Park Bruges Café Pittsburgh

Park Bruges Cafe, Photo by Jenny MacBeth

Park Bruges Café Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

My fellow foodie and niece, Nicole, and I, are big brunch peeps. We love our cocktails, and food. We are definitely related. Nicole mentioned that we need to hit up Park Bruges Café located in Highland Park area of Pittsburgh.

If you visit Pittsburgh, you need to get there. If you live in Pittsburgh, and haven’t tried it, you need to get there. It’s a popular place for brunch, and they do not take reservations. You may have to wait for a seat, or eat at the bar. Tip: Arrive early; before they open at 11:00 AM. You’ll be seated pretty quickly.

Nicole and I always try to order several things off the menu to split. It gives us a wide variety of their flair. Their brunch menu is pretty big with lots of options. If you’re indecisive, you’re screwed. Another reason to share your food. They also have great brunch beverages. We ordered from their Prix Fixe Brunch menu for $20-24 per person. You get a choice of entree, side dish and beverage. Nicole ordered their Omelet of the day.

I had the baked eggs in chili verde; green chillies, pulled pork, chipotle crema topped with two poached eggs and fresh tortillas. I’m not a fan of poached eggs, but my mouth watered with every bite. We also munched on a few must-have side dishes that included potato gratin and smoked, apple bacon. The portions are large, so be prepared to take food home.

To wash it down, we had the house mimosa and a Bloody Mary, both satisfying.

According to Yelp reviews, the mussels are fantastic, and they have a long list of craft beers with some hard-to-find selections on draft. I will need to go back.

Overall, I’m a big fan. The food was delicious. The cocktails were refreshing. The customer service was exceptional. The atmosphere was contemporary and bright. Pleasing all my senses. Park Bruges is making my Pittsburgh Favorites list.

Park Bruges and Point Brugge are owned and operated by the same people. I’ve never been to Point Brugge, but I will need to try it out in the near future. Nicole, when can you go?

Have you been there? What do you think? Shoot me a message.

Jimmy Wan’s Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Jimmy Wan’s is a Pittsburgh favorite for a fusion of Chinese cuisine with a Japanese influence. Jimmy’s is a casual fine dining experience from their contemporary atmosphere to their mouth-watering dishes. We eat here often and always try new things. Jimmy has never disappointed us.

They have two locations in Pittsburgh. One in Cranberry and the other in Fox Chapel. They have been in the area since 1985. We frequent the Cranberry location, and have yet to try the one in Fox Chapel.

Shall we go in…

Cold Cucumber Salad with ginger and a hot spice of red chili peppers. Oooo so good.

Tokyo Tar Tar. Salmon, Tuna, White Fish. The tuna was our favorite.

Jimmy Wan’s sushi is like butter. It just melts in your mouth. Yummy!

Vietnamese Filet Mignon. Moan-worthy. This was the special, and we told the managers that they need to add this to the regular menu. By far our favorite EVER.

Molten Ghirardelli Cake. I’m not be into sweets, but the darkest Ghirardelli chocolate gives this cake a perfect balance. Oooooo.

Not only is the food delicious and the atmosphere relaxing, the service is top notch exceptional.

I highly recommend you get there if you can. Enjoy!

Soba – Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Fellow foodie and adult-beverage-drinking friends, Karla and Jess, invited Glen and I to Soba’s Farm Feast Tasting Menu. Soba is located at 5847 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, and is a part of Big Burrito Restaurant Group. They own several popular restaurants in the area, including Eleven. Having Soba on our Bucket List, we were excited to try it out.

Shall we go in?

We found Soba to be very unique and relaxing. We absolutely loved the smooth rock water feature expanding two floors and an entire side of one wall. Very peaceful.

The farm feast has a tasting menu of $35 per person, including four courses. You may also accompany the courses with a wine paring for $20, giving you four different types of wine with each serving. We thought the cost was a great value.

Soba featured products from McConnells’ Farm, Cunningham Meats, Heritage Farm, Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance, and Mose Miller’s Farm in Lawrence County.

The thing I love most about a tasting menu is that you don’t have to worry about decisions. The menu is already planned. I’m sure many people would have an issue with this, but as a foodie, there is nothing better than to experience new cuisines. If you are one of those picky people, you can order off Soba’s Japanese-fusion style menu.

Shall we eat?

First Course:

Ahi tuna with sesame seed, gingered carrot sauce, and shiitake mushrooms.

Pork wraps with cucumber, sprouts, and rhubarb sweet and sour sauce.

Elysian fields lamb taco with radish, green chili, tomatillo sauce.

Soba paired this first course with a 2010 Trajarinho Vinho Verde.

All the flavors melt in your mouth with subtle hints of all the herbs and spices. A perfect balance and very pleasing to taste.

Second Course:

Summer vegetable paratha. It includes spicy mango pickle, sweet and sour eggplant salad, green bean mallum and spicy cucumber salad.

Soba paired this course with a 2007 Argyle Riesling.

Each salad had it’s own unique flair. I wanted more.

Third Course:

Black sea bass. It includes asparagus, wild mushrooms, root spinach, Chinese ham, fermented black beans in a lemon ponzu sauce.

Soba paired this course with a 2007 Masciarelli Montepulciano.

Glen not being a mushroom fan, I got to benefit from his portion. It was beyond anything I’ve ever tasted. I ate it slowly to appreciate every bite.

Fourth Course and Glen’s favorite:

Berry shortcake with coconut cream, yuzu, and white chocolate.

Soba paired this course with a 2007 Chateau Loupiac Gaudiet.

Not being a white chocolate fan, I really enjoyed this. The pastry was perfect and the dessert as a whole was heavenly.

__________________________

Soba will have a second Farmer Dinner during August 13 through August 16. I highly recommend you try and get there.

Because we were blown-away from the atmosphere, outstanding service, and talented chefs, Soba is making our Pittsburgh Favorite list. Exquisite dining.

Have you experienced Soba? What’s your thoughts?

Eleven Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

For Father’s Day Glen and I took his family to Eleven, located at 1150 Smallman Street Pittsburgh, PA. We’ve had many opportunities to dine here, but something always got in the way. We were very excited to finally get there.

The restaurant is a ‘contemporary kitchen.’ We were all smiles when we first walked in. Since we arrived a little early, we checked in and the hostess took us to the bar area for a very small wait.

With my eyes wide open, I’m impressed at first glance and found it to be very dark, relaxing and enjoyable. However, as we wait for our table, sitting in the big comfy chairs, our eyes narrowed to the stains and spots on the furniture. I was a little apprehensive to sit down.

Shall we order?

It’s the little things that I love to experience. The brunch menu is small. Which I like. I hate needing to make food decisions. It’s hard for me <smirk>.

Because I had a wonderful time with Meat & Potatoes Brunch Bloody Mary Bar, I wanted to compare Eleven to one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. Eleven has different types of Bloody Mary’s. I opt for the Bloody Maria. – A jalapeno fused cocktail. A spicy drink, and I really enjoyed it.

Though the drink WOWED me, as you can see from the photo, the presentation did not. I really liked the creativity of Meat & Potatoes presentation. It was interactive and unique. At those prices, give the customer a little fun for their money. Sorry Eleven, M&Ps spoiled me.

Just looking at that breakfast basket is making my mouth water as I type this. Eleven gives you a basket filled with a moist variety of muffins, The butter was light and whipped, and the jam was a perfect addition. Love this.

We ordered the cheese platter appetizer. It was good, but not extraordinary.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict Pittsburgh style. Served with pastrami and black truffles. A delicious choice, as so it would seem. – Enjoying my meal, and almost done, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom because I needed to spit out a big piece of chewy gristle.

Huevos Rancheros. This is a classic Mexican breakfast dish that mainly consists of fried eggs served upon lightly fried corn tortillas topped with a variety of greens and sauces. Sorry Eleven, it is good, but not satisfying. We were comparing it to Meat & Potatoes brunch version. M&Ps is bigger and better with lots of layers.

Your average omelet, potatoes and smoked cured bacon just for dad. We found all of it delicious. The potatoes were perfectly cooked. This would be my highest recommendation from the brunch menu.

Of course we ordered dessert. Mom and Glen are big dessert eaters. I can handle a bite or two, but I’m a salty kind of girl.

Here we have a Creme Brulee. One of Glen’s favorites. They can’t make a brulee dish big enough. However, not this time. The dessert was cold. They must prepare it then store it in the refrigerator. We did not like it as much as the other desserts.

This is the Molten Lava Dark Chocolate Cake. Heaven. So divine and an artistic presentation. Definitely worth the calories.

We’re told this is their most popular dessert. I’m blanking on the name, but it’s something to do with Peanut Butter. I preferred the molten cake, however, Mom and Glen devoured two of these.

Overall, it was finally nice to try it out, and we’ll probably go back for Eleven’s dinner menu. Not to mention, Eleven has excellent customer service. Our server was new, and you couldn’t even tell had he not told us. In the end, we found it to be a little pricy for not being blown-away.

Have you’ve eaten at Eleven? What are your thoughts? What would you recommend?

Meat and Potatoes Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Our first pleasure of eating at Meat and Potatoes was when it first opened last year. It is one of our favorite places in the city of Pittsburgh. In fact, its made our Pittsburgh Favorite list.

About Meat and Potatoes

Owner, Chef Richard Deshantz also owns Nine on Nine in Pittsburgh. – On our Bucket List.

Chef Richards’ favorite type of food is simple and approachable; it is the type of food that a chef would eat after a busy day at work. Meat & Potatoes, Pittsburgh’s first gastropub, was born in the spring of 2011.

– From About Meat and Potatoes

Meat and Potatoes is located at 649 Penn Avenue in the heart of the Cultural District, neighboring the Benedum Center and Heinz Hall. Make plans to visit before, or after, your show.

Let’s go in…

The atmosphere is country-contemporary.

The make-your-own Bloody Mary Bar. This is available during Brunch. You choose your vodka, and add whatever your heart desires. Mine was bacon fused vodka adding in horseradish, roasted red peppers, garlic and garnished with olives. Though, Glen and my sister ate my olives.

This is very cool and clever.

Because we had eight people in our reservation, they sat us in their very quaint, private room. You need to make reservations by calling 412.325.7007.

The Banana Foster. Perfect. I’m not a fan of bananas, but this dish just has a subtle taste of banana. It’s a perfect balance of flavors. Blown-away.

Friend Chicken and Waffles seem to be a trend in Pittsburgh lately. This is the best in town! The waffles are fused with jalapenos. The chicken is a perfect mix from the crunchy breading to the mouthwatering juices. A must try.

Their version of Eggs Benedict is topped with corn beef. It is by far the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever tried.

Your basic eggs and sausage with fried potatoes. I love the cured meats and the potatoes were perfectly cooked with light butter and onions.

From the bun to the burger topped with an egg, it is a scrumptious burger indeed.

Huevos Rancheros. All I can say about this is that you need to get there and try it. Moan-worthy.

Meat and Potatoes have four menus. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Libations. From the service and the experience, to the talented and creative chefs, this makes it one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh.

Get there!

The Porch at Schenley Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

What can I say? The Porch is amazing. Before you even read my post, I recommend you get there and experience it for yourself.

The Porch was recommended by my niece, but I was a little apprehensive about it. I had heard that it is, “College student food.” So, I’m thinking burgers, noodle soup, and french fries. – The Original Hot Dog Shop (aka The O) kind of food. It is centered in college town of Pittsburgh, but I would not call this student food. It is affordable, but I don’t think students eat that well. I consider this casual fine-dining.

The Porch opened in November 2011. When I first walked up to the newly constructed building, I was transported in by its open window design and contemporary style. The Porch is located at 221 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA. The building gives Schenley Plaza a facelift.

My niece and nephews Birthdays are all within a month of each other, so I decided to take them out to dinner to celebrate. And, mostly to spend much needed quality time with them. I hope you enjoy our celebration…

It was about 6:30 on a Saturday, the beginning of prime-time dinner hour. I was a little concerned there might be a wait. The Porch does not take reservations, however, they promote on their web site a wait list. You give them your cell phone number and The Porch will text you when a table is ready. They also post on their site the average wait time, so you can use your smartphone to check before even getting there. We walked in the door and was greeted by our friendly hostess and was seated.

They also have outdoor seating, and the side walls (garage doors) open up to the plaza. Once the weather gets warmer, I’m going to have to plan a lunch outing with my co-workers. They are going to love this place.

The interior is very clean and environmentally green. The windows surround The Porch filling the room with warm natural lightening.

The kitchen is partially opened to the dining area. The sound does not interrupt your experience. From the outside you can gaze into the kitchen from the big picture window; lined with fresh baked bread and homegrown spices.

I really appreciated the style. You are surrounded by cool elements that are soothing to your sense of sight.

About the design:

The Porch at Schenley is a final piece of the plaza’s decade-long revitalization project. Created by Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, it is the first full-service restaurant in the area. Mark Broadhurst, director of concept development, wanted The Porch to have an “at-home” feel, so he called upon international design firm WD Partners, known for its environmental sensitivity, to create the building’s green design.

– By VALENTINA, Pittsburgh Magazine

Homemade farm bread ($4) served with homemade honey butter and jams. The butter and jams were just the perfect touch of sweetness, and the bread was better than Mancini’s. Shhhh.

Alligator soup ($6). Odd for most, but it tastes like bacon. You thought I was going to say chicken, didn’t you? Little chunks of potatoes, alligator, and Nicole said, “It’s just like tortilla soup.” You can’t even tell you’re eating alligator.

I of course had to have one of their specialty beverages. This bad boy is their Pineapple Sage Margarita ($8). The pineapple is so subtle, it tasted just like a regular margarita with sage. – Still very good, but I was expecting something different.

The Porch also has homemade seasonal soda; which was very tasty.

The menu has a lot of variety. It truly is hard to pick something. Thank goodness we had a party of four. We all tried to order something different. They have five different pies and we ended up with three.

This is the Verdure Al Forno ($11). Our tables favorite. The pizza has roasted mushrooms, roasted red pepper, oil cured olives and fresh oregano. By far the best fire cooked pizza I’ve had since my chef friend, Jess, cooked Glen and I a pie. Outstanding!

Nicole and Brandon trying to decide what to get. We wanted it all. I think our waiter had to come back three times before we could decide.

Calamari ($10) served with crispy zucchini and a spicy marinara sauce. Again, this was high on my list of bests.

The BBQ Chicken ($12). This is delicious if you like BBQ sauce, but I’m not a fan. The pizza is topped with roasted chicken, red onion, pineapple, cilantro and drizzled with BBQ sauce. I’d really love this pie if they put the BBQ sauce on the side. – I’m sure I can request that next time.

Who wants to join me for happy hour? $3 drafts! I’m there! Since I had a margarita, I’m not sure of the beer selection.

What? 1/2 off pizzas. I still need to try the Bianca: Fig jam, goat cheese, mozzarella, arugula, and truffle oil ($13). I’m thinking that the Bianca is going to be my all-time favorite.

Dillon and me. I see a slight smile. He’s still a teenager, so he’s just learning.

Can I do all caps here? THIS IS THE BEST DUCK. The best! Blown-away. We all agreed on this one. Duck Legs ($20) are charred ramps served on fava bean (a Hannibal Lecter favorite) salad, foie gras, and a blueberry-champagne sauce. All I needed was a nice Chianti. Demons sing.

This is the Piggie Pie ($14). The pizza is topped with house-cured meats, mozzarella and basil. It faired well with us, but not our favorite.

Hats off to The Porch. We were blown away. Dillon walked away saying, “Wow! This was really nice. Thank you.” I loved it so much that The Porch is the first restaurant making my “Pittsburgh Favorites” List. I will definitely be heading back again and again. – I want to try everything on the menu.

Del’s Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Del’s is located at 4428 Liberty Avenue in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Del’s Italian Restaurant is owned by third-generation Delpizzo family. They have been on Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible. Seems that Del’s is pretty famous, and I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it.

Last week, a few of us went for their lunch buffet. When you first walk in, you think it’s small, but it continues from one room to the next. Each area has a different look. We are greeted by our waiter, Rocco. Rocco ROCKS! Loved him. He pointed out a flyer on the table talking about Restaurant Impossible. The reruns are on April 28 and 29, 2012. My DVR is set.

Why is it when you eat at a buffet, you feel the need to pile it on?

Being a bit of a germ-a-phobe, buffet’s can make me quiver. However, I talked to my inner self and said, “Self. It’s $7.95 all you can eat Italian food.” – I got over it quick. You can order off the menu if you can’t handle it, but it’s $7.95. Unheard of.

The buffet had lasagne, meatballs, chicken parm, fish, hot sausage, a few different pastas, pizza, green bean Alfredo, and salad. I skipped right over the salad and went straight for the heavy. I tried a little of everything. If you’ve been reading my posts, then you know that Italian food using red sauces have to be really yummy for me to eat it. Well, I loved their lasagne. Delicious.

A big meatball fan – Del’s meatballs are pretty good. Still, my favorite meatball is Monroe Hotel in Butler.

Rocco told us to make sure we try their green bean Alfredo. I’m glad I did. Yummy!

The fish was nom nom too. It had a lemony taste in the breading. Perfect.

On their excellent customer service…

As I mentioned, each room has a different look. My friend Wiv, loved the butter-cream color of this room. She inquired with Rocco for the name of it. Rocco brought out the owner. The lady was super sweet. She said that she might still have some paint upstairs and would check on the name. A few minutes later…

She gave a can to Wiv to take home and use. Now that’s what I call a doggie bag.

I highly recommend trying Del’s. Great customer service. Fun staff. Good food.

We did not have an issue with parking, but I could see it being a problem during rush hours.

Savoy

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Since starting my food blog, I’ve decided once a month to choose a restaurant on our Bucket List, and invite friends to join in. – The Posh Dinner Club.

Party of six. Nicole, Carey, Hector, Karen, Glen and I visited Savoy located at 2623 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA in the Strip. As you’ll see throughout the photos, Savoy’s food has a rich Louisiana-style flare.

First things first…

They have free valet parking. A big plus in Pittsburgh.

You are greeted at the door by a gentleman who takes you to the hostesses. – Giving you that feeling, “I’ve arrived.”

Feeling like I just arrived, we had a small wait for our table; even with a reservation. However, Savoy has a lovely sitting area to talk with friends before dining.

As soon as the door opens, you are transformed into a small contemporary space. – Very pleasing. I really love the glass fireplace above the bar.

The staff are amazing. Excellent customer service. You go to the bathroom, they fold your napkin. Your water is empty, they pour it. – Even though a bottle of water is on your table, if you go to pour it yourself, they will apologize.

We experienced a three hour meal. There’s a loll between courses, however, the friendship made it enjoyable.

Karen and Carey shared a bottle of wine. Not much of a craft beer selection, so Nicole and I opted for…

A Jali-Berry. A sweet berry martini fused with Jalapenos. Very good. Very strong. Quote of the night, “When you put it to your mouth, it smells like jalapeno.”

Cheers!

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard

Because it was our first visit to Savoy, we wanted to experience as much food as possible without bloating. No such luck. – Bloated. Portions are big.

Appetizers average $10…

The chili has a hint of curry which I love. However, it was lukewarm, and looked as though it had been sitting for a bit of time. All-in-all, it was still a good chili.

The Crab and Chicken Andouille Gumbo is a smoked-flavor gumbo with pepper, onions, wine, and seasonings. I love a good gumbo, but thought the smokey flavor was over-powered by the numbing taste of salt.

The Cornbread was served with the soups. It was light and fluffy, and just perfect.

Pan Seared Tilapia Tacos served with avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion and spicy mustard remoulade. I’ve only recently tried fish tacos, and find this taco to be an excellent appetizer, or even a meal; if you don’t want to share.

Wild Mushroom Tart is assorted wild mushrooms sautéed in a flaky tart shell with Madeira wine demi sauce. It too, was a bit salty.

Entrees average $30…

If lamb chops are on the menu, it’s a must try. Savoy’s Lamb Chops is Elysian Fields Lamb served with a mint demi, accompanied by spinach risotto and baby carrots. The chops melted in your mouth.

A big trend it seems is Fried Chicken and Waffles. Rumor has it that chicken and waffles first gained popularity in 1930s Harlem, when the after-hours’ crowd was looking for something to eat that satisfied both their dinner and breakfast cravings. Whatever the truth, this southern comfort combo is exploding all over the Pittsburgh area, so I had to try it.

It’s simply that. Boneless breast, leg or thigh, with corn pudding and Pennsylvania maple syrup. This dish was delicious. I absolutely love the chicken breading. It was perfect. The corn pudding had a slight hint of something artificial to it. Not sure exactly what it was, but definitely not my favorite. A few friends tried it and thought it was okay.

Beef Two Ways is a beef brisket cube and grilled bistro filet steak with compressed mushrooms, haricot verts and cauliflower silk. This dish was acceptable. The brisket cube was a bit fatty making it chewy, but the filet steak was perfect.

Filet Mignon is a center cut, Yukon whipped potatoes and haricot verts. An excellent choice. It was perfect, and melted in your mouth.

Tilapia Piccata with capers, shallots, fresh lemon, Italian parsley, pappardelle pasta and haricot verts. The dish was nothing spectacular, but all-in-all decent.

Desserts average $12…

Savoy has a large selection of desserts. A good thing when this is Glen’s favorite part of the meal.

We were told that the dessert chef worked at Eleven, so we were excited to get a little taste of everything.

Apple Beignets and Funnel Cake with a choice of caramel or chocolate sauce. We opted for caramel. The beignets are fried fritters, filled with apples, and covered with a coco powdered sugar. Delicious!

Fudge Brownie Sundae. Normally it’s served with butter pecan ice cream, but Nicole substituted it with dark chocolate ice cream. It has caramel, mini chocolate chip cookies, and a S’more-like whipped topping. Oh so yummy.

Red Velvet Lava Cake served with mini scoops of ice cream drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauces. It not only had the best presentation, Carey is still talking about it today.

And, as you can see, it’s a must have.

A few idiosyncrasies I had were the salty foods, loll in time, and our waiter, at one point, smelled like smoke when I asked him about the desserts. A bit of a turnoff when you’re thinking of sweet-nothings.

For the price, we found the food adequate. I was more blown away with the atmosphere, the service, and our good friends. This doesn’t mean we won’t try again.

On another note: Feeling like a rock star, a lovely woman who was dining next to us inquired about our photo taking. After Glen explained that we were there for a food blog review, she came over to ask me about GLTE. Her and a friend pulled up my blog on their phones. How sweet. She made my night. She too loves food blogs and follows a few. I hope I’ve gained a new foodie fan. Thank you.

Winghart’s Burger and Whiskey Bar

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

My foodie partner, Nicole and I headed out for the evening for dinner and a movie. She mentioned this new place opening up in the South Side of Pittsburgh. A few month’s ago, Winghart’s Burgers & Whiskey Bar first opened in Market Square, and with much success, Winghart has opened a second location at 1505 East Carson Street (South Side). Who doesn’t like a burger? And, a gourmet one to boot!

As you can see, it was a perfect day to enjoy a burger and a beer on the South Side. With Winghart’s just opening, be prepared for a few kinks. Nothing I didn’t mind. The staff were very apologetic, and their excellent customer service made up for it.

I hear this was the location of a laundromat or dry cleaners. It’s hard to believe. The atmosphere is small and rustic. Thankfully, it was not busy. I’m not sure I would enjoy the space during happy hour. – Very tight, and I’m not much of a crowd girl.

I could be wrong, but looking behind the bar, I noticed more craft beers than whiskey. Which was fine by me. Whiskey is not something I drink. However, I would have liked to try a whiskey beer, such as 1488, an English strong ale. I don’t believe they had anything like this on tap.

Since I’m always wanting to try a new craft beer, I had lots of questions. The bartender was very helpful in finding me one. The beer of choice this evening was Lagunitas an India Pale Ale. I liked it so much I had two.

Nicole had The Market Square Burger ($8.75). This burger comes with bacon, mushrooms, and Gruyere cheese smothered in house-made honey mustard dressing. The bun is grilled. She let me try a bite, and the Gruyere was a perfect choice for this burger. Delicious!

I had The Shipwrecked Burger ($12). As the menu states, “this burger has a very sophisticated taste.” So, I had to have it. On top of a grilled bun we have Brie, caramelized onions, bacon, arugula and white truffle aioli. Oh my, it was yummy. The blend of all those flavors melted together on my tongue. Moan-worthy. It is by far one of the best burgers I’ve had in a very long time. Not to mention, my Lagunitas paired well with this burger.

Winghart’s menu consists of six different gourmet burgers, or you can always get a plain ole burger. Boring. They also have six types of wood-fired pizzas. – On my list for my next visit. You can also get soups, salads and sides.

Winghart’s burgers definitely taste better than Burgatory.

Spadafora’s

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Sunday night, we met up with our friends Christy and Mike for dinner at Spadafora’s. They recommend that us foodies try it. Spadafora’s is located at 3932 William Flynn Highway, Allison Park, PA 15101. Just like Sieb’s Pub, this restaurant is close by and we never discovered it. I’m going to need to pay attention more when I’m driving.

Beer selections were slim picking, but the wine list has a lot to offer. I opted for a good vintage of Riesling. The place is pretty small, and the indoor decor does not match the delicious dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple but the dishes have a lot of complex layers.

For starters I had their shrimp bisque. Sorry, but no photo. I can say it was moan-worthy with big chunks of shrimp.

Mike and I had one of the specials. Tiella Diavolo. – A spicy traditional Sicilian pasta dish: rotini with marinara sauce, miniature meatballs, zucchini, eggs, provolone and mozzarella with hot banana peppers. The portion was big, and I couldn’t finish it. I love the different layers of textures in this meal. A+

Another special, Christy had the Baked Wild Salmon with Korean BBQ Sauce. – Served on a bed of fried julienne potatoes and roasted broccoli and carrots. I love Salmon, but I’m not a fan of BBQ sauce. Imagine that! I didn’t taste it, but could tell it was yummy from all the praise from everyone else.

The Boy also ordered from their specials. Bacon and Brie Chicken in White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce. – Romano batter chicken covered in a white wine garlic butter sauce. Topped with melted Brie cheese and bacon. Served with sautéed spinach and roasted red tomatoes. This was amazing. I would say the best Romano chicken I’ve had in a long time. I wanted to order another one to go. A++

For the sweets we shared Praline ice cream rolled in crushed pecans and smothered in caramel sauce, and a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. Its perfect liquid center literally melts in your mouth. Did you know that the lava cake was the result of a major culinary disaster? A cook took them out of the oven to soon, and the centers where still liquefied. Since there was no time to cook them further, the Chef simply introduced the dessert as chocolate “lava” cake! (from About.com).

Reservations are not needed for this Italian bistro.The service was good, but a little slow at filling the water glasses. Being big water drinkers, I’ll ask for a pitcher of water the next time we go. I’d also recommend they carry a few Italian beers for us beer drinkers.

Spadafora’s Marinara Sauce was voted “Best in the Burg” 2010 and in 2011 Pittsburgh Magazine’s “Best Kept Secret” and 2011 “Best Non-Chain Italian Restaurant.” I would have to agree. The Boy and I are not fans of chain restaurants, and this is a small pleasure close by. Not to mention, it’s very hard to find really good Italian food. Spadafora’s is at the top of my list.