johnnytang24's Profile
What NOT to miss in Pittsburgh?
I could be wrong, but I think it's lengua in Spanish, and lingua is Italian.
I think the meat on a stick, when available, is better at the other end of the Strip by the Vietnamese grocers.
What NOT to miss in Pittsburgh?
I agree with Yo Rita's - excellent both in terms of taste as well as innovation, but both times I've been to Legume has ended with a disappointing main course.
In Pittsburgh, I would skip the high end restaurants unless you want to drive out to Nemacolin, where the excellent Lautrec resides. I dare say that place would have 3 Michelin stars, were it in a rated city.
Instead, I recommend, as others have, Tessaro's burger and Josza's Corner for a, literally, home cooked Hungarian meal.
where can i find flanken style ribs in pittsburgh?
Late, but I thought I'd add Farmer's Choice and Wholeys. Barring those, any of the meat packaging plants (Cheplics, 84 meat, etc) will throw them on the bandsaw for you.
Pittsburgh and Fallingwater
Yes, Lautrec is the best restaurant in the area. Better than Nine on Nine, Sonoma Grille, Umi, and all the other restaurants in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh-Dining alone
I think you should avoid the higher end restaurants because a) it will probably be more than $25, and b) they don't compare to NYC. Instead, I think you should focus on local places that serve regional food. Sorry, I'm not familiar with vegetarian cuisine so I can't recommend anything.
'Burgh Getaway Dinner
http://www.chezgerard.net/
This one has outdoor seating as well, and I think the food is a little better
Duck Fat in Pittsburgh?
If you get 10lbs, I'll split it with you.
You can also order it from here:
http://www.dartagnan.com/search.asp?criteria=618
Sushi in Pittsburgh
I agree. I've had a number of dishes there which were solely a slice of indistinguishable fish with very strong sauce.
Sushi in Pittsburgh
Umi is good for Pittsburgh, but cannot be compared to places like Boston and NY. NYC has a Japanese population almost a 1/10 the size of Pittsburgh. NYC and Boston are coastal cities. It's just not a fair comparison. The only way to judge is against other restaurants in the same city. Having not been to Chaya, I would say Umi is the best Japanese restaurant I've been to in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Chowhounders get shout out in PG
I can't read the articles, but the Michelin Guide does the same: 1 Star = Very Good, 2 Star = Worth a detour, 3 Star = Worth a journey on it's own. The Gault-Millau (Gayot) guide does the same based on a scale of 20 (they only list the ones 10+), and the NYTimes food review has 5 four-star restaurants for the entire NYC. Any of the 30 three-stars from NYC in Pittsburgh would probably be considered the best restaurant in town. So if she is going by standards similar to those, I don't see many 3 or 4 star restaurants in the area.
Her writing may be as boring as the WSJ, but I think her raising dining expectations can only be a good thing. How many times have you gone out to eat a meal served solely from the Sysco prepared foods, or instant mashed potatoes with canned gravy?
Your Top 5 or 10 Foodmarkets in Pittsburgh
Right By Nature. I don't buy "organic" so I don't know anything about it.
The Strip is definitely the place to go. Aside from that there's the Japanese supermarket in Shadyside, the Korean store on Fifth Ave, and a Mexican place in Oakland.
What is Pittsburgh's Signature Dish?
Do you know anywhere to find good bread in the Pittsburgh area?
Pittsburgh - Asian Food
Standard Chinese fare depends where in China you are. Cantonese cuisine is standard fare.... in Canton.
Pittsburgh Eats
Tram's is great and very cheap
Piccolo Forno definitely has some excellent lasagna. Everything I have had there is good, but the lasagna really stands out. Very cheap as well.
Ka Mei in Squirrel Hill is cheap and is one of the only places that serves authentic Chinese cuisine. Whole steamed fish, steamed pork platter, etc. Food is served family style.
Finally went to Umi. It was mediocre overall, excellent for the area. Had the Omakase, ended up with half the dishes being three slivers of fish with sauce. The fish didn't impress, and the sauce was a little boring. Moderate in price.
Lautrec. I never see Lautrec mentioned on these boards. It is the best fine dining in the area (better than my former favorite 9 on 9). Very expensive.
Anniversary dinner in Pittsburgh (considering Le Pommier)
I recommend Lautrec in the Nemacolin Woodlands resort. It's about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, but you can spend the whole day there if you'd like. The food is by far the best in the region. They will also print up a special menu for you when you reserve, which I think is a nice touch.
9 on 9 is excellent as well, but not as good as Lautrec.
Personally, I was not too impressed with Le Pommier.
What's the deal with the $10 CC minumum?
Some credit card processing companies charge a fixed rate, say $.25 per transaction, so if you buy something for $1.00, they'll end up paying 1/4 that in credit card fees! If you buy something that's $10.00, they still only have to pay $.25
WashPA Eats (washington,pa.)
Alfano's is very overpriced for the quality of food served. I'd much rather drive out to the excellent Lautrec or the mid-range Chez Girard. Although not an upscale place, my favorite and just about the only place I eat in Washington is the BBQ joint, Hogfathers. I think it has the best BBQ in South Western PA. The Greek takeout is mediocre, Tuscan Tavern has decent bar food (grilled sandwiches and homemade chips), the Mexican restaurant by the DMV is pretty much the same as El Campesinos, I haven't bothered with any of the Chinese restaurants, and the rest of the bar/restaurants I've been to aren't worth mentioning.
If you haven't bothered reading all of that:
Lautrec: Worth the drive from Pittsburgh or anywhere in the region
Hogfathers: Excellent BBQ
Korean BBQ, Pittsburgh?
Tokyo Restaurant, nee Young Bin Kwan, located in Bloomfield has Korean BBQ.
BYOB in Pittsburgh?
Kamei and Rose Tea Cafe in Squirrel Hill have Chinese food (Guandong and Taiwanese). Oriental Kitchen used to have two menus, one regular "American" menu, and one real menu. I haven't been to any of those places in about 4 years (10 years for Oriental Kitchen), but I assume they're still serving food.
Sweet Basil has decent Phillipino/Thai food. Tram's has good (not great) Vietnamese.
Of course, if you're looking for service, you wouldn't be going to an Asian restaurant to begin with. Lautrec and Umi are both rated 16/20 by Gayot, which should be the equivalent of either one or two Michelin stars.
I also lament the fact that there are not as many good restaurants as some other places and that there are people that consider fries on a sandwich to be a good thing, but nonetheless there are some decent restaurants.
Chowing Suggestions in PGH Please
That is correct. Coming from LA, I don't think it would be worth going to any of those restaurants. While they are all good for the region, I doubt any of them would rate up with the cuisine found in LA.
I've never been out dining in LA, but I assume the food is as good as NY, meaning there are restaurants like Jean-George, Le Bernadin, Daniel, etc., which none of the restaurants in Pittsburgh can compare.
Chowing Suggestions in PGH Please
I also think unique to the area is a better choice than haute cuisine. I would say something like Tessaro's or Jorza's Corner. Stay away from anything not Eastern European or American.
Visiting Pittsburgh
It would be easier if you specified a price range, cuisine, or had any input at all. CMU is pretty close to all kinds of things. Do you have a car? Do you want to explore as well, or just eat?
Mt. Washington Recs
You're right; the term "crappy" is much too strong a word. The food is certainly not bad.
As far as Lidia's goes, I don't know why it's so polarizing. People seem to really like it or not. I thought the Osso Buco there was very good, but another time, I had the all-you-can-eat pasta and thought it bland. I also ordered a cheese plate and they gave me slices of cheddar, provolone, and swiss (I think), which I found kind of disappointing.
Yours is not the first reliable source I've heard not so great things about UUBU6 from. I don't know if that makes me want to skip it altogether, or find out for myself. I'll probably move it to the bottom of The List
Mt. Washington Recs
Trends change, tastes don't. I think it incorrect to assume that anyone who likes nouvelle cuisine has no appreciation for classical French. That's equivalent to saying anyone who likes Warhol won't appreciate Degas.
Gayot gives LeMont a rating equivalent to Lidia's, Monterrey Bay, and Mad Mex (quality of food, not atmosphere/service). I can't say I disagree.
Breakfast in Washington?
Alfano's on the Quail in the Meadowlands opens at 11:00.
Hog Father's probably isn't open for breakfast, but is excellent BBQ.
Chez Girard in Hopwood opens at 11:30.
The Back Porch in Belle Vernon opens at 11:30.
I can't think of any other restaurants in the area I would consider eating at.
Dim Sum in Pittsburgh?
New Dumpling House doesn't have carts, only ordering off the menu. I went there a number of years ago, but I seem to recall it being worse than HK in Dormont.
