Tag Archives: food

A Doggone Good Day With Beer

On one of the first warm days after what has been never-ending and cold winter, we got to go outside and take our dog to the dog park (in our case, the Highland Park Dog Run). And thank goodness we got to go out; our little dog has been chomping at the bit after being limited to short walks. The dog park was super muddy, which made it even more fun!

Tennis Ball + Dog = ❤❤❤❤❤❤

Our adventure was your pretty standard with a long classic game fetch; i.e., we throw a ball, and our dog, kind of, brings it back.

After forty minutes of running around in the mud it was time to head home, wind down, and just hang out. Luckily, we recently got our hands on a special mix of beers from Great Lakes Brewing Company, which included: Dortmunder Gold Lager, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Turntable Pils, Commodore Perry IPA, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, and Holy Moses White Ale. While we can’t deny that we have an affinity for beer made right here in Pittsburgh, the Steel City is a diverse powerhouse that has stepped out onto the national stage, we, of course, have access to beer from all over, like from our neighbors in Cleveland, Ohio.

Amongst these tasty brews, we found ourselves lost in thought when drinking the Dortmunder Gold Lager. It has the drinkability of an American lager with a subtle depth of flavor. A light underlying sweet maltiness is complemented by a touch of bitterness that results in a smooth medium-bodied beer that perfectly fits with our day. It’s the kind of beer that makes you want to be outside taking in some sun or hanging on the porch with your four-legged friend in your lap (well maybe not in your lap until your pup has had a bath to remove all that mud!). While we do like lots of different types of beer on this day this lager is totally ours. The only thing that would make the day better would be to add pierogi to go with this beer.

Dortmunder Gold Lager

You can fetch Great Lakes Brewing Company beer (yeah pun!) here in Pittsburgh by using the following link: www.greatlakesbrewing.com/beer-finder. (On this list, is the Tipsy Cow that allows dogs in their outside seating).

Bonus: Swag

Great Lakes Brewing Company is also giving away swag. Who doesn’t love swag?

Here’s how:
Go on the Twitter or Instagram machine
Post Great Lakes Brewing Company brew is yours – perhaps with a photo or video and tag @IheartPGH, @GLBC_Cleveland, and #GLBCisMine
Await contact for some super awesome swag.

Disclaimer: You must be 21 to drink alcohol in the state of Pennsylvania. We were asked to try this beer and we really did like the Dortmunder Gold.

The Gobblerito Returns to MadMex

gobblerito

MadMex brings back the Gobblerito (for those who don’t know, the Gobblerito is an epic Thanksgiving-meal-in-a-burrito) from September 18, 2017 until you sit down for Thanksgiving in November.

You can read our previous post on the return of the Gobblerito here.

Friend of IheartPGH and Pittsburgh food authority @SarahTheKovash wrote about the Gobblerito for KDKA, check out her thoughts here: You Need To Eat This: Gobblerito.

Oh and you should share your Gobblerito photos with the #Gobblerito hashtag which we have just added to our official Pittsburgh Hashtag Directory.

National Hot Dog Day: The Hot Dogs of Pittsburgh

It was quiet morning in the super secret iheartPGH headquarters until one intern abruptly cried out “It’s National Hot Dog Day!” The Yinzterns rejoiced and it was decided that they would take a crawl through the various hot dog vendors of Pittsburgh. Here, we share our ups, downs, and general stomach aches after consuming multiple dogs.

Name	Hours	Cost	Fun Fact
	Breakfast & Lunch Monday-Saturday	$	The proprietors of Steve’s were on vacation at the time of the crawl. We will be back for you Steve…
	Lunch & Dinner	$	An interesting hybrid of Chicago and Pittsburgh, they serve up a mean hot dog. They are also located in a basement, so keep your eyes peeled or you will miss a delicious spot. It’s also cash only.
	Lunch & DinnerMonday-ThursdayLunch, Dinner & Late NightFriday-SaturdayBrunch Sunday	$$	Franktuary is now offering a Sunday brunch at its Lawrenceville location. They also have trivia Tuesday nights!
	Lunch & Dinner Everyday	$$$	Station Street has been open since 1915.
	Lunch, Dinner & Late Night Everyday	$	Decent beer collection, pop in for a hot dog.
	Lunch & DinnerSunday- WednesdayLunch, Dinner, & Late NightThursday-Saturday	$$	Over 1,000 types of beer with a wide offering of food beyond just hot dogs.
	Lunch & Dinner Monday-Saturday	$	This dog joint packs in a lot of character. Cash only.
	Lunch & Dinner Monday- Friday Lunch Saturday	$	Beyond selling dog hots, Wiener World is known for its fish sandwich.

Steve’s New York Hot Dog

This place has great reviews on Urban Spoon. Unfortunately, Steve decided it was a good idea to go out of town during one of the most important hot dog related holidays on the year. We yelled out in agony as we drove by, vowing to return at a later date.

Yovi’s

Unassumingly tucked into a basement right outside of Market Square, Yovi’s brings Chicago dogs to Pittsburgh. It’s simply decorated with both cities’ memorabilia and they also offer sandwiches and deep-fried pizza puffs. The token all-beef Chicago dog was topped with mustard, green relish, diced onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt, on a poppy-seed bun. It’s a great, cheap, and friendly place to pop in for a quick lunch while downtown.

Franktuary

The new Franktuary location in Lawrenceville is charmingly rustic and beautiful, not to mention very spacious compared to the original downtown location. They have a variety of unique hot dog styles (including vegan tofu dogs), plus salads, poutine, pierogies, desserts, and more. We loved the Memphis dog (slaw, barbecue sauce, and crunchy potato sticks) and the Pittsburgh dog (smooshed pierogi and slaw). Their bar is fully stocked with tasty cocktails and craft beers, and you can sit at the open garage door windows when it’s nice out.

Station Street

This hot dog joint has opened and closed a few times since it’s creation in 1915. The latest version is run by restauranteur Kevin Sousa. Bringing food science down to hot dog level, Sousa includes a couple crazy combinations on the menu. I went out on a limb and ordered the Kimchi Dog, topped with seaweed, kimchi, and tangy mayo. I was pleasantly surprised how delightful the tastes were together. The beef hot dog is delicious stand alone, but I’m anxious to try a few more combinations. Station Street also offers Vegan doggies for those less inclined to meat The only downside? It’s a bit pricey for your everyday hot dog–save this spot for special lunch occasions (like National Hot Dog day).

Packs & Dogs

The first thing you notice when you enter this shop in Mount Washington is its expansive beer collection. The bar is lined with bottles and two plasma screen tvs. You have to go to the far back to order your hot dogs. The varieties have canine-themed names, such as the German Shepard (sauerkraut and spicy mustard) or the Chihuahua (chili, cheddar cheese, and onions). Beer is definitely Packs and Dogs’ forte. There was not much outside seating, as there were only two tables outside, but there are a nice number of booths and bar seating.

D’s Six Pax & Dogs

Located in Regent Square, D’s is the perfect place to pop in for a dog. While you are there, make sure to check out the legendary Beer Cave, where you will find over 1,000 different brews. The Chicago Veggie dog was a classic that didn’t disappoint with relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, sport peppers, and yellow mustard. D’s offered some interesting varieties, such as the Big Ben with fries, creamy cheddar and coleslaw and the Angry Tiki loaded with fries, creamy cheddar and coleslaw. We can’t forget to mention how great the poppy-seed buns were, which can also be substituted for whole wheat.

Dormont Dogs

Dormont Dogs was one of our favorite stops of the day. Located a bit out of the city, it was worth the voyage. When you first walk in, you are taken back in time with the lovely decor. The hand written menu and little colorful tables added to the character at Dormont Dogs. The dogs were very good, as well as the buns. The menu featured hot dogs styled after different states (and streets in Dormont), from Louisiana in the south to Wisconsin in the west to Connecticut in the north. We also learned that in addition to being a hot dog shop, the area used to be a barber shop and a waffle/pottery shop.

Wiener World

Wiener World is located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh on Smithfield St. and you can’t miss the giant neon sign. This place is a hot dog shop. This is a take out spot or stand-at-the-counter-and-eat-your-hot-dog place, no tables, chairs or restrooms, just hot dogs (or a hoagie). We ordered the all beef hot dogs with all of the fixings, well ok most of the fixings, which was more than filling enough. We’ll have to try the fries on a return visit. The beef hot dog was great and next time I’ll limit the fixings to one or two and let the hot dog take center stage.

We know there are a ton more hot dog spots in Pittsburgh, but we couldn’t stomach another after a full day of chowing down. Where do you think the best dogs are in Pittsburgh? Check out our Facebook album for more pictures of our day-long crawl.

Best of the Fall Fests: Fort Ligonier Days & Brady’s Run Gear and Beer

In case you need a reason to get outside and experience fall in western PA this weekend – here are 2 great fall festivals that are just a short drive from Pittsburgh.

Fort Ligonier Days – October 12-14, 2012 @ Downtown Ligonier

Parade (Saturday Morning)
Reenactments of the battle of Fort Ligonier
Festival food – in my opinion some of the best festival food around
Craft vendors, kids activities and more
Read more about Fort Ligonier Days food in the Tribune Review here
Festival Facebook Page – facebook.com/FortLigonierDays

Gear & Beer Fall Fest – October 14, 2012 @ Brady’s Run Park

Hosted by the Ohio River Trail Council – proceeds will go toward bike trail development connecting the Montour Trail in Coraopolis to the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway trail.
Activities include a mountain bike ride, 15-mile, 35-mile or 50-mile road bike ride, 5K run/walk, kayaking and canoeing, Calland Arboretum Trail Tour, auctions, raffles, children’s bike rodeo & live music
Food, drink and free wine and craft beer tasting with proper registration!
More details – including race registrations – are available here – be sure to scroll way down on the page for the registration links.
Read more about the Gear & Beer Fest in the Tribune Review here.

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

I 💛 PGH

IheartPGH: a blog about Pittsburgh and people who love this city