Two of Philly-based Quaker City Mercantile's (you've heard of Hendrick's Gin and Sailor Jerry, right?) boozey brands, Art in the Age and Spodee, will be representing in the Steel City this month.
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Spodee is EVERYWHERE!
Two of Philly-based Quaker City Mercantile's (you've heard of Hendrick's Gin and Sailor Jerry, right?) boozey brands, Art in the Age and Spodee, will be representing in the Steel City this month.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
TOP-News: Andys is getting a PATIO!
Good news, downtowners! One of my favorite imbiberies is expanding! Beginning April 17th Andys in the Fairmont will begin having outdoor seating on Fifth Avenue with drink and menu specials!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
We Got our Kicks at Paris 66
In the final days of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, my closest gal pals and I decided to leave the boys behind and have a night out on the town. So obviously we picked the most romantic place we could find and headed to East Liberty to get our French on.Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Less-Words Wednesday: The Freakin' Allegheny Wine Mixer
Our "pre-game" to a bowling adventure started at none other than The FREAKIN' Allegheny Wine Mixer in Lawrenceville!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Right on Point
All I have to say, is that the reward was worth the risk.
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Moonliting
I'm sad to write this post.
I'd thought I might have discovered a gem. PID and I searched for something very specific for this week's date night. Inexpensive and on our side of town. I used the Urbanspoon application on my iPod Touch to try to find the perfect spot. I must have spun the reel about 105 times before I landed on the Moonlite Cafe on Brookline Blvd.
I read a number of reviews that all said the same thing: don't judge a book by its cover, it has a dive appeal with delicious cuisine.
I was excited to experience it for myself and tell you all about this hidden treasure in the South Hills. But sadly, I was far from impressed. We walked in to a half-full dining room. There were many empty tables throughout and we were seated in a booth adjacent to a family with two screaming crawling children. Really? We couldn't have had one (or two, or three) booths in between?
Sean looked at me the moment we sat down and abruptly admitted "It smells like the 70's in here." Which oddly enough, he was right. It did have a Partridge-Family aroma.
But I was still overly optimistic. Our waiter, Robert, was prompt, polite and adorable. Our drinks came in a flash. And then it was on to the wine...
I ordered the house Cab Sav which came before I could finish saying "savignon" and was filled to the absolute brim. I like that. I like it a lot. It was slightly cheap tasting but it was also cheap. Not a horrid trade off.
And then (very quickly) came the bread.
Your typical Italian bread. Possibly bought at one of the local markets on Brookline Blvd. Very light and fluffy, not too hard. But nothing to write home about. Or keep writing here for that matter.
We then moved on to the appetizer...
We chose the Crab Cakes. Are you shocked? I didn't think so. But we were. When two chicken-patty wanna-be's were placed down right in front of us.
It looked, and eventually tasted, like these crab cakes (composed of imitation crab meat) were picked up from their local grocers freezer. In a box. For $8.50/dozen. I wish I could say better things. But I truthfully can't. The cocktail sauce felt store-bought also as the horseradish was nowhere to be seen in the texture of the sauce. Overall, the crab cakes were a major disappointment.
We moved on to the soup and salad after that...
I was pleased to see that the the Chicken Noodle Soup looked authentic. Big, hearty noodles and a foamy broth made the soup pretty tasty. The salad was made of (GASP!) iceburg lettuce and I only received two olives, two tomatoes and one pepper. Yikes.
And finally it was on to the entree. I was hoping -- HOPING -- this would be Moonlite's saving grace. I'd ordered the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. Many of the user reviews I'd read had praised Moonlite's alfredo. It was my time to decide.
Upon delivery (which Robert assured happened in a very timely fashion as we'd happily discovered was his MO) the dish looked promising. Shrimp looked cooked to perfection with a slight pink hue. However I noticed a poor ratio of pasta-to-alfredo on the plate. The shrimp seemed right at home swimming in a sea of sauce. One of my biggest pet peeves is a shrimp pasta dish where the shrimp tails have not been removed. There's nothing more messy and difficult than attempting to remove the tails from a shrimp when they're already in a pasta...especially THIS pasta. I had to hold my shrimp over the plate for 45 seconds to let the excess sauce drip off before pinching off its tail.
Once I got the tails off it was finally time to dig in. This was it. The moment of truth. I took a bite and couldn't quite make out what the flavor reminded me of... so I asked PID. He didn't even finish chewing before he blurted out "popcorn." And...once again...he was right. It tasted just like popcorn. Mostly because of the outlandish amount of butter that had been incorporated in to the sauce. It was overwhelming. There was a slightly chalky aftertaste as well which made me wonder if the sauce had been birthed from a powder mixture which was not properly executed. I was devastated.
I asked PID how he felt about his meal. He definitely had a better experience than I did. He chose the New York Strip steak at a very reasonable price.
But it was only juicy on the fatty end where it rendered in to the meat. He said after that it was stiff and chewy. He was pleased with the flavor the mushrooms added, and his Italian green beans were soaked in a very delicious herbal marinara sauce, but the star of the show seemed to forget it's lines.
Cliffs Notes:
Drinks: 2 Diet Pepsis @ $2.25
1 Cabernet Sauvignon @ $5
Appetizers: Crab Cakes @ $4.50
Entrees: NY Strip Steak @ $16.95
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo $13.95
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $2.79
Tip (the service was the saving grace): $9
Total for 2: $56.69
Overall Opinion?
I wanted so badly to deliver the happy news of a new found favorite. But instead I'm like Fox News. Delivering earth shattering news to the public without a glimmer of hope. I will say the service was outstanding. Very quick and my drinks were refilled (without me asking) without my ever noticing they were gone. The prices were more than reasonable and had I have to believe that if we would have tried for something slightly more traditional, it would have been an OK trip. I won't be back, but if you live in the Overbrook/Brookline area, go in and give it a shot if you're looking for an inexpensive break from cooking. Let me know how your experience went! I'd love to be proven wrong!
I'd thought I might have discovered a gem. PID and I searched for something very specific for this week's date night. Inexpensive and on our side of town. I used the Urbanspoon application on my iPod Touch to try to find the perfect spot. I must have spun the reel about 105 times before I landed on the Moonlite Cafe on Brookline Blvd.
I read a number of reviews that all said the same thing: don't judge a book by its cover, it has a dive appeal with delicious cuisine.
I was excited to experience it for myself and tell you all about this hidden treasure in the South Hills. But sadly, I was far from impressed. We walked in to a half-full dining room. There were many empty tables throughout and we were seated in a booth adjacent to a family with two screaming crawling children. Really? We couldn't have had one (or two, or three) booths in between?
Sean looked at me the moment we sat down and abruptly admitted "It smells like the 70's in here." Which oddly enough, he was right. It did have a Partridge-Family aroma.
But I was still overly optimistic. Our waiter, Robert, was prompt, polite and adorable. Our drinks came in a flash. And then it was on to the wine...
And then (very quickly) came the bread.
Your typical Italian bread. Possibly bought at one of the local markets on Brookline Blvd. Very light and fluffy, not too hard. But nothing to write home about. Or keep writing here for that matter.
We then moved on to the appetizer...
We chose the Crab Cakes. Are you shocked? I didn't think so. But we were. When two chicken-patty wanna-be's were placed down right in front of us.
We moved on to the soup and salad after that...
I was pleased to see that the the Chicken Noodle Soup looked authentic. Big, hearty noodles and a foamy broth made the soup pretty tasty. The salad was made of (GASP!) iceburg lettuce and I only received two olives, two tomatoes and one pepper. Yikes.
And finally it was on to the entree. I was hoping -- HOPING -- this would be Moonlite's saving grace. I'd ordered the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. Many of the user reviews I'd read had praised Moonlite's alfredo. It was my time to decide.
Upon delivery (which Robert assured happened in a very timely fashion as we'd happily discovered was his MO) the dish looked promising. Shrimp looked cooked to perfection with a slight pink hue. However I noticed a poor ratio of pasta-to-alfredo on the plate. The shrimp seemed right at home swimming in a sea of sauce. One of my biggest pet peeves is a shrimp pasta dish where the shrimp tails have not been removed. There's nothing more messy and difficult than attempting to remove the tails from a shrimp when they're already in a pasta...especially THIS pasta. I had to hold my shrimp over the plate for 45 seconds to let the excess sauce drip off before pinching off its tail.
Once I got the tails off it was finally time to dig in. This was it. The moment of truth. I took a bite and couldn't quite make out what the flavor reminded me of... so I asked PID. He didn't even finish chewing before he blurted out "popcorn." And...once again...he was right. It tasted just like popcorn. Mostly because of the outlandish amount of butter that had been incorporated in to the sauce. It was overwhelming. There was a slightly chalky aftertaste as well which made me wonder if the sauce had been birthed from a powder mixture which was not properly executed. I was devastated.
I asked PID how he felt about his meal. He definitely had a better experience than I did. He chose the New York Strip steak at a very reasonable price.
But it was only juicy on the fatty end where it rendered in to the meat. He said after that it was stiff and chewy. He was pleased with the flavor the mushrooms added, and his Italian green beans were soaked in a very delicious herbal marinara sauce, but the star of the show seemed to forget it's lines.
Cliffs Notes:
Drinks: 2 Diet Pepsis @ $2.25
1 Cabernet Sauvignon @ $5
Appetizers: Crab Cakes @ $4.50
Entrees: NY Strip Steak @ $16.95
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo $13.95
Tax: @ 7% (Allegheny County only) $2.79
Tip (the service was the saving grace): $9
Total for 2: $56.69
Overall Opinion?
I wanted so badly to deliver the happy news of a new found favorite. But instead I'm like Fox News. Delivering earth shattering news to the public without a glimmer of hope. I will say the service was outstanding. Very quick and my drinks were refilled (without me asking) without my ever noticing they were gone. The prices were more than reasonable and had I have to believe that if we would have tried for something slightly more traditional, it would have been an OK trip. I won't be back, but if you live in the Overbrook/Brookline area, go in and give it a shot if you're looking for an inexpensive break from cooking. Let me know how your experience went! I'd love to be proven wrong!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thirsty Thursday: ilLUMAnated
It was a dark and rainy night...
OK so it was just a Wednesday in the 'burgh.
Anyway, after a crazy day on both our parts, PID and I decided to take advantage of the rain which granted us momentary freedom from soccer, dog walks and Pirates games to use our Groupon to Luma (which has been burning a hole in my inbox for far too long)!
Luma has two locations: Aspinwall and Mt. Lebanon. We chose Mt. Lebo due to its far superior proximity to home.
As soon as we pulled in to the parking lot (which was on a steep incline, but hey, we're in Pittsburgh. We should be used to this by now) I could already tell I was going to like it there. We had to walk past the back patio to get to the door and I could see through the glass doors to what looked like a very mod ambiance. I was giddy with excitement.
We arrived to a packed waiting area without an empty bar seat in the house. I immediately kicked myself after assuring PID on multiple occasions that we wouldn't need reservations on a Wednesday. Turns out, Luma has half price wine on Wednesdays! What a pleasant surprise! They call it "Winedown Wednesday" which I find clever and appealing. Every single bottle of wine on their menu (aside from the 5 selections which are priced at over $100) was available for half off as a bottle or stem which is different than many 1/2 price wine nights I've experienced. It was fabulous!
And so it was on to the wine... much earlier than we'd anticipated.
While there were no seats at the bar, there was no way we could turn down ordering a bottle for while we waited for our table. I relished the thought of having more affordable choices and stared at the menu for what felt like hours before finally landing on the Excelsior Cabernet, originally priced @ $22/bottle.
I must say that if you don't happen to try Luma on a Wednesday they still do have a great selection of "Twenty at $20" wines. The hostess was nice enough to hold the opened bottle under her station as we held tightly to our stems.
As we sipped, we began innocently eavesdropping as PID and I do so well when we heard a very familiar voice. I turned to my left to see Paul Steigerwald, glass of red wine in one hand and Blackberry in another, waiting patiently for what the hostess referred to as his usual table. I couldn't bring myself to ask for a picture, he looked like he just wanted to enjoy his wine, but I leaned over and had to ask:
me: "So you come here often?" (Yes. I really said it.)
Steigy: "From time to time."
me: "Is it worth the wait?"
Steigy: "The wine sure as heck is!"
We air-cheersed (can I copywrite that?) and I left him to his texting.
Finally our table was ready and since we'd been waiting for about 30 minutes (don't make our mistake, reserve a table no matter the day of the week), we were already prepared with our order and it was on to the appetizer.
Now Brie is one of my favorite cheeses. I've made my own chutneys and had myself a delicious snack at home, but never experienced anything quite like what we were served at Luma. This brie was baked to a light browned skin and was served with a sticky glob (and I mean that in the most positive way possible) of a pecan and brown sugar mixture which I have to assume had maple syrup in it.
I almost felt bad eating it before my meal. The pecans and brown sugar were the perfect level of sweetness and the cheese literally melted on the knife as we sliced it. It would have made for a great dessert. I was very interested in the choice of crackers as well. They were large sesame crackers. Not something I would have paired with pecans and brown sugar...but it worked!
PID couldn't resist ordering a cup of She-Crab Bisque. Had I been confident enough in my stomach to order yet another food item, I would have done the same. He was in heaven. He loves spicy which is just what this bisque was.
And while typically I like a kick of spice as much as the next gal, this crab had a bit more than a pinch (get it?) of cayenne which didn't seem to fit with the rest of the ingredients. Maybe I'm biased to my Rudy's Inlet she-crab bisque in Virginia Beach, but I wasn't feeling it as much as PID was.
It was a busy night -- Winedown Wednesday will do that to you I suppose -- so the service was slightly slow. We had to order a diet Pepsi for PID three times. When our waitress finally returned after our third order she informed us that they were out, but she was going to send someone to the pizza shop down the street to pick up some more. This completely made up for her original forgetfulness. Really? You'll walk down the street for more? We politely told her it wasn't necessary, but of course she brought it for him anyway. That's server dedication! Bravo. With supply & demand as well as labor costs in consideration she probably could have charged us $19 for the glass. She didn't of course, but needless to say we didn't bother her for a refill.
After we received coveted beverage, we moved on to our entrees.
PID and I decided we're around each other so much that we've adopted one another's eating habits. He went for the Spicy Shrimp Pasta (served with asparagus) while I opted for the Tenderloin Alfredo. He took my seafood and I his steak. Thank goodness we don't mind spreading germs because we each ate right off of the other's plate.
PID was very satisfied with his dish but asked me to share with all of you with a very important lesson:
Always bring a Tide Pen.
When you're wearing a lovely white button down (he looked so dapper), you don't want this...
...anywhere near it. I took a bite and this dish was spiced to perfection (as well as beautifully plated). The heat felt more appropriate with shrimp and pasta than the crab bisque and the asparagus acted as a cooling element. I wasn't sure how I felt about the choice in using Angel Hair pasta in this dish versus a thicker variety, but PID insisted it didn't affect his enjoyment one bit.
Unfortunately I was slightly less pleased with my meal. Upon ordering, I was intrigued by the thought of tenderloin paired with fettuccine Alfredo. I'd never seen it served this way before (am I just naive?) but I like steak and I love Alfredo. So why shouldn't we put 'em together?! Sadly, I quickly figured that out. First, I was completely overwhelmed by the size and number of medallions served with the dish. I'm already eating a heaping bowl of pasta. Adding four fist sized cuts of steak (and I'm taking man fists, here) makes me full before just by looking at it.
But I'm very sad to say that wasn't the dish's only problem. The meat was extremely bland. It lacked flavor completely. I forced myself to drag it through the excess Alfredo sauce just to make it taste like...well...anything. The four medallions were also cooked extremely inconsistently. I ordered them medium well. I believe two came that way while one came merely seared and still another was unbearably charred. I don't want to knock this dish completely, however. The Alfredo sauce was some of the best I've tasted -- ever. It was surprisingly light while still holding an absurd amount of flavor. The fettuccine on its own would have been a meal enough for me. I wondered to myself if the meat was poorly cooked only due to the busy evening -- but then I reminded myself that that shouldn't be an excuse.
We, once again, didn't partake in dessert, but the table to my left sure did. It appeared to me that the family of four ordered one of everything on the menu! Looked like a sorbet, a cappuccino, some type of mousse and a few other delights with whipped cream on top. Maybe they write a restaurant blog, too...?
Cliffs Notes:
Groupon: 1 @ $20
Drinks: 1 Diet Pepsi @ 2.25
1 bottle of Excelsior Cabernet @ (Guess what? you have to choose between using a Groupon and paying half price for wine. had I known this, I probably would have paid for the wine at the bar rather than having it transferred to my table. I was less than pleased, but it was delicious wine so I shrugged my shoulders and chose to use the Groupon. I WARN YOU NOW! No Groupons on a Wednesday if you're a wine freak like myself) $22
Appetizer: Baked Brie @ $9
She-Crab Bisque @ $7
Entree: Spicy Shrimp Pasta @ $16
Tenderloin Alfredo for $22
Tax: 7% Sales Tax (Allegheny County only) @ $5.38
Tip: $15 (because "good grouponers" tip on the entire amount)
Groupon Discount: - $40
TOTAL FOR TWO: $76.93
Overall opinion:
It was deja vu all over again with the ambiance. I couldn't help but feel I'd been there before until I went back home and did some research. A Pittsburgh phenom, Head Chef Michael Rudman also heads up the kitchen at Willow. I must say, although it was slightly more expensive, I would have to suggest Willow over Luma. However, I absolutely have no qualms returning to Luma -- maybe trying the Aspinwall location. The menu was captivating and though I may have chosen the wrong entree, it wasn't because of a lack of desirable choices. I'm convinced my less than excellent experience was a one-time fluke that can be easily corrected with a return visit. And PID enjoyed every bite. So give it a try! If for nothing but the wine and the atmosphere alone!
OK so it was just a Wednesday in the 'burgh.
Anyway, after a crazy day on both our parts, PID and I decided to take advantage of the rain which granted us momentary freedom from soccer, dog walks and Pirates games to use our Groupon to Luma (which has been burning a hole in my inbox for far too long)!
Luma has two locations: Aspinwall and Mt. Lebanon. We chose Mt. Lebo due to its far superior proximity to home.
As soon as we pulled in to the parking lot (which was on a steep incline, but hey, we're in Pittsburgh. We should be used to this by now) I could already tell I was going to like it there. We had to walk past the back patio to get to the door and I could see through the glass doors to what looked like a very mod ambiance. I was giddy with excitement.
We arrived to a packed waiting area without an empty bar seat in the house. I immediately kicked myself after assuring PID on multiple occasions that we wouldn't need reservations on a Wednesday. Turns out, Luma has half price wine on Wednesdays! What a pleasant surprise! They call it "Winedown Wednesday" which I find clever and appealing. Every single bottle of wine on their menu (aside from the 5 selections which are priced at over $100) was available for half off as a bottle or stem which is different than many 1/2 price wine nights I've experienced. It was fabulous!
And so it was on to the wine... much earlier than we'd anticipated.
While there were no seats at the bar, there was no way we could turn down ordering a bottle for while we waited for our table. I relished the thought of having more affordable choices and stared at the menu for what felt like hours before finally landing on the Excelsior Cabernet, originally priced @ $22/bottle.
I must say that if you don't happen to try Luma on a Wednesday they still do have a great selection of "Twenty at $20" wines. The hostess was nice enough to hold the opened bottle under her station as we held tightly to our stems.
As we sipped, we began innocently eavesdropping as PID and I do so well when we heard a very familiar voice. I turned to my left to see Paul Steigerwald, glass of red wine in one hand and Blackberry in another, waiting patiently for what the hostess referred to as his usual table. I couldn't bring myself to ask for a picture, he looked like he just wanted to enjoy his wine, but I leaned over and had to ask:
me: "So you come here often?" (Yes. I really said it.)
Steigy: "From time to time."
me: "Is it worth the wait?"
Steigy: "The wine sure as heck is!"
We air-cheersed (can I copywrite that?) and I left him to his texting.
Finally our table was ready and since we'd been waiting for about 30 minutes (don't make our mistake, reserve a table no matter the day of the week), we were already prepared with our order and it was on to the appetizer.
Now Brie is one of my favorite cheeses. I've made my own chutneys and had myself a delicious snack at home, but never experienced anything quite like what we were served at Luma. This brie was baked to a light browned skin and was served with a sticky glob (and I mean that in the most positive way possible) of a pecan and brown sugar mixture which I have to assume had maple syrup in it.
I almost felt bad eating it before my meal. The pecans and brown sugar were the perfect level of sweetness and the cheese literally melted on the knife as we sliced it. It would have made for a great dessert. I was very interested in the choice of crackers as well. They were large sesame crackers. Not something I would have paired with pecans and brown sugar...but it worked!
PID couldn't resist ordering a cup of She-Crab Bisque. Had I been confident enough in my stomach to order yet another food item, I would have done the same. He was in heaven. He loves spicy which is just what this bisque was.
And while typically I like a kick of spice as much as the next gal, this crab had a bit more than a pinch (get it?) of cayenne which didn't seem to fit with the rest of the ingredients. Maybe I'm biased to my Rudy's Inlet she-crab bisque in Virginia Beach, but I wasn't feeling it as much as PID was.
It was a busy night -- Winedown Wednesday will do that to you I suppose -- so the service was slightly slow. We had to order a diet Pepsi for PID three times. When our waitress finally returned after our third order she informed us that they were out, but she was going to send someone to the pizza shop down the street to pick up some more. This completely made up for her original forgetfulness. Really? You'll walk down the street for more? We politely told her it wasn't necessary, but of course she brought it for him anyway. That's server dedication! Bravo. With supply & demand as well as labor costs in consideration she probably could have charged us $19 for the glass. She didn't of course, but needless to say we didn't bother her for a refill.
After we received coveted beverage, we moved on to our entrees.
PID and I decided we're around each other so much that we've adopted one another's eating habits. He went for the Spicy Shrimp Pasta (served with asparagus) while I opted for the Tenderloin Alfredo. He took my seafood and I his steak. Thank goodness we don't mind spreading germs because we each ate right off of the other's plate.
PID was very satisfied with his dish but asked me to share with all of you with a very important lesson:
Always bring a Tide Pen.
When you're wearing a lovely white button down (he looked so dapper), you don't want this...
...anywhere near it. I took a bite and this dish was spiced to perfection (as well as beautifully plated). The heat felt more appropriate with shrimp and pasta than the crab bisque and the asparagus acted as a cooling element. I wasn't sure how I felt about the choice in using Angel Hair pasta in this dish versus a thicker variety, but PID insisted it didn't affect his enjoyment one bit.
Unfortunately I was slightly less pleased with my meal. Upon ordering, I was intrigued by the thought of tenderloin paired with fettuccine Alfredo. I'd never seen it served this way before (am I just naive?) but I like steak and I love Alfredo. So why shouldn't we put 'em together?! Sadly, I quickly figured that out. First, I was completely overwhelmed by the size and number of medallions served with the dish. I'm already eating a heaping bowl of pasta. Adding four fist sized cuts of steak (and I'm taking man fists, here) makes me full before just by looking at it.
But I'm very sad to say that wasn't the dish's only problem. The meat was extremely bland. It lacked flavor completely. I forced myself to drag it through the excess Alfredo sauce just to make it taste like...well...anything. The four medallions were also cooked extremely inconsistently. I ordered them medium well. I believe two came that way while one came merely seared and still another was unbearably charred. I don't want to knock this dish completely, however. The Alfredo sauce was some of the best I've tasted -- ever. It was surprisingly light while still holding an absurd amount of flavor. The fettuccine on its own would have been a meal enough for me. I wondered to myself if the meat was poorly cooked only due to the busy evening -- but then I reminded myself that that shouldn't be an excuse.
We, once again, didn't partake in dessert, but the table to my left sure did. It appeared to me that the family of four ordered one of everything on the menu! Looked like a sorbet, a cappuccino, some type of mousse and a few other delights with whipped cream on top. Maybe they write a restaurant blog, too...?
Cliffs Notes:
Groupon: 1 @ $20
Drinks: 1 Diet Pepsi @ 2.25
1 bottle of Excelsior Cabernet @ (Guess what? you have to choose between using a Groupon and paying half price for wine. had I known this, I probably would have paid for the wine at the bar rather than having it transferred to my table. I was less than pleased, but it was delicious wine so I shrugged my shoulders and chose to use the Groupon. I WARN YOU NOW! No Groupons on a Wednesday if you're a wine freak like myself) $22
Appetizer: Baked Brie @ $9
She-Crab Bisque @ $7
Entree: Spicy Shrimp Pasta @ $16
Tenderloin Alfredo for $22
Tax: 7% Sales Tax (Allegheny County only) @ $5.38
Tip: $15 (because "good grouponers" tip on the entire amount)
Groupon Discount: - $40
TOTAL FOR TWO: $76.93
Overall opinion:
It was deja vu all over again with the ambiance. I couldn't help but feel I'd been there before until I went back home and did some research. A Pittsburgh phenom, Head Chef Michael Rudman also heads up the kitchen at Willow. I must say, although it was slightly more expensive, I would have to suggest Willow over Luma. However, I absolutely have no qualms returning to Luma -- maybe trying the Aspinwall location. The menu was captivating and though I may have chosen the wrong entree, it wasn't because of a lack of desirable choices. I'm convinced my less than excellent experience was a one-time fluke that can be easily corrected with a return visit. And PID enjoyed every bite. So give it a try! If for nothing but the wine and the atmosphere alone!
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