I heart PGH

Tag: dining

  • North Side Restaurant Round Up

    North Side Restaurant Round Up

    Going to Fringe Fest this weekend and looking for food? Try these local North Side restaurants.

    North-Side-Restaurants

    Max’s Allegheny Tavern is a German restaurant and the weekend home for Storyswap storytellers, Michael McGovern: Stand Up Horror and several other performances. Grab a schnitzel or bratwurst and enjoy. Max’s is located a few blocks from Fringe Central, Bistro To Go and several other venues.

    Bistro To Go hosts several performances. Pick up a salad or sandwich before, during or after Major, Songs from a Lost Civilization, Tales Too Tall for Trailers or The Food at our Feet. Located less than a block from Fringe Central. @bistrotogopgh

    James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy offers a broad food and drink menu and live Jazz performances. Try their craft beer selection or menu of comfort food favorites. @JamesStreet422

    When? Friday and Saturday 11am-1am; Sunday 11am-11pm

    Proximity to Fringe Fest: Located at 422 Foreland Street. 2 blocks from Max’s Allegheny Tavern; 1 block from Allegheny Commons Park

    El Burro is a takeout taco and burrito joint with daily vegan options. Snag a burrito from El Burro and eat it outside between shows. @ElBurroPGH

    When? Friday and Saturday 11am-9pm

    Proximity to Fringe Fest: Located at 1108 Federal Street. Less than ½ mile from Randyland and the City of Asylum Tent

    Legends of the North Shore is a classic Pittsburgh American Italian restaurant. Bring a bottle of wine (it’s BYOB) for a meal after a performance.

    When? Friday 11am-9:30pm; Saturday 4pm-9:30pm (Reservations Recommended)

    Proximity to Fringe Fest: Located at 500 East North Ave. 3 blocks from Max’s; less than ½ mile from Neu Kirche and Fringe Central

    Wilson’s Bar-B-Que, known for traditional barbecue, is another place to stop of you want to grab food and eat in the park.

    When? Friday and Saturday 12pm-8pm

    Proximity to Fringe Fest: Located at 700 N. Taylor Ave. 3 blocks from City of Asylum Tent; ½ mile from Randyland

    Benjamin’s Western Avenue Burger Bar is the newest restaurant on this list, recently bringing gourmet burgers and a broad craft beer and cocktail selection to Western Ave. Try it for brunch and Build Your Own Bloody Mary’s before a performance on Saturday or Sunday. @BenjaminsPGH

    When? Friday 11:30am-11pm; Saturday 10:30am-11:00pm; Sunday 10:30am-9:00pm

    Proximity to Fringe Fest: Located at 900 Western Ave. 3 blocks from the Western side of Allegheny Commons Park. A short drive from all venues.

    Many thanks to Pittsburgh Happy Hour’s  Lou Kroeck for input!

  • Capital Cuisine

    Capital Cuisine

    [note] The Capital Grille invited us to try their new small plates meals – here is a run down of the visit.  What places downtown or elsewhere do you think offer a quick, tasty lunch? [/note]

    One of the city’s tastiest (and more expensive) restaurants is making life easier for The Burgh’s lunch crowd.

    The Capital Grille, which is located on 5th Avenue downtown, just added new seasonal fare to its “small plates” menu.

    Launched in October last year, the small plates give diners the opportunity to choose any combination of a starter, entree and side — a completely satisfying meal for $18 (which is chump change at the Grille) and it’s quick!

    Designed for a quick lunch, both courses are served in about 45 minutes, so you can down your martini and get back to the office.

    Lucky for us, the Capital Grille gave the I Heart PGH crew the chance to sample a bit of the menu.

    To start, we tried the carrot ginger soup and the clam chowder. Both were delectable. The clam chowder was definitely good, but not a stand out from other clam chowders. However, the carrot ginger soup was a whole ‘nother story. Not too carrot-y and not too ginger-y, this seemingly wacky concoction hit the spot. The carrot flavor is subtle and the ginger gives it just enough kick, without feeling like you shoved a sushi plate side-item in your mouth.

    For entrees, we tried the lobster roll and beef tenderloin sliders. The Capital Grille lobster roll has no shortage of lobster-y goodness. It’s packed with fresh ingredients and is almost too big to finish. Even better are the tenderloin sliders. The beef is insanely tender and flavorful, and they’re served on soft, buttery mini brioche buns slathered in herb cream cheese. The truffle fries could stand alone, but still make the perfect complement to the rich sliders. No side of ketchup or ranch for dipping needed, which says a lot for this crowd.

    If you’ve got enough time left, the Capital Grille has a saliva-inducing list of sweet treats to top off your meal (we recommend the creme brulee or the trio of homemade ice cream).

    Here are some other small plate options:

    • Wagyu Cheeseburger with Fried Egg and Crisp Onions
    • Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese
    • Seared Sea Scallops with Sweet and Sour Tomatoes
  • In Search of Croissants in Pittsburgh

    In Search of Croissants in Pittsburgh

    Check out these 4 awesome places for a flaky, buttery snack in Pittsburgh – due to time and transit constraints the team didn’t make it to Jean-Marc Chatellier’s Bakery in Millvale – I promise you there will be a follow up on that.

    (Beautiful pictures by Iva. Words by Sarah and Ray)

    In order to bring you info on the best croissants in the city, the I Heart PGH gang went on a croissant tour, sampling four bakeries. (Eating delicious croissants all day was an enormous burden, but you’re welcome.) We chatted with the staff and rated each croissant by buttery-ness, flaky-ness and rip-ability.

    La Gourmandine, Lawrenceville

    This authentically French bakery has unique pastries and crazy buttery croissants. It’s owned and operated by a French couple who bring their recipes straight from the cafe of Paris. They make their own dough and bake each piece of buttery goodness fresh. They have a few different types of croissants, including a chocolate flavored morsel that perfectly blends cocoa, butter, and bread.

    There’s a variety of pastries filled with the likes of pistachio and hazelnut cream and a basket of baguettes. But the real piece de resistance here is the croissants. Make sure the get there early if you want an almond croissant, they tend to sell out.

    The space at La Gourmandine is also limited. There’s room to stand and eat your goodies at two tables, but if you’re with a big group, it’s maybe not the best hang-out space.

    • Price: $1.90
    • Buttery-ness: 8.5 (made with European butter)
    • Flaky-ness: 6
    • Rip-ability: 4

    Crepes Parisiennes, Oakland

    The croissants at Crepes Parisiennes are a delish, but a little more bread-y and dense. Their flaky and crisp outside are a nice contrast to some of the other croissants we tasted, especially when paired with a chocolate filing.

    Crepes Parisiennes is a perfect place to meet a friend or two in Oakland. Its service was quite fast and its atmosphere was surprisingly relaxing for a busy cafe in the city. Anyone preparing for a French exam would be wise to study in Crepes Parisiennes for a few hours, so long as the delicious crepes don’t distract you.

    • Price: $1.75
    • Buttery-ness: 5
    • Flaky-ness: 6.5
    • Rip-ability: 6

    Allegro Hearth Bakery, Squirrel Hill

    Four words: bigger than your face. That’s how big these mega-croissants are at Allegro bakery. In addition to the lovely breads and pastries, there’s a small cheese case if you want to slap a savory topping onto your croissant.

    Allegro is nicely situated in the heart of Squirrel Hill on Murray Ave next to the Pinskers Jewish book store. The staff is really friendly and the open space gives you a great view into the bakery. Anyone passing through Squirrel Hill should stop in to Allegro, even if its just to see the biggest Croissants in Pittsburgh.

    Take your goodies to go though, this place doesn’t have anywhere to sit.

    • Price: $1.89
    • Buttery-ness: 8
    • Flaky-ness: 9
    • Rip-ability: 6

    Paris 66, East Liberty

    We all agreed that this was by far the best croissant that we tried all day. Although, we will admit, Paris 66 might have a slightly unfair advantage since they bake your croissants when your order them. Regardless, these babies are good. They’re aesthetically pleasing, in addition to having the most flaky crust and gooey inside we encountered all day.

    Inside, the restaurant smells like heaven. Between the fresh bread baking filling the air, the authentic french cuisine, or the beautifully decorated walls, Paris 66 brings the full french cafe experience right to Shady side.  It’s more of a sit-down place, so it might be easier to plan on eating a meal rather than just a cup of coffee and croissant.

    • Price: $2.00
    • Buttery-ness: 7
    • Flaky-ness: 10
    • Rip-ability: 3 (it’s soo gooey)
  • Hot Dog! 5 New Restaurants to Open in 2012

    Hot Dog! 5 New Restaurants to Open in 2012

    Over the holidays, the Post-Gazette reported that over 30 restaurants opened in Pittsburgh last year!  Which new restaurant was your favorite? We are looking forward to trying a bunch during Pittsburgh Restaurant Week.

    2012 is already looking like another great year for the Pittsburgh food scene as well.  Here are a few openings to look forward to…

    Station Street Hot Dogs
    Salt of the Earth’s Kevin Sousa and partners are reopening the hot dog shop that is located behind the new Target in East Liberty. Pittsburgh food blogger Cooking For My Dad has been tweeting with Station Street about their new menu.

    Union Pig and Chicken
    Kevin Sousa is also working on opening a BBQ place on Highland Ave in East Liberty. Discount gift cards are available online here.

    Winghart’s Burger and Whiskey Bar to Open South Side Location
    While we haven’t had a chance to visit the Market Square Location, we have been hearing rave reviews of this place.  The Post-Gazette’s Bill Toland is tweeting that they will be opening a South Side location soon.

    Wild Purveyors to Open a Market in Lawrenceville
    Brothers Tom and Cavan Patterson have been selling their Certified Organic and/or sustainable farm fresh produce, and meats at the public market and directly to restaurants since 2009.  With the help of a very successful Kickstarter campaign they will be opening their own storefront in Lawrenceville in the next month or so.

    Walnut Grill to Open in Mt. Lebanon?
    The Post-Gazette reported that Molly Brannigans in Mt. Lebanon closed in early December.  The building has been purchased by the owners of the Walnut Grill.

  • Links Worth a Look – April 7th

    Here are some links/articles/blog posts that are worth a look:

    • Restaurant Review: Soba – Pittsburgh Magazine – April 2010 – Pittsburgh, PA – Another positive review for a great Pittsburgh restaurant – Soba. Pittsburgh Magazine has an new review of Soba including info about the chef and new menu items.
    • Salt of the Earth – Chef Kevin Sousa will be opening a new restaurant "Salt of the Earth" on Penn ave this summer – he has been posting some update on the restaurants blog about how things are coming together.
    • Salt Themed – Earth Day Dinner at the Cafe at the Frick – A few years ago I discovered sea salt (thank you to costco for including the sea salt with the pepper mill) and so this salt themed dinner caught my eye. On Thurs., April 22, chef Seth Bailey and his staff at The Café at the Frick will host the restaurant's first-ever Earth Day Dinner, which will feature a tasting menu of four courses and dessert based on the theme "Salt of the Earth." Check out some of the interesting items on the menu
    • Banff Ticket Giveaway! : Venture Outdoors – The Banff Mountain film festival is coming to Pittsburgh April 9+10 – Venture Outdoors is giving away tickets daily on Twitter! Check out this blog post for details.
    • Buena Vista Coffee: A tasty touch of Hollywood in the Mexican War Streets – Nice little article from Pop City about Buena Vista Coffee – the former Beleza Coffee shop has been re-opened with a new name and a new look. The shop was used in the filming of the movie "Love and Other Drugs" – in the movie Ann Hathaway works in a coffee shop.
    • Public=Online | The Public Square Project – Last week the Sunlight Foundation – a national organization focused on increasing government transparency – kicked off their new campaign "Public Equals Online" with a panel discussion at the Google offices in Washington DC. The panel included Ryan Hopkins, from Pittsburgh, who is the founder of the Public Square Project – a local effort to building an online hub of information about Pittsburgh government and public policy.

    Follow IheartPGH on Twitter – we share more links there almost daily!