hassenpfeffer's Profile
PIT: wholesale cheese recs?
Can anyone direct me to wholesale food services that specialize in artisan cheeses for retail/restaurants in the Pittsburgh area? Thanks in advance.
PIT: Grandview Ave restos
Yes, I know they're all grossly overpriced and, at best, mediocre, but later this month I'm taking a family member out for a landmark birthday dinner where the view and the formality — the "total package," as it were — will trump the QPR. Le Mond? Tin Angel? What's the best bet on Mt. Washington?
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The Tin Angel
1200 Grandview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15211
Pho Minh or Tram's Kitchen?
Pho Minh
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Pho Minh
4917 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
Addiegirl, I'm in Highland Park as well, and actually saw workers in the building over the weekend — doing work, not packing out. Fingers crossed. Still far too much work left to do to have it open this summer, IMO.
Pastitsio - Greek Deli in Pittsburgh
I probably should've mentioned this place in my response to an earlier thread that queried Greek options in Pittsburgh.
My wife and I grabbed lunch at Pastitsio on Saturday. It's in a pleasant little spot adjacent to the Round Corner Cantina in Lawrenceville, offering a textbook spread of Greek specialties (its namesake pastitsio, moussaka, souvlaki, salads, desserts. etc.) generally well-done. The dolmades we took home had a great, toothsome bite, though were a little heavier on the dill than I would've liked.
The guys running the place were incredibly friendly and I hope they succeed. But I must say this, as someone decidedly *not* prone to sticker-shock at restaurant bills: $22+ for 2 souvakli specials + lemonades struck me as remarkably steep.
Pittsburgh recommendations needed AGAIN by Cleveland Hound
Pittsburgh has plenty of options to satisfy a gyro/souvlaki jones, but there is a serious dearth of fine Greek taverna fare such as you might find in Chicago or Detroit, or for that matter, Cleveland. The closest we come is Christos on 6th Ave in downtown's cultural district. The owner claims to have been Aristotle Onassis's personal chef, but in my experience the food there is just average and the menu fairly limited.
What we do have is a terrific Greek grocer, Stamoolis Bros, in the Strip, next door to (and overshadowed by) the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. Definitely worth a visit.
Neutralizing odors in a wine fridge
I recently bought an EWave wine fridge at a yard sale. (My ultimate intention is to use it to home-cure meats, but that's beside the point right now.) I gave it a thorough visual going-over before purchasing, but didn't actually stick my nose inside it. Big mistake.
It would appear that the previous owner either a) used a heavy-duty, high-scent cleaner to prepare it for sale; or b) used it to store a lifetime supply of Glade Plug-ins. It's just permeated with this sickly sweet, chemical-floral odor that I suppose we're supposed to associate with "sanitary conditions." At any rate, I wouldn't store a bottle of Night Train in it at the moment, let alone try to cure my own guanciale.
So far, I've given it a thorough airing, cleaned it with a vinegar-hydrogen peroxide solution and have left a vinegar-soaked sponge in it for the past several days, but I'm just not putting a dent in this scent. Any suggestions, or did I stumble upon the reason the previous owner was willing to part with it for pennies on the dollar?
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
Heard a rumor this weekend that work on Park Brugge, the much-anticipated Highland Park offshoot of Point Brugge, has stopped and likely won't resume due to a dispute with the landlord over tax credits. Anyone know anything more about it?
It goes without saying that, if true, this is a huge bummer.
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Point Brugge Cafe
401 Hastings St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
June 7th, according to the piece of direct mail I received from them yesterday.
No more Lucy (Strip Disttric, Pgh)
I had the beef tongue taco on Sunday, and it was one of the most delicious things I've eaten in the 5 years I've lived in Pittsburgh.
Good eats in Chania — Western Crete?
I'll be spending a week in western Crete in mid-April, centered in Chania but also spending some time on the south coast (Paleochora, Sougia, etc.). Looking for non-touristy, honest, country-style Cretan fare & seafood. Location is no issue — will travel to remote villages for the good stuff. Thank you in advance for your recs.
Fresh boudin noir/morcilla/blood sausage in PGH?
Long-delayed followup: found kishka (variant spelling, kiski) at Parma Sausage in the Strip this past weekend.
LISBON: 6 DAYS OF DINING
Thanks for this report. My wife and I are planning a return trip to Portugal for 2010 — our first in 10 years, this time armed with infinitely more food and wine knowledge and a bigger budget. I've already cribbed your report and tucked it inside my Rough Guide to Portugal.
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
This is truly awful news for the burgeoning restaurant row in East Liberty, and the Pittsburgh restaurant scene in general.
Dinette, Pgh
There can be a wait, especially on weekends. We were there on a Sat night around seven, told it would be about 30 min, but table was ready in 15. Also they give you a beeper that can reach into Borders or even the Red Room lounge, so you don't have to just stand and wait. A big plus.
Pittsburgh Where to find Duck, Capon, and really good meat?
Bruno's Butcher Shop in Sharpsburg (just a few frontages down from Bona Terra) advertises all sorts of specialty meats and game. Don't know whether it's fresh or not, but it's worth a shot.
Dinette, Pgh
dan31's comments are spot-on.
Dinette is a pizza joint in the same way that Pizzeria Delfina or A-16 in San Francisco are pizza joints. And, yes, I find the quality of food at Dinette comparable to either of those destinations.
As for pricing complaints: the pizzas — advertised on the menu as serving one — can easily feed two. The wine list is limited but exceptionally well-selected, and the mark-up isn't nearly what one can expect at most Pittsburgh restaurants. (I also couldn't help but notice that IC cans were only $1.)
All in all, I was extremely impressed with Dinette. Give Pittsburgh 6 or 8 more restaurants as good, and someone might actually start paying attention.
raw bar/oyster options in PGH?
Other than McCormick and Schmick's, are there any? No mention of oysters on the half shell on Monterey Bay's online menu. The Original Oyster House on Market Square ... not a raw bar, as I learned the hard way soon after moving here. I had a seriously mediocre oyster plate at Toast! last month, but I'm hoping someone in Pittsburgh can do better than that.
Am I just better off driving to D.C. or Baltimore for my fix?
Red Room 2 - New Chef
Thanks for this link, CrazyOne. Didn't know Sousa kept a blog.
I, for one, thought Red Room's snagging of Sousa last April was a coup for them, though I had questions (apparently justified) whether his style would fit into the mix there. Unfortunately, I didn't full-on dine at Red Room during his short tenure — just drinks and appetizers on a couple occasions. I saw nothing to get terribly excited about.
Ultimately, I have broader questions about whether he fits into the mix in Pittsburgh at large. I'm just not sure the restaurant scene here is ready to support a place like Alinea or wd~50, though God knows I'm looking forward to seeing him try.
Red Room 2 - New Chef
Chef Kevin Sousa, who had just come over to Red Room from Alchemy at the Bigelow Grill this past spring, left a couple weeks ago ... rather abruptly, from what I've heard.
Visiting for Steeler game Oct 25-27th
And Pamela's isn't?
Pamela's may score points on décor, but DeLuca's is old school Pittsburgh through and through — and their mixed vegetable grill covered with a plank (I chose that word very deliberately) of sweet Labriola sausage is a thing of beauty.
NY to Ohio - PA 78, 76,70 update
>>Any ideas for good beer distributors for PA beers along this route?<<
Jen,
Try Capelli's Beer & Pop Warehouse or the Beer Store in Washington, PA.
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Cappelli's Beer & Pop Warehouse
555 Jefferson Ave, Washington, PA
Beer Store
746 Locust Ave, Washington, PA
Downtown Pittsburgh Dining
Though I've seen mixed reviews on this board, Six Penn is a dependable downtown option. I second Nine on Nine as well.
Breakfast: head to the Strip. DeLuca's, Pamela's, and — my favorite — JoJo's.
Pittsburgh - South Side
I would add that the modest uptick in price at Alla Famiglia is reflected not only in portion size, but in the quality of food, presentation and service as well. And their recently added wine list is leaps and bounds beyond the rather uninspired list on offer at Dish.
Opinions on The Norton's, Red Wing, MN?
I'll be visiting the Twin Cities area in about 6 weeks and am considering driving to Red Wing to check out The Norton's — for the food, of course, but also because I'm a huge, longtime fan of owner/chef Greg Norton's former band, Hüsker Dü (no time for a history lesson on 80s hardcore and indie music for you younguns — look them up on wikipedia). The online menu and wine list look promising ... any CH reviews? And does anyone know if Greg is generally amenable to signing memorabilia, having photos taken, sharing a glass of wine with customers, etc.?
Pittsburgh - South Side
Alla Famiglia in Allentown (less than 5 minutes from Carson St.) is my favorite Italian place in the city.
http://www.allafamigliapittsburgh.com/
Private dining room for ~20 in Pittsburgh
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Hyeholde and Lidia's are two other options for your consideration, though.
Richmond, VA: where to find Billy bread?
For Pittsburgh bread, I prefer Mediterra Bake Houses's fire bread, which someone else has referenced, and buy it by the half-loaf at the Firehouse FM every Saturday morning. It, too, is excellent — the kind of bread I'll crave when the day eventually comes that I leave Pittsburgh.
Breadworks, from what I've tasted, I'm kind of indifferent to ... is there a loaf you would recommend to change my mind?
Virginia wineries and wines
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I wonder if you were traveling with a group? Winemaker Jim Law has several rules in place that actively discourage large-scale wine tourism (no buses, no weddings or private parties, no groups larger than 6, no weekend access to the deck or picnic grounds except for "case club" members). While I find the guiding sentiment admirable, I could certainly see where these groundrules could ruffle feathers, especially among earnest enthusiasts who might unknowingly find themselves on the wrong side of them.
Linden's recently released 05 late harvest Petit Manseng is a truly marvelous bottle, btw.
