Dish Crawl!

There is this new..."happening" that's going on around the US.  Dish Crawls.  They are quite fun.  Pittsburgh has had 4 different ones in 3 different neighborhoods - Lawrenveville, 2 in Shadyside, and one downtown.  I was lucky enough to go on the downtown Dish Crawl.  We tried 4 different restaurants - and OODLES of food.  I had only been to one of the choice restaurants previously.

The start of our Dish Crawl was to the Sharp Edge.  The Sharp Edge is a beer emporium - they have HUNDREDS of different types of beer.  Myself, not being a beer drinker, chose to drink cider - Strongbow Cider.  If you are a fan of beer - definitely check out their Belgium beer collection.  There are many locations all over the city!  We got a sampling of their food - but it was definitely phenomenal!

Our trio of food we received from Chef Nate at Sharp Edge was:  Poblano Mac'n Cheese, a Rabbit slider with a pretzel bun, and a salad with goat cheese, cherries, pecans, sliced apple and a salad dressing made from Lindemans Framboise (that they have on tap!) Every morsel of food was great.

Our second stop was a short walk down to Six Penn.  I've been to Six Penn before, but I've never been overly impressed.  We had a sampling of an aged cheddar grilled cheese, a blue cheese popover and Pesto ricotta Gnocchi.  While it was all quite good - it was an OVERWHELMING amount of cheese.  I Love - LOVE - Love cheese.  I put cheese on just about everything.  Cheese makes everything better.  But this was alot.  Especially when it took, basically, pulling teeth to get a glass of water.  Our group of approx. 30 people were not a surprise showing.  They were aware we were coming, so supplying water should not have been an issue, especially with such rich food.

To continue the adventure we walked up to Market Square.  To the Italian restaurant La Cucina Flegrea.  By this time, I was SO - So full.  But Anna - the chef and owner - was so welcoming!  They had tables set up for us with water(!!).  I would like to go back - to re-try the food.  We had this great pasta dish with a tasting of what she serves - but to get ALL the plates ready at the same time, we had some under-cooked prawns.  But - I would defiantly like to go back and try it again.

Our final stop was in Market Square as well - to a restaurant affiliated with Nola, Sonoma, and Seviche, called Perle for dessert!  We were delighted with a Chocolate covered strawberry cake with strawberry mousse, a flourless chocolate cake and a peanutbutter/grape jelly cookie.  It was all - awesome.

Will I do a Dish Crawl again?  I haven't decided.  I think I would prefer to get a group of 4-6 friends together and try a few restaurants.  There were some GREAT favorites of mine downtown that we missed.  But they could not accommodate a group so large.  Where, if we got a small group together, we could venture to these restaurants.  Make reservations, and try more great foods.  Maybe Dish Crawl needs to limit the amount of folks to smaller groups - and have it more frequently or multiple times in a neighborhood.  It is a great price ($45) for those who want to try places and foods that they wouldn't normally venture to.

But, Thursday (Feb 27) I have reservations at my new favorite place - Grit and Grace.  And that...that makes me happy!  I hope/plan to try different foods than my first time - with the exception of the Dim Sum (unless they are different!)

Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach Florida adventures

I was lucky enough to get to enjoy some time down in Florida for 3ish days.  I flew down to Florida out of the smallest airport I have ever - seriously - EVER been to.  But the price was right for the ticket, so I sucked it up!  This airport - Clarksburg (WV) airport has ONE gate.  It's a bit disorganized.  BUT, the owner is fantastic.  When our flight got delayed on Thursday, he ordered pizza for everyone.  Every.single.person. who was waiting for their flight could have as many slices of pizza as they wanted - FOR FREE.  That, impressed me.  Truly impressed me.  He, his wife, and daughter (approx 10 yrs old) were working the counter at the snack bar.  It's a family business.  :)

Once I finally arrived to Florida ALL I wanted to do was put on my flipflops - which I did.  Before I got into my rental car.  Yippee for Toes out!

My mom and uncle were already in Florida. I joined their trip halfway through.  My uncle is not an adventurous eater.  The first night, he told my mother and I go to out to eat - he wasn't joining us.  So we went to this place we randomly drove past called Florida Seafood.  I was able to call ahead to get our name on the list, so we only had a 10 minute wait - which was great.  The decor was...interesting.  A little OVER zealous in my opinion.  But - they had seafood and i was bound and determined to eat seafood every.single.meal.

I REALLY wanted oysters.  They had oyster shooters (Oysters, horseradish, and cocktail sauce).  So I got 6.  I was REALLY disappointed.  I do not recommend getting them.  First - my oysters were frozen.  Frozen.  Hard as a rock - they didn't even TRY to thaw them.  Gordon Ramsey needs to go in there and give them a makeover on Kitchen Nightmares.  I think what is even more disappointing - their menu states " Plump Juicy oysters shucked and placed in shot glasses".  The implies, FRESH oysters.  Definitely not.  Don't get it.  Don't waste your money.

These are my frozen oyster shooters

My regular entree was the Tuna Tataki - which was great.  My mother got the Scallop Oscar - which she enjoyed.  Would I go back?  Probably.  Would I recommend it?  Yes, with caution!  While we were waiting for our seat - we heard a waitress giving a recommendation to folks for a place called "Grills".  My mom and I made note, as that was our next restaurant!

I will have loads of updating to do over the next few days - so be on alert!  

A little Grit and a little Grace

My last blog post was telling informing you of my upcoming visit to Grit and Grace here in Pittsburgh.  Well, I finally went.  And I was most definitely NOT disappointed!  I believe this has quickly jumped to the number one spot of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh.

When Taste of Dahntown was open - did you go?  Were you bothered, as I was, on how you had to try to wiggle past the bar to get to the sit-down restaurant area?  The set up in that place was just - terrible.  I went once, and never went back.  Our service was terrible too.  But this isn't a review about Taste of Dahntown, this is a review about Grit and Grace.  Grit and Grace happens to be in the same location that taste of Dahntown was.  BUT - they completely re-did the interior.  It is phenomenal.  It is SO much better.

Lets move onto the important part of the program - the food.  I was meeting my dear friend Molly for dinner.  So I text her when I got downtown and she graciously ordered 1 of everything on the dim sum menu that Grit and Grace provides.  Each item is $5.  A nice gal came around with a tray and you would pick off the tray.  They had 5 items on their Dim Sum menu - pork belly, salmon, raw beef, celery root and brussel sprouts.  All 5 items, every single bite was - absolutely amazing.  I am not a brussel sprout gal - but I could have licked that bowl clean.  However, my favorite dim sum that was offered was the pork belly.  I did get a couple pictures of the pork belly - half eaten - then me trying to lick the bowl.  Don't judge :)

Must lick the bowl....

The portions of these 5 dishes were small - but that is what dim sum is meant to be.  We also ordered some items off their regular menu - which is served tapas style.  Tapas style is basically smaller plates and you share.  The ladies at the table next to us could not accept this concept.  It was quite interesting (and entertaining) :)

Since everything is served tapas style, they bring it out as it is ready - not in a particular order.  We ordered 3 different dishes.  The first to arrive was our steam bun, w/housemade mortadella, coriander mustard and homemade bread & butter pickles.  This is one large steam bun - so we cut it in half so we could both enjoy it.  Now - I am not a big mustard or pickles gal.  But I devoured this sandwich.  We both asked our waitress (Michelle - who was incredible!) what mortadella was - for those of you, who are similar to us, it's a type of sausage.

Sorry for the fuzzy picture!

Our next plate we received was the braised goat, appams, garlic & ginger, smashed potatoes and curry.  This.was.delicious!  I will give you warning - if you do not like spicy things - be aware that this has a bit of kick.  It's the curry heat - but it was still great.  The goat was so tender, it fell apart as you picked it up.  If you have had Ethiopian food and enjoyed the bread - this bread is quite similar and you eat it the same way - with your hands!

Our last main course plate was ramen noodles, more specifically - roasted pork ramen, mushrooms, daikon, carrot, 5 min egg, tonkatsu broth and chili aioli.  Out of all the dishes we got, this was my least favorite.   But - that being said - it was still scrumptious! The broth, noodles, everything was good.  However - the mushrooms were overpowering.  They were SO salty, I felt like I could feel my arteries clogging with the 1 bite I took.  But, when you ate a mushroom with the additional foods (broth, noodles, etc) it came together. Not to mention there was more (!!!!) pork belly :)

Molly had been lucky enough to enjoy Grit and Grace previously - so she knew what dessert to get - apple pie, with homemade cheez-its and cheez-it ice cream.  Again - I am not an apple pie gal.  I enjoyed this, but I let Molly devour it.  It is - QUITE - good.  But I am more of a savory gal.  So I got another dim sum of pork belly :)  

Every single morsel at Grit and Grace was amazing.  I am actually hoping to go back again this month.  It is the best!

Grit & grace and other adventures

Sadly, Grit and Grace  was not able to happen last weekend due to the terrible weather we have been enduring.  But - this Thursday it will be happening.  Rain, shine, snow, I will be there darn it!  I can not wait.  Is it Thursday yet?  I am so excited to try this place.  The food looks amazing!  I can't wait to tell you - my non-existent - readers what it's like!

On another note, life has been....life the past few weeks.  It's been frigid.  It's been snowing.  Schools have been cancelled and delayed.  But, life is life and continues. I had a WHOLE weekend of plans canceled.  That was a bummer.  BUT, I got SO much re-organizing and cleaning done.  Now, I just need to not be freezing my bum off to take it to my car and deliver to goodwill :)

I just bought a deal for this new website that is interesting to me.  Blue Apron  Check it out.  I got the meal deal at Gilt City.  So - let me tell you what Blue Apron is.  For $60 (or if you get the deal $39) for 2 people you get either 3 vegetarian or 3 meat meals delivered to your home with the recipes.  For me, being a single gal - this is PERFECT.  I am trying to eat healthier, I'm trying to exercise more and if I don't have the temptation of the junk at the grocery store - well.  Perfection.  (i'll obviously still have to go for simple essentials - milk, etc).  It will be some time before you hear my "review."  Delivery is Fridays and I am not in town for the next few Fridays (after this week.)  Travel time for Jess is coming up! - Florida, York (My niece is 13!!) and Ohio!

Onto yet another subject - A dear friend from camp.  Camp that I went to over 10 years ago.  We reconnected via facebook.  She has started a fantastic facebook group that has incentives, motivates, etc with losing weight.  I just joined, and am truly just starting.  But I can't wait.  I'm doing shakeology, and Jamie (this is Jamie's link for Team Beach Body.  Please order through her!)  introduced me to this new plan - 21 day fix.  All has been ordered - I just have to impatiently wait for it to get here :)

I suppose, the day is almost over.  The sun is FINALLY out, instead of snow and I only have 106 days left till I leave for New Zealand!  Have a great day folks!