Well, I am very impressed after going to 17th street cafe. The ambiance, service, and food were excellent0 You can definitely tell why this restaurant is on Pittsburgh's most romantic dining list. Compared to the overall dining experience in Yinzer city, this restaurant stands out.
AMBIANCE
This restaurant is very quaint and intimate. This is a great place to bring a date and celebrate a special occasion.
Ambiance - 18/20
SERVICE
The service was very good, but not excellent. Most restaurants in Pittsburgh have wait staff that make you feel like you are a nuisance by taking too long to eat. Not here! Sarah and I sat down for 2 or 3 hours with no complaints and without feeling like we needed to leave their table.
Our waitress attended to our needs and was knowledgable about the menu and the wine list. HOWEVER, she tried to sell us a $40 dollar bottle of wine! It wasn't like there was a mix up over names either, she just tried to sell us an bottle of wine made from acai berries. We could have afforded the additional $10 dollars for this bottle, but the acai berry is trendy and not worth the cost. She just wanted a bigger tip in the end. Sheisty, Sheisty!
FOOD
The food here is scrumptus! Their menu is seasonal so you can expect something new each time you return.
Here is what we ordered:
WINE: Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 2005: Sarah and I loved this wine! The complex taste of red cherry and plum complimented her chicken dish and my dish perfecetely. The lingering oak taste was also appealing and the wine was very smooth.
Wine: 19/20
FOCCACI BREAD WITH FRESH VEGETABLES: This was an okay appetizer. The bread wasnt dry and the vegetables actually tasted fresh. The vegetables werent mushy even after being steamed or grilled. Even so, the bread tasted like it was missing some sort of "punch" to give it that extra kick.
Bread: 14/20
PISTACHIO CRUSTED CHICKEN: This dish was great. The chicken wasn't dry and was very moist and tender. Most restaurants have chicken that is very difficult to work with, but this chicken was easy to work with and not messy. The pistachio crust was really good, and that crust reminded me of a crust on a Cordon Bleu dish.
The best part of this dish had to be the mixed berry sauce. This sauce matched the Pistachio crust well and had a delicious and very memerable taste.
The plum in the wine was a good choice for this dish.
Chicken: 18/20
PASTA FRESCATA W/ ASIAGO CHEESE: This dish was only okay - I felt like this dish was a high end version of something simple like buttered noodles. I wasn't looking for anything too heavy, and this is exactly what I was looking to order.
Even so, I was hoping that there would be some kick, some spice, or some ingredient that would seperate the dish from something much simpler. There was no kick.
The chicken in the dish was good. It was grilled perfectly and the asiago cheese they topped the dish wish was a nice choice. Based on Sarah's dish, 17th street cafe's strong point is Poultry.
Chicken: 16/20
Overall: I would dine again at 17th street cafe in a heart beat. The food was good and the wine list was even better. They have a nice selection of wines at pretty affordable prices compared to other restaurants in the area (cough cough Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto). The wine list ranges from $22 to $40, so you will be able to find a wine in any price range.
The lunch menu looks good. I will be returning for lunc hopefully soon.
OVERALL: B
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
GIANT EAGLE FLATBREAD SANDWHICH
Okay, to all 1 of you that read this, I thought I would do a different review today. I will be reviewing the Giant Eagle Flatbread Sandwhich - ham and cheese. Since Sarah works here, I spend a lot of time at Giant Eagle :)
SERVICE
Here, you order at a deli-like counter. Most of the times, the employees forget you are there! This is annoying when time is of the essence. But.....it is a grocery store after all.
Service - 9/20
AMBIANCE
I wonder whose picture they framed on the wall? And why is she there of all people? Either way, this makes for interesting conversation. The seating is ample for a grocery store too and the couch is very comfortable.
Ambiance - 17/20 (only because of the ladies picture on the wall).
HAM & CHEESE
The sandwich is okay. The flatbread itself tastes good, almost like a Pita from Pita Pit. However, the carmelized onions looks like worms! I'm not kidding here - Sarah and I nearly threw up and had to discard the onions. The ham is Giant Eagle deli ham too, which tastes good and not too salty. The cheese was also good.
Sandwich - 11/20.
OVERALL - 12/20
HI SARAH :)
SERVICE
Here, you order at a deli-like counter. Most of the times, the employees forget you are there! This is annoying when time is of the essence. But.....it is a grocery store after all.
Service - 9/20
AMBIANCE
I wonder whose picture they framed on the wall? And why is she there of all people? Either way, this makes for interesting conversation. The seating is ample for a grocery store too and the couch is very comfortable.
Ambiance - 17/20 (only because of the ladies picture on the wall).
HAM & CHEESE
The sandwich is okay. The flatbread itself tastes good, almost like a Pita from Pita Pit. However, the carmelized onions looks like worms! I'm not kidding here - Sarah and I nearly threw up and had to discard the onions. The ham is Giant Eagle deli ham too, which tastes good and not too salty. The cheese was also good.
Sandwich - 11/20.
OVERALL - 12/20
HI SARAH :)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
MI RANCHITO
MI RANCHITO
Mi Ranchito replaces La Fiesta on Atwood Street. What a difference! The decor of Mi Ranchito is very nice, and such an upgrade from La Fiesta. They have enough room for a small bar, so that would be a nice touch once they get their liquor license. Coincidentely, Mi Ranchito is owned by the same family that owns Veracruz on Forbes.
Here's the review:
AMBIANCE
The inside is SO much nicer then La Fiesta . The hardwood floor is completely new and still smells like varnish. The wall decorations are nice and the painting matches nicely. However, I was a little disappointed that there weren't any Mexicans painted on the wall :(
Ambiance: 14/20
SERVICE
The service was good but nothing special. The waitress was nice and was a college student trying to make the dolla' dolla' bill y'all. You really cant expect too much here though.
Service: 12/20
FOOD
Chips: The chips were DELICIOUS! They were served warm and crunchy. The chips here are much better then the chips at Veracruz. That says a lot, considering the chips at Veracruz are really good.
Chips: 17/20
Salsa: The salsa was also delicious. This was the best salsa I tasted in a while! The salsa was a tantalizing combo of Pico De Gallo placed into the right amount of sauce. This made for the best salsa that was perfecetely balanced. The salsa didn't taste canned either, like several other things on their menu.
Salsa: 17/20
Guacomole: no, No, NO! The guacomole tasted like it was straight out of a grocery store. It didn't taste fresh, and it seems like Mi Ranchito just added some cilantro to the prepared mixture. I would have preferred the taste of fresh avocado's here. It seems like Mi Ranchito would take some advice from Chipotle here!
Guacomole: 5/20
Chicken Fajitas: Everything was good on this dish. The chicken was marinated nicely and hinted of lime zest. The chicken was also fresh and not too overly cooked or marinated. I really enjoyed the onions and peppers too, they weren't mushy and complimented the chicken nicely. HOWEVER, the flour tortillas are store bought! I can bet you $50 that the tortillas are the brand below:
Yes, I have tried them before!
Chicken Fajitas: 13/20
Enchiladas Rancheros with Mole Sauce: The enchiladas were ok. However, more lettuce and tomatoe were needed to accompany the heavy mole sauce. The mole sauce was good, but was missing "something" to give it more kick. Just like the Chicken Fajitas, the chicken was cooked perfecetely. If you come to this Restaurant, order Chicken!
Overall: 13/20
Side Dishes: The side dishes are not good, not good at all. The rice tastes like Uncle Bens rice and the peas in the rice are shrivelled. The beans were worst! The beans tasted like soup and had zero flavor! This is unfortunate here, because Mi Ranchito has the tools to compete with Mad Mex.
Side Dishes: 4/20
OVERALL: If you go to Mi Ranchito, order the chicken! However, don't expect much from the side dishes. Mi Ranchito should learn cook their side dishes instead of buying them from Giant Eagle and nuking them in the microwave.
Me and Sarah had fun at dinner too. Mi Ranchito has great atmosphere and is not overwhelming like Mad Mex. You can have good dinner conversation because the tables aren't so close like they are at, cough, Mad Mex. We certainly did. Even though Sarah got sick after dinner, sorry Sarah :(, we still had a good time.
Mi Ranchito has the potential to compete with Mad Mex, but they need to open a small bar and work on the side dishes. La Fiesta failed because the competition always goes to Mad Mex for the adult beverages, so hopefully Mi Ranchito wont succumb to the same fate. I like Veracruz so I wish Mi Ranchito the best of luck!
Overall: 12/20
Mi Ranchito replaces La Fiesta on Atwood Street. What a difference! The decor of Mi Ranchito is very nice, and such an upgrade from La Fiesta. They have enough room for a small bar, so that would be a nice touch once they get their liquor license. Coincidentely, Mi Ranchito is owned by the same family that owns Veracruz on Forbes.
Here's the review:
AMBIANCE
The inside is SO much nicer then La Fiesta . The hardwood floor is completely new and still smells like varnish. The wall decorations are nice and the painting matches nicely. However, I was a little disappointed that there weren't any Mexicans painted on the wall :(
Ambiance: 14/20
SERVICE
The service was good but nothing special. The waitress was nice and was a college student trying to make the dolla' dolla' bill y'all. You really cant expect too much here though.
Service: 12/20
FOOD
Chips: The chips were DELICIOUS! They were served warm and crunchy. The chips here are much better then the chips at Veracruz. That says a lot, considering the chips at Veracruz are really good.
Chips: 17/20
Salsa: The salsa was also delicious. This was the best salsa I tasted in a while! The salsa was a tantalizing combo of Pico De Gallo placed into the right amount of sauce. This made for the best salsa that was perfecetely balanced. The salsa didn't taste canned either, like several other things on their menu.
Salsa: 17/20
Guacomole: no, No, NO! The guacomole tasted like it was straight out of a grocery store. It didn't taste fresh, and it seems like Mi Ranchito just added some cilantro to the prepared mixture. I would have preferred the taste of fresh avocado's here. It seems like Mi Ranchito would take some advice from Chipotle here!
Guacomole: 5/20
Chicken Fajitas: Everything was good on this dish. The chicken was marinated nicely and hinted of lime zest. The chicken was also fresh and not too overly cooked or marinated. I really enjoyed the onions and peppers too, they weren't mushy and complimented the chicken nicely. HOWEVER, the flour tortillas are store bought! I can bet you $50 that the tortillas are the brand below:
Yes, I have tried them before!
Chicken Fajitas: 13/20
Enchiladas Rancheros with Mole Sauce: The enchiladas were ok. However, more lettuce and tomatoe were needed to accompany the heavy mole sauce. The mole sauce was good, but was missing "something" to give it more kick. Just like the Chicken Fajitas, the chicken was cooked perfecetely. If you come to this Restaurant, order Chicken!
Overall: 13/20
Side Dishes: The side dishes are not good, not good at all. The rice tastes like Uncle Bens rice and the peas in the rice are shrivelled. The beans were worst! The beans tasted like soup and had zero flavor! This is unfortunate here, because Mi Ranchito has the tools to compete with Mad Mex.
Side Dishes: 4/20
OVERALL: If you go to Mi Ranchito, order the chicken! However, don't expect much from the side dishes. Mi Ranchito should learn cook their side dishes instead of buying them from Giant Eagle and nuking them in the microwave.
Me and Sarah had fun at dinner too. Mi Ranchito has great atmosphere and is not overwhelming like Mad Mex. You can have good dinner conversation because the tables aren't so close like they are at, cough, Mad Mex. We certainly did. Even though Sarah got sick after dinner, sorry Sarah :(, we still had a good time.
Mi Ranchito has the potential to compete with Mad Mex, but they need to open a small bar and work on the side dishes. La Fiesta failed because the competition always goes to Mad Mex for the adult beverages, so hopefully Mi Ranchito wont succumb to the same fate. I like Veracruz so I wish Mi Ranchito the best of luck!
Overall: 12/20
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
VERACRUZ MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Here is a review for Veracruz Mexican Restaurant on Forbes Avenue, next to Subway. I prefer to mix up the Oakland dining scene a bit, so we went to Veracruz today. Compared to Chipotle, the food is pretty much equivalent, although Veracruz uses less spices but seems more authentic.
AMBIANCE
Not much can be said about a quick food joint, but the paintings of the Mexicans on the wall always make me smile. Also, they were playing Telenovela on the tv, so it doesnt get more authentic then that. The tables are Green and Red, the same color of the Mexican flag. Thats authentic!
Ambiance - 10/10
SERVICE
They service here is good. For a fast food place, I like the service a lot more then Subway or Wendy's. Not only do they bring the food to the table, but they gave us an extra cup for pop. Thats pretty good service.
Service - 10/10
FOOD
Vegetable Burrito - My date was not impressed with the burrito. They used carrots and zucchini, which is not too authentic for a Mexican fast food restaurant. She would of preferred peppers and onions, not run of the mill vegetables. Regardless, the vegetables were kind of mushy. The beans on the burrito were good though. I guess we will go to Chipotle for a vegetable burrito sometime.
Burrito - 5/10
Chicken Quesadilla - If you ask anyone, I love to eat a nice quesadilla. This is exactly what I got. The chicken was cooked perfecetely and the mix of cheeses melted in my mouth. I would definetely come here for a Quesadilla again. Compared to Qdoba's quesadilla, this one was very good and not mushy.
Quesadilla - 8/10
Chips - The chips here are pretty good. They are the most authentic Tortilla Chips I had in a while.
Chips - 10/10
Pico de Gallo - This pico de gallo is delicious. Every ingedient seems fresh and the pico de gallo is not too watery. Compliments the chips nicely.
Pico De Gallo - 10/10
Salsa - This salsa was SPICY! Just the way I like it.
Salsa - 10/10
LAST THOUGHTS
This restaurant is in a tough market, competing with Qdoba and Chipotle. To put it simply, Veracruz is underappreciated. If you need a quick taco or quesadilla, this is the place to come. Beware of the Vegetable Burrito though!
OVERALL RATING: 15/20
AMBIANCE
Not much can be said about a quick food joint, but the paintings of the Mexicans on the wall always make me smile. Also, they were playing Telenovela on the tv, so it doesnt get more authentic then that. The tables are Green and Red, the same color of the Mexican flag. Thats authentic!
Ambiance - 10/10
SERVICE
They service here is good. For a fast food place, I like the service a lot more then Subway or Wendy's. Not only do they bring the food to the table, but they gave us an extra cup for pop. Thats pretty good service.
Service - 10/10
FOOD
Vegetable Burrito - My date was not impressed with the burrito. They used carrots and zucchini, which is not too authentic for a Mexican fast food restaurant. She would of preferred peppers and onions, not run of the mill vegetables. Regardless, the vegetables were kind of mushy. The beans on the burrito were good though. I guess we will go to Chipotle for a vegetable burrito sometime.
Burrito - 5/10
Chicken Quesadilla - If you ask anyone, I love to eat a nice quesadilla. This is exactly what I got. The chicken was cooked perfecetely and the mix of cheeses melted in my mouth. I would definetely come here for a Quesadilla again. Compared to Qdoba's quesadilla, this one was very good and not mushy.
Quesadilla - 8/10
Chips - The chips here are pretty good. They are the most authentic Tortilla Chips I had in a while.
Chips - 10/10
Pico de Gallo - This pico de gallo is delicious. Every ingedient seems fresh and the pico de gallo is not too watery. Compliments the chips nicely.
Pico De Gallo - 10/10
Salsa - This salsa was SPICY! Just the way I like it.
Salsa - 10/10
LAST THOUGHTS
This restaurant is in a tough market, competing with Qdoba and Chipotle. To put it simply, Veracruz is underappreciated. If you need a quick taco or quesadilla, this is the place to come. Beware of the Vegetable Burrito though!
OVERALL RATING: 15/20
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monterey Bay Fish Grotto
Here is my first review, the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto in Mt Washington.
To begin, I took Sarah here for Valentines Day. Looking at the list for Pittsburgh's most romantic restaurants, I thought this would be a good choice for something "different" then the standard Italian / Vday like meal. Because the Fish Grotto was rated 4th in the 2009 Most Romantic List, I was very excited to have a romantic evening. Much to my dismay, this restaurant is not all what it is cracked up to be.
AMBIANCE
The Fish Grotto has beautiful views of the city. The full length windows make for a very intimate atmosphere. However, the layout of the tables and the overall decor reminded me of eating in a run of the mill Casino restaurant. Granted, it was Valentines day and pretty crowded but still.
Ambiance Rating - 6 /10
SERVICE
The service was good. However, I felt like the waiter was breathing down our throat. I understand the need to be attentive as a waiter, but this was over the top. Every time Sarah and I would strike up a good conversation, the waiter would interrupt and ask if we needed anything. I felt like the waiter had only one table to wait and that table was ours.
Service Rating - 4/10
FOOD
Here is the list of food we ordered:
Appetizer: Ichiban. This was the most delicious item we ordered. The mix of fish they served that night: Salmon, Tuna, and Swordfish complemented each other perfectly. The fish was very flaky but the end pieces of Swordfish was seared until the point that they were uneatable. The dipping sauce was delicious and one of the best I have ever tasted. They should use this dipping sauce on more items of the menu.
Appetizer Rating - 7/10
Salad: We were served the standard house salad that night. Theres not much to say about a house salad, the dressing was good but the salad was smothered in dressing. This made the lettuce extremely soggy.
Salad Rating: 6/10
Basil - Garlic Yellow Tail Snapper: This fish was a perfect filet. The sauce was excellent and didn't overwhelm the taste of the fish. Very flakey and the fish would melt in your mouth. My date wanted something that wasnt too "fishy" and this is exactly what she got with this entree.
Snapper Rating: 8/10
Mako Shark: Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Shark. However, this shark was very dry. Because the shark was only cooked in "Cajun Spices", the shark felt extremely dry and not that tender (no shark is really that tender though). The mango sauce was very gritty and too "sweet" for the cajun flavor. That being said, the cajun spices were still good. The yellow tail snapper had a lot more flavor and I was disappointed with my choice of meal :( Maybe next time I will listen to my date more :)
Shark Rating: 6/10
WINE SELECTION
The wine selection and list is extensive. I forgot what bottle of wine we ordered of course, but it was in the middle of their price selection. This wine complimented most of our fish nicely. If you go here, purchase a bottle of wine. They have a good selection of exotic wines that most liquor stores don't carry and I came away very impressed with the list.
Wine: 10/10
LAST THOUGHTS
I like how you can order fish "your way". Still doesnt make up for the pitfalls of this restaurant though.
OVERALL RATING: 12/20
To begin, I took Sarah here for Valentines Day. Looking at the list for Pittsburgh's most romantic restaurants, I thought this would be a good choice for something "different" then the standard Italian / Vday like meal. Because the Fish Grotto was rated 4th in the 2009 Most Romantic List, I was very excited to have a romantic evening. Much to my dismay, this restaurant is not all what it is cracked up to be.
AMBIANCE
The Fish Grotto has beautiful views of the city. The full length windows make for a very intimate atmosphere. However, the layout of the tables and the overall decor reminded me of eating in a run of the mill Casino restaurant. Granted, it was Valentines day and pretty crowded but still.
Ambiance Rating - 6 /10
SERVICE
The service was good. However, I felt like the waiter was breathing down our throat. I understand the need to be attentive as a waiter, but this was over the top. Every time Sarah and I would strike up a good conversation, the waiter would interrupt and ask if we needed anything. I felt like the waiter had only one table to wait and that table was ours.
Service Rating - 4/10
FOOD
Here is the list of food we ordered:
Appetizer: Ichiban. This was the most delicious item we ordered. The mix of fish they served that night: Salmon, Tuna, and Swordfish complemented each other perfectly. The fish was very flaky but the end pieces of Swordfish was seared until the point that they were uneatable. The dipping sauce was delicious and one of the best I have ever tasted. They should use this dipping sauce on more items of the menu.
Appetizer Rating - 7/10
Salad: We were served the standard house salad that night. Theres not much to say about a house salad, the dressing was good but the salad was smothered in dressing. This made the lettuce extremely soggy.
Salad Rating: 6/10
Basil - Garlic Yellow Tail Snapper: This fish was a perfect filet. The sauce was excellent and didn't overwhelm the taste of the fish. Very flakey and the fish would melt in your mouth. My date wanted something that wasnt too "fishy" and this is exactly what she got with this entree.
Snapper Rating: 8/10
Mako Shark: Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Shark. However, this shark was very dry. Because the shark was only cooked in "Cajun Spices", the shark felt extremely dry and not that tender (no shark is really that tender though). The mango sauce was very gritty and too "sweet" for the cajun flavor. That being said, the cajun spices were still good. The yellow tail snapper had a lot more flavor and I was disappointed with my choice of meal :( Maybe next time I will listen to my date more :)
Shark Rating: 6/10
WINE SELECTION
The wine selection and list is extensive. I forgot what bottle of wine we ordered of course, but it was in the middle of their price selection. This wine complimented most of our fish nicely. If you go here, purchase a bottle of wine. They have a good selection of exotic wines that most liquor stores don't carry and I came away very impressed with the list.
Wine: 10/10
LAST THOUGHTS
I like how you can order fish "your way". Still doesnt make up for the pitfalls of this restaurant though.
OVERALL RATING: 12/20
First post :)
Hello everyone.
This is the first post on my blog. Because I love every type of food, this blog will follow my many dining exploits in the city of Pittsburgh. I eat out a lot and will provide an honest review for every place that I go.
I would like to dedicate this blog to Sarah, my beautiful girlfriend. She will be my partner in crime for this :)
I will provide my first review on the Fish Grotto in Mt Washington.
K Thanks Bye.
This is the first post on my blog. Because I love every type of food, this blog will follow my many dining exploits in the city of Pittsburgh. I eat out a lot and will provide an honest review for every place that I go.
I would like to dedicate this blog to Sarah, my beautiful girlfriend. She will be my partner in crime for this :)
I will provide my first review on the Fish Grotto in Mt Washington.
K Thanks Bye.
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