good, but I prefer the arsenal cider. There was a second offering from Full Pint as well.

In addition to the food that we tried, PGH PErogi, Fat Cat Baked Goods, and Fukuda were there. I can’t wait for the next Pop up beer garden. There is another I Made It! Market coming in February.  

 

 

Tags:

El Paso Mexican Restaurant

November 19, 2012 in Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

I love Mexican food, both authentic and Americanized. What can I say? Cilantro is one of my favorite flavors. That probably explains my affinity for Thai food as well. I call Americanized Mexican food my winter food because it is warm and comforting. I like refried beans and chips and salsa. Really. That is the only reason I go to inexpensive Mexican restaurants. 

Photo Nov 16 6 41 29 PM

Until this summer, we had a favorite that was very convenient. Then, it closed. We were so sad. So we tried El Paso in Bridgeville. It is located next to T.J. Maxx (the best one in the area) in the Great Southern Shopping Center. 

Photo Nov 16 5 47 55 PM

First and foremost, our new favorite Mexican restaurant has to have delicious salsa with chile habanero sauce on the table. This salsa is a little on the thin side, but it has the brightness of cilantro. All it needs is a little habanero sauce to give it some heat and it meets my salsa requirements.

Photo Nov 16 5 47 42 PM

 Next, the chips must be slightly warm and fresh. These fit the bill. 

Photo Nov 16 5 53 12 PM

In addition to the perfect chips, El Paso has the cheese dip that I crave in the winter. White American cheese with a tiny bit of heat. Perfect for dipping. 

Photo Nov 16 5 51 54 PM

I almost never order a margarita. This one was good. I got mine frozen, Pierre had his on the rocks. Man was it strong. 

Photo Nov 16 5 59 28 PM

I am reallysimple at Mexican restaurants, I really just want a soft taco and some beans. This is a typical soft taco in the Pittsburgh region. It has ground beef and some lettuce. 

Photo Nov 16 6 00 50 PM

The refried beans are smooth and creamy. Great for dipping chips. 

Photo Nov 16 5 59 37 PM

Pierre chose the Chicken Fajitas. They came in a sizzling pan with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers. It was exactly what I look for in fajitas. 

Photo Nov 16 5 59 41 PM

The fajitas came with this giant plate of toppings as well as some tortilla shells. We never eat the tortilla shells when we order fajitas. 

This is our new go to Americanized Mexican food restaurant for an inexpensive meal. It is definitely kid friendly and quick. We will be back for sure.  

El Paso Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon

Park Bruges Brunch

November 12, 2012 in Pittsburgh Restaurants | No comments

The gorgeous weather this weekend prompted us to do something that we hate doing in the winter. We waited in line for brunch. When we realized that it would be around 68 degrees on Sunday, we knew it was our last opportunity to go to Point Brugge for the season because I hate being cold. So, I checked out the menu, as I always do, and Pierre saw the thing that lures him to any restaurant, Poutine. That prompted us to go to Park Bruges instead because they have some over the top version of poutine that has sausage gravy and eggs. Normally, we got to Point Brugge because I love the fritted with the basil mayonnaise, the moles bowl, and the frittata of the day has never lead me astray. For dinner, I love the roasted tomato and spinach dip. 

Photo Nov 11 11 11 23 AM

We arrived at the restaurant at about 10:40. There was not line. We were shocked. We thought perhaps this second restaurant was not as popular for brunch as Point Brugge. We stood there for a few minutes and slowly the crowd waiting grew. By the time eleven o’clock came, there were enough people to fill the restaurants. We were escorted to our seats and ordered our drinks. We both ordered a mimosa. I do love a mimosa at brunch.  This was an excellent version of a classic mimosa. 

Photo Nov 11 11 41 29 AM

I typically order the frittata of the day or the omelet of the day when I go to Park Bruges sister restaurant, Point Brugge. This week, the frittata of the day featured wild mushrooms and an herbed goat cheese. The herbed goat cheese and mushrooms gave this a delightful earthy taste. This was a great frittata of the day, as usual. 

Photo Nov 11 11 38 55 AM

 In addition to the frittata and the mimosa, I ordered the potato gratin. Really, the addition of the side dish is an extra $2 if you order a mimosa and the frittata of the day because it is part of the pre fixe brunch meal. This potato gratin features tender potatoes with a cheesy cream sauce and a crunch top crust. It is the perfect accompaniment to brunch. This is just so much food that even with Pierre’s help we could only eat about half of it. I order this almost every time we go to brunch at Point Brugge. 

Photo Nov 11 11 39 08 AM

Photo Nov 11 11 39 35 AM

 Pierre’s dish was the Brunch Style Poutine. It features two fried eggs, Amish cheese curds, and Parma sausage gravy. This is an over-the-top version of one of Pierre’s favorite dishes. The runny egg really added to the sauce of sausage gravy. The fries were extra crispy so they didn’t get soggy while he was eating this. It is a huge portion. Not surprisingly, this is a little on the salty side. It was delicious and decadent. A must try. 

 We really enjoyed our lunch at Park Bruges. It was just as good as its sister restaurant. We will be back again, perhaps there will be another nice Sunday soon. 

 

Park Bruges on Urbanspoon

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tags: ,

« Older entries