1796 in 2010

It's (yet again) been a while. Well, 'tis the season! PID and I have been spending all of our money on moms and dads and brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces and so we've had no time or dough for dinners out!

But we're back! And because I haven't seen you, Merry Christmas!

I hope your holiday was delicious!

I'll warn you now, this review isn't Pittsburgh based, but at least it's still Western, PA! After a feast of the seven fishes with the PID family and a weekend in Chocolatetown with mine, we decided we needed a holiday from our holiday. So we made a reservation at Bedford Springs Resort & Hotel which is just a perfect distance away from home and Pittsburgh.  Smack in the middle!  I'd eaten here before in the Crystal Room on the way home from an epic weekend at Penn State but never stayed the night. I remembered how breathtaking the property and hotel looked and knew I wanted to bring PID here to stay.

We pulled up in million mile per hour winds to a very helpful group of bellmen. Once we were all checked in we decided to head out on a journey to explore the resort.  On the way we checked out the multiple dining options on site and asked around about options in Downtown Bedford. After quite a bit of menu reading, we decided to stay in-house and dine in the 1796 Room -- named for the year that the land was purchased to build the resort!

You don't have to be a hotel guest to dine at 1796 but reservations are definitely encouraged. Even on a Monday we weren't able to be seated until 9 p.m. but we were OK with that. We had a drink at the bar while we waited:

Bedford Lemonade: Bacardi Limon, Lemonade and Cranberry Juice

Bacardi & Diet: a PID staple

So what sold me on this place that couldn't seat me until 9 p.m.? I'll give you a hint:

Two of my favorite appetizers on the same menu?! That is a rare find indeed! Best thing about it is I have a wonderful boyfriend who doesn't mind feeding my vices by feeding his face and sharing. But I'm getting ahead of myself here... we did, in fact, get bread...

I'm gonna go ahead and say this was a garlic herb loaf and a rye loaf.  Now they seemed fresh baked (nice and warm and dough-y), but I wasn't a giant fan of the bread.  It was almost too much flavor before our meal. I needed a palate cleanser just to eat my appetizer. But I wouldn't venture so far to say it was bad.  Just a bit too much for my taste!

One thing I want to mention is something I truly feel strongly about at any establishment. If things aren't up to the standards you feel they should be for the price you're paying for dinner, you need to speak up. Now, our food was wonderful, but our server was....not.  We were greeted by a roaming server who delivered our bread and poured our water (after asking if we'd prefer bottled or sparkling, which we didn't).  He let us know our server would be right with us.  He wasn't. We waited quite a bit until he finally arrived, we placed our entire orders.  We ordered two diet cokes instead of wine tonight since we had a bottle up in the room. Ten minutes later we still had no diet coke. Fifteen and I saw the table seated after us had already drunk half a bottle of their wine, so I tracked down that friendly roaming server again.  He brought our sodas instantly.  See?  It wasn't too hard.  It's very easy to simply speak up without having a harsh, demanding tone to your request.  Sometimes things happen and they may be simple and easy to take care of.  The longer you wait to speak up the angrier you'll get and the harsher your request will be making the server all the less interested in helping you out.

But back to the meal...

The appetizers came next...

The oysters were creamy and perfect.  There was just enough cheese.  The tuna...MMMMMmmmmm good!  It came two ways with a tartare and a lightly seared yellow fin.  There was an amazing smokiness to the yellow fin that I have never tasted before and really thought it made the dish special! This ain't your mama's tuna! The tartare was well seasoned as well though a bit al dente.  Either way I loved it!

Then, although we knew going in to things it was an ambitious decision, we each ordered a bowl of Lobster Bisque because, c'mon, how could we refuse?

The bisque was thick and creamy and buttery and DELICIOUS! And with a few huge chunks of fresh lobster in the bowl, I was anything but disappointed. If I have one complaint (and really it's not much of a complaint) it's that it was very heavy.  This made it taste much better, but we made the mistake of ordering two appetizers, soup and an entree and eating the bread. So even after the soup course we were feeling mighty stuffed! If you think you want the bisque, you can probably forgo appetizers altogether!  It's that, well, appetizing!

Finally it was on to the entrees...

I ordered the Herb-Crusted Halibut and must pat myself on the back for making an excellent choice.  The fish had an excellently flavored crust and flaked perfectly at the touch of a fork. The German potatoes were dark and well cooked, just like I like 'em.  A tad too much spinach for my liking, but the tomato ragout provided a great sweetness to it.

I will say it was a bit over salted...but for me, that was a good thing. I have a salt complex in that I always want too much of it.  So to me, it made me love the meal even more. But for those of you with a less salt-favoring palate, just be warned.

PID had the New York Strip with GIANT steak fries and asparagus.

The steak was cooked absolutely perfectly and held it's natural juices well.  Tasted great!  PID was not a fan of the steak sauce though. "Too sweet." But luckily he didn't even need it thanks to the steak being so great.  The asparagus was shaved which I guess I don't really understand.  Doesn't it lose flavor and substance that way? If anyone can explain the significance of shaving asparagus to me, please do.

Now PID said the fries looked incredibly tasty, but while my meal was slightly over salted, these fries -- which are supposed -- lacked salt altogether. There wasn't a single grain on them and, oddly enough, there was no salt or pepper on the table, either. They were quite bland and tasted like nothing more than sliced cooked potatoes. We considered asking our server for salt, but he had taken ages to come back with the ketchup so we figured why bother. So instead, PID decided to simply dip in the ketchup.  Well that also didn't help.  It was a house-made ketchup.  While I generally appreciate house-made sauces and the like, I have a problem with house-made ketchup.  We are in Western PA people.  Heinz country.  Don't mess with the good thing we've got going here. No need to get fancy. It was wayyyy too sweet (it almost tasted like raspberries?) and watery.  It tasted almost nothing like ketchup.

Restaurant Info:
1796
Address: 2138 Business 220 Bedford, PA15522
Phone: 814-623-8100 (that's the hotel's number -- simply mention you're calling about 1796)
Hours:  5 p.m. - 10 p.m. (dinner only)
Reservations: Strongly Encouraged
Price: $$$$

Cliffs Notes:
Beverages:       2  diet cokes @ $2.50
Appetizers:      Chesapeake Bay Oysters Rockefeller  @ $13
                       Twice the Tuna @ $9

                       2 Lobster Bisques @ $11
Entrees:           Herb Crusted Halibut @ $28
                       Prime NY Strip @ $33
Tax:                 6% @ $6.07
Total for Two:  $116.07

Overall Opinion:


Though the fries and ketchup didn't exactly make the cut, the rest of the meal was delicious. Combined with the ambiance and rich history within the walls of the restaurant, the meal was quite a wonderful experience altogether. Though it's a good hour and 40 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh 1796 and, really, the entire Omni Bedford Springs Resort make a wonderful romantic evening or weekend getaway.  It's like stepping in to the past and leaving behind the worries of the real world. Don't think I've ever said that about dinner before. A trip here, even just for a meal, might be an excellent Valentine's Day or Anniversary dinner so keep it in mind. My rating is based upon many things, but I must say the fries, ketchup and service made it lose a few points in my book.  That doesn't mean it's still not an excellent place to check out.

HAVE A SAFE, HAPPY AND DELICIOUS NEW YEAR!!!!!!! See ya in 2011!

<a href="http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/1796-room-at-bedford-springs-bedford-256547" title="1796 Room at Bedford Springs Restaurant Reviews"><img src="http://1.static.menuism.com/images/badges/featured-on-menuism.gif" border=0 alt="1796 Room at Bedford Springs  Restaurant Reviews"/></a> 

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