Dining Out – Page 3

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Park Bruges.

July 15, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Each year, it’s the same song and dance. I spend winter wishing for summer, spring anxiously awaiting summer’s arrival, and every fall, I’m sad to see it go. This summer, like most of my summers, has been non-stop. I’ve been traveling, laughing and dining my way through these sunny days (or not-so-sunny days in Pittsburgh)… which leads me to one particular dinner date I had a few months ago at Park Bruges in Highland Park.

Park Bruges is a neighborhood French infusion bistro right around the corner from the apartment I used to share with my college roommate, Molly (Susan). Yet, in all my time in Highland Park, I never set foot inside. When it graced Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2014 list of best restaurants, I added it to my to-do list. A year later, I finally stumbled inside for a spontaneous and long overdue dinner date with Molly.

For dinner, I ordered a cup of the spinach chowder and the Roasted Beet Salad. I have pretty high standards for anything called “chowder,” given the time I’m able to spend in New England each year, but the soup was absolutely loaded with veggies, so I overlooked the fact that the chowder wasn’t thick enough to keep my spoon standing. (Hehe.) And then there was the salad. In my opinion, the most killer food trio to ever exist in the summer time is beets, walnuts and goat cheese. Park Bruges layered on some bacon (and come on, who doesn’t die for bacon?), and I was in business.

Susan got the steak frites which, in her opinion, was bomb. The steak was served over sauteed julienne vegetables with a red wine and whole grain mustard sauce, which did some work to balance the flavor of the fries that quite possibly could have come from McDonald’s — extraaaa salty.

The food was fine, the atmosphere was okay, but the company? That was sure hard to beat.

Cheers to you, Susan, for being an amazing friend and a badass woman. COUNTDOWN TO GRADUATION: 16 DAYS!

Dining Out, Food, Travel

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Ellicott City Edition.

May 25, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Three years ago, a sweet little girl entered the world: Stella Ave. In celebration of her birthday, I packed my bag and hopped in the car on Saturday morning. Destination: Ellicott City, a small town on the outskirts of Baltimore, and home to three of my favorite people on this planet.

John and Michelle had made dinner reservations for all of us at a The White Oak Tavern, a restaurant that celebrates local, hand-crafted food and beers. They had been raving about the burger at this joint, so I had made up my mind about my dinner selection before we even got there. The White Oak burger came topped with porter-glazed carmelized onions, “special sauce,” arugula, aged white cheddar and two thick pieces of bacon. John opted for the blackened catfish and shrimp, served with seared polenta cakes and sauteed greens. It tasted just as good as it looked. Michelle went with a perfectly light and summery strawberry salad. (Side note: The mac and cheese was so good. Stella wasn’t a huge fan, but the three of us found ourselves stealing bites off of her plate a few times. Oops.)

With stomachs full of delicious food, we headed home and called it a pretty early night. We’re old. Leave us alone. On Sunday afternoon, the whole family gathered around the pool to eat, drink, laugh and celebrate the birthday girl. I mean – come on – have you ever seen someone so cute?

After her cake had been cut, the gifts had been opened and I had said my goodbyes to my family, I hopped back in my car to return to Pittsburgh. Hailey was hosting a Memorial Day BBQ, and two of my best friends were in town from Colorado. The day turned into night and before I knew it, I was wrapping up another weekend full of so many of the best people.

To the people that I don’t see nearly enough: I’ll never get enough of you. I’ll always smile big when I see you (and maybe shed a tear or two), and be heartbroken when I leave you. That’s the price of loving and knowing people in more than one place.

Dining Out, Food

Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Philadelphia Edition, Part II.

May 18, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Last weekend, I pregamed in Philadelphia. Not the kind of pregame you know and love from your college days, but a weekend-long preview of this year’s annual Fourth of July vacation with some of the most wonderful people that exist in this galaxy.

We spent most of Friday night on Nate and Megan’s back porch with a bottle of wine and bubbling laughter, and I woke up the next morning with the sun and a hot cup of coffee. We started our long, sunny Saturday walk through town with a stop at Kite and Key before moving on to the Reading Terminal Market. We (obviously) picked up some donuts for breakfast before walking a few more blocks to Independence Beer Garden, an expansive garden overlooking the Liberty Bell and Independence National Historic Park. Decorated with reclaimed wood and distressed metals, Tivoli lights and every outdoor game you could think of, there’s no surprise why it’s the place to find anyone on a warm summer day in Philadelphia.

We made a few more stops along on Saturday afternoon (at places whose names I don’t remember) and hopped on bikes to zip home for a quick refresh before heading back out for the night. I have never laughed so hard or smiled so big or felt like my heart was going to burst with so much happiness from the joy that these people bring me.

At one point not so long ago, the five of us shared the small city of Pittsburgh. Now I’m the last man standing here, while Nate and Megan hold down Philadelphia and Kris and Rita are living the New York City dream. But when we all come back together, even if it is just a few times a year, it’s like nothing has changed at all. Kris is still a Sea Puppy and Nate’s still Two-Tooth. Rita will always have Baby’s First Brunch, and there will always be that one time with Megan and the paper at Belvedere’s. (And shoutout to Carl and Becky, who couldn’t be there with us this weekend.)

To bring our whirlwind weekend to an end, we all grabbed brunch at BlueCat on Sunday morning, a Latin infusion restaurant in Fairmount. We rolled up armed with a bottle of champagne, and a weekend’s worth of laughs between us.

The waitress placed two small plates down on the table: an appetizer of jicama, watermelon, cucumber and a white vinaigrette, topped with cilantro. Delicious. Then, in my typical salty breakfast fashion, I ordered the breakfast burrito, which came served with fried plantains (stahhhhhp) and stopped speaking entirely in between my first bite and my last. Meg went with the huevos rancheros and, to no one’s surprise, Rita went with the french toast. Nate and Kris jumped on the burrito train with me, adding chorizo to theirs.

Maybe it’s because I was starving, maybe it’s because I got less than 10 hours of sleep the whole weekend, or maybe it’s because BlueCat was actually that amazing, but this brunch was the best way I could’ve imagined ending a Fourth of Julancer pregame with these amazing people. It’s kinda like we run the world. La da dee da dee.

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Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Tender.

April 14, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Tender Bar + Kitchen isn’t new to me, but each time I step through the front door, it’s like I’ve entered a different era entirely. Everything is soulful and intentional; historic and vibrant; dark, but not unassuming. It reminds me of a speakeasy, quietly tucked away in a large, Lawrenceville building. The sounds inside rarely reach more than a low rumble, but the celebratory spirit of a time long ago rumbles loud and clear.

TENDER_GATSBY_21-750x500 — Photo by tenderpgh.com.

I ended up seated at a table for two, facing the floor-to-ceiling, fully-stocked, cinematic bar. I watched as each of the bartenders, expert in their craft of cocktail mixing, crawl up the ladder and fly from side to side, quickly grabbing spirits from bottles tucked away on the shelves. They would twist and pour and shake and squeeze and shake and swirl and pour, creating these complex and beautiful and aromatic and approachable craft cocktails like it was second nature.

I ordered a French Seventy-Five, a drink created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris. It was simple, yet elegant: sparkling wine, gin and lemon juice. So sweet and easy that I could have had a million of them.

For dinner, I took a slightly more traditional route. I ordered the crispy brussel sprouts as an appetizer, just like I always do. They’re served with soy-mirin gastrique, pepperoncini, candied bacon and shaved manchego, and they never last long enough for me to snag a picture of them. Literally not once.

For my meal, I chose the Shepherd’s Pie, made with lamb from Serenity Hill (a local farm just outside of Pittsburgh), cured lamb belly, root vegetables, Yukon gold potatoes and a parmesan crisp. And then, of course, there was the simple Tender Burger, a hefty patty served with cheddar, local green, pickled fennel and pub sauce and a side salad.

There’s nothing like quality time when you feel a little bit like you’re drinking at Gatsby’s.

Dining Out, Food

Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Industry Public House.

April 2, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

This past Tuesday, I found myself in the midst of a few good friends in a dimly lit bar, a cool glass of wine in my hand, and a plate of sizzling fried pickles being placed gently in front of me when it dawned on me. Of all the places I have eaten in Pittsburgh, Industry Public House is one that I’ve never considered blog worthy… until now. Only a few blocks from my house, I go there all the time. I go there with my work friends, I’ve taken my family there; it’s reliable. It may not have graced the pages of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Restaurants, but in our opinion, it should have. (And shoutout to the Smoke Stack, an Industry specialty drink that took home the Hottest Drink in Town award from Pittsburgh Magazine in 2013.)

While beer and cocktails are the main headliners of this industrial bar (seriously, check out those Edison bulbs) — and rightfully so, with their seemingly endless options — the food isn’t something to ignore, either. While I’ve grown into some tried and true favorites (like the Model ‘T’urkey or Electric Cheese sandwiches, the Farmed Out Burgher or the Beastloaf), I went down a slightly different path this time.

I started with an order of fried pickles, and my friends Hailey and Dan ordered the infamous truffle fries. The pickles were breaded in a mixture of two parts heaven and one part magic to create the fluffiest, sweetest, crunchiest fried pickle house that I’ve ever encountered. And I’m not even being dramatic. The truffle fries are another best entirely. A plate full of hand cut filament fries are doused in truffle oil and gorgonzola and are probably loaded with calories, but they are so delicious, no one even cares. Seriously, my friends and I order them every. single. time.

For dinner, I ordered the ‘Shroomed flatbread and another glass of wine. The flatbread was light and airy and topped with small, diced mushrooms, arugula, chevre and carmelized shallot. Every bite was cheesy and earthy, and I just couldn’t get enough.

Unfortunately, another glass of wine later, our night had to come to an end. We were saying goodbye to a friend from England, who after six months here in the US, was going back home. We went home with happy bellies and happy hearts, already making plans for our next trip back for some truffle fries.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: The Vandal.

March 15, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the menu tasting event for The Vandal, a restaurant coming soon to our little neighborhood of Lawrenceville! Chef and owner Joey Hilty — brother of Covalent cofounder, Jeff — and Emily Slagel of Mid-Atlantic Mercantile revealed a small portion of The Vandal’s menu at Bar Marco on one of their weekly No Menu Mondays.

As a group, we ordered two of everything on the menu. There were three appetizers: Shishito Peppers, Potatoes and Carrots. Simply named, but each more delicious than the one before. The peppers were lightly charred and crisp; the roasted potatoes were coated in olive oil, salt and garlic, warm and wonderful when dipped into whatever that magical sauce was that danced across the plate; the carrots — by far my favorite — were cooked perfectly, soft and sweet.

There were two sandwiches on the menu: a cheeseburger and a roast pork sandwich. I’ve had some really amazing burgers in the past; burgers topped with peanut butter and jelly, or made with honey and layered with gouda and bacon in the form of Becky’s famous dream burgers. And The Vandal’s burger is right up there with the best of them. The ingredients are simple: cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion and lettuce. But the meat of the burger itself was out of this world. The roast pork sandwich was weirdly reminiscent of the sandwich I ate in Philadelphia, topped with broccoli rabe and a little bit of spice.

Last, but certainly not least, we ordered the fried chicken, which arrived atop a slice of toast, served with sides of homemade ranch and honey. There’s something about the combination of chicken and honey that just works, so I’m pretty sure there was exactly half chicken/half honey in each bite I took… and then I even dipped my burger in the honey… and my potatoes… and even a carrot or two. But that’s besides the point.

After dinner and a few drinks, we sat in the dimly lit space of Bar Marco, enjoying each other’s company and anxiously awaiting the opening of The Vandal, coming this spring. The menu is basic and reminiscent of the traditional foods I ate growing up. Easy, simple foods that you could make for your own family, foods that are done well. Really well.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: La Gourmandine.

March 4, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

The morning after anything is (almost) always my favorite. For example, the morning after I graduated college, I woke up to the quiet clamor of my family moving around in my apartment, feeling somehow like an entirely new individual — an adult — and feeling really proud of myself. The mornings after I learned that my great-grandparents had passed away, I cherished that quiet time to myself to reflect on all the things they had taught me in life.

Whether it’s the morning after something wonderful or the morning after something not-so-wonderful, to me, there’s always been something powerful about being curled up in my blankets, light softly dancing across my room, reminiscing about whatever it was that happened the day before, and having an entirely new and blank slate of day in front of me.

So, when Sunday rolled around, the morning after a great day spent with family, I was content. I woke up slowly, Buxton softly purring on my chest, and thoughts of La Gourmandine, a small bakery and pastry shop a few blocks from our house, dancing through my head.

Stepping through the doors of the bakery, it’s hard to imagine that you’re not in a small hole-in-the-wall viennoiserie in Paris. The food, sound and smells are so authentic. To please my palette for sweetness, I ordered un croissant aux amandes (an almond croissant) and un tortillons de chocolat (a vanilla creme-filled twist with chocolate chips)!

And because I genuinely enjoy savory foods, I added a croissant du jambon et fromage and a slice of quiche Lorraine to our order. I walked out with my boxes of treats and went home, anxiously anticipating a hot cup of coffee and our breakfast. I curled up on the couch with our smorgasbord of food in front of me, House of Cards playing on the TV, and Buxton playfully tossing her cat nip-filled fish in the air. A great morning after a wonderful day isn’t something I’ll ever complain about.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Philadelphia Edition.

February 28, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

From when I was young — think: middle school field trip age — I’ve always loved everything about Philadelphia, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that its food is like the city itself: real, hearty, grounded and unpretentious. So last weekend, when I found myself on a spontaneous road trip to the City of Brotherly Love to visit two of my dearest friends, I was excited. Excited for some good, quality time with Nate and Megan, excited to be back in Philadelphia, and excited for some new food.

On Saturday morning, we walked from their apartment in Fairmount to the Reading Terminal Market, a historic institution that, since 1892, has been able to offer the community a blend of locally grown and exotic produce, meats, baked goods, and about a million other things. For the yinzers out there, imagine the entire Strip District in one building. That’s the Reading Terminal Market.

We started by grabbing sandwiches from DiNic’s — Nate and I opted to try the world famous roast pork and broccoli rabe, while Megan went with the Italian-style pulled pork. The pork on each of our sandwiches was amazing: perfectly tender and wonderfully seasoned. And the freshly baked bread? Don’t even get me started. The rabe, eh, I could have done without it — Nate agreed — and Meg made the best choice by throwing peppers and onions onto her ‘wich.

To water down the gratuitous amounts of food we ate for lunch, we headed to Old City Coffee for some freshly ground brew. And then, being the gluttons that we are, we just had to make one last pit stop at Beiler’s Doughnuts, a Pennsylvania Dutch family-owned doughnutery (I obviously made that word up) that serves myriad variations of creme-filled delicacies.

I chose a maple bacon doughnut, while Nate had the salted caramel and Meg ordered chocolate peanut butter. It was hard not to drool over the cases of fresh sweets, and even harder to choose just one.

This food-filled afternoon was then followed by a series of games of Settlers of Catan, lots of snow, lots of laughter, a little whiskey, some wine and a few beers. During this time period, we added in more food in the form of appetizers from Rembrandt’s, including loaded tater tots, French onion soup, cheesesteak spring rolls, crack mayo french fries and the best macs and cheese with truffle I’ve ever eaten in my whole entire life. No joke. 763,159,076 calories later, we walked home, tired, but happy (and full) as clams.

This leads me to the next morning. There is literally nothing more wonderful about the weekend than Sunday brunch. We three musketeers walked through the brisk air to Bishop’s Collar, a local Fairmount eatery whose name is derived from an old Celtic expression for a perfectly poured pint of Guinness. Well, I didn’t have a beer with my breakfast — I stuck with a mimosa — but I did order a simple wrap, stuffed with a fried egg, sliced ham, provolone and guacamole. Seriously, brunch and guacamole?! I literally cannot.

I left Philadelphia with a full and happy stomach, and an even fuller and happier heart. La da dee da dee.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Bar Marco.

February 7, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

This week, I stepped foot in Bar Marco, an incredibly unique restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The eatery lives in an old 1860s firehouse, which has been turned all around and upside down in an effort to restore some of its finest original features, like a crisp tin ceiling, subway tiled walls and a cold, concrete floor. The menu is minimal. The restaurant offers 10ish options on a daily basis, including small appetizers, main dishes and desserts, all made from locally sourced ever-changing ingredients. The cocktail menu, on the other hand, is endless. Actually, there isn’t one. Each drink is handcrafted specifically to the taste of the customer using Bar Marco’s made from scratch ingredients. (I’ve also heard they have a killer collection of unique, hard to find and “natural” wines, but we’ve always opted for the cocktails. And on Mondays, Bar Marco doesn’t have a menu. A guest chef, typically for charity, will reinvent the restaurant in their own way.)

All of these details — the historic building, dark atmosphere, inventive and/or non-existent menu and made-to-order cocktails — make me feel like I’m part of secret society every time I step foot inside. When I arrived last Wednesday, we were greeted by a familiar face: the brother of a friend’s business partner. Within moments, I had passed on my cocktail wishes. I wanted gin, savory.

We were quickly handed two plates, compliments of the chef, each with a thin slice of radish, topped with sweet pineapple chutney and few crunchy pistachios. In just one bite, sweet and tangy and earthy flavors hit my tastebuds. So good.

After I looked over the menu, I decided to try the arancini as an appetizer. But before I could even place my order, two arrived at the table. Two fried rice balls, stuffed with mozzarella, pork ragu and sage. If you’ve never had fried mac and cheese, you should, because it’s as delicious as it sounds, and it’s exactly what Bar Marco’s arancini tastes like. Heaven.

My drink arrived shortly thereafter. A gin cocktail with yellow chartreuse, dill and lemon. Then, the main course. I ordered the braised lamb, which was juicy and tender and sat atop a moist polenta cake, perfectly roasted carrots and a flavor-packed mint gremolata. For the first time in quite a long time, I was genuinely silent as I ate dinner.

On top of all the things we already love about Bar Marco, beginning this April, they will eliminate tips and instead offer all employees a full-time salary. Check out more details here, and don’t forget to check them out the next time you’re in the Strip!

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Piccolo Forno.

January 14, 2015August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

So far, 2015 has been exhausting. I’m just two weeks in to the new year and the inspirational this is my year feeling hasn’t kicked in. In fact, it’s been more like a you’ve got to be kidding me kind of feeling.

(Reader’s Digest version: work has been a little frustrating, my car was completely totaled three weeks after it was paid off, and Buxton — God bless her sweet, feline soul — will absolutely not let me sleep through the night. Not to mention, it’s winter, which means it’s cold and icy and I rarely see the light of day.)

So, when last Wednesday rolled around, I was desperate for a night out. My brain genuinely needed a break from thinking about work and life, so I decided on an evening at Piccolo Forno, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. (Bonus points for being in Lawrenceville, too.) The Big Man Upstairs must have known how much I needed something to go right, and we were seated right away in this small, quaint, usually-a-two-hour-wait restaurant. Thanks, dude.

We ordered the bruschette to whet our appetites, and were served two pieces of wonderfully toasted bread topped with creamy goat cheese and sweet roasted tomato compote, two covered in an earthy cannelini bean spread, drizzled with arugula pesto, and one adorned with a mouth-achingly salty olive tapenade.

For dinner, we ordered the Tortelloni di Zucca, a mouth-watering dish of creamy butternut squash filled tortelloni with toasted almond brown butter and amaretti and topped with parmesan cheese. I’ll admit it. Usually, I’m confident that I’ve ordered the best dish of the two of us, but this time, the tortelloni won. Hands down. I kept sliding my fork over to steal little nibbles.

That’s not to say that my dinner wasn’t good, too — it was! Great, even. Braised rabbit and roasted vegetables sat atop a bed of pappardelle pasta, topped generously with parmesan cheese. (What can I say, I love cheese. The more, the better.) My first bite into my dinner was a bone, which gave me the heebie-jeebies and put a slight damper on the whole thing. But, bone aside, the rabbit was tender and gamey and the pasta was cooked to absolute perfection.

The wine, the food, and the company was exactly what I needed to calm my soul in the midst of a maddening week. A few days later, I bought a new car (and named her Jane), and things at work have started slowing down… slightly.

We built the rest of the shelves in our living room, so we’re no longer living in a small construction zone, and the fun of redecorating a new space is invigorating. And — drum roll, please — we got a KitchenAid mixer! Bring on the baked goods!