Fresh Pretzels Anyone?

Posted by Kathryn @ 4:54 PM

It has come to my attention that Pretzels... particularly fresh soft salted pretzels are big around here. Pittsburghers seem particularly fond of a spot called the Pretzel Shop. Admittedly while I was living off Carson Street I frequently passed by the shop on the way to the bus. I regularly wondered why the shop was not open in the evenings when people might pick up a pretzel to eat before or after the beer they drank at other fine Carson St. establishments. So one day I don't have any cereal in the house and I decide to stop to try a Pretzel. In addition to the Pretzel, a Pepperoni Roll caught my eye. The pepperoni roll was perfect! The pretzel was a tad eggy for my taste, but I figured I would give the place another try. Just yesterday the opportunity arose to check out the Pretzel Shop again. I was early for an appointment on Carson St. It was cold and rainy... what a better time for a hot pretzel could there be? So I head over to the shop and there is a line inside. The people in line are pros.. they just say 10 or 2, they don't even specify what it is they want. Clearly these Pittsburghers are not easily distracted by pepperoni rolls or pretzel sandwiches. It was finally clear why this place has no need to be open in the evenings... they probably sell out by early afternoon at the rate people were hauling out large bags of Pretzels.

This time the pretzel was great. Then of course a coworker told me the secret is to go early in the morning around back where you can pick up a pretzel right out of the oven. Darn it! That means I have to go back to seek pretzel nirvana early in the morning. At 50 cents each I am sold!

To Repeat or Not Repeat

Posted by Kathryn @ 4:43 PM

Have you ever been accuse of not repeating things? I think this is the particular woe of the true foodie. There are so many recipes to try and restaurants to visit. Even though I love many of them dearly, I have a tendency to forget about these favorites and instead blaze a new trail. So this blog is to some respects to help me remember the tremendous successes, so I can make sure to revisit them.

This past Monday was my husband's birthday, so I made reservations at a lovely French bistro called Le Pommier on the Carson Street in the Southside. To be honest, visiting this place had been on my mind since the Primanti Bros trip when I passed Le P's window and saw they were serving Thanksgiving Dinner. As we had just moved to Pittsburgh and knew practically no one in town, we had decided to eat out on Thanksgiving day. So I called Le P and was completely crushed to find out they didn't have any seatings left. So Le P was destined for a birthday celebration.

We arrived at 7 PM and realized that the restaurant was kind of quiet, we shouldn't have worried because by 8 PM the restaurant was humming nicely for a Monday evening. We hung our coats in the coat room and sat down near the window. It was chilly, but we both wanted to be able to see the people and traffic pass by. We both chose the $35 four course prix fixe but with different options along the way. We chose a new wine, a Chanin, something I had never tried before. It had a wonderful color and with a few minutes of exposure to air a nice full bodied flavor. I had the squash soup with creme fraiche and chives, a salad verte, cumin crusted bass, and nice little raspberry pot de creme. The crusting on the fish was perfect and even though it was heavy on the spices it had a nice clean fresh taste. He chose the pate, salad verte, roasted chicken with truffle risotto, and macadamia nut ice cream. The risotto was truffley and the chicken had a nice melt in your mouth quality. At the end of the meal, my husband declared that was the best roast chicken he had ever had and that we must come back. While I thought the fish and the pot de creme were perfectly prepared, neither were the best I had ever had and I am afraid the best chicken I have ever had still remains a little restaurant I don't remember the name in Rome. The salad verte could have used a bit more inspiration, but for $35 and four courses at least they made their budgetary cuts on the salad course. I am eager to try some of their regular menu items. So the verdict is that we will definitely be repeating this restaurant! Although we didn't know this when we went, Monday is a fantastic budget night to go because they have a BYOB night where they reduce their corkage fees!

Piper's Pub

Posted by Kathryn @ 10:25 AM

Pittsburgh is a smoking town. As a nonsmoker I fully respect other's right to enjoy a cigarette, but there are those days when I don't feel like coming back from a bar smelling of smoke. On those days I like to stop by Piper's on Carson Street (one of two non-smoking options I know about in that area). I can't say enough about this place. It has a great selection of draughts, good food, and friendly bar tenders. My personal favorite item on the menu is the Ploughman's platter: loaf of bread, gherkins, apple chutney, apple slices, and two cheeses. The cheeses are usually a sage derby and a Guiness Cheddar and both stand up nicely to a pint. I think the platter is enough for two to share for a light dinner. If you are in the mood for more pubby fare I recommend the fish and chips. They will give you a hoagie roll on request, but frankly I don't know how you would put the two massive perfectly beer-battered fish fillets on a roll. The fish is crispy, moist on the inside, and not too greasy. So if you are down on Carson, definitely stop in at Piper's.

Il Valletto

Posted by Kathryn @ 10:37 AM

Today I had a networking lunch with someone who helped me find a job here in Pittsburgh. As she had been a student at CMU but had not been around campus much recently she recommended that we check out Il Valletto on Forbes. She couldn't quite remember the name, only that some of the guys at school called it "Romantic's." Which I suppose is a fitting name from a college student's perspective. Il Valletto is right about Panther Hollow next to a vintage clothing store. I had peered in the window several times and wondered about this curiousity that combines card tables and folding chairs with white table clothes.

My friend was held up looking for a place to park, so I had a chance to peruse the menu and note the special prix fixe options for Valentines Day. While I don't think is on my romantic list, it was a good lunch option in Oakland. I had the veal and pancetta tortellini in vodka sauce with a cup of spicy white bean soup. The soup was not spicy as advertised, but had good flavor and was perfect on such a chilly day. The tortellini was generously sized, with a nice flavor, but also did not knock my socks off. So for an average italian meal at a student size price, Il Valletto's is a place to consider.