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mjg

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Everything posted by mjg

  1. If you like beer, Sharp Edge is pretty close. Sharp Edge The location near Greentree is the Creekhouse. As mentioned, Angkor is very close. Mad Mex in Scott Towne Center is a short drive. I'm a big fan of big burrito restaurants (of which Mad Mex is the "flagship brand") though others aren't as high on them. Because there is a large Indian population in Greentree, there are quite a few Indian options within 10 minutes of your hotel. My favorite is Namaste on Banksville Road. As mentioned, Washington Road has some great choices. I'd add Little Tokyo to the list given. Iovino's is actually on Beverly Road, which is also home to two other pretty good options: Sushi Three and Bado's. Coffee Tree also has some of the best coffee in town. Oh, and Atria's is right down the road. (I just noticed that PaniniGuy is affiliated with Aldo Coffee, so I wanted to give a shout out to Aldo in addition to the praise I gave to Coffee Tree. Aldo's is always one of the highlights of Saturday morning Uptown Farmers market visits.)
  2. Shadyside is probably the best area for somebody interested in food...great selection of restaurants of all types, easy access to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. It's also very close to both Pitt and CMU, so if you are studying at one of those universities, you'll be close to class.
  3. Better Indian, if that interests you, can be found just down Banksville road...a place called Namaste. It's in the Kuhn's shopping center. I wouldn't recommend walking but I'm sure you could hop on/off a bus pretty easily. If you go to the end of Banksville Road, you'll find a few places worth your while. Atria's makes a great burger. Up on Beverly Road (at the end of Banksville) you have: Sushi Three for, well, sushi; Bado's has great pizza; Iovino's is a little more upscale and I've heard great things about it. For breakfast (or at least coffee), Coffee Tree has some of the best coffee in town. All of these places are a 5 minute cab ride from the Days Inn.
  4. I've heard that Iovino's in Mt. Lebanon is excellent and it is BYOB. And it's also the location of an upcoming Slow Food event (Phlox, I'm on the mailing list as well so I hear about these events that I also can't afford to go to).
  5. mjg

    Pittsburgh

    As others have noted, the Strip is indeed the part of town you've referenced. Here is a site with good info about the area: Strip District On Saturday mornings, make sure you check out the Farmers@Firehouse farmers market. Lots of great local foods: Farmers@Firehouse This is a couple days late for your tailgate, but for future reference, I'd say the closest thing to "Pittsburgh tailgate cuisine" would be grilled kielbasa. Throw in some pierogies sauteed with onions and lots of butter and you've got a pretty good 'burgh meal.
  6. Here's a link to the Bottleshop's website: Pittsburgh Bottleshop Cafe
  7. Hey, I live about three minutes from Rhythm House! I've never been overly impressed with the food, but it's not a bad place to grab a beer. If your husband is back in the Bridgeville area and he wants a REALLY good reuben, I recommend The Bottle Shop in Collier. Fantastic reubens and an excellent beer selection. Apart from that, there isn't much worth noting in the Bridgeville area. A new breakfast/lunch place opened up recently (Shouf's) that I've heard is really good. The owner is Lebanese, which is reflected in the menu. Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, it is smoke-free (which is a nice touch for a breakfast joint).
  8. Kaya is excellent as well: http://www.bigburrito.com/kaya/ You are right next to the Strip District. If you have time on Saturday morning, it's a great place to spend some time exploring: http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/ The Farmers @ the Firehouse market is in the Strip on Saturday morning as well: http://www.slowfoodpgh.com/farmers.html
  9. Checking back in with a mid-trip recap of where I've been. I checked into the Sheraton late afternoon on Wednesday, and quickly made my way to Mother's. Coming from Pittsburgh, where the Primanti sandwich reigns supreme (meat, cheese, slaw, fries, tomato on thick cut Italian bread), I've come to love sandwiches with depth and breadth of flavors. The Ferdi Special at Mother's was good, but...somewhat disappointing. Texturally it was a great sandwich: soft bread, mushy debris, crisp cabbage and pickles. Unfortunately, the flavor of each component didn't stand out. That's not to say it was a bad sandwich. By any measure, it surely beats 90% of the sandwiches in the world. I guess I was looking for something transcendent. This wasn't it. The food at the hotel buffet at lunch was surprisingly good, though my measuring stick for such things is the utterly forgettable buffet food you tend to find in Pittsburgh establishments. Growing up in the North, you don't often see fried catfish, sweet potatoes, smothered green beans, and (thank the Lord) corn bread. So when you get these things, it's quite a treat. For dinner this evening I went to Acme Oyster House. My half dozen oysters were impeccable, save a bit of grit that happened to sneak past the vigilant shucker. Along with the oysters I had a cup of tasty seafood gumbo and an Abita Light. I don't usually drink light beers, but that rule is trumped by the "local is always better" rule, so I went with it. The beer itself wasn't anything special, though it did complement the other foods quite well. Proceeded down Bourbon St. to the Old Absinthe House for a Sazerac. This was my first Sazerac and I was, sadly, underwhelmed. The balance was off, it wasn't adequately chilled, and the twist was just the rind of a lemon ripped from a lemon wedge. Loved the ambiance, though. I was still hungry later in the evening so I decided to walk over to the Palace Cafe. My faith in humanity has been restored. Service was efficient, friendly, and professional. Great space. Chicken and sausage gumbo, dark and rich, with ample chunks of meat. Fresh baked bread. And a spectacular Sazerac. I'll be heading back tomorrow night for some dessert and another one of those Sazeracs. Tomorrow morning: Cafe du Monde, French Market, Gumbo Shop, and (time permitting) Bourbon House. Thanks again to everyone for your recommendations.
  10. Thanks for all of the recommendations. One more question...where can I get a good Sazerac?
  11. I'll be in NO for a few days this week, and I'm looking for some restaurant recommendations. I'll be limited to relatively quick lunches. I'll have more flexibility at dinnertime, though I'd like to keep the price reasonable. The only other caveat is that places need to be within walking distance (or a short cab ride) of the Sheraton. Please keep an eye towards places where I can get good gumbo, po' boys, and oysters. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
  12. As a fussy 4-year-old, I refused to eat vegetables. I also had an unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs. My dad, in a wily attempt to get me to eat my veggies, said "Look at how big a brontosaurus is...all it eats is vegetables!" To which I replied, "Look at how big a T-Rex is...all it eats is brontosaurus!" My dad never tried to trick me into eating veg again.
  13. It's been a number of years since I've been back to Dear Old State, so there may be some different dining options than the ones I'll mention. All of these are right down on (or just off) College Avenue, the main drag in town. The "fancy" restaurant in town is called The Tavern. I wouldn't classify it as fine dining, but it is where a lot of folks go after graduation. It's not pricey by big city standards (dinner for 2 with a low-priced bottle of wine shouldn't set you back more than $60). Some good mid-priced eats can be found at Allen Street Grill, the Corner Room, and Mario & Luigi's. Baby's is a 50's style diner. Food is alright, atmosphere is a lot of fun. For breakfast, the Waffle Shop is top notch. And of course, stop by the Creamery (on campus) for ice cream.
  14. mjg

    slummin' it!

    Growing up, we would on occasion have a dinner we dubbed "Slum Dinner." White rice, ground beef, brown gravy = Slum Dinner
  15. I've never had a bad meal at Lidia's, though I've heard from one person that his lamb left something to be desired. The pasta sampler is a fantastic deal and is a great way to try a variety of unique and tasty preparations of pasta. If memory serves, it's around $15 for a la carte (there is a meal price as well that includes salad and dessert). Three pastas are brought to your table freshly prepared and you can eat as much as you'd like. Servers are constantly moving about the dining room offering you more. The choices change daily and from my experience include a ravioli of some sort, a fresh pasta, and a "tube" pasta. It was there that I had a pasta revelation...braised shortrib pappardelle. Yum.
  16. If you are near the Strip, I'd recommend the following: Low-brow dining: Primanti's Basically casual: Church Brew Works or Kaya More upscale: Lidia's High-brow: Eleven
  17. On the advice of this thread, I recently went to a local Asian market and picked up some Pocky. Thus far I've enjoyed Men's Pocky, Pocky G, a chocolate Mousse Pocky. My 5-year-old niece has taken quite a shine to them as well...yesterday, surrounded by a sea of Easter candy (Orthodox Easter was yesterday), she asked her mom not for a chocolate egg or other Easter treat but instead for "some Pocky."
  18. You will be very close to the Strip District...within 6 or 7 blocks of a couple of Pittsburgh's best (in my estimation) restaurants...Lidia's and Eleven. Neither is particularly inexpensive. I'm pretty sure that the pasta sampler at Lidia's is around $15 for dinner. That's what I'd go for. There is a Primanti's in the Strip (around 17th Street, I think). Kaya is not far from there either. Some websites: Eleven Kaya Lidia's At that time of day, that area will be perfectly safe, though you will probably run into some interesting characters around the bus station.
  19. The Pittsburgh Slow Foods chapter is having a similar event, likewise with some of the top chefs in the city participating. Here's the list of chefs and what they are serving: LeMont Executive Chef Robert Vargo DISH: Whole roasted pigs-- crispy skin, juicy pork Eleven Contemporary Kitchen Executive Chef Greg Alauzen DISH: Roast pork loin, greens, sweet onion sauce Casbah Executive Chef Eric “Spudz” Wallace DISH: Juniper-and-pepper-infused fresh bacon with rutabaga sauerkraut, sour cherry mostarda. Kaya Chef Brandy Stewart DISH: Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance pulled pork, Manchego cheese, flatbread. The Carlton Restaurant Kevin Joyce DISH: Herb-roasted pork loin with feta risotto, sun-dried cherry compote and a sweet bourbon glaze. Baum Vivant/Café Zinho/Café Zao Chef/owner Toni Pais DISH: so far, a secret... Laforet Executive Chef Michael Uricchio DISH: Pork rillettes Lucca Chef Steve Thompson DISH: Thai-braised pork, black bean blini and a braised cabbage/cumin/carrot salad. Bruschetta’s Chef Tom Rebstock DISH: Pork brasciole stuffed with gorgonzola breadcrumbs and topped with a roasted apple demi-glaze. Parma Sausage Products Inc. Rina Edwards, President DISH: Assortment of specialty pork products: prosciutto, coppa secca, salamis. Vivo Chef Sam DiBattista DISH: Porchetta sandwiches di Mio Padre. The simple way to enjoy the true taste of roast pork--moist, and savory, with wonderful crunch and a hint of bay, rosemary and garlic.
  20. mjg

    Greek wine & cheese

    Thank you all for your suggestions. Our tasting is tonight and while the pickins' were slim at the liquor store, we were able to pick up 8 Greek wines that seem to span from pretty commercial to a little more refined: Achaia Clauss Blanc Demestica, Boutari Moschofilero, Savatiano Papagiannakos, Kourtaki Retsina of Attica, Kir Yanni Ramnista, Pape Johannou Vineyards Nemea, Spiropoulos Red Stag, and Achaia Clauss Mavrodaphne. That's about as good as we could do here in Pittsburgh. I picked up 5 Greek cheeses this morning from the Greek grocery store in the Strip District. Can't remember what they were...I'll report back post-tasting if anyone is interested. Per a suggestion up thread, I picked up a couple kinds of Greek olives, toasted walnuts, and some taramasalata.
  21. Phlox, the Southside has some great places for those on a college budget...Thai Me Up, Fatheads, Carson Street Deli. Spend a little more and you've got Piper's Pub and Bruschetta. A little more than that, Old Europe. As a PSU graduate, it pains me to admit that I got my masters degree from Pitt, but I can tell you that I do miss some of the restaurants in Oakland. I spent an awful lot of hours drinking beer at Fuel & Fuddle when I should have been in class. Uncle Sam's...Primanti's...the "O"...Lulu's Noodles.
  22. What part of town are you staying in? Phlox gave some great suggestions for the east side of town (mostly), but as you may find in talking to Pittsburgh folks, most of us don't get around much. Crossing the rivers is like crossing an ocean. Where to eat all depends on where you are staying and what modes of transport are available. Southside has some good eats, as does the Strip. Oakland/Shadyside is tops, I'd say, though I don't get out that way much.
  23. Based on a dish we were served at Lidia's in Pittsburgh (one of Lidia Bastianich's outposts), I've made braised short-rib papardelle quite a few times. After braising the short-ribs to fall-apart tender in wine, stock, and some whole canned tomatoes, I remove the meat from the bone, reduce and skim the fat from the braising liquid, and toss it all together with some fresh papardelle. It's quite a wonderful dish.
  24. mjg

    Greek wine & cheese

    As a member of an ethnically Greek church, all things Greek seem to get people's attention. Our young adult group (over 21) is planning a Greek wine and cheese tasting and I'm looking for some suggestions about what to serve. Basically we'd like to taste 4 or 5 Greek wines and the same number of Greek cheeses, perhaps...but not necessarily...that "match" with the wines. Anyone have any ideas?
  25. Great Eastern European food can be had at Old Europe in the South Side (on Carson Street). The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and quite attentive. They also have quite a selection of ethnic adult beverages...all sorts of slivovic and fruit brandies from Eastern Europe.
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