Showing posts with label scallops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scallops. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Kaleidoscope Cafe, Eh?
Monday, November 19, 2012
Can I have Sonoma?
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.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Proud to be an American (Brasserie)
Months ago, PID and I celebrated Light Up Night by dining at Braddock's American Brasserie.
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 24, 2010
Elements of Surprise
A few months ago my office was devastated when Palomino shut it's doors. Just a stone's throw away from our building, Palomino had always been a conveniently classy option for client lunches or happy hours. The waitstaff was always friendly and the menu delicious enough to keep us coming back. So needless to say I was nervous when I heard about a new restaurateur from outside of Pittsburgh was coming in to open up a new place called Elements Contemporary Cuisine.
That is...until I found out his executive chef was Justin Severino.
I am a huge fan of the Big Burrito group in general, Eleven in particular which appears last on Severino's resume. So I perked up a bit at this news and thought we might be in for a treat.
I'm happy to report that I was right.
About a month ago my team and I checked things out for happy hour where all draft beers and well drinks are half off and wines go for $5 per glass. We ordered the American Tasting platter ($5 less expensive during happy hour) which featured Prosciutto Americana, Fra Mani Salametto Picante, Meadow Creek grayson, Rogue smokey blue, a white bean puree and roasted peppers to name a few items.
Coworkers tried intriguing cocktails like the Cucumber Martini, Basil Gimlet and the mojito reminiscent Green Tea. I reluctantly stuck with a glass of cab sav as I had a number of things to do after HH.
Because a meat and cheese plate is not a reasonable means of judgment in terms of rating a restaurant, I decided I needed to go back for more.
Thanks to a recent Groupon surprise, I was granted just such an opportunity. So I stopped by for a solo lunch on Friday afternoon.
Happily, the entire front of house was very pleasant. The hostess asked me if I had a seating preference and she gave me a table with a lovely view. The layout hadn't changed much from the way things were at Palomino. Just a few new tables and chairs.
As...luck?...would have it I had the same waiter as our team had just a few weeks earlier. His name was Bill. As much as he weirded us out during happy hour with his oddities and overly conversational nature, he made up for it this time around. He came around just enough to fill my diet coke when the (absurdly tiny) glass neared empty and, observing my apparent need to quickly return to an afternoon of meetings, brought me my check in a very timely manner.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll start with the bread...
A motley crew of white, poppy seed and a whole grain raisin of sort proved far too much for one person, but welcomed nonetheless. The butter was appropriately soft -- perfect for spreading. I like a variety of bread choices. Sweet, savory and plain. An option for any diner's taste. A sweet deal for me.
Then it was on to the appetizer.
I couldn't ignore the crabmeat pumpkin soup screaming my name over and over again. So I didn't. And thank God. It was completely delicious. If I'd had fewer morals or manners I may have just picked up the entire bowl and slurped it right out. Jumbo lump crab meat swam in a sea of pumpkin bisque with a kick of curry for the heat and a drizzle of sweet and sour sauce which gave it a nice cooling touch. It reminded me quite a bit of the Butternut Squash soup from Spoon, but I don't think I'd dare say I preferred one over the other... That being said I definitely recommend the pumpkin soup at Elements.
I rounded out my meal with an entree to write home about:
Dear Mom & Dad,
I ate something amazing this afternoon. It was sea scallops served with thick cut bits of bacon, pomegranate and apple slices bathed in a mouth watering chestnut pesto. For getting only three scallops, it yielded a good 12 hefty bites of juicy meaty scallop. The bacon was thick and crispy (although one gooey fatty piece snuck in there some how) and provided a great textural contrast to the softness of the scallop. The crunch of the apple strips added a touch of sweetness to the (not too) salty dish and played a significant role in the texture wars as well. It was outstanding.
You need to come out here and visit so I can take you here. You'd love it. I think you and Bill would get along, too.
Sincerely,
Blake
Cliffs Notes:
Groupon: @ $15.00
Beverages: 1 Diet Pepsi @ $2.50
Appetizer: Pumpkin Soup @ $9.00
Entree: Sea Scallops @ $15.00
Groupon discount: @ -$25.00
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $0.11
Total for one: $16.61
Not bad for a schwanky lunch, I'd say!
Overall opinion:
I truthfully believe that I made the perfect choices for someone with my taste. Looks like the menu is still extensive and appealing enough that I wouldn't be opposed to taking my clients here time and time again. Which makes me quite happy. And yes, I'd even bring my mom here. Being a downtown restaurant its more of a happy hour, after work dinner spot than a weekend date location. Parking, I'm sure, is just as expensive as the meal and as much as I enjoyed it, I won't ever believe any meal is worth paying excessively for parking -- so call ahead to see if they validate.
Well done, Elements. You've made me forget all about Palomino.
That is...until I found out his executive chef was Justin Severino.
I am a huge fan of the Big Burrito group in general, Eleven in particular which appears last on Severino's resume. So I perked up a bit at this news and thought we might be in for a treat.
I'm happy to report that I was right.
About a month ago my team and I checked things out for happy hour where all draft beers and well drinks are half off and wines go for $5 per glass. We ordered the American Tasting platter ($5 less expensive during happy hour) which featured Prosciutto Americana, Fra Mani Salametto Picante, Meadow Creek grayson, Rogue smokey blue, a white bean puree and roasted peppers to name a few items.
Coworkers tried intriguing cocktails like the Cucumber Martini, Basil Gimlet and the mojito reminiscent Green Tea. I reluctantly stuck with a glass of cab sav as I had a number of things to do after HH.
Because a meat and cheese plate is not a reasonable means of judgment in terms of rating a restaurant, I decided I needed to go back for more.
Thanks to a recent Groupon surprise, I was granted just such an opportunity. So I stopped by for a solo lunch on Friday afternoon.
Happily, the entire front of house was very pleasant. The hostess asked me if I had a seating preference and she gave me a table with a lovely view. The layout hadn't changed much from the way things were at Palomino. Just a few new tables and chairs.
As...luck?...would have it I had the same waiter as our team had just a few weeks earlier. His name was Bill. As much as he weirded us out during happy hour with his oddities and overly conversational nature, he made up for it this time around. He came around just enough to fill my diet coke when the (absurdly tiny) glass neared empty and, observing my apparent need to quickly return to an afternoon of meetings, brought me my check in a very timely manner.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll start with the bread...
A motley crew of white, poppy seed and a whole grain raisin of sort proved far too much for one person, but welcomed nonetheless. The butter was appropriately soft -- perfect for spreading. I like a variety of bread choices. Sweet, savory and plain. An option for any diner's taste. A sweet deal for me.
Then it was on to the appetizer.
I couldn't ignore the crabmeat pumpkin soup screaming my name over and over again. So I didn't. And thank God. It was completely delicious. If I'd had fewer morals or manners I may have just picked up the entire bowl and slurped it right out. Jumbo lump crab meat swam in a sea of pumpkin bisque with a kick of curry for the heat and a drizzle of sweet and sour sauce which gave it a nice cooling touch. It reminded me quite a bit of the Butternut Squash soup from Spoon, but I don't think I'd dare say I preferred one over the other... That being said I definitely recommend the pumpkin soup at Elements.
I rounded out my meal with an entree to write home about:
Dear Mom & Dad,
I ate something amazing this afternoon. It was sea scallops served with thick cut bits of bacon, pomegranate and apple slices bathed in a mouth watering chestnut pesto. For getting only three scallops, it yielded a good 12 hefty bites of juicy meaty scallop. The bacon was thick and crispy (although one gooey fatty piece snuck in there some how) and provided a great textural contrast to the softness of the scallop. The crunch of the apple strips added a touch of sweetness to the (not too) salty dish and played a significant role in the texture wars as well. It was outstanding.
You need to come out here and visit so I can take you here. You'd love it. I think you and Bill would get along, too.
Sincerely,
Blake
Cliffs Notes:
Groupon: @ $15.00
Beverages: 1 Diet Pepsi @ $2.50
Appetizer: Pumpkin Soup @ $9.00
Entree: Sea Scallops @ $15.00
Groupon discount: @ -$25.00
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) @ $0.11
Total for one: $16.61
Not bad for a schwanky lunch, I'd say!
Overall opinion:
I truthfully believe that I made the perfect choices for someone with my taste. Looks like the menu is still extensive and appealing enough that I wouldn't be opposed to taking my clients here time and time again. Which makes me quite happy. And yes, I'd even bring my mom here. Being a downtown restaurant its more of a happy hour, after work dinner spot than a weekend date location. Parking, I'm sure, is just as expensive as the meal and as much as I enjoyed it, I won't ever believe any meal is worth paying excessively for parking -- so call ahead to see if they validate.
Well done, Elements. You've made me forget all about Palomino.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Night of the Living Room
Last weekend, PID and I did something different. Instead of planning out our evening by checking our budgets, deciding on our attire mood, or working with our social and professional calendars, we just got in the car and...drove.
Our journey brought us to a familiar sight that we'd formerly never thought twice about in the past: the twinkling fairy lights adorning the deck of Leonard's Living Room just off of Washington Road in Bethel Park.
If you've shopped at South Hills Village Mall, then you've been stuck at the intersection below the dining room. You probably know it well. But you may not have taken much notice to Leonard's, looming above you.
We decided it was time to be the loomer, not the loomed.
So we ventured back to the tiny parking lot where we noticed a small, handwritten sign that read "Valet Only." This confused us since the lot was so small that literally every spot was within a 20 foot walk from the front door. We were confused even more when we awkwardly sat in our car for 2 minutes without being greeted by a valet. So... we parked. As we neared the door our elusive valet appeared and told us how he doesn't make an hourly wage on the weekends, but works on tips alone. We saw no point in handing him the keys to, what, drive our car in a circle and repark it? So we promised to give him a dollar or two after our meal.
We walked in to an island bar next to a giant wall of windows, great for people (or traffic) watching during happy hour. The dining room to the right looked charming enough, but it was a nice night (and as we're discovering, one of the last of the season) so we chose to eat outside on their deck.
To our surprise, the menu was pretty extensive. With six pages boasting traditional American fare from sandwiches to pasta to sections completely dedicated to their own meat: Veal, Beef, Chicken and Seafood, we had a lot of choices. As we decided, our pleasant waitress brought out the bread...
Tasty, but nothing to write home about. They still get points for offering bread. More and more places these days don't. "Cutbacks." Pssht.
We quickly decided on the appetizer...
Jumbo sea scallops stuffed with lump crab meat and a lovely light remoulade. I really enjoyed this appetizer. Have I had better? Yes. At restaurants that charge WAY more. I would truly say that these were quite impressive for the cost. The crab meat was 100% real and the sauce was quite tasty! It's new to the menu and I'd recommend it for certain.
Then we finally had to choose an entree...
Each platter came with a choice of soup or salad, a starch and a mystery vegetable. I say mystery because there wasn't a list and we weren't given a choice. We could, however choose the soup, salad and starch.
For the starter, PID went for the wedding soup as I chose the salad.
Though my salad was much like the bread in it's lack of real noteworthiness, PID could not stop raving about the wedding soup. "Chalked full of the good stuff, more than you usually get," he told me. Apparently, 'good stuff means' mostly means the meatballs. He said he didn't feel jipped out of them here as he had at other restaurants. The broth was just right, there were large chunks of fresh carrots and the orzo was well cooked.
Originally I'd had my eye on the Raspberry Chicken Salad, but I have a rule about ordering chicken infrequently at restaurants and ordering salads even less. Why pay good money for something you can make for $2 at home? So, as delicious as the salad looked, I went in a different direction. And by different direction, I mean the nightly special: Steak and Cake.
A filet of mystery meat drenched in a demi glaze came to the table with a posse of slightly overcooked redskined potatoes, very undercooked carrots and what originally looked like a burnt crab cake. The meat was OK. I wasn't remotely impressed. To be honest, the sauce was so overpowering it completely took away from the flavor of the meat. I say mystery meat because I honestly couldn't tell if I was eating lamb or beef. The crab cake, on the other hand was delicious. It didn't taste remotely as burnt as it looked. Jumbo lump crab meat? Check. Same delicious remoulade sauce from our appetizer? Check. I tried to eat it slowly, savor it. This case was a no brainer. Cake trumped steak.
PID ordered the medallions of beef served also in a demi glaze with crimini mushrooms and shallots which also came with undercooked carrots, but he opted for the linguini and red sauce as his starch. He wasn't overly impressed with his entree either -- again, the sauce was too strong and too plentiful. His meat was drowning just like mine was.
Cliffs notes:
Beverages: 2 diet cokes @ $2.50
Appetizer: Scallops with Crab @ $8.00
Entrees: Steak & Cake @ $20.00
Medallions of Beef @ $26.00
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $4.13
Total for two: $63.13
Overall Opinion:
Leonard's had its ups and downs. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing -- not overly loungy but not grungy. The deck had a nice view. The waitress was a peach. The appetizer and soup were fairly tasty, but while the entrees weren't bad by any means, we weren't overly impressed. I wouldn't mind trying it out one more time (after all, there were 6 pages of menu), but I'm in no rush.
If you're interested in giving it a shot for yourself, you can get a great deal on restaurant.com. Follow restaurant.com on Twitter for even deeper deals by snagging codes!
p.s. -- for the record, we did tip the valet. I knew it was eating at you.
Our journey brought us to a familiar sight that we'd formerly never thought twice about in the past: the twinkling fairy lights adorning the deck of Leonard's Living Room just off of Washington Road in Bethel Park.
If you've shopped at South Hills Village Mall, then you've been stuck at the intersection below the dining room. You probably know it well. But you may not have taken much notice to Leonard's, looming above you.
We decided it was time to be the loomer, not the loomed.
So we ventured back to the tiny parking lot where we noticed a small, handwritten sign that read "Valet Only." This confused us since the lot was so small that literally every spot was within a 20 foot walk from the front door. We were confused even more when we awkwardly sat in our car for 2 minutes without being greeted by a valet. So... we parked. As we neared the door our elusive valet appeared and told us how he doesn't make an hourly wage on the weekends, but works on tips alone. We saw no point in handing him the keys to, what, drive our car in a circle and repark it? So we promised to give him a dollar or two after our meal.
We walked in to an island bar next to a giant wall of windows, great for people (or traffic) watching during happy hour. The dining room to the right looked charming enough, but it was a nice night (and as we're discovering, one of the last of the season) so we chose to eat outside on their deck.
To our surprise, the menu was pretty extensive. With six pages boasting traditional American fare from sandwiches to pasta to sections completely dedicated to their own meat: Veal, Beef, Chicken and Seafood, we had a lot of choices. As we decided, our pleasant waitress brought out the bread...
Tasty, but nothing to write home about. They still get points for offering bread. More and more places these days don't. "Cutbacks." Pssht.
We quickly decided on the appetizer...
Jumbo sea scallops stuffed with lump crab meat and a lovely light remoulade. I really enjoyed this appetizer. Have I had better? Yes. At restaurants that charge WAY more. I would truly say that these were quite impressive for the cost. The crab meat was 100% real and the sauce was quite tasty! It's new to the menu and I'd recommend it for certain.
Then we finally had to choose an entree...
Each platter came with a choice of soup or salad, a starch and a mystery vegetable. I say mystery because there wasn't a list and we weren't given a choice. We could, however choose the soup, salad and starch.
For the starter, PID went for the wedding soup as I chose the salad.
Though my salad was much like the bread in it's lack of real noteworthiness, PID could not stop raving about the wedding soup. "Chalked full of the good stuff, more than you usually get," he told me. Apparently, 'good stuff means' mostly means the meatballs. He said he didn't feel jipped out of them here as he had at other restaurants. The broth was just right, there were large chunks of fresh carrots and the orzo was well cooked.
Originally I'd had my eye on the Raspberry Chicken Salad, but I have a rule about ordering chicken infrequently at restaurants and ordering salads even less. Why pay good money for something you can make for $2 at home? So, as delicious as the salad looked, I went in a different direction. And by different direction, I mean the nightly special: Steak and Cake.
A filet of mystery meat drenched in a demi glaze came to the table with a posse of slightly overcooked redskined potatoes, very undercooked carrots and what originally looked like a burnt crab cake. The meat was OK. I wasn't remotely impressed. To be honest, the sauce was so overpowering it completely took away from the flavor of the meat. I say mystery meat because I honestly couldn't tell if I was eating lamb or beef. The crab cake, on the other hand was delicious. It didn't taste remotely as burnt as it looked. Jumbo lump crab meat? Check. Same delicious remoulade sauce from our appetizer? Check. I tried to eat it slowly, savor it. This case was a no brainer. Cake trumped steak.
PID ordered the medallions of beef served also in a demi glaze with crimini mushrooms and shallots which also came with undercooked carrots, but he opted for the linguini and red sauce as his starch. He wasn't overly impressed with his entree either -- again, the sauce was too strong and too plentiful. His meat was drowning just like mine was.
Cliffs notes:
Beverages: 2 diet cokes @ $2.50
Appetizer: Scallops with Crab @ $8.00
Entrees: Steak & Cake @ $20.00
Medallions of Beef @ $26.00
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $4.13
Total for two: $63.13
Overall Opinion:
Leonard's had its ups and downs. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing -- not overly loungy but not grungy. The deck had a nice view. The waitress was a peach. The appetizer and soup were fairly tasty, but while the entrees weren't bad by any means, we weren't overly impressed. I wouldn't mind trying it out one more time (after all, there were 6 pages of menu), but I'm in no rush.
If you're interested in giving it a shot for yourself, you can get a great deal on restaurant.com. Follow restaurant.com on Twitter for even deeper deals by snagging codes!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My Birthday Dinner Surprise
This post comes to you two weeks delayed. I've been a busy 'burgher! But I have a story to tell about the second half of my beautiful birthday adventure with PID.
After a fun filled morning in the Strip District and a delicious trip to DeLuca's, we weren't quite done! It was on to my first trip to The Warhol and my third to Phipps before my big dinner surprise! Oooooh the anticipation was building!!
So, though the soles of my feet were sore, my soul was filled with joy after a beautiful day with my beau. But it STILL wasn't over! PID assured me I had time for a quick siesta before our fiesta. So I took serious advantage before we headed out to dinner. Luckily, he HAD let me in on a part of the secret: there was a formal dress code. So I'd purchased attire for the occasion. Formal dress code? WHERE ON EARTH WERE WE GOING!?
Why Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, of course! I'd been hinting to PID for ages. I love Seafood and I love Mount Washington. This was definitely the place for me!
Valet parking was convenient, but $4 plus tip. Who charges for valet anymore when the minimum your diners are paying half a month's salary on dinner? But PID tells me it wasn't a big deal and he's the one who paid, so I digress.
I half expected to walk directly in to the restaurant from the bottom floor -- that's how the other Mt. Washington restaurants are. But Monterey Bay Fish Grotto is not located directly on the mountain. It's on the other side of Grandview Ave on the top floor of what appears to be an apartment complex. So you have to take an elevator all the way up. Though yes, the valet booth is right there the elevator boasts no direction -- we even had trouble finding the button. I was confused and it had nothing to do with my being blond.
Anyway, we made our way to the top. An absolutely breathtaking elevator ride (Literally. I'm scared of heights so I held my breath the whole time...but it was beautiful) with a perfect view of Heinz Field and downtown Pittsburgh. But when the elevator doors opened on the top floor, the view got even better!
The dining room was festive and beautiful with impossibly high ceilings and painted columns depicting palm trees reminiscent of the real Monterey Bay.
(I'll tell you now that in a dress on the arm of a man wearing a tie as we're paying $54 for a $17 bottle of wine -- I was a little too intimidated to take a lot of pictures. So many of these will come directly from their website and not from my lens.)
I felt welcomed immediately as we passed the bubbling fish tanks. By the hostess and staff, not the fish.
Our waiter was a bit on the slow side. Non alcoholic drinks came 10+ minutes after we'd ordered them and went dry on a few occasions. But the manager on duty was extremely pleasant and helpful in choosing both a wine and an entree. She was very conversational and seemed genuinely happy to have us. US, not just our money. Which she was certainly getting.
And so, it was on to the wine...
We ordered a Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cab Sav. I love Mondavi wines. At $54 for the bottle it was the cheapest on the Cab Sav portion of the extensive wine menu, but it was better than anything I'd had in a long time!
And then the appetizier...
My FAVORITE part of the meal, I have to say. Though I hate raw oysters, I sure am a sucker for Oysters Rockefeller. So far, oddly enough, the best O.R. I've had was at a tiny middle-of-nowhere roadside diner just east of Seven Springs. Until now. I of course gasped in elation when I saw they were offered and had to think no further, while PID seemed far from indecisive as he ordered his staple: calamari. The apps came almost as fast as the drinks (this would be a good thing if it hadn't been because the drinks took so doggone long to arrive). The cheese was still bubbly and after one bite I discovered the hard way that "bubbly" was synonymous with "not quite ready to eat." My tongue was burned and I actually wished it'd taken a bit longer to arrive. But once they cooled down, they were DELECTABLE. Absolutely impeccable balance between the spinach, cheese, garlic and whatever else was thrown in there. It was a hefty portion as well with 8 on the plate. I even let PID try one. Ain't I sweet? His calamari was good, but not the best I've had. I suggest getting an appetizer you can't get at Red Lobster if you go.
Next, it was time for the entree...
Here, I was stumped. I stared at the menu for what felt like hours, battling back and forth between the Sashimi style Ahi Tuna entree and the Caribbean style Chilean Sea Bass before finally settling on...neither. Instead, I went with the Jumbo Sea Scallops. PID was once again conventional in choice, but I let him slide on this one. Apparently their crab cakes are highly acclaimed, so he went with those.
My scallops melted in my mouth as they should and while some places scallop entrees leave me wanting, Monterey Bay's portions were just right. I felt satisfied, but not over served. They were stuffed to perfection with fresh shrimp and crab meat with a delicious Lobster Newburg Sauce and coleslaw-esque garnish. I have to say, I loved the garnish and wanted more. It redefined edible-art in to "art I want to keep eating." I have nothing bad to say about this entire dish. From first bite to scraping my plate I was in heaven. All too often I find myself wondering "what-if" after I've made a difficult menu decision. My mind was nowhere near my other alternatives at this point. I was, simply put, satisfied.
PID's crab cakes were excellent as well. Large chunks of fresh crab (flown in that afternoon like the rest of their fresh fish on the daily menu) drowned in a light and sweet remoulade with a perfect brown crust. Not a hint of char in sight. I still gave him heck for ordering calamari and crab cakes at one of the most elite restaurants in the city -- but who was I to criticize the man who gave me this beautiful day?
Finally, as we were waiting for our check, I caught our chatty manager whispering to our waiter and moments later, he appeared at our table with a HUGE slice of what appeared to be their chocolate truffle cake!
And would you believe it? The raspberry sauce spelled out a special message, just for me!
(this one was really mine -- I didn't steal it. I snapped the shot with my phone before quickly throwing it back in my purse...slightly embarrassed but mostly over excited to try this cake!)
They made up for charging for valet by not surprising PID with an involuntary dessert fee. I've seen it happen: you mention your birthday but don't ask for a cake. They bring it anyway and BAM! $12 on your check (Ahem....Red Lobster rises again). But not at Monterey Bay! They really treat you on your day.
It was a sweet conclusion to a perfect evening. I could not have asked for more.
Cliffs Notes:
Drinks: 2 diet cokes @ $1*
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon @ $54
Appetizer: Oysters Rockefeller @ $11.95
Fried Calamari @ $11.95
Meal: Stuffed Sea Scallops @ $35.95
Maryland Crab Cakes @ $34.95
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $10.45
Tip: $35
Total for two: $195.29
*i'm still checking on that $1 drink thing. after adding everything up that's certainly what it looks like to me!
Overall Opinion?
Extremely delicious -- if I could afford to eat here once a week, I would. But I can't. I say LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OUT THERE:
Don't forget about the other end of the Grandview block. Monterey Bay is the perfect romantic dining option if your sweetheart likes seafood. Of course it's pricey. What did you expect? It's Mount Washington! You're paying for the view, the ambiance and some of the most sought after chefs in the city. In this instance, I say it was worth it. But you should ask PID. His wallet took the hit. I'd love to take PID here on my dime sometime (anniversary? holiday? promotion?) but I'm sure we'll visit infrequently. Definitely a special occasion type of joint and rightfully so. Might wind up being too much of a good thing if it wasn't...
After a fun filled morning in the Strip District and a delicious trip to DeLuca's, we weren't quite done! It was on to my first trip to The Warhol and my third to Phipps before my big dinner surprise! Oooooh the anticipation was building!!
So, though the soles of my feet were sore, my soul was filled with joy after a beautiful day with my beau. But it STILL wasn't over! PID assured me I had time for a quick siesta before our fiesta. So I took serious advantage before we headed out to dinner. Luckily, he HAD let me in on a part of the secret: there was a formal dress code. So I'd purchased attire for the occasion. Formal dress code? WHERE ON EARTH WERE WE GOING!?
Why Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, of course! I'd been hinting to PID for ages. I love Seafood and I love Mount Washington. This was definitely the place for me!
Valet parking was convenient, but $4 plus tip. Who charges for valet anymore when the minimum your diners are paying half a month's salary on dinner? But PID tells me it wasn't a big deal and he's the one who paid, so I digress.
I half expected to walk directly in to the restaurant from the bottom floor -- that's how the other Mt. Washington restaurants are. But Monterey Bay Fish Grotto is not located directly on the mountain. It's on the other side of Grandview Ave on the top floor of what appears to be an apartment complex. So you have to take an elevator all the way up. Though yes, the valet booth is right there the elevator boasts no direction -- we even had trouble finding the button. I was confused and it had nothing to do with my being blond.
Anyway, we made our way to the top. An absolutely breathtaking elevator ride (Literally. I'm scared of heights so I held my breath the whole time...but it was beautiful) with a perfect view of Heinz Field and downtown Pittsburgh. But when the elevator doors opened on the top floor, the view got even better!
The dining room was festive and beautiful with impossibly high ceilings and painted columns depicting palm trees reminiscent of the real Monterey Bay.
I felt welcomed immediately as we passed the bubbling fish tanks. By the hostess and staff, not the fish.
Our waiter was a bit on the slow side. Non alcoholic drinks came 10+ minutes after we'd ordered them and went dry on a few occasions. But the manager on duty was extremely pleasant and helpful in choosing both a wine and an entree. She was very conversational and seemed genuinely happy to have us. US, not just our money. Which she was certainly getting.
And so, it was on to the wine...
We ordered a Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cab Sav. I love Mondavi wines. At $54 for the bottle it was the cheapest on the Cab Sav portion of the extensive wine menu, but it was better than anything I'd had in a long time!
And then the appetizier...
My FAVORITE part of the meal, I have to say. Though I hate raw oysters, I sure am a sucker for Oysters Rockefeller. So far, oddly enough, the best O.R. I've had was at a tiny middle-of-nowhere roadside diner just east of Seven Springs. Until now. I of course gasped in elation when I saw they were offered and had to think no further, while PID seemed far from indecisive as he ordered his staple: calamari. The apps came almost as fast as the drinks (this would be a good thing if it hadn't been because the drinks took so doggone long to arrive). The cheese was still bubbly and after one bite I discovered the hard way that "bubbly" was synonymous with "not quite ready to eat." My tongue was burned and I actually wished it'd taken a bit longer to arrive. But once they cooled down, they were DELECTABLE. Absolutely impeccable balance between the spinach, cheese, garlic and whatever else was thrown in there. It was a hefty portion as well with 8 on the plate. I even let PID try one. Ain't I sweet? His calamari was good, but not the best I've had. I suggest getting an appetizer you can't get at Red Lobster if you go.
Next, it was time for the entree...
Here, I was stumped. I stared at the menu for what felt like hours, battling back and forth between the Sashimi style Ahi Tuna entree and the Caribbean style Chilean Sea Bass before finally settling on...neither. Instead, I went with the Jumbo Sea Scallops. PID was once again conventional in choice, but I let him slide on this one. Apparently their crab cakes are highly acclaimed, so he went with those.
My scallops melted in my mouth as they should and while some places scallop entrees leave me wanting, Monterey Bay's portions were just right. I felt satisfied, but not over served. They were stuffed to perfection with fresh shrimp and crab meat with a delicious Lobster Newburg Sauce and coleslaw-esque garnish. I have to say, I loved the garnish and wanted more. It redefined edible-art in to "art I want to keep eating." I have nothing bad to say about this entire dish. From first bite to scraping my plate I was in heaven. All too often I find myself wondering "what-if" after I've made a difficult menu decision. My mind was nowhere near my other alternatives at this point. I was, simply put, satisfied.
PID's crab cakes were excellent as well. Large chunks of fresh crab (flown in that afternoon like the rest of their fresh fish on the daily menu) drowned in a light and sweet remoulade with a perfect brown crust. Not a hint of char in sight. I still gave him heck for ordering calamari and crab cakes at one of the most elite restaurants in the city -- but who was I to criticize the man who gave me this beautiful day?
Finally, as we were waiting for our check, I caught our chatty manager whispering to our waiter and moments later, he appeared at our table with a HUGE slice of what appeared to be their chocolate truffle cake!
And would you believe it? The raspberry sauce spelled out a special message, just for me!
They made up for charging for valet by not surprising PID with an involuntary dessert fee. I've seen it happen: you mention your birthday but don't ask for a cake. They bring it anyway and BAM! $12 on your check (Ahem....Red Lobster rises again). But not at Monterey Bay! They really treat you on your day.
It was a sweet conclusion to a perfect evening. I could not have asked for more.
Cliffs Notes:
Drinks: 2 diet cokes @ $1*
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon @ $54
Appetizer: Oysters Rockefeller @ $11.95
Fried Calamari @ $11.95
Meal: Stuffed Sea Scallops @ $35.95
Maryland Crab Cakes @ $34.95
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $10.45
Tip: $35
Total for two: $195.29
*i'm still checking on that $1 drink thing. after adding everything up that's certainly what it looks like to me!
Overall Opinion?
Extremely delicious -- if I could afford to eat here once a week, I would. But I can't. I say LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OUT THERE:
Don't forget about the other end of the Grandview block. Monterey Bay is the perfect romantic dining option if your sweetheart likes seafood. Of course it's pricey. What did you expect? It's Mount Washington! You're paying for the view, the ambiance and some of the most sought after chefs in the city. In this instance, I say it was worth it. But you should ask PID. His wallet took the hit. I'd love to take PID here on my dime sometime (anniversary? holiday? promotion?) but I'm sure we'll visit infrequently. Definitely a special occasion type of joint and rightfully so. Might wind up being too much of a good thing if it wasn't...
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