Author Archives: Jennie

Vegetarian in Pittsburgh

I was recently asked about good places for vegetarians to get their grub on in the ‘burgh. Full disclosure: I am not a vegetarian, but I thought this would be a good question to explore for the masses.

The Pittsburgh City Paper‘s 2009 reader’s poll named Quiet Storm the best vegetarian restaurant in their 2009 Best of the Burgh issue. Coming in second was South Side’s Zenith and third, Hoi Polloi on the North Side.

This past Sunday, I visited the Quiet Storm for brunch to see what the fuss was all about. I ordered the frittata, a generous square of eggs, spinach, tomatoes, onions and cheese in a potato crust served steaming hot with sun-dried tomato toast and a salad with dressing that was to die for. My dining partner ordered the apricot stuffed french toast which came with fakin’ bacon, fresh fruit and potatoes. Brunch entrees are $11 and come with coffee, soda, tea or juice. We were impressed by the great quality of the food and the friendly and attentive service on a blustery winter day when everything else felt miserable.

The Quiet Storm also offers wheat-free options and they are open to suggestions for future menu items.

A few people on the Never Tell Me The Odds board recommended some city favorites with many of vegetarian options: Spak Brothers, Sree’s, Pusadee’s Garden, Big Burrito restaurants, Over The Bar, Double Wide Grill, Green Mango, Tram’s, Aladdin’s, Abay, Paris 66, J’eet, Istanbul Grill and several others.

I found Spak Brother’s owner Ryan Spak on the board and he said: “We keep it local when possible and use a lot of organic ingredients. We offer carne, vegetarian, and vegan food so we get a lot of orders from offices where some of the people are veggies.” Continue reading →

Handmade Arcade 2009

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Handmade Arcade is this weekend!

HA:09 Pittsburgh’s award-winning independent free craft fair, the Handmade Arcade, will return to the Hunt Armory located at 324 Emerson St. on December 12, 2009, from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Out of 250 applicants, a collection of 90 local and not-so-local crafters will converge to help attendees find the most unique indy gifts for the holiday season. Returning for their third year is our rust belt neighbor, Campfire Goods, from Akron, Ohio.

I recently spoke to Campfire roadie Andy Taray, who is excited to return to the Steel City for the event:

Handmade Arcade has such a cool vibe to because it has sort of a small town feel to it, yet its such a nice big event… I feel like the event has a large majority of its shoppers coming from within the city, as opposed to many of the other shows that have people flocking in from all over the place. So there is definitely a huge Pittsburgh vibe going on… which pretty much always results in some great stories for sure… and accents!

Handmade Arcade 2008

Continue reading →

$5 Movies and More!

Do you know about $5.00 Bargain Monday at the South Side Works Cinema? You should!

All day, every Monday, movie tickets to just about any film is $5. This includes new releases, so make sure you buy your tickets early to ensure your showing doesn’t sell out. Some restrictions apply, for instance, Sony Pictures films are not eligible for Bargain Monday pricing for the first 14 days of the release.

If you’re hungry after the show and you’d like to stick with the theme of Bargain Monday, stroll on down to Fatheads (1805 E. Carson St.) for wing night. Wings are 20 cents and you can get as many as you want, and feel free to mix and match flavors. Wing night specials are also available on Wednesday. Seasonal beers including Troeg’s Mad Elf and Great Lakes Christmas Ale are on tap at Fatheads right now.

If you’re on the other side of the river, the AMC Loews Waterfront Theatre offers $5.00 showings all day, Monday through Thursday.

All this talk of movies making you hungry for popcorn? Make sure you print out your Popalot Card from Pittsburgh Popcorn Company for a free small bag of heavenly goodness after purchasing 9 bags of any size. Each week, both Pittsburgh Popcorn Company locations feature different flavors. One is usually seasonal and the other is a bit more non-traditional. Through December 3, 2009, the Strip District (209 21st St) store is featuring Gingerbread Cookie Corn and Spicy Southwest Cheddar. Through December 1, 2009, at the downtown (822 Liberty Ave) store, you can pick up Pumpkin Spice or Dill Pickle. If you feel like sharing the popcorn love, they ship nationwide!

Photo by Jennie Roth.

Eating Fresh and Local along the Penn Avenue Corridor

Everyone is surely thinking about food a lot more this week than usual. While planning your Thanksgiving feast, did you stop and think about eating fresh and local? This year for Thanksgiving, I’ll be enjoying my first taste of a fresh and local turkey from Pound’s Turkey Farm.

I wouldn’t have thought about a fresh and local turkey as an option for Thanksgiving if it wasn’t for my partner in crime, Rob de la Cretaz, who decided to weed out processed foods from his diet and eat fresh and local as much as possible after reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan notes, “… the way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world. Daily, our eating turns nature into culture, transforming the body of the world into our bodies and minds.” So, how would one go about eating fresh and local regularly in an urban setting? Continue reading →