Seafood/Crab houses near Hopkins

Hello, I am making a trip next week, and am looking for some good seafood and crab houses, crab cakes that are within a few miles (hopefully) of Johns Hopkins Hospital. They don't have to be ultra ritzy, but do need to be very fresh. Any advice would be most appreciated.

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Fried Fish - Pittsburgh (ish)

I went to Piper's Pub based on your suggestion, and had the fish sandwich. I have only tried the fish sandwich at one other location in Pittsburgh - Benkovitz. The Benkovitz one was tasty, but a bit small, and tasted like it was made and breaded somewhere else, and then frozen - like a filet o' fish at McDonalds - only tasted much better. The sandwich at Piper's is huge, delicately flavored, with a fried batter of the type that you would expect with fish and chips. A nice beer selection, and a nice pub - very clean. Thanks for the recommendation.

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Piper's Pub
1828 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

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Mad Mex Pittsburgh

I have yet to go to Mad Mex, but I am glad that I read this post. I went to El Campesino in Monroeville the other day. The food was actually quite good, but the service was awful. Not only were they very inattentive, but when I asked one of the servers a question, he looked at me like I was a complete jerk. I won't go back there again.

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Pittsburgh - Asian Food

Andy - I went to Tram's this past weekend. Interesting, the restaurant said that it opened at 10am. I was out early, and I am sure that there aren't too many people waiting to eat a late Vietnamese breakfast or early lunch, but they didn't open until about 10:30. I got the fresh spring rolls, which were decent...very dense as far as the rice wrapping, and the peanut sauce had a thickened and unusual taste. Not bad, but just different. The pho that I got was a bit disappointing...now I will say that I am still a bit congested with a cold, but I was still a bit disappointed that it was on the bland side. In addition, the side vegetable plate (which I am used to having come with Thai basil, bean sprouts, peppers, and possibly Thorny cilantro) only came with bean sprouts and lime. I think that I do know what you mean about the guy there being assertive - I think that it may be a cultural thing, but I suppose that he came come off a bit brash.

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Pittsburgh - Asian Food

Daveman, thanks a lot for all of the recommendations - I will definitely find some time to make it to the Smiling Banana leaf, and will try one of your recommendations at TYK the next time I am there!

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Pittsburgh - Asian Food

Great, thanks for the clarification! I guess I was thinking more of standard Chinese fare in Pittsburgh, since that is where we are and that is where the post is. Unless, of course, you are referring to the subtle differences in the Chinese cuisine in the regions of Squirrel Hill vs, say, Shadyside!

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Pittsburgh - Asian Food

Rick, I drove by Ka Mei and Thai Cuisine just the other day, and was wondering how good the food was in there. Ka Mei describes their cuisine as "Hong Kong" cuisine. Can you tell me what the general difference is between that and standard Chinese fare? Besides the garlic eggplant and beef brisket hot pot, do you recommend any thing else?

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Pittsburgh - Asian Food

I finally moved to Pittsburgh this week, and managed to try two of the Asian places that I have read about on here. First, I went to Tom Yum Kum in Edgewood. It is a very small, quaint Thai place out in nowhere, next to a laundromat. There are only 5 tables, but very nice. We got the chicken satay and fresh spring rolls as appetizers - both were pretty good. For entrees, i got a large bowl of Thai seafood noodle soup. Pretty tasty all in all, but the real winner was the pumpkin curry, made with fresh pumpkins and served over rice. This was absolutely delicious. At first I didn't really know how well pumpkins and curry would work together, but it really was perfectly married together. We will definitely go there again.

Also, we went to Me Lyng in Homestead, which Rick has posted on here, and which he liked. It is a Chinese/Vietnamese place on 8th street, just west of the Homestead Grays bridge (very close to the Walgreen's). The hostess told me that the cook was Vietnamese - very important to me, as I really prefer Vietnamese cuisine over Chinese. I got the beef pho, which was very good. I wouldn't say it was completely authentic in that the beef used was not the typical cut - it was more like the very tenderized pieces of meat that come in common Chinese dishes. The broth had all the right seasonings and aromas of star anise and cloves. We also got the orange chicken from the Chinese menu - unbelievable. We both thought it was the best orange chicken that we have ever had. The chicken was lightly fried, very crisp, and was sweet and succulent in a way that I have never tasted orange chicken before. We also got the Vietnamese version of Lo Mein - interesting, orange-reddish rice noodles (instead of wheat), with a light citrus undertone to it. The other real winner of the night were the spring rolls. They were fried, which I normally do not get, and usually do not care for. These were incredible, filled with meat and vegetables - so much better than the common fried spring or egg roll. They definitely were not healthy, but were wrong in such a wonderful way. The interior was actually quite cute. We went there twice already, and we will definitely be back. I would never go to P.F Chang's (which is around the corner) with this place nearby.

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What are you eating in Pittsburgh?

My last trip to Pittsburgh I ate at Mallorca, and we ordered the paella and the broiled snapper, both of which were excellent. Other satisfying places were Fat Heads and Taco Loco in the South Side, Tessaro's for dry bleu cheese burger. Tessaro's was interesting - pretty small place, but I went there since Pittsburgh became non-smoking, and I found it a very enjoyable atmosphere. I had heard a lot about the burgers, and though the selection of burgers was simple and limited, mine was cooked perfectly, and was thick and juicy. We also made a trip to Udipi - a southern Indian vegetarian restaurant in Monroeville. It is out in nowhere, and is not the easiest place to find, but we found the food was very good. The atmosphere, as others have noted, is very simple - virtually a shack. The fried sampler was wonderful - not heavy, but well seasoned, and very tasty with 3 different sauces to dip them in. Almost everyone in the room was Indian - a good sign, I think. We also headed to Golden Palace in Robinson Township for dim sum, and had a very enjoyable, fun and tasty meal there. If you go there, get the shrimp meatballs (excellent!) and the chicken feet just for fun!

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Do-Nuts in Pittsburgh?

Hey Rick, I just to let you know that A&B donuts on 8th ave in Homestead is back open again, in case you didn't know. I didn't get a chance to try their stuff, but I hear the donuts are very good.

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Dim Sum in Pittsburgh?

I went to Golden Palace on last weekend for dim sum off the carts. I don't think that anyone expects the dim sum here to be world class, or up to standards of San Francisco, etc. Having said that, there were many scrumptious, wonderful things to try. My favorite were the fried shrimp meatballs dipped in the sweet seasoned soy sauce. They were seasoned so well, and they were very juicy inside. One of the posters here said they have 23 items, but the waitress told me they have 41. I don't know if she meant off the cart on the weekends, or a la carte on the weekdays. We really enjoyed our visit there, and left stuffed for just over $30 (including tip) for the both of us. We will definitely be back there again.

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Mexican in Pittsburgh?

I tried Taco Loco on Carson St. We ordered 4 tacos - very simple and simply spiced, but from what I hear, that is authentic. The al pastor taco was definitely the best of the 4, very tasty. The fish burrito was very tasty, and very large. I also got the pamboza, and interesting, puffy peppered bread sort of sandwich which I did not care for too much. The setting is quaint and casual, and we altogether enjoyed our meal very much.

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Dim Sum in Pittsburgh?

My friend recently went through Shadyside and told me that there was an "all you can eat" dim sum. I was wondering if anyone has tried it? I am not big on buffet style cuisine, but if it is dim sum....

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Ethnic Eats in SF Bay

thank you very much, everyone, for your suggestions. I have signed up for the SF newsletter, and will eagery await them. I can't wait to visit your city!

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Ethnic Eats in SF Bay

I am planning about a week long trip to the SF Bay Area. I am looking for very authentic/ethnic eats, Chinese (especially Dim Sum), Vietnamese (especially if they have good pho), Indian and Italian. I am open to just about anything, but am partial to independent/Mom and Pops and I stay away from all "chain" restaurants. Also, I will be visiting in very early March, and am not sure how comfortable it is to eat outside at that time of year, but if it is, info about places with outdoor seating would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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Pittsburgh - Korean Markets

Thanks to everyone for all of the information! Hopefully, I will not have to make my own Kimchee!

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Good resources for making authentic dim sum?

Thanks BW2082. Have you tried the recipes out of this book yourself?

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Good resources for making authentic dim sum?

Hi everyone,

I have recently tried dim sum, and steamed chinese dumplings, and fell in love with them. Where I live, however, dim sum is very hard to find. Can anyone tell me some good resources (books, videos, etc.) to make authentic dim sum and steamed dumplings?

Thanks

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Great restos for biz din in P'Burgh??

When I was in Pittsburgh last, I went to Opus, inside the Renaissance Hotel downtown. I thought the food and ambiance were very good, but I haven't heard anyone mention it on here. It looked like it would be great for a business dinner, especially if one was staying at one of the downtown hotels. Does anyone have any feedback on Opus, or know if it still exists?

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Pittsburgh Pho/Vietnamese

Thanks a lot, Rick. i will try out Pho 88 if I am in that area, and if the ones downtown are not to my liking. I will definitely try the ginger chicken at Me Lyng, based on your review.

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Pittsburgh - Korean Markets

Panini - hopefully I will be able to find some good kimchee, but from what I have seen and read, it sounds like it will be hard. It is not difficult to make, but it would just be so much more convenient to buy it. I found your place online, and will try it out when I am in that area.

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Pittsburgh - Korean Markets

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have not heard of New Sambok or Pittsburgh Asian, so I will have to look for those. Panini Guy, I have read many of your posts, and from some of the things that you have said, I am assuming that you have a restaurant. If so, can you tell us what and where it is?

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Pittsburgh - Korean Markets

Hi all,

I am searching for a Korean market in or near Pittsburgh, especially one that has already prepared foods, as well as groceries. In addition, I would like to find a place with very good Kimchee. Any advice?

Thanks

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Pittsburgh Pho/Vietnamese

Thanks Rick. Yes, I have heard many people recommend Tram's, and I will definitely try it. I am very particular on my pho, and have learned to make it well over the years, but it does required a lot of time and prep. I have heard many people say that Me Lyng is very good, but I was uncertain about the authenticity of their Vietnamese dishes. I am glad that they are very close to me, though.

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