Pleasant Surprise in Aspinwall

Posted by Kathryn @ 11:29 AM

So I am a bit behind the curve. The other day my husband, sister, and I were on our way to see Kung Fu Panda at the Waterworks. We were hungry, but wanted something other than the fast food chinese or chain restaurants right next to the theater. So when we were driving through Aspinwall we decided to go down mainstreet to look for grub. We saw a sign for a place called Mio. There was a gentleman smoking outside, so we asked him if he liked their food and he said "Didn't you know that they were just in Pittsburgh Magazine for being Best new Restaurant." Clearly none of us had purchase the issue yet, but this meant we had chosen well and we decided to go in to eat.

We approached the host/hostess and they asked if we had a reservation. We were a little taken aback because the wine bars we have visited in the past were not really the reservation kind of place. Luckily there was space at the bar which suited the quick style of meal we planned to enjoy.

We sat down, enjoyed the bartender, enjoyed some wine/a mojito for my sister, and ordered of the menu. We all stuck to appetizers/ salads because we were not looking for a fancy night on the town (being that the occasion for our visit was an animated feature). My sister got the deconstructed hanger steak salad with cheddar and shoe string potatoes, I got the crab and avocado salad on warm brioche, and my husband got goat cheese and chive ravioli with roasted beets. My goodness the plates were gorgeous and the flavors divine. I liked the subtlety of the basil and chorizo oil with my crab salad. The sweetness of brioche melted next to the luscious jumbo crab. The steak salad was fun play on the traditional Pittsburgh salad with french fries. The ravioli were balanced and flavorful. We were so pleased with the meal that we can't wait to take the In-laws there for dinner when they visit in July!

So go eat at the bar and have a wonderful meal at Mio soon!... it really should be a regular spot for us.

Thanksgiving at Hyeholde

Posted by Kathryn @ 8:03 PM

For me, Thanksgiving is generally held at someone’s home, a time for family and friends. But this year, it was destined to be different. First I told my family that I would not be coming for the holidays, that this year we wanted to host our own holiday meals and that they would be welcome to come visit us. This announcement was made in March and little did my husband and I know we would be moving to Pittsburgh in November. So here were are in Pittsburgh, a great town that even had the cool holiday weather ( something Ian and I don’t generally experience when visiting our parents in Texas and South Carolina). I looked in the kitchen of our 1 bedroom temporary apartment and quickly realized that a Thanksgiving Feast was not going to spring forth from the flimsy plastic utensils and two baking pans provided. So the week before thanksgiving I sat down and contemplated my options. 1. buy a prepared thanksgiving for 2 from Whole Foods 2. Make just a regular meal with a couple of festive touches or 3. Go to a restaurant.

So I settle on a restaurant. I call my first choice, but they are all booked up. I saw a long list online of hotels with celebrations, but that seemed too impersonal. The name Hyeholde catches my eye. I go to the website and find out that it is an upscale family run establishment with a Thanksgiving Buffet. With a little persistence I was able to get a 3:15 reservation because someone cancelled last minute. So the day of we pile into the car and head toward Moon Township. With only a few mishaps we manage to arrive at the restaurant and a valet service meets me at the door. My husband notes that we may be the youngest couple there for dinner. We head inside hoping for a predinner drink, but we are dismayed to hear that they have no bar. Instead they seat us a few minutes early. We order wine and are surprised when they recommend a Kendall Jackson. The atmosphere and the price point of the restaurant suggested that they would have a more sophisticated wine list, but perhaps it was just for expediency on such a busy day that they did not offer one.

1st Course -

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Foam- Nice savory soup with a nice bright sweetness from the apple foam. It was a winner

Main Course-

Buffet with Chef Carved Turkey or Prime Rib, Cold Salmon, Green Beans with Onions, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Smashed Skin on Red Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Breads, Ginger Cranberry Sauce, Bread Stuffing. Overall I was pleased. The Salmon was proclaimed sacrilegious by my husband, but I found it perfectly moist and a nice addition to my meal. The green beans were older and tougher than I cared for, but the brussel sprouts which are not generally a favorite were quite nice. The stuffing was just what I wanted light not too dry or too mushy with a few crispy pieces where it had browned in the oven. We each took two trips and left the buffet satisfied.

Dessert Course-

Options of Cinnamon Caramel Tart, Praline Toffee Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, and Calvados Cheese Cake. I order the bread pudding, while my husband, a recent convert to pumpkin pie, ordered the pumpkin. The pumpkin pie was a tiny sliver overwhelmed by a spiced whipped cream decoration, the flavor was fine, but were were expecting a more substantial serving because of the holiday. The bread pudding, was atrocious, the toffee sauce lacked oomph, the custard was too wet, and the hazelnuts on top were practically burnt. I heard one woman ask her husband “what does the pudding taste like?” His response was “Not Much.” I desparately wanted Hyeholde to offer a dessert buffet so that I could remedy my poor choice!

Despite the less that fabulous ending to our meal, we left satisfied with the restaurant in terms of service and entrees.