Less-Words Wednesday: The Freakin' Allegheny Wine Mixer

Our "pre-game" to a bowling adventure started at none other than The FREAKIN' Allegheny Wine Mixer in Lawrenceville!

Cure for the Common DInner

This weekend, Pittsburgh welcomed yet another new restaurant to it's already impressive repertoire.  While Cure unofficially served a prix-fixe menu to diners on New Year's Eve, they officially opened their doors to the public this past Friday evening so PID and I headed across town to the streets of Lawrenceville to get one of the first tastes.

The atmosphere inside Cure was warm and welcoming.  The natural wood motif was reminiscent of barbecue chips which I thought was incredibly appropriate. The open kitchen in the back of the room made sure that the sweet scent of mesquite smoke was never far away.

I'm happy to report that Cure is a BYOB joint with a fairly typical $3 corking fee -- so PID and I classed it up with a bottle of Tisdale Cabernet.  The couple next to us had the right idea with a soft-cooler filled with Sam Adams. Next time, TOP...next time.

It was pretty much a four-way tie between small plates to start off the evening and while I'm still kicking myself for not giving the Butternut Squash Soup with goat merguez, goat cheese, crispy shallots and cilantro a try, PID was dying to taste the Salumi plate -- and so we did.

Salumi, $12

I tend to gravitate more toward carefully crafted dishes that show finesse and artistry than a "meat plate," but this was PID's night so I wanted to make him happy by ordering. To my pleasant surprise each of these meats was surprisingly detectible.  Specifically the incredibly flavorful mortadella (5:00 on the meat-plate clock) which paired astoundingly well with the pickled onions and herb-infused, Mediterranean butter.  Sadly, my least favorite item was the one I was most excited for was the Pate Campagnola -- which is essentially a pâté made from pork shoulder and liver (dead center).  It was a bit too reminiscent of turkey for me.  The prosciutto, though?  Amen! And when was the last time you had a gherkin? 20-1 you say "never."

We moved on from the Salumi to our main courses, PID with the Beef Cheeks and I with the Choucroute.

Beef Cheeks, $25

Never have I been more envious of PID's cheeks.  One bite and I was completely sold on Cure. Though PID noted that some of the larger pieces were slightly tougher than the shreds, we found that the meat was as close to perfection as we'd tasted in the 'burgh in a long time.  The apple cider cut through to the core of the beef shreds making each bite juicy and bursting with sweet, smokey barbecue flavor. Even the mushrooms and Gnocci melted in your mouth and we savored every bite. I caught PID sopping up his plate with a slice of my pork shoulder when his was all gone.

Choucroute, $22

I went with the Choucroute because it was a fun word to say out loud...and also it promised three types of pork for me to sink my teeth in to: pork shoulder, pork belly and Boudin Blanc -- a white, bloodless smoked pork sausage.  This dish -- a traditional French peasant dish perfect for cold winter nights like this one -- put the "fire" in spitfire. The pork belly was crispy beyond believe which locked the flavor right into the meat and added a texture that a barbecue fanatic drools in his dreams over. The shoulder fell apart beautifully and had a rich, smokey aroma that was reciprocated in the skin.  Though I was least excited over the Boudin Blanc -- which just proves I'm part Vampire -- it still tasted delicious with the juicy bitterness of the cabbage and the bite of the mustard sauce.

For dessert we had two choices... and couldn't choose at all.  I learned something new about PID that night, and that is that he apparently enjoys plates of meat and cheese (OK, so maybe that isn't' remotely surprising at all...).  He was dying to try the cheese plate (for one -- you can order for two if you'd like) while I was aching for the apple pie. Our solution? We tried both. 

Cheese Plate, $6

Apple Pie tart, $6

PID was beyond pleased with his cheese plate which was composed of Pennsylvania cheese and rounded out the evening quite nicely.  As usual, I thought the blue cheese (native to Lancaster, PA -- near my home turf!) tasted slightly reminiscent to feet, but I've never really been a fan and that's my own, personal, non-cheese loving opinion. The prunes and honey helped cleanse my palate for my pie and the toasted almonds were a shockingly great pair to the creamy cheeses.

But as I mentioned before, it's really tough for me to "review" a plate of cheese -- no matter how much thought goes into the pairings.  I was more interested in the apple pie!  What a great end to my evening.  The pie-tart was just big enough for me to enjoy while allowing a bite or two for PID and contained a kick of the cinnamon and sugar that was cooled down by the creamy creme fraiche and glued to the buttery, flaky crust with a sticky, salty caramel sauce to die for.

Restaurant Information:

Cure 

Address: 5336 Butler St, Lawrenceville

Phone:  412-252-2595

Reservations: Taken and suggested on Friday and Saturday evenings

Hours:Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to "close" (approximately 10 p.m.)

Cliffs Notes:

Beverages:   Wine corking fee @ $3      
Starter:    Salumi @ $12
Entrees:   Choucroute @ $22
                  Beef Cheeks @ $25
Dessert:    Apple pie @ $6
                  Farmstead Cheese Plate @ $6

Tax:                        Food AND drink tax  @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $4.97

Tip:                           $16.00
Total for two:          $94.99

 

Overall Opinion:

The decor was homey, the staff was friendly, knowledgeable and eager to please, and the food -- in case you couldn't tell -- was out of this world. Who'da thunk that I'd be so in to a place that spotlights pork as the star of the show?  Not me.  But Cure has quickly climbed my list of my favorite dining experiences in the 'burgh.  You may be asking "how the heck did you still spend nearly $100 at a BYOB joint?  Well if you're looking to be more frugal, leave off a dessert and try a different starter -- we chose the most expensive one.  The website claims that they serve "urban Mediterranean," but I found it to be extremely barbecue-esque and noticed a number of French references. Mostly they tout locally sourced delicacies and I am beyond excited to head back with a few FORTS and try out a few more dishes.  Go hog wild! Give this place a try! Whether vegan or hipster, you will NOT be disappointed.

Elements of Surprise

A few months ago my office was devastated when Palomino shut it's doors.  Just a stone's throw away from our building, Palomino had always been a conveniently classy option for client lunches or happy hours. The waitstaff was always friendly and the menu delicious enough to keep us coming back.  So needless to say I was nervous when I heard about a new restaurateur from outside of Pittsburgh was coming in to open up a new place called Elements Contemporary Cuisine.

That is...until I found out his executive chef was Justin Severino.

I am a huge fan of the Big Burrito group in general, Eleven in particular which appears last on Severino's resume. So I perked up a bit at this news and thought we might be in for a treat.

I'm happy to report that I was right.

About a month ago my team and I checked things out for happy hour where all draft beers and well drinks are half off and wines go for $5 per glass.  We ordered the American Tasting platter ($5 less expensive during happy hour) which featured Prosciutto Americana,  Fra Mani Salametto Picante, Meadow Creek grayson, Rogue smokey blue, a white bean puree and roasted peppers to name a few items.

Coworkers tried intriguing cocktails like the Cucumber Martini, Basil Gimlet and the mojito reminiscent Green Tea. I reluctantly stuck with a glass of cab sav as I had a number of things to do after HH.

Because a meat and cheese plate is not a reasonable means of judgment in terms of rating a restaurant, I decided I needed to go back for more.

Thanks to a recent Groupon surprise,  I was granted just such an opportunity.  So I stopped by for a solo lunch on Friday afternoon.

Happily, the entire front of house was very pleasant. The hostess asked me if I had a seating preference and she gave me a table with a lovely view. The layout hadn't changed much from the way things were at Palomino. Just a few new tables and chairs.

As...luck?...would have it I had the same waiter as our team had just a few weeks earlier. His name was Bill.  As much as he weirded us out during happy hour with his oddities and overly conversational nature, he made up for it this time around. He came around just enough to fill my diet coke when the (absurdly tiny) glass neared empty and, observing my apparent need to quickly return to an afternoon of meetings, brought me my check in a very timely manner.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll start with the bread...

A motley crew of white, poppy seed and a whole grain raisin of sort proved far too much for one person, but welcomed nonetheless. The butter was appropriately soft -- perfect for spreading. I like a variety of bread choices. Sweet, savory and plain. An option for any diner's taste. A sweet deal for me.

Then it was on to the appetizer.

I couldn't ignore the crabmeat pumpkin soup screaming my name over and over again. So I didn't. And thank God. It was completely delicious. If I'd had fewer morals or manners I may have just picked up the entire bowl and slurped it right out. Jumbo lump crab meat swam in a sea of pumpkin bisque with a kick of curry for the heat and a drizzle of sweet and sour sauce which gave it a nice cooling touch. It reminded me quite a bit of the Butternut Squash soup from Spoon, but I don't think I'd dare say I preferred one over the other... That being said I definitely recommend the pumpkin soup at Elements.

I rounded out my meal with an entree to write home about:

Dear Mom & Dad,

I ate something amazing this afternoon. It was sea scallops served with thick cut bits of bacon, pomegranate and apple slices bathed in a mouth watering chestnut pesto. For getting only three scallops, it yielded a good 12 hefty bites of juicy meaty scallop. The bacon was thick and crispy (although one gooey fatty piece snuck in there some how) and provided a great textural contrast to the softness of the scallop. The crunch of the apple strips added a touch of sweetness to the (not too) salty dish and played a significant role in the texture wars as well. It was outstanding.

You need to come out here and visit so I can take you here. You'd love it. I think you and Bill would get along, too.

Sincerely,

Blake

Cliffs Notes:
Groupon:                @ $15.00
Beverages:              1 Diet Pepsi @ $2.50
Appetizer:               Pumpkin Soup @ $9.00
Entree:                    Sea Scallops @ $15.00
Groupon discount:  @ -$25.00
Tax:                        @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $0.11
Total for one:          $16.61

Not bad for a schwanky lunch, I'd say! 

Overall opinion:

I truthfully believe that I made the perfect choices for someone with my taste. Looks like the menu is still extensive and appealing enough that I wouldn't be opposed to taking my clients here time and time again. Which makes me quite happy.  And yes, I'd even bring my mom here. Being a downtown restaurant its more of a happy hour, after work dinner spot than a weekend date location. Parking, I'm sure, is just as expensive as the meal and as much as I enjoyed it, I won't ever believe any meal is worth paying excessively for parking -- so call ahead to see if they validate.

Well done, Elements.  You've made me forget all about Palomino.

Pittsburgh Restaurants