Can I have Sonoma?

Light up night is becoming something of a tradition for PID and I. This is our third straight year of venturing into the chaotic city of steel to get a taste of the holidays and, more recently, a taste of what our local food scene has to offer.

This year, a few F.O.R.T.s decided to join us and we couldn't have been more excited. E1 suggested we dine at her all-time favorite spot in the downtown area and - since PID and I shockingly still hadn't been - we were more than happy to oblige. So, as Jingle Bell Rock bounced acoustically through the air from building to building and roller-blading Santas graciously asked us to clear their path, we made our way to Sonoma Grille.

Chow Bella

I am extremely excited to report that we welcomed a new member to our little corner of the office last week!  But why do you care?  Because a new hire means something amazing...

...WELCOME LUNCH!

Yes, that's right. That glorious hour in the midst of a hectic work week where we all take a moment to come out of desk-bound hibernation, squint our eyes in the sun (or in today's case, rain) and venture through urban forest of high-rises on the hunt for a decent meal to welcome our newest member.

Today's welcome lunch landed us at Bella Sera Urban Trattoria in -- you guessed it -- Market Square (joy of joys)!

Thanks, bellaserapittsburgh.com

 Bella Sera translates to lovely evening.  Seeing as this was a welcome lunch, we had to improvise. Ma non era triste.

I will start by saying that we called ahead to make reservations. Yes, even for lunch.  Though there were seven of us, I'd still suggest doing so or possibly choosing an odd lunch hour if you want to ensure seating. Tables are limited and many are two-tops...

thanks, bellaserapittsburgh.com

...so when we arrived, a line of patient hopefuls spilled out of the door. But since our table was ready and waiting for us, we slipped on by.

I'll first start by telling you I absolutely love the old, rustic European look when it comes to restaurants. Nothing in my mind, is more optimal for a fine dining experience than warm lighting and clean exposed brick.  If you're presently questioning my correlation between brick and meal appreciation I don't blame you -- but you'll just have to trust me on this one.

As a table, we took our server's advice and ordered a helping of the "famous" veal meat balls for $10.

The aroma of the marinara sauce was incredibly intoxicating and I couldn't wait to dig in and nearly drooled when I did. But I was good. I had just one.

I'm not sure if I've told you, but I've recently embarked on a quest toward healthier living. Once a marathon runner, now a couch crusader, I've decided it's time.  So, I joined a gym and began chalking my packed lunch full of fiber, fruits and veggies. So I felt it necessary to do my very best to thoroughly enjoy my beautiful lunch outing while staying true to my impressive four-day streak of wellness.  So with a skeptically reluctant yawn I ordered the Grilled Salmon Salad for $11.

Not so skeptical anymore.

Who knew goat cheese and salmon were such a perfect pair? If you're not a fan of fish but looking to take a step in the healthy direction, this works wonders.  Now let's be honest.  Is goat cheese ridiculously fatty and caloric?  Sorta.  Two tablespoons'll cost ya 80 calories and 9 grams of fat. But the pomegranate molasses makes up for it by being sweet and delicious while (shock of shocks) still being relatively good for you.  Zero fat and only 50 calories per table spoon, HELLO! It's a great way to turn a yawn in to a yum! The salmon was perfectly seared and ya'll know how I feel about beets. So essentially this salad can be summed up in two words: nom, nom.

I thought you might be interested in seeing a few of the delicious things my co-workers ordered, and they were so kind as to oblige me on shoving my camera lens in to their meals and snapping a few shots.  Thanks team!

Insalata Verde, $9

Pasta Greco, $12

Bella Chopped (add chicken), $13

Blackened Chicken Salad, $11

Grilled Chicken Sandwich, $10

The sandwich came with DELICIOUS homemade chips that I kept sneaking.  I am a serious sucker for a homemade potato chip.

But once we were through with our entrees, the real magic began.  Our server sold us on dessert...or maybe I should say she mentioned the desserts came fresh from Prantl's across the street and then we were sold.

We ordered three desserts for the table: the almond torte, the chocolate cream cheese and...let's be honest. I stopped paying attention at chocolate cream cheese.

Restaurant Information
Bella Sera Urban Trattoria
Address: 22 Market Square, downtown
Phone: (412) 281-6363
Reservations: Suggested, even on weekdays. Lunch gets quite busy.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday
           Private events on Saturdays and Sundays





Overall Opinion
The entire meal, including the dessert, was perfectly portioned for lunch.  The pastas weren't too heavy, the salads weren't too sparse and the cakes and tortes were small enough that I could indulge (just a smidgen) and still feel OK about it.

I don't have cliffs notes for this meal because I was the lucky recipient of a corporate lunch so I wasn't privy to the total or tip but my overall opinion (and what I gauged from my teammates) was that the meal was molto bella! A seemingly great place for lunch, happy hour OR dinner with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, pleasant service and delicious food -- Bella Sera is a must-try!

 

Pittsburgh Restaurants

Spoontastic!

I have to say, I originally sang the blues the curtains closed on East Liberty’s Red Room last year.  But when I heard that a man from my hometown (Dave Anoia) was playing sous chef to Brian Pekarcik’s farm-to-table movement of epic proportions to replace the space, I knew I had to put aside my biases and give Spoon a shot.

It took a little longer than I’d hoped, but PID and I finally committed an evening to an East Liberty trip.  Even though there is an Open Table link on their website, I felt compelled to call to make a reservation on Friday afternoon, just in case.  I’m glad I did. They had two slots available at the time of my call: 5:30 and 9:30.  So for fear of inaccurately reviewing the food due to starvation, we begrudgingly accepted the earlier reservation and kept our fingers crossed that I’d have enough time to make myself presentable after a morning full of dog walking and soccer games.

We arrived a mere eight minutes late (which would have been only five if not for the construction on Centre Avenue and the fact that we didn't realize they offered valet parking for $3) and our table was still waiting for us. I still hate close-quarters seating which is what we got, but I'm happy to report that only one wall of the dining room is set that way. The rest boasted a warm, contemporary (appropriately placed) design. And get this -- the tap water comes in totally cool (literally, they're chilled) branded bottles kept at your table throughout the meal.

I have to tell you, things only go up (way up) from here. We started with the bread...

Normally the bread is a place saver.  Not even substantial enough to be called an opening act, the bread basket is best metaphorically compared to house music before the lights even dim.  But let me tell you, at Spoon, this house music just might get a Tony nod. 

Crackling baguette slices were taken up a notch by delicious whipped butter.  And my taste buds couldn't award a winner between the cream cheese and green onion biscuits or the dill infused cornbread. I've never done this before at any establishment (aside from The Olive Garden), but I was forced to request a second basket. 

And then it was on to the...well, the opening act.

I had a difficult time choosing between two eye-catchers: Ahi Tuna Two Ways and Lobster Cake with a Pickled Beet Salad.  PID expressed interest in the tuna and so tuna we got.  He also ordered a bowl of the butternut squash soup. And I have to tell you, if the bread got a Tony nod, this first course took home the award without so much as a gasp of shock from the audience. Never has an appetizer won my heart the way both of these dishes did. It made my taste buds tingle in excited anticipation for the rest of my meal, though I never wanted it to end.


The Butternut Squash was a perfect seasonal dish.  It screamed of fall flavors -- squash and apples with a hint of bourbon -- with a few surprise delicious bites confit'd duck inside.

But it was the tuna dish that hogged the spotlight for me, both ways.  I dug right in to the raw ahi and soba noodles with a chili aoili that married the flavors together in such a way that hoped my marriage turns out half as happy.  Moving on to the tuna wrapped crab roll and avocado puree I didn't feel any less satisfied.  Though if you forced me to play favorites I'd give more face time to the noodle salad.

 

 This dish alone is worth a visit, though I can't say there's nothing more to be said about our meal.

Though it was hard to move on from the tuna-tongue-tango I'd just danced, it was time for our entree...

Here again PID and I battled back and forth amongst ourselves between menu options that all sounded equally delectable.  The waitress happily informed us that all of the poultry and beef items were raised cage free and grass/milk-fed (respectively) at locally based Kennedy Farms, so PID ordered the Veal Duo with enthusiasm as I chose the Horseradish & Crab-crusted Salmon.  If the tuna took home the Tony, these entrees cross-pollinated to piss off the pop-stars by winning both Tony and Grammy awards.

PID loves a good meatloaf, but admittedly has a bit of trouble letting go of mama PID's recipe as his unbeatable favorite.  He smiled as he took his first bite and assured me he'd found her some competition (but of course, nothing will ever TRULY beat mama PID's meatloaf).  For those who love meatloaf, you won't be disappointed.  It still maintains the comforting meatloaf consistency but flaunts a surprising burst of chipotle flavor.  The "duo" came from the meatloaf's braised counterpart, wrapped in bacon and served atop of Napa cabbage and forest mushrooms.  Juicy and satisfying. To say the very least. Even the carrot puree was a shining star.

I'm truthfully having a hard time coming up with what to say about my dish, mostly because my mind exploded when I took my first bite.  The salmon, perfectly cooked and falling apart on my fork, donned a bonnet of jumbo lump crab meat that melted in my mouth with the horseradish and bearnaise singing not-to-be-ignored backup.  But the shock of the dish was the homemade crispy gnocchi which took on more of a mashed potato ball feel.  I felt obligated to incorporate salmon, crab, sauce and gnocchi all together in every fork-full because it simply tasted so darn good. And although I separated the haricot verts (fancy word for French green beans for those of you who don't watch Top Chef or attend Le Cordon Bleu), they also were perfectly complimented by the bearnaise.

I really and truthfully did not want this meal to end.  None of it.  And so, PID agreed that we didn't have to let it.  To my delight, he asked for a dessert menu.  And so, it was on to the final act.

The waitress read us the list of daily house-made ice cream and sorbet selections but we had our eyes on a few other things.  PID opted for the angel food cake without so much as a second glance and I the pound cake with berry sorbet (sadly, the berry sorbet was not offered as a stand-alone item -- I asked).

The angel food cake's supporting cast of hand-whipped vanilla cream and almond brittle with raspberry puree stole the show.

While I apparently am better at eating than reading, I still enjoyed my dessert aside from the fact that the pound cake was infused with an essence of citrus (which, to someone like me who can unapprovingly smell an orange being peeled from 8 cubes away, the "essence of" more closely resembled "drowned in").  The berry sorbet won me over. I wanted more of it.

Cliffs Notes:

Drinks:           2 diet cokes @ $1.75
Appetizers:     Butternut Squash @ $4.00
                      Tuna Two Ways @ $14.00
Entrees:          Salmon @ $24.00
                      Veal @ $28.00
Desserts:         Pound cake @ $6.00
                      Angel food cake @ $6.00
Tax:                     @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $5.99
Tip:                      (since Erica was quick, informative and overly patient) $18.00
Total for Two:    $109.49

Overall Opinion: I have a new favorite restaurant.  My parents, when in town for a visit, are constantly bugging me to take them to the places I hold in highest regard and I've always had difficulty choosing.  This trip etched it in stone.  I can't think of a single negative thing to say about the restaurant's ambiance, waitstaff, or - most importantly - food. I absolutely cannot wait to go back and try the other menu items which caught my eye.  And neither can PID -- which is the truest test as he doesn't like to try anything twice as he often considers it a waste of time and money.  Spoon, you deserve a standing ovation and I cannot wait for the encore.

An aside:  Starting September 27, be sure to check out BRGR, opening next door in Spoon's hip lounge section featuring gourmet burgers that already have the town talking. (OK well maybe it's just me, but I'll talk with my mouth full of those things any day).

Pittsburgh Restaurants

Blog du Jour

One of the things I love about this city -- and my beautiful friends who occupy it -- is the abundance of opportunity to find hole-in-the-wall delights like the one I experienced this weekend.

One of the most appealing things about my group of friends is the fact that they're always on the hunt for new and exciting places that are far from the hustle and bustle of the typical chain establishment. "BYOB" is often the word (or acronym) of the day when it comes to choosing a destination to visit as a group.  This is due to the fact that my friends are a lot like me in that they have a deep appreciation for wine. This appreciation, while celebrated, has a tendency to significantly increase the total our already outrageous tab.  When we have the opportunity to bring our own wine, we tend to order based on ingredients and hunger level rather than price.

This weekend, one of my "friends of the round table" was celebrating her CENSORED  birthday.  At the suggestion of yet another f.o.r.t. the birthday girl chose Cafe du Jour on Pittsburgh's historic South Side.  The restaurant is elusive in it's own right. It has no website so I was forced to look up reviews beforehand.  Yelp revealed a heavy-up on 5 star experiences with a few scattered 3's and 4's which had me excited.  But there is one woman I trust above all others, and she is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's China Millman. To my dismay, her review was less than excellent, but it did give me an idea of what to expect.

I, thinking I was going to be late, was the first to arrive.  The restaurant is not easily identifiable in and amongst the boutiques and bars of Carson Street (like I said, elusive).  I examined the space as I waited for my party (who I later found out were late only thanks to the impossible parking situation on the South Side. If you read my review of DISH you know that parking is a bear any night of the week in the South Side. I fully advise taking the bus if at all possible if you're headed there).

A sign on the door read "Reservations only, please" which I found initially shocking.  A Carson Street establishment was turning walk-ins away? This place must be elite!  I immediately realized why this was the case, however. Another Pittsburgh staple, the dining room was narrow.  But the difference with Cafe du Jour was that half of this dining room was taken up by the kitchen and did not extend very far back. This left room for only four or five tables inside.  I sat and waited at the table reserved for us in an unbearable sweltering heat when, luckily, the manager on site (maybe he was the owner?) noticed me waiting (and possibly schvitzing like a shmendrek) and asked if I wanted to move our party outside. Seeing as it was a beautifully sunny Saturday, the gorgeous patio was a welcomed adjustment.

When the rest of my f.o.r.t.s arrived, the candles were lit and the mood was set. And it was time for the wine.

We had (not surprisingly) each brought our own bottle.  This may sound a bit excessive, but we like to do things lavishly.  Sadly, one bottle lost  it's life on 11th Street as it slipped through eager, hungry fingers and shattered on the sidewalk. Its a good thing my f.o.r.t.s came prepared with more than enough to supply replacement.

My choice poison that evening was a Cab Sav purchased from my local state store.  I have to be honest about two things right now: 1.) I chose the wine based solely upon it's label. It had a funny name and a twisted tree on the front which I found oddly beautiful. 2.) I can not, for the life of me, remember what the name of that wine was.  I searched the internet but "Cabernet Sauvignons that start with F and have a tree on the label" does not yield many accurate Google or Bing responses. I will do some homework and update you later!

We each passed a glass around trying each others' wine until it was time for the appetizer.

Though the baked brie and shrimp crepes both caught my eye, we -- as a table -- opted for a double order of the Spinach &Asiago Dip which was served with cherry tomatoes and basil and a warm French baguette. The dip came straight out of the oven and was still bubbling when it was brought to the table. 

One word: ADDICTING!  We ended up spooning it directly in to our greedy little mouths as we waited for the extra baguettes we were forced to order thanks to the heaping servings.

And then it was on to the entree.

If you're considering Cafe du Jour you should note that not only is it BYOB, but it's also a cash only establishment.  Luckily there was an ATM across the street, so I withdrew $30 for the evening. Most entrees are between $17 and $25 so with bringing my own wine and splitting the appetizer (all were portioned perfectly for sharing), so I hoped to be in fine shape with $30.  However, when our waitress rattled off the daily specials, one dish piqued my interest. Not listed on the menu was a featured small plate of asparagus with a creamy lemon caper mousse wrapped in alfalfa sprouts and lightly smoked salmon. This was by no means an entree, but I'd already had my appetizer and it sounded far too delicious to pass up. So I forwent my original choice of the Pan Seared Scallops (at $21) and opted for the asparagus and what sounded like an equally delicious salad in order to remain in budget.  I worried this would turn in to a sacrificial decision, but as it turned out I was pleasantly mistaken.

One of my favorite combinations happens to be goat cheese, beets, spinach, vinaigrette and really, any kind of nut (PID not included). So when I saw their beet salad, I hoped it would satisfy me to the point that I forgot about my scallop option.  Both it and the absolutely outstanding and creative asparagus did just that.  The salad was a bit lacking in terms of ingredients.  I wanted more beets, more cheese, more nuts and more spinach.  But I'd already had enough carbs and starch in me from the earlier consumed French baguette. However, I've never been so pleased with a dish as I was with the asparagus. I considered myself very lucky to have come on the day they were testing it!  If it's not on the menu when you get there, PLEASE request this dish.  We need to make it a permanent CdJ fixture!  I've attempted to recreate it since, and while I consider myself a decent cook, I couldn't come close. The salmon was extremely fresh, the lemon caper mousse was light and fluffy and there were just enough sprouts to add texture and not take away from the taste (which was outstanding).

The birthday girl opted for the scallops which she so generously let me sample and I must say, I'd recommend them any day of the week.  Perfectly seared with the right amount of infused herbs, it melted in my mouth as a scallop truly should. And the couscous pilaf timbale that accompanied the scallops? Se magnifique!

Though I was spent, my f.o.r.t.s moved on to dessert.

We were told the desserts change daily, much like an assortment of the appetizers, which fits appropriately in to the restaurant's name and theme.  Last night's dessert du jour (yes, "dessert" in French is, boringly enough, still "dessert") was a flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry puree. I tried a mini mouthful and was in flourless heaven.

Cliffs Notes:

Drinks:                Unknown Cabernet Sauvignon, BYOB @ $2 per stem (I originally paid $16.99)
Appetizer:           2 Spinach & Asiago Dips (grande version) @  $7, divided by 8 of us = $1.75
Entree:                Salmon Asparagus special @ $9
                          Spinach & Beet Salad @ $7
Dessert:              2 Flourless Chocolate Cakes @ $4, divided by 8 of us = $1
Tax:                    7% sales tax (Allegheny County only) (I'm guessing around $1 for each of us)
Tip:                     $5 (a little over 20% of my portion) for good service
MY TOTAL:      $25.75 (I stayed within my budget!)

Overall Opinion?

Cafe du Jour is one of Pittsburgh's best kept secrets. As much as I truly respect her opinion and am well aware that she, and not I, is the expert, I have to strongly disagree with China's review.  Our service was punctual, the atmosphere (once we moved outside) was elegant and the food was by far the best I've had in quite some time. It seems from the reviews I'd seen that the Trout is not the way to go, so I suggest steering clear of it as I did. But for a group of eight giddy, wine filled friends this experience was one for the books.  I would say if you're going to make the trip, do it in the springtime so you can experience the patio and avoid the heat of the adjacent kitchen. I have already recommended this place and will continue to do so and I can't wait to take PID there to share my enjoyment.  It was Cafe Du-licious!

*a special thank you goes to f.o.r.t. Derek Reighard for taking these great pics for me with his lovely camera as well as post-gazette.com for letting me steal two shots of the restaurant which were much better than the ones I took.

Pittsburgh Restaurants

Wordless Wednesday: Fresh from your grocer's...Bistro?