Week 5: Point Brugge

Mama McCormick came to town this weekend from Jersey, and as promised, we used your suggestions on a new restaurant to visit. My mom's favorite meal is brunch, so we decided to take Justine's advice and visit a French Bistro, in this case, we chose a French/Belgian Bistro in Point Breeze called Point Brugge.

Shamefully, I lived in Pittsburgh for four years before I discovered the quaint oasis that is Reynolds Street in Point Breeze behind Mellon Park. I now feel the need to make up for lost time by frequenting the Make Your Mark Artspace and Coffee Shop after a nice rest in the park on Sundays. What can I now add to my Sunday schedule? Having my taste buds melt in the heaven that is a Belgian Brunch at Point Brugge!

My standards for Belgian food are high after visiting Antwerp and Brussels (sadly, not Brugge) last summer. Point Brugge crushed the standards --- CRUSHED THEM! Here's the run down (read at your own risk, you'll easily become addicted to this place):

• We arrived just after 11AM on Sunday before attending "A Fair in the Park" that afternoon. Be prepared to wait, Point Brugge's most popular meal time is Sunday Brunch (according to our server, at least). But fear not, you can wait outside with a nice fresh squeezed orange juice or mint lemonade.
• We felt the need to order an appetizer (that's right, I wanted a pre-breakfast before real breakfast) --- a Leige Waffle topped with pears and peaches, and garnished with the fruit trifecta of pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew.
• For my main course, I ordered Steak, Eggs, and Frites (the proper way to say French Fry -- ask any Belgian) with a garlic mayonnaise for dipping. HEAVEN!
• My mom ordered an omelette filled with steak, onions, sharp provolone, and mushrooms. We shared --- gotta love mother/daughter bonding!
• The atmosphere is amazing with multiple levels and outdoor seating available; it's crowded but not overly noisy.
• If you're there during a more appropriate hour of the day (or if you're feeling a little adventurous one Sunday Morning), they also have Belgian beer and fresh squeezed cocktails available.

The Bottom Line
Visit Point Brugge for Sunday Brunch and:

(A) You won't need to eat for the rest of the day

(B) You may need a nap to recover

(C) You can be sure that your judgement of "deliscious" will hit a new standard

When we finished our meal, my mom said, "Geez, it's so great when you find a restaurant that does everything right!" The Belgians have mastered food, and Point Brugge has mastered Belgian cooking!

And for the price --- well, it's kind of pricey to eat like a king, so I'd deem this a "wait until your parents are in town"-priced place. Or, probably on a student's once-a-month budget.

Bon Appètit!

Where to next?

Hello Readers,

My mom's in town from Jersey this weekend and we're looking for a new eatery for Saturday night before going to the IMPROV.

Here's your chance to dictate my next posting...

Write in the comments where you think I should go and why -- Thanks for your input!

Cheers,

Kelly the budding Foodie

Week 4: Oh Yeah!

Today is bonus day. What's bonus day? It's the Sunday of a three day weekend, when the day before was Saturday, the day after is fake-Sunday (when you have to worry about to-do lists, etc). Bonus Day is where you can do whatever the heck you want...as a free bonus!

What did I do with my bonus day this Labor Day weekend? Well, I woke up this morning with my new favorite Regina Spektor stuck in my head ("You Don't Know Me" with Ben Folds), the rehearsal version, so you can kind of hear them talking and having fun in the background. Based on this song, you can tell that I was in a whimsey, fun mood that is common on bonus days. I decided to go to my favorite coffee shop, Enrico's Tazza D'Oro, in Highland Park (sadly, this cannot be a subject of my blog as it breaks the rules that require me to visit new places). En route, I passed Oh Yeah!, a coffee-waffle-ice cream place in Shadyside on Highland; it has caught my eye before, but this time I stopped in (because it was bonus day, I could go wherever my whims took me).

I entered Oh Yeah! ready to abandon all sense of what was healthy and go all out --- this place served coffee, waffles, and ice cream together for a reason, and I was determined to find out why!

I ordered a Belgian Waffle with a brownie mix-in, topped with coffee and cookie dough ice cream. Suddenly the name of this establishment became very clear to me --- the only thing that I could think while taking a first bite was, "Oh, YEAH!"

But the food isn't the only thing that this place has going for it:

- The staff is really witty and sarcastic, adding some banter to your visit --- excellent!

- The decor includes books that you can "rent" during your visit, and liscense plates from what I believe was every state in the union (note that you can give them a book of yours to keep on their wall for a free coffee --- adorable).

- And it's convenient! There are power strips everywhere for your laptop needs, and free unlimited wifi (if you're into that kind of thing --- that is mixing business with waffles). I was in this case, I believe that the environment allowed me to go into a completely clear mental state and allow me to have a breakthrough on my Simulation homework. So, I left well-fed and well-studied!

- If the weather is nice (record streak of sunny days in Pittsburgh right now), you can sit outside at the picnic tables and people/car watch on the bustling Highland Ave.

Bottom Line

I've had the best waffles in the world in Belgium, and this place took me back to that experience --- different type of waffles, but same *warm inside* feeling. Just go! --- who knows? Maybe the mental clarity that you have when you leave will suddenly allow you to get that big promotion!

Oh, and the cost --- I actually was too busy paying attention to how deliscious my waffle was to notice the total...very embarassing for me. I can say that my coffee and waffle were less than ten dollars (because that's all of the cash that I had on hand). This place is well with in the budget of a college student's once a week spending limits (although your love handles may hate you if you go once a week).

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