tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63212805871515356322024-03-27T19:53:32.935-04:00Pittsburgh Eatsbboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-28822235687199434392019-05-28T09:24:00.000-04:002019-05-28T10:29:38.176-04:00We Are Back !!! It's been almost 4 years since my last review. Photobucket decided to hold all my previous pictures hostage, unless I payed them an exorbitant amount of money. Apparently their was such an outpouring of disgust at photobucket that they decided to allow people to have access to their photos again (however with a big photobucket water mark on them). So most of my older reviews are now working, and I will be working on new reviews which in the past have served as the gold standard of food bloggery.<br />
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A lot of competition out there recently, when it comes to Hoagies aka subs, grinders,etc. The latest to branch out into the Pittsburgh area is Bob's Sub. Bob's is an institution in the college towns of Slippery Rock and Clarion just North of Pittsburgh. A few years ago a couple of young guys bought the stores and started to expand south into the Pittsburgh area. So lets see how they stack up.<br />
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Bob's subs come in three sizes. The largest being the senior which measures in at 13" at a modest $7.95. All the subs come on locally made Stagnos rolls, which are also nicely toasted.<br />
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My wife tried the cotton candy shake which was surprisingly good. The pretzel stick adds some needed saltiness to the sweetness.<br />
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The Roast Beef Sub was very good. Loaded with roast beef and fresh veggies. If you get the sub "Bob's Way" it comes with Italian dressing, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and provolone cheese. Word of warning, they love to slather the mayo on their subs. While I love mayo, even I found the amount to be a tad excessive. So I recommend asking them to be light on the mayo. The crusty Stagnos bread is an excellent delivery vehicle for all the meat and veggies.<br />
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Bob's Cheesesteak was just as good. You can customize your toppings, and my wife added pepper rings and mushrooms to her sandwich.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TOP VIEW</td></tr>
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Having been to Bob's twice now, I must say that I was impressed with both the value and quality. Why the hell anyone would even consider going to a Subway when you have places like Bob's , Dibellas, and Jersey Mikes, is beyond me.<br />
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So give Bob's a try, its one of the best sandwich places going.<br />
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( The Bob's I went to, is brand new and located at Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum)<br />
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My friend and Pittsburgh DJ legend, AJ, brought to my attention that this is not owned by the original shop in Slippery Rock and that there is a lot of legal wrangling going on. An older article explaining the situation. <a href="http://triblive.com/news/butler/3429820-74/shop-bob-sub#axzz3p26g0zaU">http://triblive.com/news/butler/3429820-74/shop-bob-sub#axzz3p26g0zaU</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">RATING 8/10 </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/pittsburgh/bobs-sub-natrona-heights" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Bob’s Sub, Natrona Heights and other Restaurants in Pittsburgh"><img alt="Bob’s Sub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17043713/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-76841438803585194002015-07-15T09:43:00.002-04:002019-05-17T11:45:38.673-04:00BJ's Brewhouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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BJ's is new to the Pittsburgh dining scene, having just opened a new restaurant at McCandless Crossing. They are a chain based out of California, and are know for having a large menu, and making their own craft beers.<br />
We arrived around 8PM on a Saturday and were told that there would be a 45 minute wait. Around 35 minutes later we were seated. To start we ordered a few beverages. Mrs.Yinzer ordered a house made Berry Burst Cider, which was fruity with a dry finish, not overly sweet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berry Burst Cider $5.75</td></tr>
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I ordered the Tatonka Stout, which was in the style of an Imperial Stout. Not at all like Guiness, this stout is very rich, sweet, and with a high alcohol content. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tatonka Stout $6.25</td></tr>
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For an appetizer we ordered the California Club Flatbread. This was an excellent start to the meal. Cracker thin crust covered with tomato, chicken, avocado, bacon, garlic aioli, and diced avocado. The combination of ingredients worked well together and I absolutely loved the paper thin crisp crust. This would make an excellent entree for someone as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">California Flatbread $9.75</td></tr>
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Then our entrees came. Mrs.Yinzer ordered the Mediterranean Chicken Pita Tacos, Little Yinzer ordered a small (9") BJ's Favorite Deep Dish Pizza, I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Mediterranean Chicken Pita Tacos $9.25</span></td></tr>
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These were meh. Chicken, feta, cilantro, tomatoes, and a greek yogurt sauce. Tasted like a little chicken gyro. Good but nothing spectacular. The cheddar mashed potatoes were equally uninspired.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BJ's Favorite Deep Dish Pizza $15.25</td></tr>
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Little Yinzer loved this pizza, while I thought it was a mixed bag. The crust was near perfect for a deep dish style pizza, however the quality of the toppings could be better. The crust was a golden brown morphing in with the browned cheese which made it a great base for the pie. The toppings which included olives, pepperoni, onions, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, were average. The sausage comes to mind first as something that would be the topping found on a frozen pizza. You did so well with the crust, why buy precooked generic Italian sausage to cover it with?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Cheeseburger $10.95</td></tr>
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The Bacon Cheeseburger was pretty damn tasty. It was cooked a perfect medium. It also was charbroiled which gives it that outdoor off the grill taste. The bacon was crisp, and BJ's signature burger sauce added some tang to it. The fries were very thin and crispy. All in all, a good solid burger.<br />
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Oh and I almost forgot. Try one of their home brewed sodas. The Cream Soda is a real delight with notes of vanilla and butterscotch.<br />
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By and large our meal at BJ's was a good experience. Service was good except when the waitress asked me how everything was while I had a mouth full of food, hate that. Prices are a little high for the quality and quantity. Huge beer selection to keep even the snootiest of beer snobs busy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RATING: 7/10</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BJ's Brewhouse</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1610; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.113385826349258px; line-height: 17.0782089233398px;">8970 Covenant Ave</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #1f1610; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.113385826349258px; line-height: 17.0782089233398px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1610; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.113385826349258px; line-height: 17.0782089233398px;">Pittsburgh, PA 15237</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1610; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.113385826349258px; line-height: 17.0782089233398px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Phone: 412.748.1470</b></span></span><br />
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bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-18958308344400971192015-04-30T10:13:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:50:31.200-04:00Cheeburger Cheeburger (CLOSED)<div>
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Cheeburger Cheeburger is a chain of restaurants specializing in you guessed it, hamburgers. They go for a 1950s diner vibe, with lots of neon and stainless steel. We went to the location in Cranberry which I believe is the only location in Western PA. Cheeburger Cheeburger is all about customizing your burger. First you choose the size of your beef patty (anything from 5.5 oz to a whopping 20oz). They also have salmon, turkey, and veggie burgers. Then you pick from a myriad of toppings. Check out their complete menu <a href="http://cheeburger.com/menu/main.asp">HERE</a></div>
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My order consisted of the 1/2 pound burger with American cheese, lettuce, mayo, onion. It was definitely a full 1/2 pound and was cooked a perfect medium. Everything tasted fresh. My only complaint being that I did not think the beef was as juicy and flavorful as I have had at other places (5 guys, BRGR, Burgatory). </div>
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We also shared a side of sweet potato fries which were sweet and crispy.<br />
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Cheeburger Cheeburger also has a huge selection of hand made shakes, which are thick and indulgent. </div>
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All in all I thought Cheeburger Cheeburger was ok.. It has reasonable prices, and is a good place to take kids. However I am not sure that I would choose their burger over any of the competitions. Let me know what you think. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RATING: 6/10 </b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1856625/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Cranberry-Twp/Cheeburger-Cheeburger-Cranberry-Township"><img alt="Cheeburger Cheeburger on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1856625/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-27708523254875830112015-03-13T11:02:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:36.149-04:00HOT NEWS<div id="fb-root">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Special Announcement! We will be opening a second tasting room & production area at Soergel's Orchards in Wexford! We are taking over the Amish Furniture Store right behind the Market. Stay tuned for more details!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> If you have not tried some of the excellent Cider from the Arsenal Cider House, head down there and try some. You will be amazed at the variety, as well as the complexity in tastes from the different ciders. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1531391/restaurant/Lawrenceville/Arsenal-Cider-House-and-Wine-Cellar-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Arsenal Cider House and Wine Cellar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1531391/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-16579334995898563462015-02-27T11:17:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:35.465-04:00The Oven Pizza Company<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So after trying Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza the weekend before. My girlfriend and I went to check out The Oven in Wexford. She was excited because the owner had a pizza place previously that she had thought was very good on Banksville Rd. The Oven's claim to fame is that they cook their pizzas in a big ass wood fired oven, which puts out a lot of heat for a crispy crust. The wood also imports some flavor into the pizza as well..<br />
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Ordering is a little confusing the first time you go to The Oven. You go up to the counter and tell them what you want . The menu is on a chalkboard above the counter. After that, you go and find a table and wait for them to call your name.They have a selection of bottled beers for your consumption as well.<br />
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My girlfriend and I shared half of a pizza. Half sausage, half Margarita topped with fresh mozzarella and basil.<br />
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Just like Anthony's Coal Fired Oven Pizza, the star of the show is the crust. It is thin, with a perfectly crisp bottom. Not quite as dark/burnt as Anthony's. The toppings were all fresh and tasty. The sausage tasted homemade letting the porky goodness shine through. However, just like Anthony's the sauce was used just a tad too sparingly in my opinion.<br />
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All in all though, a very good pie. If you like a thin crispy crust, this is definitely a place you should stop and try.<br />
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Finally, The Oven is owned by a local Pittsburgh family, and you should all be behind supporting your locally owned businesses.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RATING: 8.5/10</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1454882/restaurant/Pittsburgh/The-Oven-Pizza-Co-Wexford"><img alt="The Oven Pizza Co. on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1454882/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-63193229915208039712015-01-07T09:06:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:37.926-04:00Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The girlfriend and I headed out to Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza the other day. Coal fired pizza used to be almost exclusive to New York City. It's known for using high heat coal ovens to make a very crisp crust with some charring.<br />
We were seated immediately on entering the restaurant. We ordered the meatballs for an appetizer and a large pizza topped half with sausage, and half with prosciutto.<br />
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The meatballs came out looking impressive. Served with two slices of focaccia bread, a dollop of ricotta, and fresh basil, the plate presentation was very nice looking. The meatballs however while quite tender, were also quite bland. The flavorful sauce and ricotta helped add some needed flavor. The focaccia was a nice accompaniment to place the meatballs on.<br />
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The pizza was a mixed bag of awesome and WTF? First off the crust was perfect. Thin, crunchy, with a little blackness on the edges, it was one of the best crusts I have ever had. The cheese was nice and bubbly. The sausage was good, being not overly seasoned. The sauce was also very good, too bad it was used so sparingly. The prosciutto was my WTF moment. It was long pieces, just layed over top of the pizza. It definitely needed to be chopped a little finer, and to be cooked with the pizza. Overall though, if you take away the ridiculous prosciutto presentation, you are left with a pretty damn good pizza.<br />
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All in all I liked Anthony's. While there were some missteps such as the prosciutto and minimal sauce, they still have one awesome crust to build off of. Will be heading back to try out some of their other menu items soon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RATING: 6/10 </b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1849533/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Cranberry-Twp/Anthonys-Coal-Fired-Pizza-Cranberry-Township"><img alt="Anthonys Coal Fired Pizza on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1849533/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0Cranberry, PA 16319, USA41.3497822 -79.71005130000003215.8277477 -121.01864530000003 66.8718167 -38.401457300000033tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-3081764848012732462014-11-14T12:10:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:36.260-04:00Modern Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just had lunch at the Modern Cafe in the Northside of Pittsburgh, and ate one of the best sandwiches ever. Modern Cafe has won best sandwich at the Northside Sandwich Week festival two years in a row, and now I know why.<br />
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I give you THE SPARTAN. Steak, gyro meat, provolone, feta, onions, tomato, seasoning, and taziki sauce, all on a 6" hoagie roll. Holy crap was this thing good. Why bother getting a gyro somewhere, when you can get this.<br />
So get off your butt and get down to Modern Cafe pronto. You do not want to miss this sandwich.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Modern Cafe Spartan Sandwich 10/10</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/271129/restaurant/North-Side/Modern-Cafe-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Modern Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/271129/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-64865337595151139222014-09-17T10:34:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:38.099-04:00Aladdin's Eatery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Lunch the other day, my girlfriend and I decided to try out Aladdin's. There are 6 around the Pittsburgh area, and word of mouth has been pretty positive. We settled on going to the Aladdin's on Mcknight Rd in the North Hills.<br />
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The dining area is small and well kept. It's decorated in a modern Mediterranean fashion. We were quickly seated and attended to.<br />
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The menu is obviously heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Check it out <a href="http://www.aladdinseatery.com/menu/">HERE</a>. Lite and healthy is also a theme.<br />
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We started off with some Tropical Storm Smoothies which are blended mango,guava, pineapple,yogurt, and honey. It was blended to order and was quite refreshing. Could have used some rum in it, but lets not be petty.<br />
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Kibbie<br />
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Three lean beef and wheat shells, stuffed with spiced ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, then deep fried. Served with yogurt and Lebanese salata. <br />
The Kibbie was like eating a spiced meatloaf with a crunchy shell. The taste of cinnamon and other spices permeated the Kibbie. The little salad was flavorful, with tomatoes, cucumbers, and green pepper, tossed with mint leaves, vinegar and oil.<br />
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Rolled Pita<br />
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For our main course we decided on getting rolled pitas. <br />
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Shish Kabob Rolled<br />
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Char-grilled tenderloin, feta cheese, greens,tomato, and onion, with Aladdins sauce rolled in a pita. My girlfriend ordered this and it was quite good. The steak was flavorful and tender enough that you could bite right through it. The feta and sauce added some nice zing.<br />
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Ground beef mixed with onions,parsley, herbs, and spices. Chargrilled with tomato, onion, and tahini yogurt dressing. Like a middle eastern hamburger, the beef had just enough spice to make it interesting. Also the beef was quite lean with barely any grease. The other toppings accompanied the beef nicely . A good change of pace from your typical american style burger.<br />
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Aladdins is a great little restaurant. Almost everything on their menu is under 10 dollars, so the price is right. Lots of healthy choices are to be found if you are watching your waist line. It is a great change of pace from your typical American restaurant. You wont find fries with cheese and bacon, or mozzarella sticks. you will find original dishes at a good price, with a Mediterranean influence.<br />
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From what I can gather there are 6 Aaddins throughout the Pittsburgh area. Go and check them out.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b>Aladdin's Eatery</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b>Rating: 8/10 </b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270027/restaurant/Pittsburgh/West-View/Aladdins-Eatery-Ross-Twp"><img alt="Aladdin's Eatery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270027/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-86702708503615425122014-07-10T10:08:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:39.158-04:00Bella Ria's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Everyone should have a greasy spoon/diner that can be their go-to place for good cheap eats. Well Bella Ria's is mine. Bella Ria's is not a whole lot to look at. Hell, its in the same building as a drive-thru beer distributor. The interior is sparsely decorated with the highlight being a nice framed picture of Led Zeppelin smoking and drinking coffee. <br />
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But you know, I am not here for fancy ass decor. I'm here for a good meal at a good price. This is where Bella Ria's Delivers.<br />
The service is quick, attentive, and friendly. Most of the time you will be waited on by one of the owners daughters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry Pancakes $6.50</td></tr>
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For breakfast you cant go wrong with any of their variety of pancakes.Big, light, and fluffy, with a generous amount of blueberries, the blueberry pancakes were top notch. They came accompanied with perfectly cooked crispy bacon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corned Beef Hash $7.99</td></tr>
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This corned beef hash is definitely not from a can. Its tender cooked pieces of potato,corned beef, and onion, topped with 2 eggs cooked to your liking. This has to be one of my favorite breakfast dishes. The flavors mesh so well, and everyone who tries it says "I am getting that next time".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Panini $6.99</td></tr>
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For lunch you cant go wrong with any of their sandwiches. The chicken panini is a great place to start. Grilled chicken, spinach, mozzarella, sun dried tomato, and red onion in between a grilled piece of focacia bread. The chicken was tender and juicy, while the sun dried tomato added flavor complexity and some tang. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royale with Cheese $7.50</td></tr>
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John Travolta would be proud of this burger (Pulp Fiction reference). Now I don't say this lightly, but this burger is one of the best in Pittsburgh. It's a 1/2 pound burger, crispy onions, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and special sauce. Mine was cooked perfectly medium as requested. This burger is juicy, tasty, and big enough to satisfy a very hungry appetite. <br />
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So if your in the area stop in Bella Ria's. They also have tasty dinner specials. The crab stuffed salmon dish I had the one time, was probably the best salmon dish I ever had. Located on RT 19 right above North Hills High Schools Martorelli Field, make sure you don't miss this hidden gem.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">RATING:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">Bella Ria's 8.5/10</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270140/restaurant/West-View/Bella-Rias-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Bella Ria's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270140/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-83422222819569889842014-04-24T09:31:00.001-04:002019-05-17T11:45:38.842-04:00Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For my Birthday, my hot girlfriend and Mother took me to the Hofbrauhaus on the South Side of Pittsburgh. We went there at my request. See, when I was in the Army, I was stationed in Germany defending the frontiers of freedom against the Russian hordes. While there, I had gone to the actual Hofbrauhaus in Munich. So I thought this would bring back fond memories of eating schnitzel and drinking good German beer.<br />
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We were quickly seated at one of the big wooden tables in the beer hall. Some guy was playing German tunes on an organ. At another table, a group of young men were yelling out swear words like they had tourettes, being obviously a little intoxicated.<br />
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So for starters we ordered some beers and an appetizer sampler platter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heffe Weizen</td></tr>
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Heffe is a wheat beer, and was my go-to beer in Germany. Light with taste notes of fruit and spice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hofbrau Dunkel </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Dunkel is a darker beer being rich and spicy, yet still very drinkable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Works Sampler $13.99</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Works Sampler had an assortment of appetizers including fried pickles, sauerkraut balls, soft pretzels, and potato pancakes. Also included were some dipping sauces and bier cheese for the pretzels. The bier cheese was the star, giving the pretzels an excellent boost of flavor. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bauern Schnitzel $15.99</td></tr>
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The Bauern Schnitzel was your typical breaded and fried pork cutlet topped with ham, bier cheese, and swiss cheese. Very good, the schnitzle was cooked perfectly and was fork tender. The accompanying German potato salad was warm and had bits of cabbage and bacon. Nothing like its American mayo based cousin. The potato dumpling was bland, doughy, and the only flavor came from the accompanying gravy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bavarian Jager Schnitzel $15.99</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Personally Jager style is my favorite rendition of Schnitzel. Jager means hunter in German. This has your breaded pork cutlets covered with bacon and a rich burgundy mushroom sauce. Very rich, savory, and tasty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bayerischer Schweinbraten $15.49</td></tr>
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Slow roasted pork served with sauerkraut and covered in gravy. The pork was perfect. Tender and full of flavor. The sauerkraut was mild and not all that sour, it was flavored with apples and caraway.<br />
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So my birthday dinner was a great success. Excellent stick to your ribs German food. A good buzz from the beer, and an excellent environment to take it all in. You can also sit outside with a scenic view of the Monongahela River when the weather is nice. Make sure you're in the right frame of mind when you go here. It's loud inside and not at all intimate. It's built for partying, not whispering. The Hofbrauhaus lived up to my expectations and I will definitely be back.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rating</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hofbruahaus Pittsburgh: 8/10 </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1344616/restaurant/South-Side/Hofbrauhaus-Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1344616/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-41744490022049525982014-03-05T09:18:00.002-05:002019-05-17T11:45:36.936-04:00Dave & Busters<br />
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So me and my hot girlfriend are down at the Homestead Waterfront to see a movie on a Saturday evening. We decided to head over to the Rock Bottom Brewery for a before movie dinner. Problem was the wait was almost an hour long. So we headed across the street to Dave & Busters. We were seated almost immediately, and we found out quickly, why Rock Bottom had an hour wait, and Dave & Busters had none.<br />
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Dave & Busters is known as a giant fun spot for adults. A place to play arcade games, watch sports, eat, etc. The place is loud and big ass TVs are all over the place.<br />
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First off the service was lacking. We sat many a minute waiting for drink refills, for our bill , etc. Even my glass of water had salad dressing on it, when it was served.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppin Potatoes</td></tr>
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Poppin Potatoes. The menu describes them as: Fried and crispy on the outside, light on the inside, these bite-sized potato puffs are tossed with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese.<br />
These were the highlight of the meal. Just as described, they were nice and crispy on the outside, with a creamy potato filling. The garlic butter and parm were subtle. The accompanying spicy ketchup tasted very similar to Heinz Chili Sauce.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar Burgers and Wings Platter</td></tr>
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4 little cheeseburgers served along with wings and a helping of fries. The accompanying ranch dressing was from a bottle...blah. The burgers had a nice chargrilled flavor to them, yet were not hot enough. The wings were mediocre at best. The sauce tasted like pure Franks Red Hot with no additional seasoning. The fries were crispy and decent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island Grilled Trifecta</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Island Grilled Trifecta sounds like you won something big, but actually there were no winners here. Just dissapointed taste buds.<br />
The Island Grilled Trifecta is described as: Skewers of honey-teriyaki-glazed sirloin steak, seasoned chicken breast and tender shrimp, grilled and served on a bed of spicy rice medley. Served with pineapple pico de gallo, teriyaki BBQ sauce, and mango citrus sauce for dipping.<br />
The chicken was dry and flavorless. The shrimp were overcooked, dry,and gummy. The steak was bathed in an oriental sauce that was overpowered with Chinese 5 spice. Honestly if I wouldn't have swallowed the piece of steak, I might still be chewing it. Just a horrible cut of beef. <br />
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So the meal was ultimately disappointing. Crappy service, combined with at best, mediocre food. Our experience might have improved if we had some time to enjoy the entertainment offered. But I can't recommend this place as a dinner destination. If you find yourself at Dave & Busters, stick with sandwiches or fried foods. Its harder to screw them up.<br />
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The movie that we saw after the meal, "Her" starring Joaquin Phoenix. Was very good, and I recommend it highly. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">DAVE & BUSTERS</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">RATING: 4/10 </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270466/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Waterfront/Dave-Busters-Homestead"><img alt="Dave & Buster's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270466/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a> bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-30294420904053287702014-01-09T09:37:00.002-05:002019-05-17T11:45:36.204-04:00Fiori's Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are back. After 3 years of writing Pittsburgh Eats, it was time for a short break. In the meantime I have been scouting out new places to review around Pittsburgh and hopefully you will enjoy some of the upcoming locations I will be reviewing.<br />
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As long as I have lived in Pittsburgh, it seems the debate between who has the best pizza has come down to two places. Mineo's in Squirrel Hill, or Fiori's in the South Hills. A while ago I ate at Mineo's and was not all that impressed. So I thought it was about time I tried Fiori's and see what all the fuss was about. My friends in the South Hills seem to absolutely love the place. Being from the North Hills I have not found a whole lot to like about the South Hills. Its overly crowded, traffic is a nightmare, and you have to slowly creep through a tunnel to get into Pittsburgh. Maybe Fiori's could let me see the good of the South Hills.<br />
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We called in our order on Saturday evening for carryout. They said it would be about an hour. It actually wound up being around an hour and twenty minutes. It was not a surprise. Fiori's is known for its long waits, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Italian Hoagie $5.00</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian Hoagie</td></tr>
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The Italian hoagie was typical of that found throughout Western Pennsylvania. Ham, Capicola, Salami,provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, baked on Italian bread. It was dressed with Italian seasoning, oil and vinegar. All around a solid hoagie. It had a good amount of meat, and was well balanced with the crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside bread. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Steak Hoagie $5.30</td></tr>
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The steak hoagie was a little different than others I have tried. First off it had a good portion of chopped sirloin and fried onions with your typical fixings on top, provolone, lettuce, and tomato. What I found unique was the red sauce that Fiori's put on it. It was kind of sweet and tangy, and added a little kick to the savoriness of the steak. Its almost like a Russian or French style dressing. My eating partner and I were both impressed with the taste.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Sausage Pizza $15.30</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sausage Pizza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But we are here for the pizza aren't we? The pizza had an extremely thin crust. Very much like a New York style slice. It was slightly crisp and the outside crust had a nice chew to it. The thing was loaded with cheese which was cooked perfectly, being slightly browned and bubbly. The sausage was not typical of the type a lot of pizza shops use. It was chunky with a very mild Italian spice flavor. Not overly seasoned with fennel like a lot of places sausage is. The sauce I really enjoyed. It was sweet and not overly applied. So is this one of the best pizzas in the Burgh? Yes it is. This is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten period. Despite being loaded with cheese and toppings, it was not overly greasy. Just a total delight to eat. Its not often that when I go and try something, that it actually lives up to the hype.<br />
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So do yourself a favor and head over to Fiori's one night. Its worth the ride and the long wait time to give it a try.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Fioris's Pizza </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">RATING: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270598/restaurant/Far-South-South-Hills/Fioris-Pizzaria-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Fiori's Pizzaria on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270598/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-45147488376596587272013-07-19T12:17:00.001-04:002019-05-17T11:45:37.049-04:00The Penn Brewery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pamainstreets2.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc03782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://pamainstreets2.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc03782.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It had been a while sine I had been to the Penn Brewery (maybe 6 years), and I was in the mood for some German food. So a friend and I went to check it out.<br />
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The Penn Brewery is best know for its beer making side of things. It produces some of the best beers in Pittsburgh including my personal favorite Penn Pilsner. <br />
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We went on a Friday night and were told that all the tables in the main dining room were reserved. They gave us a small table however that was wobbly and could barely hold 2 plates. So when I complained and threatened to leave, they put us down in the basement dining room, which it was obvious they did not want to open. However we were soon joined by others who were obviously experiencing the same situation as ourselves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Berry</td></tr>
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To drink, I ordered a bottle of their Summer Berry which was a wheat beer (Hefeweisen) with a slight berry flavor. It was very refreshing and it would make an excellent beer for sipping on a hot summer day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/ef87d916feffac2f70e79fec7e2d72d2_zps1d014e56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/ef87d916feffac2f70e79fec7e2d72d2_zps1d014e56.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffalo Chicken Pierogies $6.95</td></tr>
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The pierogies were ok. Chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese was the filling. Topped with blue cheese dressing and hot sauce. The flavor was pretty good and tasted of your typical buffalo wing. It could have done without so much crap on top of them, which kind of disguised the true flavor of the pierogies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/a80944b62e2a6d85a695dfae846945cc_zps424e8deb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/a80944b62e2a6d85a695dfae846945cc_zps424e8deb.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balsamic Grilled Chicken $15.95</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My friend ordered the Balsamic glazed chicken. It was a perfectly cooked chicken breast, covered in a bruschetta style tomato compote, with fresh mozzarella slices. Very creamy mashed potatoes and grilled veggies accompanied the chicken. Like I said, the chicken was cooked perfectly, being cooked all the way through yet still moist. The brushetta style compote and balsamic glaze added a nice acidity and Italian spice flair. The mozzarella was creamy yet seemed out of place being that fresh mozzarella is not the best cheese for melting over top of things. It congealed quickly when it cooled, and you were left with basically big slices of mozzarella which while good, seemed texturally awkward. A grated and melted mozzarella or provolone would have been more suitable I believe. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/588760c82ecce8319187bec64ef17e5d_zps6fa30bfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/588760c82ecce8319187bec64ef17e5d_zps6fa30bfe.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rouldaen $14.95</td></tr>
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The Rouladen that I ordered was excellent. First off the quantity as you can see was more than adequate. Honestly I was only expecting one rouladen roll, but they give you two. The rouladen is beef with bacon, onion, mustard, and pickles, all rolled up and braised till the beef is fork tender. It is accompanied with German potato salad and red cabbage.<br />
The whole meal is all about mixing savory and sour. The rouladen was just awesome, having the savory flavors of the beef and bacon. While also the tang of the onions, mustard and pickles. Really one of the best meals I have had in quite a while.<br />
The German potato salad was warm and made a quite satisfying side dish. The red cabbage I was surprised to find was less sour like sauerkraut, but somewhat sweet. It was flavored with apples and other spices and was surprisingly mild.<br />
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So all in all an excellent eating experience. Im looking forward to going back and trying some of Penn Brewery's other German fare. <br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PENN BREWERY </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> Rating : 8/10 </b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/271314/restaurant/Troy-Hill/Penn-Brewery-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Penn Brewery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/271314/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-84748154598254782182013-06-11T10:34:00.002-04:002019-05-17T11:45:38.900-04:00The Steer & Wheel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thesteerandwheel.com/images/steer_wheel_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://www.thesteerandwheel.com/images/steer_wheel_logo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another competitor in the burgeoning Pittsburgh food truck scene. The Steer & Wheel specializes in gourmet hamburgers and I was looking forward to trying it out.<br />
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<a href="http://db66abc2c256b763aaef-ce5d943d4869ae027976e5ad085dd9b0.r76.cf2.rackcdn.com/2013/86/763/steer-wheel-truck_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://db66abc2c256b763aaef-ce5d943d4869ae027976e5ad085dd9b0.r76.cf2.rackcdn.com/2013/86/763/steer-wheel-truck_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Steer & Wheel was with the Pittsburgh Taco Truck in the parking lot of the Coffee Buddha on RT 19 in the North Hills. After placing my order, it took about 8 minutes to receive the food. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/0854055c66daf7d5f15c35e5f793aeca_zps0cc3d90b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/0854055c66daf7d5f15c35e5f793aeca_zps0cc3d90b.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fat Tuesday Burger $7.00</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You will notice I put a Mcdonalds Double Cheeseburger in my picture for size comparison purposes. There is nothing I wont do for the reader of Pittsburgh Eats. For the visually and mentally challenged Pittsburgh Eats readers, the Mcdonalds burger is on the left.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/355f04b5844a37f7090fee025054a5fc_zps84140bf5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/355f04b5844a37f7090fee025054a5fc_zps84140bf5.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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The Fat Tuesday Burger was about a 1/3 pound locally raised, organinc, no antibiotic, no hormone, beef patty, with pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce. All on a brioche bun baked at Mediterra bakery. The burger itself was also cooked with blackened seasoning to give it an even more pronounced cajun flavor. The burger had good flavor and the toppings were all super fresh. The remoulade and pepper jack added some spice. The brioche bun held up well to all the ingredients. A pretty tasty burger.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/b193b5e168da16aa07e7c77f2da229f9_zps4842ba8d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/b193b5e168da16aa07e7c77f2da229f9_zps4842ba8d.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The French Lieutenant's Burger $8.00</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The French Lieutenant came with sauteed cremini mushrooms, brie cheese, bacon, and whole grain mustard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/06cce615c128b3c719fccf5250655b26_zps255dff62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/06cce615c128b3c719fccf5250655b26_zps255dff62.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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An excellent combination of ingredients with a French flair. The bacon was perfectly cooked, being both crispy and chewy. The cremini mushrooms added a pleasant savory flavor. The whole grain mustard balanced the burger with its bitterness.<br />
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The burgers at Steer & Wheel are of the highest quality, being comparable to some of the high end burger joints in the area such as BRGR and Burgatory. My only complaint is that the price point of the burgers is slightly high for their size. If you see the Steer & Wheel in your neighborhood, make sure you stop by and let me know what you think.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">RATING</span></b></span></u><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Steer & Wheel: 7.5 / 10</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1738615/restaurant/Downtown-CBD/Steer-and-Wheel-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Steer and Wheel on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1738615/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-50747572022225652862013-06-11T10:26:00.001-04:002019-05-17T11:45:37.331-04:00bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-22304213695443434442013-05-09T11:45:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:35.922-04:00Yeungs House Chinese Restaurant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000110_zpsbf0c63d0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000110_zpsbf0c63d0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Located right next door to the West View Fire Department on RT 19. Yeung's is not much to look at from the outside.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The interior however is clean and you can look right into the kitchen.<br />
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To start off we ordered the Pu Pu platter for two<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000113_zps1d404de5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000113_zps1d404de5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Roll</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000114_zps9312d6cb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000114_zps9312d6cb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab Rangoon</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000115_zpsac1dfd32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000115_zpsac1dfd32.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken and Beef Teriyaki on a stick</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000117_zpse2fbe406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000117_zpse2fbe406.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boneless Ribs and a Chicken WIng</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000116_zps6e905ea1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000116_zps6e905ea1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neon Red Sweet and Sour Sauce</td></tr>
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The Pu Pu Platter ($8.95) came with a variety of tidbits. 2 Wings, 2 Spring Rolls, 2 Beef Teriyaki, 2 Chicken on a Stick, 2 Boneless Ribs, and 2 Crab Rangoons. The crab rangoons were disappointing being kind of gummy and lacking in filling. The spring rolls however were excellent being both crispy and filled with shrimp and vegetables. The boneless ribs were also tasty being sweet and tender.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000120_zps087af845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000120_zps087af845.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General Tso's Chicken ($9.75)</td></tr>
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The General Tso's Chicken was mediocre at best. The pieces of chicken were not at all crispy and the sauce while flavorful was not very spicy and overly sweet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000121_zpsfc13144c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000121_zpsfc13144c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House Special Lo Mein ($7.95)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The House Special Lo Mein was excellent. Big chunks bbq pork, chicken, and shrimp, mixed with noodles in a mild soy based sauce.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000118_zps3a60b96f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg270/bboyer66/P1000118_zps3a60b96f.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian Beef ($9.75)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The high light of the meal was the Mongolian Beef.. Slices of beef with onions and scallions in a very spicy sauce. This was a flavor explosion. The beef had a nice charred flavor to it while the sauce was filled with lots of black pepper. This sauce was actually so hot that I was sweating while eating this. Really I cant recommend this dish enough. If you like spicy food you owe it to yourself to try Yeungs version of Mongolian Beef.<br />
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<br />
So Yeungs was pretty typical of most Chinese restaurants. The good being the Mongolian Beef and the Lo Mein. Crappy, being the lack of crunchiness in the Crab Rangoons and General Tsos Chicken. The prices at Yeung's are very reasonable, even by Chinese restaurant standards. I would go back to Yeung's, just for the Mongolian Beef alone. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yeungs House</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> Rating <span style="font-size: large;">7/10</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/271934/restaurant/West-View/Yeungs-House-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Yeung's House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/271934/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-40055752144085074002013-04-01T11:05:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:36.656-04:00North Hills Food Truck Roundup 2.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A great thing happened in the North Hills over the past weekend. Some of the best food trucks in Pittsburgh all gathered in the parking lot of<span style="color: #cc0000;"><u> </u></span><a href="http://www.thecoffeebuddha.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Coffee Buddha</span> </a>on RT 19 in Perrysville. So let me share some pictures and tastes from the gathering.<br />
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Click on pics for high resolution goodness. <br />
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Fukuda truck was selling Japanese treats.<br />
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The <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://polishpierogi.com/" target="_blank">Polish food truck</a></span> was serving combinations of Haluski (noodles & cabbage), stuffed cabbage, and pierogies. They also had frozen pierogies to go.<br />
The platter I ordered had 2 stuffed cabbage and three potato and cheese pierogies. The stuffed cabbage was filled with your typical meat and rice filling, but had a nice mild spice to it. The pierogies were tender, and the filling was not at all bland, but had a nice potato and cheese flavor.<br />
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Bakery Treats<br />
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Ice Cream<br />
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BRGR out of East Liberty selling burgers and stuff. Check out my review of their restaurant in East Liberty <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://pitteats.blogspot.com/2011/03/brgr-bar.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></span>.<br />
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Franktuary selling hot dogs.<br />
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Oh My Grill selling gourmet grilled cheese with dipping sauces.<br />
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Me and my eating partner ordered the "Number One", the Grilled Cuban, and an order of Parmesan Spinach Balls.<br />
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The Parm Spinach balls were little fritters filled with spinach, parmesan cheese, and lots of flavor. The spicy mayo on top was an excellent finishing touch.<br />
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The "Number One" came with smoked gouda, cheddar cheese, bacon, and grilled onions. It was accompanied with a potato soup dipper.<br />
Great sandwich. The cheddar cheese gave a nice bite to the overall savoriness of this sandwich. The potato soup for dipping did not add much, but the sandwich was so damn good, it really did not need it. Honestly I could have ate 4 of these. However they are a little pricy at $7.00.<br />
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The Grilled Cuban came with ham, turkey ,swiss, diced pickle and accompanied with a Mojo dipping sauce. This sandwich was just as awesome as "The Number One". The Mojo dipping sauce is what really pushed this sandwich over the top. It was very complex with flavors of lime, garlic, and herbs. Once agian I felt the sandwiches price of $8.00 was a little pricey for its size, but the damn thing was so good I would not hesitate to get it again.<br />
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The<u><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></u><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.pghtacotruck.com/" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Taco Truck</a></span> I actually had visited a few days before when it was parked up at the Coffee Buddha. Im glad I did because it was easily the most popular food truck at the roundup and the line was long and not moving all that fast. On their behalf, they do make all the tacos to order which explains the long wait time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Taco Truck</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This was the menu the day I went.You might think 4-5 dollars for a taco is a little pricey, but trust me they really do use good ingredients and the tacos are loaded to the brim.<br />
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The Korean Flank Steak with Kimchi taco was impressive. The steak was cooked a perfect medium as I had ordered it. The steak had a nice soy/sweet flavor as well. The kimchee added saltiness to the savory steak, The grilled soft corn tortillas struggled to hold all the awesomeness<br />
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The Jerk Chicken Taco with Avocado Cream was my personal favorite. The chicken had been marinaded and seasoned perfectly with jerk seasoning which imparted flavors of allspice, shallots, and peppers. It was spicy hot, but not to the point of setting your mouth on fire.The avocado cream added a mellow coolness to the spicy jerk chicken.<br />
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The 1/3 pound angus beef taco with cheddar and truck salsa was the least inspired of their taco varieties. The ground beef was a tad greasy and I thought the salsa had a bit too much cilantro. This pretty much tasted like a Mexican hamburger.<br />
All in all though I was quite pleased with the Pittsburgh Taco Truck and will definitely stop by again soon.<br />
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Fellow food blogger, and very cute taco, Becky was at the roundup as well. Check out her blog at <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://srtacibulkasavors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sabor PGH</a></span>. It is an excellent blog about the Pittsburgh food scene that you should be reading.<br />
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North Hills Food Truck Roundup 3.0 will be happening on April 27, 12:00, at the Coffee Buddha in the North Hills next month. So make plans now for one of the most awesome and tasty happenings in Pittsburgh. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1681149/restaurant/West-View/PGH-Taco-Truck-Pittsburgh"><img alt="PGH Taco Truck on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1681149/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-27058010066730333482013-02-21T10:17:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:36.092-04:00The Church Brew Works<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a day of hitting the museums in Oakland, my friends and I headed down to The Church Brew Works for some dinner and refreshments. <br />
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It goes without saying that the Church has some of the best beer in Pittsburgh and my dining experiences in the past here have been quite good. So lets see how the food would be on this pleasant Saturday Afternoon. <br />
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The 7 Onion Soup was outstanding. Laced with the Church's own Pious Monk Dunkle beer, the soup had great onion and beef flavor. Its topped with homemade croutons and melted provolone cheese which adds a nice dimension of gooey tasty cheesiness. You cant go wrong with this soup as a starter on a cold Winters day.</div>
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The Shinkasa Cheese Steak was your typical generic cheese steak sandwich. They use high quality Morgan Ranch Kobe beef on this, but the subtle flavors of that are washed out by the preponderance of peppers and onions. The sandwich could have used a little more steak on it in my opinion, especially at an $11.75 price point. The accompanying french fries were limp and soggy, looking like they had been sitting out for quite some time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Cinco Fromaggio Pizza $9.25</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cinco Fromaggio Pizza is cooked in the Church's wood fired oven and is topped with Mozzarella, provolone, jack, feta and Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, basil and pine nuts. My dining companion also had chicken placed on it for an additional cost. The flavor of the pizza was very good, having a nice tang from all the different cheeses. However the crust was underdone in the middle and bottom while the outside was slightly burnt. Seems like the cooking surface of the oven was not at an adequate temperature to thoroughly cook the pizza on the bottom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having had this dish before I was looking forward to trying it again. But things were not the same. First off the meatloaf itself came to the table lukewarm at best. The potatoes were not cooked all the way through. Also the first time I had this dish you could see the bits and chunks of wild mushrooms throughout the entire meatloaf, but now the mushrooms were indistinguishable from the buffalo meat itself. But worse of all was the fact that the meatloaf had almost zero flavor, with only the tomato demi-glace that covered the meatloaf imparting any flavor. All in all a big disappointment for what was once an outstanding dish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> So a mixed bag at the Church Brew Works. While the beer was as usual top notch, the food seems to have slipped a little since the last time I had visited. But I will be back if for anything to have one of their freshly made Celestial Gold beers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">RATING: 6/10</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270370/restaurant/Lawrenceville/Church-Brew-Works-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Church Brew Works on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270370/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-1268939666857384722013-01-08T10:00:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:35.295-04:00Patron Mexican Grill<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6534699.1765;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463797;pid=24915;usg=AFHzDLsq3DSBtJw1r5k7r1mzpab73QcR8g;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.chefscatalog.com%252Fproduct%252F24915-Mexican-Everyday-by-Rick-Bayless.aspx%253Futm_source%253Dgoogle%2526utm_medium%253Dshopping%2526utm_content%253D24915%2526utm_campaign%253DIngram%252520Books%2526gdftrk%253DgdfV23800_a_7c2214_a_7c9504_a_7c27825;pubid=614241;price=%2429.95;title=Mexican+Everyday+by+Rick+Bayless;merc=CHEFS+Catalog;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chefscatalog.com%2Fimg%2Fproducts%2F500x500%2F24915_500.jpg;width=135;height=135" vspace="0" width="300"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Patron Mexican Grill has three locations throughout the Pittsburgh area. Word of mouth has been pretty mixed on it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That is the seat back of a booth </td></tr>
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We went to dinner on a Saturday night and were quickly seated. The decor is a colorful festive Mexican motiff, which reminded me of eating at the long gone Chi-Chi's.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chips and Salsa (Free) </td></tr>
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Our meal started out with complimentry chips and salsa. The chips were nice and warm. The salsa was slightly spicy with a strong taste of cilantro.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side Salad ($4.25)</td></tr>
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The side salad was complete garbage. They actually gave you packets of Newman dressing. Ok at Mcdonalds, not at a sit down restaurant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queso Fundido ($9.99)</td></tr>
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The Queso Fundido is melted chihuahua cheese with chorizo sausage, bell peppers, and onions. Its like a Mexican style Fondue and you use the warm soft flour tortillas to scoop it up. The juice from the chorizo sausage infuses with the cheese and makes a very nice dip. Just make sure you eat it quickly before the cheese congeals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chili Relleno ($4.99)</td></tr>
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The Chili Relleno is a big ass poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, breaded and deepfried, then covered with tomato sauce and more cheese. This was a mediocre dish. The pepper was very mild putting out barely any heat, let alone flavor. Any cruchiness from frying the pepper was undone by the liquidy tomato sauce. This actually reminded me of eating an eggplant parmesan. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Beef Soft Tacos ($5.99)</td></tr>
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One of the good things about Patron is that you can order A la carte. So if you just want a single chimichaunga or burrito without the rice and fixins, you can do that. My companion ordered the beef tacos with soft tortillas. They come with ground beef , lettuce, and chihuahau cheese on top. The beef could use some more seasoning as it is rather plain. But if you get some limes and salsa to put on these, you can doctor them up to be pretty tasty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fajita Azteca Fixins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fajita Azteca ($14.99)</td></tr>
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The Fajita Azteca comes on sizzling skillet with chicken, carnitas (pork), steak, chorizo sausage, and peppers and onions. Which you obviously put on warm soft flour tortillas. This was maybe the best fajita plate I have ever had. All the different meats had a distincive taste and texture with the steak being my favorite being both tender and well seasoned, and with such a variety I was able to basicly make a soft taco with each different type of meat. <br />
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So my impressions of Patron were mixed. While I found the fajitas to be excellent, I found other dishes like the salad and the Chili Relleno to be from terrible to mediocre. All in all I would say that I would visit Patron again. While not the best or most authentic Mexican dishes you will find, it is reasonably priced, has quick service, and if anything they have excellent fajitas. <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">RATING : 6/10 </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/777859/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Patron-Mexican-Grill-Wexford"><img alt="Patron Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/777859/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-69459625713600746322012-12-03T09:13:00.001-05:002019-05-17T11:45:38.159-04:00Two Brothers BBQ<div>
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People are asking me all the time what I think the best BBQ joint in the Pittsburgh area is. Well it is without a doubt Two Brothers Bar-B-Q. A little BBQ stand in the small town of Presto. The only reason I was able to learn about this place is because my work district headquarters is down the road from it. Everyone I have ever taken there has been impressed, and its as close as you will get to real Southern BBQ.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the magic happens</td></tr>
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Two brothers uses a mix of hickory and cherry woods to smoke their meats, and they do it long and slow with the pulled pork taking 10 hours. To order you just walk up to the stand, place your order, and within 10 minutes you will be good to go. They have picnic tables set up there or you can take it home.<br />
So lets check out some of the bbq I have tried at Two Brothers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos $7.49</td></tr>
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The pulled pork nachos are definitely a favorite. Tortilla chips covered with cheese and a huge amount of smoked pulled pork and bbq sauce. Go for the hot bbq sauce as it is not all that hot, and get an extra side of sauce as well. You can also get the nachos covered with chicken or chili as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Brisket Sandwich $7.49</td></tr>
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The beef brisket sandwich is an 8 inch hoagie bun piled high with a large amount of smoked beef brisket. The brisket is smoked perfectly with a nice pink smoke ring and its almost fall apart tender.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp and Bacon Po-Boy $9.95</td></tr>
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The Shrimp and Bacon Po-Boy even though not really bbq, is my favorite sandwich at Two Brothers. Its large grilled shrimp, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a spicy mayo, on an 8" hoagie roll. This sandwich has so many depths of flavor. The smoky and salty bacon,the savory shrimp, the spicy heat from the mayo. Its like the ultimate version of a BLT.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mac & Cheese $1.59</td></tr>
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Of course Two Brothers has all the sides as well including Mac&Cheese. The mac&cheese was good, but nothing all that spectacular. They also have BBQ baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and cornbread cake.<br />
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So if you are in the Bridgeville area of Allegheny County do yourself a favor and stop by Two Brothers. I'm pretty sure it will become your go-to place for BBQ in Pittsburgh.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">RATING: 8/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/778309/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Collier-Township/Two-Brothers-Bar-B-Q-Catering-Co-Presto"><img alt="Two Brothers Bar-B-Q & Catering Co. on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/778309/biglink.gif" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; height: 146px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-2526763527527167522012-10-24T08:51:00.002-04:002019-05-17T11:45:36.036-04:00Wexford Ale House<br />
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Formerly Poor Richards Pub up in the Wexford Flats, The Wexford Ale House has been refurnished with a new interior and a new menu to match. The Wexford Ale House is no longer just a dingy local watering hole.<br />
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We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, and we were waited on by the bartender quickly.<br />
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The Wexford Ale House now carries over 40 beers on tap, carrying everything from Bud, to my favorite Belgian beer, Delirium Tremens.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Parm Wings $5.99</td></tr>
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To start off we ordered the Spicy Parm wings which were excellent. Dipped in buffalo sauce and dusted with Parmesan cheese, the wings were both crispy and tangy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef on Weck $8.99</td></tr>
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To my surprise, I found for the first time on any Pittsburgh menu, a Beef on Weck sandwich. A weck is short for the bread which is a Kimmelweck roll. Basically a bun with salt and caraway seeds on it. If you are in Buffalo NY you cant go 50ft without finding a place that sells a version of this sandwich. The Ale houses version was decent. The beef was tender and piled high, yet could use slightly more seasoning. The accompanying au-jus and tangy pure horseradish added some moisture and flavor to this sandwich. The fries were crappy being oily and limp, the accompanying cheddar cheese sauce was bland and most likely straight from a can.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corned Beef Reuben $8.99</td></tr>
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The corned beef reuben was an above average take on the classic sandwich. The corned beef was not your typical lunch meat style, but seemed to actually come from a real corned beef brisket. It had good flavor and a nice chew too it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Wild West Burger $8.59</td></tr>
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The Wild West Burger is a 1/2 pound burger covered with onion rings, bacon, cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce. A good burger, and the accompanying chips were much better then the fries, being less oily and more crisp.<br />
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The Wexford Ale House is much improved over what it once was. The food is above average as far as bar food goes, and they have a great selection of beer. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the Wexford area.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Wexford Ale House: 6/10</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1178347/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Wexford-Ale-House-Wexford"><img alt="Wexford Ale House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1178347/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-86942360234464791002012-09-19T14:00:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:39.274-04:00D's SixPax & Dogz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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D's is on South Braddock Ave off the Parkway East next to Regent Square. Its been around for quite a while now and was one of the first places in Pittsburgh where you could go buy individual micro-brewed beers.<br />
Me and my companion stopped there on a Friday night and like everything else on S.Braddock Ave. was packed wall to wall with people. So we just bought a couple of beers and drank them outside as we waited for our table. D's beer selection is absolutely huge and you should have no problem finding a brewskie to your liking<br />
After waiting about 20 minutes we were seated<br />
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The interior is eclectic yet cozy. There is a big mural of Hollywood stars and Pittsburgh celebrities on one wall, and statues of trappist monks on the other.<br />
For our order we got a side of fries, a Veggie Chihuahua Dog, a Chili Cheese Dog, and a D's Brat with mustard and onion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fries $1.95</td></tr>
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The fries are terrific. Being batter dipped they have a great crunch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggie Chihuahua Dog $4.19</td></tr>
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The Veggie dog chihuahua style was much better then I expected it to be. While the veggie dog is not a dead ringer for a real hot dog , its pretty close. Just a slightly different texture. The chihuahua style means it comes with jalapenos, cheddar, guacamole, and salsa. A good healthy alternative to a normal dog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chili Cheese Dog $4.19</td></tr>
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The Chilli Cheese dog was great. The hot dog is a Vienna Beef dog from Chicago. Vienna Beef is recognized as one of the best purveyors of tube steaks in the US. The chili was all beef no beans which is a plus. The dog was grilled perfectly with just the right amount of charred crust on the casing. Also the casing is natural so it has a nice snap to it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D's Brat with grilled onion and brown mustard $4.99</td></tr>
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The D's brat is a smoked bratwurst with small pieces of cheese inside it. Besides the onions needing a little more time on the grill, this was a tasty sausage. The savory and smokiness of the brat was balanced out nicely by the brown mustard.<br />
D's has a ton of different toppings that you can put on your dogs in any combo you choose for free. They also have burgers, wings, hoagies, etc.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEER CAVE </span></td></tr>
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After your finished downing your dogs, you must stop at the beer cave. A cornucopia of beer goodness where you can buy six packs and individual bottles of local and domestic beers.<br />
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So D's has great dogs, a large selection of beers on tap, and more importantly a Beer Cave. Whats not too like?<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270457/restaurant/Regent-Square/Ds-Six-Pax-Dogz-Pittsburgh"><img alt="D's Six Pax & Dogz on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270457/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-42660350336736827542012-08-30T09:42:00.001-04:002019-05-17T11:45:36.992-04:00Tyma'z<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tyma'z has been open for a few years now, and happens to be right down from the street from me. Yet till now I have never had the chance to visit it. Radwa Ibrahim a native of Syria is the chef/owner of Tymaz, and I was interested to try her Middle Eastern specialties.<br />
Me and my eating partner arrived around 9:00 PM for a late dinner. Tymaz has around 25 tables inside the very nondescript restaurant. When we arrived, there were only two other tables occupied, yet the young host/waiter gazed around looking for a table to seat us like the place was filled to capacity. Finally he sat us down after managing to find a table amongst the many that were available . The interior of Tymaz matches the exterior, being very plain with some Middle Eastern art adorning the walls. There was a nice 3 foot high plastic camel however that I found amusing and thought would make an excellent decoration in my own residence.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complimentary Hummus</td></tr>
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We were served some hummus soon after sitting down. The hummus was drizzled with olive oil and came with some pitas for dipping/scooping. It was a pretty bland hummus compared to others I have tried and seemed to have a little too much Tahini (sesame paste) in it.<br />
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Our dinners also came with a side salad made up mostly of iceberg lettuce(blah) and a few other veggies. The dressing was not too bad being vinegar and oil based with flavors of mint and oregano.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shish Kabob $18.00</td></tr>
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My hot date/eating partner ordered the Shish Kabob which is marinated lamb cooked over an open flame. I was a little disappointed with the presentation, I would liked to have seen the lamb come out on skewers. The lamb itself was tender, and the marinade gave it a lemony/oregano/garlic flavor. Actually the marinades flavor was so pronounced that you could hardly even tell you were eating lamb. Lamb has a pretty unique flavor but that flavor was barely even detectable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mousakka $17.00</td></tr>
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My initial order was for Baked Kibee, but was told by our server the kitchen had run out. So I ordered the Mousakka which is described as eggplant layered with ground beef and a special cheese blend, baked in a rich tomato sauce with onions and green peppers. This is pretty much Syrian comfort food 101. The Mousakka came out piping hot and I actually had to wait about 10 minutes before I could eat it without getting naplam burns in my mouth. The tomato sauce had a pleasant sweetness to it which was balanced out nicely by the richness of the eggplant, meat, and cheese. A decent tasting dish overall which I think really could be enjoyed even more on a cold Winter night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice Pilaf</td></tr>
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Both of our meals came with rice pilaf. Dont laugh, but I thought this was actually the highlight of the whole meal. It is fragrant rice topped with almond slivers. Im not sure what they flavor the rice with but there was flavors of cinnamon and cardamon. It was awesome and I would and will go back to Tymaz just for this side dish.<br />
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So all in all Tymaz was a mixed bag. The service was kind of crappy, and I was not too pleased when our server started to stack the chairs for the other empty tables at the end of the night while we were still eating. Make sure you BYOB if you visit Tymaz, as the drink selection is limited, and there is no corkage fee. Also make sure you arrive early as they do run out of things such as the Baked Kibee and the Baklava.<br />
As a whole the dining experience at Tymaz was not exceptional , with a combination of bad service and slightly above average main courses. However I know I will be back just to eat the rice pilaf again..<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>TYMA'Z 6/10</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1442869/restaurant/West-View/Tymaz-Mediterranean-House-Pittsburgh"><img alt="Tyma'z Mediterranean House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1442869/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321280587151535632.post-17323371818782300552012-08-07T12:00:00.000-04:002019-05-17T11:45:35.580-04:00Jean-Marc Chatellier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I will just come out and say it, Jean-Marc is in my humble opinion the best baker in Pittsburgh. His bakery alone has made Millvale into a destination spot for any foodie in the region.</div>
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Jean-Marc himself is from Britanny France. He trained and was an apprentice for Master Pastry Chef George Merlet. In 1983 Jean-Marc came to the US and spent time at many restaurants in LA before moving and setting up his shop in Millvale in 1992.</div>
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Let me tell you about some of my personal favorites at Jean-Marc's.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breton Cake $8.00</td></tr>
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The Breton cake which is a specialty of the Britanny region of France is described as a buttery shortbread style cake. That it is. It reminds me a lot of my Grandmothers Oooey Gooey Butter cake that she used to make. Its thick, dense, moist, and very buttery in taste. A must buy when you go to Jean-Marc's</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Macarons $15.00 a Dozen</td></tr>
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The French Macarons were actually the first thing I ever tried at Jean Marc's. They are pretty tiny but they really provide a wallop of flaver. When you bite into them the first thing you notice is how light and airy the texture is of the almond based outer shells. Then you bite into the cream filled center that just explodes with flavor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jeanmarcchatellier.com/images/SaltedCaramel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://jeanmarcchatellier.com/images/SaltedCaramel.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Salt Caramel Macaron</td></tr>
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Some of the Macaron flavors include Sea Salt Caramel (my favorite), Mango-Passion Fruit, and Peanut Butter and Jelly. It is just amazing how much flavor Jean-Marc is able to put into his Macarons. </div>
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Make sure you try out his Croissants as well, which are easily the flakiest and buttery croissants that you will ever have. </div>
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So get your butt over to Jean-Marc's you will not be dissapointed. </div>
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Let me leave you with some food porn from the last time I visited Jean Marc's. (Click on pics for higher res)</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/270336/restaurant/Millvale/Jean-Marc-Chatelliers-French-Bakery-Pittsburgh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jean-Marc Chatellier's French Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/270336/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>bboyer66http://www.blogger.com/profile/00034412389265028897noreply@blogger.com0