Tonic

A few weeks ago, Mrs. P and I ventured to the Farm to Table conference. As if we didn't get enough to eat as we bounced from booth to booth, we decided to head across the street for lunch at Tonic Bar & Grill downtown.

The colorful walls were a modern contrast to the raw brick which gave the space warm, industrial feel. I'd eaten here a few years ago, but Mrs. P was a first timer.

The upstairs dining room/private party room

We decided to celebrate the occasion with a few midday cocktails. I began with a twist on a classic, Tonic's version of a Hurricane. Mrs. P opted for a Sunburn. Though together our drink names would have made an off-vacation, they certainly were a welcome addition to our day.

Sunburn: $8.50, Hurricane: $9.50

Their menu boasted a wide array of appealing options making both of our heads spin. But we bought more time by ordering the Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Hummus served with pita wedges and fresh cucumber.

Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Hummus $8

The Hummus was unique chalked full of hearty garlic and red pepper chunks making for a delicious spread which paired excellently with the cool cucumber slices. It was a deliciously healthy start to our meal!

After begging the waitress for more time to review the menu repeatedly, we finally landed on our entrees: Mrs. P with the Samurai Burger and I with the Chicken Pad Thai.

Mrs. P raved on and on about her burger and finished it more quickly than I'd seen her finish any meal before. The wasabi mustard and crispy wonton took a classic turkey burger to a whole new level.  The sweet potato fries were the perfect blend of crispy and creamy, adding a...well, sweet twist to her meal.

Samurai Buger & Sweet Potato Fries $15.50 total

I was slightly underwhelmed with my Pad Thai.  It was too sweet for my taste (I'm a spicy Pad Thai fan, myself) and wasn't bursting with flavor as I had hoped.

Pad Thai with Chicken $14

Next time I go I'll be sure to choose from one of the many other appealing options instead.  Mrs. P was blown away by their burgers, so maybe that's the direction in which I'll head!

Restaurant Information:

Tonic Bar & Grill

Address: 971 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Phone:  (412) 456-0460

Reservations: Gets busy at lunch and I'd recommend it.  An upstairs room is great for privately reserved parties.

Hours: Mon-Wed 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.

            Thurs-Sat 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. 

Cliffs Notes:

Hurricane @ $9.50

Sunburn @ $8.50

Diet Coke @ $2

Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Hummus @ $8

Samurai Burger @ $13.50

    w/Sweet Potato Fries @ 2.00

Pad Thai @ $9

   w/Chicken @ $5

Tax:                        Food tax  @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $4.03

Tip:                           $13
Total for two:          $74.53

Overall Opinion:

I was neither impressed nor unimpressed.  I'll definitely never recommend the Pad Thai to anyone, but I wouldn't recommend that they avoid the restaurant altogether! The upstairs loft looked like an excellent venue for a small private party and their cocktail list was quite impressive, so Tonic may be the perfect place for your next happy hour or birthday party. Mrs. P couldn't get enough of her Samurai burger and would certainly encourage diners to give their burgers a try. 

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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!

Papa TOP and PID are tellin' me they're too hungry to wait for pictures!

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:

Soba's 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.

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!

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. 

 

Mango-ing Green

Oh, hello Regent Square.  It was such a pleasure to meet you on Friday! 

Yes, that's right.  I just had my first dinner in Regent Square since moving to Pittsburgh more than eight years ago.  Judge me all you want.  I'm right there beside you.

(And I call myself a food blogger....)

Well, Pittsburgh...I am proud to say that I have finally expanded my culinary circumference while ALSO eating a dish I have never eaten before!

PID, a few familiar FORTs and I ventured to the area on a Friday evening in hopes of heading to check out the relatively new Alma for dinner. A risk and a failure.  Alma does not take reservations for parties under eight and a two hour wait greeted us in the unbearable moist heat of the evening. While we were slightly bummed to miss out on what we were all so excited to experience, we were far from discouraged. (Alma, we'll be back to check you out shortly...) We walked a few blocks down South Braddock Ave. (Note: don't walk this. Just don't do it. It's too darn far and it was too darn hot.) and tried our luck at a few more (also relatively new) places to no avail. Until a neon noodle beckoned to us.

The Green Mango is a hole in the wall amongst golden palaces.  With restaurants quickly becoming the talk of the town popping up left and right, it blends in to it's brick facade save the glowing bowl of steamy Pad Thai in it's window.  It was the only place that could seat all six of us immediately, so we jumped on the offer.  Admittedly, I originally didn't approve.  Though I've yet to meet a food I dislike, I've never found myself particularly fond of Thai cuisine. Until now.

Amongst us, we ordered three appetizers of beef rolls, spring rolls and Somosa for the table

Spring Rolls with homemade duck sauce

Samosa: Lightly fried pastry stuffed with potatoes, onions, tofu and Thai spices

and  two "Drunken Noodles," a classic Pad Thai, Spicy Green Curry, Sukiyaki Soup and Spicy Pineapple Curry with beef for our entrees.

Classic Pad Thai

One of the Drunken Noodle dinners (with shrimp)

Spicy Green Curry (with beef)

Sukiyaki Soup

Spicy Pineapple Curry (with beef)

I went in with one opinion of Thai food and one alone....and that opinion culminates on a porcelain throne later the evening.  But tonight I experienced Thai done right. Sure, there were a few watery eyes and cleared nasal passages - but that's just the nature of the beast.  Each and every one of us couldn't wait to tell the other how they chose the best item on the menu.  I will say, that although I entered the skeptic, I walked out standing behind my Sukiyaki Soup as the best of the evening. It's not often I think of soup as a meal, but it certainly was. With all of the glass noodles, perfectly translucent, mixing with the crunch of the green onion and the taste of the chicken and shrimp, I could barely even finish it all. Not to mention the mirin and soy flavors accumulated by the tofu, I didn't want to leave a single bite behind. My first attempt at Sukiyaki was a success!

Restaurant Info:
The Green Mango
Open for lunch and dinner 7 days/week
Regent Square
1109 S. Braddock Avenue
Regent Square, PA 15218
Tel. 412-244-3310
Penn Center East
3462 Wm. Penn Hwy
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
Tel. 412-824-9500
The Waterfront Mall
142 West Bridge Street
Homestead, PA 15207
Tel. 412-476-9100
Reservations: We walked right in on a Friday night when everything else had a line out the door. But maybe give a call ahead just to make sure.
Price: $$

Cliffs Notes/Overall Opinion
After being granted a small taste of everyone's dish, I knew that my an-Thai shell had been cracked. For only $9.50 (well, plus about $1 worth of Spring rolls that I snuck) I had a wild-with-flavor dinner with my wild-with-flavor friends. And the kicker?  Because The Green Mango is BYOB, not one of us spent over $20 on ourselves for the entire, delicious dinner out.  WINNING.

Here's our lesson(s) of the day: Don't automatically walk on by a "hole in the wall" on a mission to eat at the neighborhood's newest and most exciting hot spot.  AND don't disregard cuisines altogether just because you once had a mediocre experience. You never know what you might find!