Showing posts with label Shadyside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shadyside. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Holy Moly, Girasole!
Friday, November 2, 2012
The French Disconnection
Not long ago, it came to my attention that a Groupon we'd purchased nearly a year ago was about to expire. So I grabbed PID and two of our favorite F.O.R.Ts and we headed to Brasserie 33 in Shadyside to get our French on.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Eden and Ever After
Over the past few weeks, I've been ever so slightly sidetracked. Why? You might ask? Well, happily, it all started with a delicious meal.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
My New Year's Casbah-lution
For auld lang syne, my dears.
Yes, indeed it was so long ago that I last shared my culinary opinions with you all but I have resolved to resume blogging -- both here and at Life is Cake. Though I had a few options of reviews to share with you today I thought it only appropriate that I post about our New Year's Eve dinner last evening at Casbah in Shadyside.
Casbah is a part of the wonderful and fabulous big Burrito Restaurant Group with whom, I can tell you now, I've never had a poor meal. I'd only eaten at this particular restaurant once prior to last night -- a lunch meeting eons ago. After doing extensive research on New Year's Eve menus throughout the 'burgh, we landed on Casbah due to it's prix fixe menu choices of "Land" or "Sea" and their wine pairing options.
Our reservations (which we made nearly four weeks in advance via my awesome Open Table iPhone app) were for 6:15 p.m. which we all agreed was early for New Year's Eve, but the place was already almost booked! We arrived to a very pleasant and polite valet attendant -- valet parking is free for those dining at Casbah or Mad Mex. As soon as we stepped inside (my first time doing so at night and PID and FORTs' first time doing so ever), we felt like we were transported into the garden of a Mediterranean villa. I completely adored the romantic and mythological ambiance in this place. I've always been a sucker for fairy lights and stucco appeal, but put them together and you've got a god among dining rooms.
We were lucky enough to be seated in this charming faux-outdoor (though heated -- talk about awesome in the chill of the December night) section, though Casbah does have additional, equally-appealing seating indoors.
But lest we forget the most important part of a restaurant review -- the food. As I'd mentioned, we chose Casbah because of the special New Year's Eve menu. Mrs. FORT and I both chose the "Sea" option and it's paired wine choices while Mr. FORT and PID went for a mash-up of both "Land" and "Sea" options for the perfect combination.
We started with the bread, butter and...labneh? Yep, that's right. Casbah offers a home-made strained Greek yogurt spread which upped the ante on the would-be moderate bread offering.
The men both ordered a confit of veal shortribs with cider glazed root vegetables, arugula, apple and pistachios. The pistachios added a welcomed but surprising kick of flavor and variation of texture which really added a lot to the dish. The veal was extremely fatty, but in a very good way. The fat was full of flavor which melted in our mouthes.
Mrs. FORT and I were both graced with the scallop served with a wild mushroom-spinach ravioli, sherry emulsion, mache and delicious black truffle. The scallop was cooked, quite possibly, better than any scallop I've ever had. It sprung back at my fork prongs, but was far from chewy. The ravioli, however, was the pleasant surprise of the evening. What was surely meant to be a mere mortal of the evening turned out to be certainly not of this world...except for the delicious earthiness of the mushrooms. Off to a spectacular start!
The men of the table were served the sage gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, Madeira, foie gras butter, black walnuts and Piave (a deliciously sweet, dense Italian cheese). Apologies for the picture, folks -- I let PID do the clicking on his meal this time and he was just so excited to dig in. Both men sighed with elation after just one bite and I have to admit I was a tiny bit jealous after just one taste of the flavorful gnocchi and sprouts.
The Mrs. and I had the lobster ravioli next. The second ravioli of the night in a pre-determined menu which I thought a bit odd, but definitely had no true qualms. The saffron tomato sauce was - by far - my favorite part of the dish and it paired beautifully with the pancetta béarnaise AND the delicious Chablis (don't quote me there, I'm merely making an educated guess as to what my wine could have been). It was just a triple-threat match made in Greek heaven.
My first "complaint" of the evening (if you can call it that), was the abundance of residue in PID's wine. He could taste it the moment he took his third swallow and it lingered on his glass. Slightly disappointing for a place labeled as a wine bar, but not necessarily a deal-breaker.
The ladies - still sticking strong to our "Sea" menu - received the wild striped sea bass (perfectly cooked) with grilled potatoes, leeks, and a delicious lemon caviar butter. This sea bass was perfectly cooked and I was amazed beyond words at the crispyness of the skin -- a must-have when it comes to serving skin-on whitefish, but often difficult to execute with a kick of non-charred flavor. This was my favorite fish skin I've ever been served...aside from the size of the serving.
Beverages: Wine pairing menu, carefully selecting wines perfectly paired with each (4) course @ $30 per person
Diet Pepsi @ $2.75
2 Prix-Fixe menus @ $65 per person:
First course: Sea Scallop
Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake
Tax: Food AND drink tax @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $13.49
Yes, indeed it was so long ago that I last shared my culinary opinions with you all but I have resolved to resume blogging -- both here and at Life is Cake. Though I had a few options of reviews to share with you today I thought it only appropriate that I post about our New Year's Eve dinner last evening at Casbah in Shadyside.
Casbah is a part of the wonderful and fabulous big Burrito Restaurant Group with whom, I can tell you now, I've never had a poor meal. I'd only eaten at this particular restaurant once prior to last night -- a lunch meeting eons ago. After doing extensive research on New Year's Eve menus throughout the 'burgh, we landed on Casbah due to it's prix fixe menu choices of "Land" or "Sea" and their wine pairing options.
Our reservations (which we made nearly four weeks in advance via my awesome Open Table iPhone app) were for 6:15 p.m. which we all agreed was early for New Year's Eve, but the place was already almost booked! We arrived to a very pleasant and polite valet attendant -- valet parking is free for those dining at Casbah or Mad Mex. As soon as we stepped inside (my first time doing so at night and PID and FORTs' first time doing so ever), we felt like we were transported into the garden of a Mediterranean villa. I completely adored the romantic and mythological ambiance in this place. I've always been a sucker for fairy lights and stucco appeal, but put them together and you've got a god among dining rooms.
We were lucky enough to be seated in this charming faux-outdoor (though heated -- talk about awesome in the chill of the December night) section, though Casbah does have additional, equally-appealing seating indoors.
 |
| thanks, bigburrito.com/casbah! |
 |
| thanks, bigburrito.com/casbah! |
We started with the bread, butter and...labneh? Yep, that's right. Casbah offers a home-made strained Greek yogurt spread which upped the ante on the would-be moderate bread offering.
Next came our first wine offering, we ladies received a sparkling Rose wine and the men a sweet white which, if I had to guess, might have been a Riesling of sorts.
The two were paired with our equally outstanding appetizers:
 |
| Veal Confit |
The men both ordered a confit of veal shortribs with cider glazed root vegetables, arugula, apple and pistachios. The pistachios added a welcomed but surprising kick of flavor and variation of texture which really added a lot to the dish. The veal was extremely fatty, but in a very good way. The fat was full of flavor which melted in our mouthes.
 |
| Sea scallop with truffles |
Next we received our second wine and course. Silly me, I never wrote down our wines. They were delivered backwards at first and our servers were quick to make sure they made things right. It made for a slightly awkward moment, but in the end no harm was done. Mrs. FORT actually liked Mr. FORT's wine so much, she asked not to switch!
 |
| Sage gnocchi |
The men of the table were served the sage gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, Madeira, foie gras butter, black walnuts and Piave (a deliciously sweet, dense Italian cheese). Apologies for the picture, folks -- I let PID do the clicking on his meal this time and he was just so excited to dig in. Both men sighed with elation after just one bite and I have to admit I was a tiny bit jealous after just one taste of the flavorful gnocchi and sprouts.
 |
| Lobster ravioli |
The Mrs. and I had the lobster ravioli next. The second ravioli of the night in a pre-determined menu which I thought a bit odd, but definitely had no true qualms. The saffron tomato sauce was - by far - my favorite part of the dish and it paired beautifully with the pancetta béarnaise AND the delicious Chablis (don't quote me there, I'm merely making an educated guess as to what my wine could have been). It was just a triple-threat match made in Greek heaven.
My first "complaint" of the evening (if you can call it that), was the abundance of residue in PID's wine. He could taste it the moment he took his third swallow and it lingered on his glass. Slightly disappointing for a place labeled as a wine bar, but not necessarily a deal-breaker.
Next we moved on to our main courses and their respective wines. I will say that although for a brief moment they mixed up who ordered what (not uncommon and in no way a problem), the service here was impeccable. From the friendly demeanor of the staff to the appropriate timing of the delivery of the wines and meal (and even to the patience of our server who continued to retreat to the kitchen to ask the chef my seemingly never-ending questions about our meals), I could not have been more pleased with the service at Casbah. After what felt like mere moments after our third wine selection was delivered, we received our meals.
 |
| Wild striped bass |
The ladies - still sticking strong to our "Sea" menu - received the wild striped sea bass (perfectly cooked) with grilled potatoes, leeks, and a delicious lemon caviar butter. This sea bass was perfectly cooked and I was amazed beyond words at the crispyness of the skin -- a must-have when it comes to serving skin-on whitefish, but often difficult to execute with a kick of non-charred flavor. This was my favorite fish skin I've ever been served...aside from the size of the serving.
 |
| Lamb loin |
The men stayed on land once again as they both chose the lamb loin served with lentils, cauliflower, roasted tomato, herbs with a lamb jus. The boys concurred that the ratio of lamb-to-lentil was far from appetizing and only receiving one, lonely cauliflower was a bit of what we call a "wah-wah..." moment. I personally thought the lamb was delicious, but PID wasn't ecsatic about it and neither was Mr. FORT who was appalled at the miniscule serving size of the entree. We hadn't questioned the serving sizes to this point because we were well aware that they were starter-courses. However I have to admit I was on Team WTF when it came to the size of the main course. Even at an elite location like Casbah, I expected just a bit more, especially for the price we were preparing to pay.
Finally, we received our fruity, sparkling, dessert wines and our final course -- a unanimously chosen flourless chocolate cake.
 |
| Flourless chocolate cake |
This photo does not do this cake justice. We unanimously chose the cake and unanimously agreed that the cake was a shining star of the evening. The fudgy-ness of the cake was a heavenly textural complement to the peppermint and cacao nib ice cream. We each looked up at one another sheepishly as we realized -- one-by-one -- that we were loudly scraping our plates.
Restaurant Information:
Address: 229 S. Highland Ave, Shadyside
Phone: 412-661-5656
Reservations: Taken, strongly suggested especially for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (and you can make 'em via OpenTable.com)
Hours:
| Lunch: | Mon–Sat 11:30–2:30 |
| Brunch: | Sun 11:00–2:00 |
| Dinner: | Mon–Thurs 5:00–10:00 |
| Fri–Sat 5:00–11:00 | |
| Sun 5:00–9:00 |
Cliffs Notes:
I should mention that, as is the trend these days in seasonal menu selections, Casbah's menu changes almost daily. We chose a special, one-night only menu but hope that our review of these meals will be a nod to what Casbah does on a daily basis.
Diet Pepsi @ $2.75
2 Prix-Fixe menus @ $65 per person:
First course: Sea Scallop
Veal Confit (shortribs)
Second course: Lobster Ravioli
Sage Gnocchi
Entree course: Wild Striped Bass
Lamb Loin
Tax: Food AND drink tax @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $13.49
Tip: $40.00
Total for two: $246.24
Total for two: $246.24
Overall Opinion:
I've admitted time and time again that I base my reviews on ambiance, service and flavor. And this place, my friends, excelled in all three. I had but two qualms of the evening and it was entree portion size and the TINY mishap of the wine residue. Personally I adored this meal and would recommend Casbah to anyone looking to enjoy a beautifully framed evening of deliciously prepared food. If you're STARVING and looking for nothing but a belly-filler, maybe look elsewhere. This place will blow your socks off when it comes to flavors, textures, setting and service. I'd suggest it for a date OR a business dinner, anytime.
Καλή όρεξη!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Planet's Greatest Smoothies & a GIVEAWAY!
Not long ago, a few fellow steel-town foodies and I were invited to check out the newest addition to Shadyside's Walnut Street, Planet Smoothie. I was pretty pumped because I've never reviewed a smoothie bar on this blog before!
Unfortunately I learned that Planet Smoothie is actually a national franchise and not a Pittsburgh-based establishment, but I really liked the concept of it complementing X Shadyside and their personalized workouts, training programs and boot camps. John Byrnes, the owner of X Shadyside, decided it would be a great idea to open up a Planet Smoothie in the same building as his gym and, after trying some of the smoothies from their energy and weight loss smoothies, I tend to agree!
I've tried "health" smoothies before and they definitely lived up to the stereotype that health-foods don't really have as much desirable taste. But at Planet Smoothie I was blown away by how much FLAVOR was packed in to every sip of these smoothies -- even the low-cal options! We each had the opportunity to try eight mini-smoothies during our tasting which was great.
It allowed us to really test out all of the unique flavors and "blasts."A "blast" is a flavorless shot added to certain smoothies on the menu (or by request) that help enhance the healthy aspects of the smoothie without altering the taste. Blast options at Planet Smoothie include:
-Protein
-Fat Burner
-Fiber
-Workout
-Energy
-Multivitamin
-Immunity
Especially paired with a workout (for those who are X Shadyside members or want to stop by after their own workout) I think these options are really great and I couldn't even tell the difference when a blast was added to my smoothie.
So here's the breakdown of the flavors I tried:
Acai -- this one was made of organic acai, apples, strawberries and bananas. We were told that there is no sugar or corn syrup added to these smoothies and that all the flavor that hits you as you take a sip is completely natural and comes from the freshness of the fruit that Planet Smoothie uses. I thought that the strongest flavor in this one was definitely the Banana and I was expecting a bit more prominence from the Acai, but it was still a completely delicious smoothie!
Frozen Goat -- Nope. No goat cheese in this one, despite what I was expecting (that's a good thing...). This smoothie featured coffee, bananas, cocoa, vanilla, milk and yogurt and featured an energy blast. I loved the layers of flavors in it. My first sip was delicious and chocolatey, and then immediately after the chocolate I got hit in the face with the flavor of coffee, followed by a hint of banana. It definitely made for a complex experience that certainly energized me!
The Last Mango -- This was my third smoothie of the day and the third one that had banana in it (it also featured mangos, peaches and orange sherbert). These bananas were starting to become the unwanted star of the show. I was hoping I'd taste a bit more mango, but instead I mostly tasted orange and banana. This wasn't my favorite, but for folks who like the taste of oranges and hadn't already had 2 banana smoothies, I'm sure it would be great! I just think they either need to make the mango flavor more prominent or give it another name.
Leapin' Lizard -- My first smoothie with a fat burner blast and I was expecting to notice a change in flavor because of it, but definitely did not! The peaches and strawberries paired EXTREMELY well together and made the smoothie taste incredibly fresh. This was my favorite smoothie of the day so far...
Chocolate Elvis -- Exactly what you think it'll be and exactly as delicious, this smoothie featured cocoa, peanut butter, bananas (yep, again!!) yogurt and non-fat milk. This time, I tasted the bananas on a much more subtle level which was good. The peanut butter had the strongest presence which made a lot of sense. One of my very best FORTs who accompanied me to the event tasted this smoothie and immediately swooned. I have a feeling she'll be going back for more!
Planet Pro -- This was our opportunity to try a protein based smoothie that's great before or after (or both....) your workout. I wasn't excited about it because I'm not much of a workout smoothie drinker, but I was completely pleasantly surprised when I took a sip! The smoothie is blended with a full meal replacement packet which tastes....wait for it... just like a vanilla cupcake! Not a knock-off weight loss shake vanilla flavor. An actual delicious, smooth vanilla flavor. You can choose any two fruits you want to mix into this smoothie. Mine had strawberry in it and I swear to you I felt like I was eating a strawberry cupcake. And, as some of you may know, I know cupcakes.
Key Lime Sorbet -- On the way out after our tasting event, a sorbet machine caught my eye and I had to stop and ask if I could sample the Key Lime flavor that they were featuring that day. This may not have been a low-cal smoothie, but I couldn't resist. This was, by far, the best sorbet I've ever had! So even if you're not in the market for a post-workout smoothie (or a health smoothie at all), you can stop in and give their awesome sorbets a try! This proved to me that they cater to any crowd by offering delicious options across the board.
I did just want to point out a few things that I didn't try that definitely caught my attention on their menu:
1) In the fall, they feature a Pumpkin Smoothie. WHAT?! This I've got to try.
2) More than 30 of their smoothies have 300 calories or less. What a great and delicious way to squeeze a sweet treat into your diet!
3) There is a smoothie called the "Hangover Over." What a great marketing decision that I can't wait to check out next Sunday morning....let's hope it lives up to its name!
Overall this event got me pretty excited about the smoothie scene in Pittsburgh. I can't wait to go back and try more flavors!
Location Information
Planet Smoothie Pittsburgh
Address: 5608 Walnut Street just below X Shadyside.
Phone: 412-925-6650
Reservations: Only for private parties (which they offer!)
Hours:
WIN IT!
Do you want your own opportunity to show your love for all things smoothie? Here's your chance! I'm giving away a small Planet Smoothie t-shirt, a coupon for a free kids size smoothie and a FREE TWO WEEK MEMBERSHIP to X Shadyside!
Each comment you make below on THIS blog will gain you an entry. You can earn up to 6 entries! Here's how:
1) Simply comment on this blog post, letting me know which Planet Smoothie flavor you'll try first OR which blast you would add to your smoothie.
2) "Like" Planet Smoothie Pittsburgh on Facebook
3) "Like" Taste of Pittsburgh on Facebook
4) Follow Planet Smoothie on Twitter
5) Follow Taste of Pittsburgh on Twitter
6) Write a blog post about Planet Smoothie and leave the link as a comment!
Be sure to leave comment for very entry you make below and leave a way for me to contact you so I can let you know if you've won! I'll take a look to validate any claims of "liking" or following before I announce the winner.
This giveaway will close on Sunday, October 9 at 4 p.m. so get your entries in before then! I will choose the winner via random drawing at Random.org.
*Planet Smoothie supplied me with a few delicious samples free of charge in order to facilitate this post, however all opinions expressed within this review are honest and my own.
Unfortunately I learned that Planet Smoothie is actually a national franchise and not a Pittsburgh-based establishment, but I really liked the concept of it complementing X Shadyside and their personalized workouts, training programs and boot camps. John Byrnes, the owner of X Shadyside, decided it would be a great idea to open up a Planet Smoothie in the same building as his gym and, after trying some of the smoothies from their energy and weight loss smoothies, I tend to agree!
I've tried "health" smoothies before and they definitely lived up to the stereotype that health-foods don't really have as much desirable taste. But at Planet Smoothie I was blown away by how much FLAVOR was packed in to every sip of these smoothies -- even the low-cal options! We each had the opportunity to try eight mini-smoothies during our tasting which was great.
It allowed us to really test out all of the unique flavors and "blasts."A "blast" is a flavorless shot added to certain smoothies on the menu (or by request) that help enhance the healthy aspects of the smoothie without altering the taste. Blast options at Planet Smoothie include:
-Protein
-Fat Burner
-Fiber
-Workout
-Energy
-Multivitamin
-Immunity
Especially paired with a workout (for those who are X Shadyside members or want to stop by after their own workout) I think these options are really great and I couldn't even tell the difference when a blast was added to my smoothie.
So here's the breakdown of the flavors I tried:
Acai -- this one was made of organic acai, apples, strawberries and bananas. We were told that there is no sugar or corn syrup added to these smoothies and that all the flavor that hits you as you take a sip is completely natural and comes from the freshness of the fruit that Planet Smoothie uses. I thought that the strongest flavor in this one was definitely the Banana and I was expecting a bit more prominence from the Acai, but it was still a completely delicious smoothie!
Frozen Goat -- Nope. No goat cheese in this one, despite what I was expecting (that's a good thing...). This smoothie featured coffee, bananas, cocoa, vanilla, milk and yogurt and featured an energy blast. I loved the layers of flavors in it. My first sip was delicious and chocolatey, and then immediately after the chocolate I got hit in the face with the flavor of coffee, followed by a hint of banana. It definitely made for a complex experience that certainly energized me!
The Last Mango -- This was my third smoothie of the day and the third one that had banana in it (it also featured mangos, peaches and orange sherbert). These bananas were starting to become the unwanted star of the show. I was hoping I'd taste a bit more mango, but instead I mostly tasted orange and banana. This wasn't my favorite, but for folks who like the taste of oranges and hadn't already had 2 banana smoothies, I'm sure it would be great! I just think they either need to make the mango flavor more prominent or give it another name.
Leapin' Lizard -- My first smoothie with a fat burner blast and I was expecting to notice a change in flavor because of it, but definitely did not! The peaches and strawberries paired EXTREMELY well together and made the smoothie taste incredibly fresh. This was my favorite smoothie of the day so far...
Chocolate Elvis -- Exactly what you think it'll be and exactly as delicious, this smoothie featured cocoa, peanut butter, bananas (yep, again!!) yogurt and non-fat milk. This time, I tasted the bananas on a much more subtle level which was good. The peanut butter had the strongest presence which made a lot of sense. One of my very best FORTs who accompanied me to the event tasted this smoothie and immediately swooned. I have a feeling she'll be going back for more!
Planet Pro -- This was our opportunity to try a protein based smoothie that's great before or after (or both....) your workout. I wasn't excited about it because I'm not much of a workout smoothie drinker, but I was completely pleasantly surprised when I took a sip! The smoothie is blended with a full meal replacement packet which tastes....wait for it... just like a vanilla cupcake! Not a knock-off weight loss shake vanilla flavor. An actual delicious, smooth vanilla flavor. You can choose any two fruits you want to mix into this smoothie. Mine had strawberry in it and I swear to you I felt like I was eating a strawberry cupcake. And, as some of you may know, I know cupcakes.
Key Lime Sorbet -- On the way out after our tasting event, a sorbet machine caught my eye and I had to stop and ask if I could sample the Key Lime flavor that they were featuring that day. This may not have been a low-cal smoothie, but I couldn't resist. This was, by far, the best sorbet I've ever had! So even if you're not in the market for a post-workout smoothie (or a health smoothie at all), you can stop in and give their awesome sorbets a try! This proved to me that they cater to any crowd by offering delicious options across the board.
I did just want to point out a few things that I didn't try that definitely caught my attention on their menu:
1) In the fall, they feature a Pumpkin Smoothie. WHAT?! This I've got to try.
2) More than 30 of their smoothies have 300 calories or less. What a great and delicious way to squeeze a sweet treat into your diet!
3) There is a smoothie called the "Hangover Over." What a great marketing decision that I can't wait to check out next Sunday morning....let's hope it lives up to its name!
Overall this event got me pretty excited about the smoothie scene in Pittsburgh. I can't wait to go back and try more flavors!
Location Information
Planet Smoothie Pittsburgh
Address: 5608 Walnut Street just below X Shadyside.
Phone: 412-925-6650
Reservations: Only for private parties (which they offer!)
Hours:
| Mon - Sat: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. | |||
| Sun: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. |
WIN IT!
Do you want your own opportunity to show your love for all things smoothie? Here's your chance! I'm giving away a small Planet Smoothie t-shirt, a coupon for a free kids size smoothie and a FREE TWO WEEK MEMBERSHIP to X Shadyside!
Each comment you make below on THIS blog will gain you an entry. You can earn up to 6 entries! Here's how:
1) Simply comment on this blog post, letting me know which Planet Smoothie flavor you'll try first OR which blast you would add to your smoothie.
2) "Like" Planet Smoothie Pittsburgh on Facebook
3) "Like" Taste of Pittsburgh on Facebook
4) Follow Planet Smoothie on Twitter
5) Follow Taste of Pittsburgh on Twitter
6) Write a blog post about Planet Smoothie and leave the link as a comment!
Be sure to leave comment for very entry you make below and leave a way for me to contact you so I can let you know if you've won! I'll take a look to validate any claims of "liking" or following before I announce the winner.
This giveaway will close on Sunday, October 9 at 4 p.m. so get your entries in before then! I will choose the winner via random drawing at Random.org.
*Planet Smoothie supplied me with a few delicious samples free of charge in order to facilitate this post, however all opinions expressed within this review are honest and my own.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Soba
This month, mama and papa TOP surprised PID and I with a visit to the 'burgh for my birthday! A welcomed treat with added stress -- their gift to me was dinner on them at a restaurant of my choice.
I'm used to choosing restaurants on a whim! So I was under a bit of pressure to find a place that would be worthy of the folks who so graciously blessed me with a passionate love of all things food. Part of me wanted to badly to take them to Spoon -- one of my favorite places in the city. They'd already enjoyed another of my favorites, Willow. So I went with a restaurant choice that was new to all of us and we all ventured to Shadyside to eat at Soba!
Shockingly, given the amount of time PID and I spend in Shadyside, neither of us had ever dined at Soba. I have always been a fan of the Big Burrito Restaurant Group so I was very excited to give this place a go!
Soba is located amongst the eclectic shops and pubs of Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. Perfect for a pre or post-dinner stroll and even better for a post dinner night cap. The restaurant offers two floors of seating with indoor and outdoor options and an attractive lounge surrounding the bar for a very versatile dining experience. The decor is modern yet comfortable and really sets the mood for a delicious dinner out.
The four of us agreed to start with the calamari:
The aioli was perfect: not too tasteless, but not too heavy. It married nicely with the fresh flavor of the cilantro and the crisp of the calamari.
From there, we were torn between the amazing looking options on their menu. In my opinion, the size of a menu can make or break a restaurant. Too many options and guests feel anxiety trying to choose, then often spend the evening dealing with food envy as they watch their companions swoon over the option they almost went with! Too small of a menu and guests might feel as though the kitchen is limited and they are being forced to make a decision. At Soba, the menu was just right. A variety of small plates, entrees, desserts and even wine, but not so much that we could not figure out what to do.
PID went with the Korean Flank Steak. Seared to perfection and served on an outstandingly surprising shrimp pancake bed, this dish was one that will keep us coming back (I can't wait to order it for myself next time!). The fresh peach kim chi was a welcomed addition and provided for a cool surprise between bites.
Papa TOP ordered the pork tenderloin. One thing that I love about Soba is that the dishes and menu are constantly changing to complement the seasonal fruits and vegetables. His pork came with fresh broccolini and zucchini -- perfect for summer. Checking their menu today it looks like this dish comes with corn and potatoes which I'm sure would be delicious. My favorite part of papa TOP's dish was the pork belly which literally melted in your mouth. Definitely worth ordering!
Mama TOP ordered the Pad Thai. It was a great mash-up of chicken, shrimp and tofu and the flavor of the sauce was wonderful. The helping was quite large and the heaping pile of cilantro on top didn't really add much to the dish and mama TOP couldn't quite finish her meal. We took it home and ate it for lunch the next day and it just didn't have the same flavor. Though we didn't hate it, I think - given the opportunity - we wouldn't order the Pad Thai here again.
I was in the mood for fresh sushi, so I went with two small plates to make up my meal! I was inspired by the chopsticks and stone holder set on the table before we arrived. The Spicy Tuna Maki and Yellowtail Sashimi were absolutely delicious. Though the maki didn't stand out to me as anything too different from the other sushi restauarnts in town, the sashimi went above and beyond my expectations. The watermelon carpaccio and jalepeno rings were a surprising pair that added huge flavor to this tiny dish. I definitely recommend it!
Three out of four of us were beyond pleased with our main dishes, and though our bellies were nearly full - we couldn't help but give a few desserts a try. Every dessert is $8 which makes it much easier to decide on your favorite without worrying about the price.
The Chocolate Pretzel Stack was by far my favorite. The salty-sweet flavors were a perfect combination and the crunch of the pretzel chips with the smooth texture of the cream was an amazing contrast.
We also ordered the Lemongrass Pot-du-Creme to give ourselves a variety between fruit and chocolate tastes. The strawberry-tamarind sorbet shined in this dish -- the cool bite added a kick of flavor which hit you right in the back corners of your mouth.
Finally, I received a welcome birthday surprise with a candle smack in the middle of a trio of ice creams made in-house. The chocolate, strawberry and lime ice creams were by far some of the best I've ever had. I found it pretty difficult to share the strawberry with anyone, but I found a way.
Restaurant Information:
Soba
Address: 5847 Ellsworth Ave
Phone: 412-362-5656
Hours: Sunday -Thursday, 5p-10p
Friday/Saturday, 5p-11p
Reservations: Recommended. We used Open Table!
Cliffs Notes:
The parents TOP generously took care of this meal in honor of my CENSORED birthday, but I can give you a run down without the drinks, tip and tax!
Appetizer: Calamari @ $9
Entrees: Korean Flank Steak @ $28
Pork Tenderloin @ $25
Pad Thai @ $19
Spicy Tuna Maki @ $9
Yellowtail Sashimi @ $14
Dessert: Chocolate Pretzel Stack @ $8
Lemongrass Pot-du-Creme @ $8
Ice Cream Trio @$8
Overall Opinion:
Soba was definitely my type of place. A fusion of Asian and American flavors combined with a very beautiful atmosphere made it the perfect choice for a birthday dinner. Though the Pad Thai was a little lackluster, the desserts were impeccable and the service was fantastic. After dinner we took a walk down Ellsworth and grabbed a few cocktails at a nearby pub which made for a perfect evening with PID and the Parents. Thank you to Mama and Papa TOP for a wonderful birthday and thank you to Soba for a delicious meal.
I'm used to choosing restaurants on a whim! So I was under a bit of pressure to find a place that would be worthy of the folks who so graciously blessed me with a passionate love of all things food. Part of me wanted to badly to take them to Spoon -- one of my favorite places in the city. They'd already enjoyed another of my favorites, Willow. So I went with a restaurant choice that was new to all of us and we all ventured to Shadyside to eat at Soba!
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| Papa TOP and PID are tellin' me they're too hungry to wait for pictures! |
Soba is located amongst the eclectic shops and pubs of Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. Perfect for a pre or post-dinner stroll and even better for a post dinner night cap. The restaurant offers two floors of seating with indoor and outdoor options and an attractive lounge surrounding the bar for a very versatile dining experience. The decor is modern yet comfortable and really sets the mood for a delicious dinner out.
The four of us agreed to start with the calamari:
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| Soba's Calamari |
From there, we were torn between the amazing looking options on their menu. In my opinion, the size of a menu can make or break a restaurant. Too many options and guests feel anxiety trying to choose, then often spend the evening dealing with food envy as they watch their companions swoon over the option they almost went with! Too small of a menu and guests might feel as though the kitchen is limited and they are being forced to make a decision. At Soba, the menu was just right. A variety of small plates, entrees, desserts and even wine, but not so much that we could not figure out what to do.
PID went with the Korean Flank Steak. Seared to perfection and served on an outstandingly surprising shrimp pancake bed, this dish was one that will keep us coming back (I can't wait to order it for myself next time!). The fresh peach kim chi was a welcomed addition and provided for a cool surprise between bites.
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| Korean Flank Steak |
Papa TOP ordered the pork tenderloin. One thing that I love about Soba is that the dishes and menu are constantly changing to complement the seasonal fruits and vegetables. His pork came with fresh broccolini and zucchini -- perfect for summer. Checking their menu today it looks like this dish comes with corn and potatoes which I'm sure would be delicious. My favorite part of papa TOP's dish was the pork belly which literally melted in your mouth. Definitely worth ordering!
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| Pork tenderloin with pork belly |
Mama TOP ordered the Pad Thai. It was a great mash-up of chicken, shrimp and tofu and the flavor of the sauce was wonderful. The helping was quite large and the heaping pile of cilantro on top didn't really add much to the dish and mama TOP couldn't quite finish her meal. We took it home and ate it for lunch the next day and it just didn't have the same flavor. Though we didn't hate it, I think - given the opportunity - we wouldn't order the Pad Thai here again.
 |
| Pad Thai |
I was in the mood for fresh sushi, so I went with two small plates to make up my meal! I was inspired by the chopsticks and stone holder set on the table before we arrived. The Spicy Tuna Maki and Yellowtail Sashimi were absolutely delicious. Though the maki didn't stand out to me as anything too different from the other sushi restauarnts in town, the sashimi went above and beyond my expectations. The watermelon carpaccio and jalepeno rings were a surprising pair that added huge flavor to this tiny dish. I definitely recommend it!
 |
| Spicy Tuna Maki |
 |
| Yellowtail Sashimi |
Three out of four of us were beyond pleased with our main dishes, and though our bellies were nearly full - we couldn't help but give a few desserts a try. Every dessert is $8 which makes it much easier to decide on your favorite without worrying about the price.
The Chocolate Pretzel Stack was by far my favorite. The salty-sweet flavors were a perfect combination and the crunch of the pretzel chips with the smooth texture of the cream was an amazing contrast.
 |
| Chocolate Pretzel Stack |
We also ordered the Lemongrass Pot-du-Creme to give ourselves a variety between fruit and chocolate tastes. The strawberry-tamarind sorbet shined in this dish -- the cool bite added a kick of flavor which hit you right in the back corners of your mouth.
 |
| Lemongrass Pot-du-Creme |
Finally, I received a welcome birthday surprise with a candle smack in the middle of a trio of ice creams made in-house. The chocolate, strawberry and lime ice creams were by far some of the best I've ever had. I found it pretty difficult to share the strawberry with anyone, but I found a way.
 |
| Strawberry, Lime and Chocolate Ice Cream Trio |
Restaurant Information:
Soba
Address: 5847 Ellsworth Ave
Phone: 412-362-5656
Hours: Sunday -Thursday, 5p-10p
Friday/Saturday, 5p-11p
Reservations: Recommended. We used Open Table!
Cliffs Notes:
The parents TOP generously took care of this meal in honor of my CENSORED birthday, but I can give you a run down without the drinks, tip and tax!
Appetizer: Calamari @ $9
Entrees: Korean Flank Steak @ $28
Pork Tenderloin @ $25
Pad Thai @ $19
Spicy Tuna Maki @ $9
Yellowtail Sashimi @ $14
Dessert: Chocolate Pretzel Stack @ $8
Lemongrass Pot-du-Creme @ $8
Ice Cream Trio @$8
Overall Opinion:
Soba was definitely my type of place. A fusion of Asian and American flavors combined with a very beautiful atmosphere made it the perfect choice for a birthday dinner. Though the Pad Thai was a little lackluster, the desserts were impeccable and the service was fantastic. After dinner we took a walk down Ellsworth and grabbed a few cocktails at a nearby pub which made for a perfect evening with PID and the Parents. Thank you to Mama and Papa TOP for a wonderful birthday and thank you to Soba for a delicious meal.
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