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!

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).

http://www.customswirl.com/

Week 3: Patron Mexican Grill

I love Mexican food. 

But before we get into that, I can't help but write this entry with a side comment about the similarity between all types of Mexican food (I'll allow Jim Gaffigan to comment --- see minute 5).

Although I'm no stranger to chain Mexican restaurants, I do love a good authentic meal, and that is just what I found at Patron Mexican Grill on RT 19 in Wexford (leaving the Pittsburgh zip codes for a bit).

I went to Patron last week for lunch with some coworkers; here's the run-down:

-          The atmosphere is amazing --- floor to ceiling in authentic Mexican decorations.  The booth that we sat in had to have been shipped in from Mexico: carved wood (each booth includes a different landscape) and hand painted. 

-          The meal comes with warm chips and homemade salsa, but don't eat too much before hand!

-          I ordered a quesadilla, very enjoyable and well within the budget of a once a week place for lunch.

That's all for now --- short one today.  I'll be busy getting ready for classes to start tomorrow!

Week 2: Mineo's Pizza

I’m sure that based on the title of this posting you have deduced that this is not a review of Tessaro’s in Bloomfield (as promised in my last posting). I’m sure you can sympathize with how this came about --- it was pizza week for me – that week every three months where your body decides to abandon normal food pyramid requirements and the only thing that will satisfy your craving is pizza. Probably not the healthiest of weeks for me, but certainly very appetizing…

Tessaro’s will come in the not too distant future, but for now, my cravings lead me to…

Week 2: Mineo’s in Squirrel Hill (2128 Murray Ave-- on the hill a bit before Forward Ave.)

I think that it’s safe to say I have had my share of pizza --- I grew up in Jersey, which has delicious “we-are-right-next-to-New-York” style pizza. In South Jersey, we fold our pizza in half, and we eat each slice in less than three bites, saving all of the crust for last. I’ve lived next to the most popular pizza place in Shadyside for the past two years, stopping by on many a last minute dinner (or late night snack) run. And I’ve been known to eat a stuffed crust from Pizza Hut backwards every once in a while.

I think that it’s tough to compare pizza places --- regions and styles have so much to do with it. I don’t believe that I have a single “favorite” pizza place in the States. However, I will comment that if I was to expand this discussion to an international scale, then the best place in the world that I’ve been to for pizza was Naples, Italy (or “Napoli, Italia!” --- Italian restaurant owner says while shaking his arms and welcoming me into his establishment). As pictured below, I was in Naples last summer and enjoyed a slice in which I hand picked the tomatoes in the restaurant’s side yard (grown in the rich Mediterranean soil), and the chef made the sauce right there --- the freshest pizza I have ever encountered. It was absolute heaven (wipes drool from chin).

Don’t let me get too side-tracked ---- I’m supposed to be talking about Pittsburgh! I went to Mineo’s in Squirrel Hill (also located in Mt Lebanon) for the first time last night with two of my Industrial Engineering friends at Pitt. I had basically fasted all day in preparation, and we chose to order a large plain to share, dining in. Allow me to summarize:

· The pizza comes out hot enough that you can’t touch it with your hand (let alone your vulnerable tongue) for at least five minutes after it arrives at your table --- torture! However, once you do eat it, you realize it was worth the wait (and the fasting).

· This pizza is about 90% cheese (and consequentially very embarrassing to eat). My coworkers suggested bringing silverware, and I stupidly did not heed their warning. Bring silverware; you’ll need to cut the pizza if you want to have a chance at eating all of the cheese, and the plastic silverware that the restaurant provides just doesn’t do the trick.

· The atmosphere is a typical pizza shop --- counter to order, bench seating, very casual and always filled with customers (so I hear, at least).

· Instead of fountain drinks at inflated prices, they have $.85 vending machine soda cans, which I love. I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off just for wanting a Cherry Coke with my cheese (and the aluminum is recyclable as opposed to styrofoam cups).

Bottom Line

Mineo’s has very enjoyable pizza at a price that is definitely within a college student’s once a week budget. So, check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

http://www.mineospizza.com/

That's me in Italy, pre-haircut, eating the best pizza in the world (and throwing up the typical American peace signs --- very classy)

Week 1: The 17th Street Cafe

The 17^th Street Café

I write this week's posting from my new apartment, sipping a glass of wine, watching my favorite movie, the American President, and very well fed after a delicious meal at Nakama. However, Nakama is not the topic of this week's blog posting (I'll save its review for another week).

I thought that I would make my inaugural review one of the best restaurant I've found in my four years in Pittsburgh – the 17^th Street Café (at 17^th St in the South Side, one block off Carson towards the river).

Let's flash back to two Friday's ago, when I first visited this restaurant…

Taking advantage of flexible summer work schedules, I left work at 4PM to catch an early dinner and a Friday night movie premier (500 Days of Summer --- I strongly recommend it). I met my ex-roommate (who even though we don't live together anymore, we still see just as much of one another) in the South Side for what she told me was a celebratory dinner (what we were celebrating would be announced in person).

I found the 17^th Street Café after a quick Google search of bistro-like restaurants near my new apartment. What can I say? Sometimes the places I find are after careful research, but it turns out that some of the best places I find are happened upon after a rash restaurant search on the way out of work…

Upon entering, I find an uncanny resemblance to an establishment that my best friend in Brooklyn and I frequent, Bar Toto. Although we chose not to drink, I would have been all for homemade Sangria or a nice fresh squeezed margarita (a tough thing to turn down, if you know me at all, you'd easily understand). Here's a quick run-down of our meal:

- Our free appetizer (print out the coupon from their website) of stuffed peppers over breaded mozzarella made me realize that I have no business trying to pretend to cook Italian.

- Make sure to take full advantage of the bread --- fresh-baked and heavenly.

- House Salad (with chick-peas --- one of those accompaniments that I forget I love until a genius chef decides to throw them in my salad at the local bistro)

- And the main course – a penne in a white wine sauce with chicken and prosciutto. YUM! (I only had room for half, and I enjoyed it again for lunch on Saturday)

BOTTOM LINE:

This restaurant is run flawlessly:

- I left the restaurant with a pen in hand that read, "Return this stolen pen to the 17^th Street Café for a free order of Fried Zucchini" --- what a great idea!

- Two days after my visit, I found a letter in my mailbox from my waitress, Kaelyn, thanking me for coming and welcoming me to the neighborhood.

SOMEONE is an expert at running restaurants, and I think that somebody is Pat (restaurant owner --- he'll introduce himself before and after your meal).

So, I can't recommend it enough --- I plan on taking my mom when she visits in September and cashing in on an order of free Fried Zucchini.

A few more things I think will be helpful to readers….

The Price:

I'd deem this a once-a-month priced restaurant for poor college students, and a once-a-week priced restaurant for young professionals. We could spend a bit above our college student budget because, as I said, we were there to celebrate --- and what were we celebrating? My ex-roommate was offered three full-time jobs that week --- talk about a reason to over-eat!

The Details:

Check out their site linked above

Next on the Agenda:

Tessaro's in Bloomfield (I've heard great things about those 'Burgher Burgers!)