Blog Archives
Beehive Coffeehouse is one of Pittsburgh’s hippest institutions, or so I’ve been told. Even in high school back in ol’ West-by-God-Virginnie, my friends would come all the way up to ‘the Beehive’ to see shows and hang out. It is a mecca for creative and alternative types. Mama Grizzlies, this place ain’t your scene.
The menu at Spoon is simple and elegant. The Chef offers a nice variety of options for almost every palate, including selections for vegetarians. We really wanted to experience food at Spoon, so we chose two appetizers, and a salad. We had to try the Chicken Wings- “braised and crispy” ($7.00) crispy boneless bites, gochujang vinagrette, sesame + garlic dressing, grilled wings, orange chili glaze,sesame + apple + cabbage slaw, the Poblano “Chili Rellenos”: ($8.00) Anson Mills creamy polenta, shrimp, pepper jack cheese, avocado, cilantro crème fraîche, charred and tomato vinaigrette, and the Classic Caesar: ($6.00) romaine hearts, shaved parmesan, garlic croutons.
Last August, I went to Piper’s Pub on a first date. I was a little nervous. I don’t remember what I wore. I don’t remember eating or drinking anything. I could probably take a good guess about what the floor looked like because I’m sure I was staring at it all evening. For some unfathomable reason, the silly boy I went out with stuck around, and we went there again last week for a laid-back dinner. It’s really a shame I don’t remember that first dinner at Piper’s, because I’m sure it was lovely.
We arrived at Pangea in Shadyside at 7pm on a Saturday night. There were a plethora of seats available; that made us nervous. Its peak hour, why weren’t there more patrons here? We were shown to a table, and our drink orders were taken. My dinner mate had the house Cabernet; it was sweet, and peachy with a fruit bouquet-perfect. Unfortunately, we didn’t ask what the house-brand was… sorry. As we looked over our menus, our server arrived with some warm bread and butter. The doughy concoction was sweet and extra crusty; exceptional.
When I stepped into Shogun Japanese Steakhouse, it was if I was stepping back in time; not. Shogun in Monroeville is a nice restaurant, but it’s far from truly authentic Japanese cuisine, and that’s just fine. I imagine that the folks who choose to have dinner at Shogun aren’t concerned primarily with the food, but are more interested in the theatrics that accompany the food. As much as it is a restaurant, Shogun is a theatre of sorts, with experienced chefs who put on a skilled show at your table.
I’ve heard nothing but raves about the burgers at Eleven in the Strip, so a trip to a member of the Big Burrito restaurant group was in order. We decided to go informal and sit in the bar. As we entered, I noticed that the entire establishment was very dark. We were greeted by a very kind hostess who escorted us to the bar area. There were high top tables and some very comfortable looking plush chairs situated right by the windows. We pushed two high tops together to accommodate our group of six.
A while back, I reviewed Pamela’s, a trendy breakfast joint in Shadyside. Although Pamela’s has a great reputation, I was disappointed. As a follow-up, I’d like to introduce you to a diner that I do love. It’s called Eggs R Us, but please forgive it’s ridiculous name. The breakfast speaks for itself.
