Category Archives: Presentation

Oven ribs with chocolate rosemary sauce.

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

Unexpected inspiration is often a good thing. A chocolate party is a perfect example. My friends Gwen and Derrick have a chocolate party every year at their place on the South Side. Chocolate beer, chocolate chili, chocolate cookies, chocolate ice … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Beer, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Recipes, South Side, Strip District, Techniques and tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Franktuary truck.

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Sure, it’s a hotdog. That’s its heart, its essence. Even hyphenated it remains simple. Call it all-beef or all-beef and grass-fed and remains a humble thing. A Pittsburgh thing, even. As much as wings and fries-and-slaw are stereotypes around this … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Cheap eats, Downtown, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Oakland, Presentation, Seasonal, South Side, Traditional | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Smoke Barbecue Taqueria.

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

Looks like I have tacos on my mind lately. Couldn’t resist another trip to Homestead this week. Why — now that’s easy. Ridiculous, right? Even in a photo taken in a hurry on my semi-crappy phone camera, that pork is … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Cheap eats, Family, Homestead, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Service | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Salt of the Earth, Part II.

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

Pork baguette. Doesn’t sound like much, maybe just menu filler or something to get along a fancy takeout pizza someplace, a pimped-out hoagie. But no. This take on Vietnamese bahn mi the best thing I’ve put in my mouth at … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Garfield, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Seasonal, Service | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Round Corner Cantina.

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

Hipster prices on street food. Runny tacos. Consistently inattentive, even combative, service. Guacamole and tamales ain’t half bad. And some of the drinks – when you can actually order and successfully receive one. Clearly I’m not a huge fan of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Beer, Ingredients, Lawrenceville, Neighborhoods, Presentation, Service | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Golden Pig.

Posted on September 18, 2011 by

Yes, Korean food. In li’l ol’ Cecil on Route 50. The whole restaurant has just 10 seats and is subtle enough to drive by twice before pulling in. Even shares a building with a used-car dealership. Like you do. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Cheap eats, Family, Ingredients, Presentation, Recipes, Service, Traditional | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Homebrew.

Posted on August 11, 2011 by

If you see one of these bad boys, pick it up. Read it. Check out the advertisers. Sure, I have a piece in it on the TRASH homebrew competition and what goes into entering these things and the long slog … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Beer, Ingredients, Presentation, Recipes, Service, Techniques and tools | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roasted-corn and tomato summer salad.

Posted on May 31, 2011 by

I forget what the inspiration was the first time I made this. I know I took it to someone’s house for a summer party, but the rest is lost to me. The last few years, it’s become a summer staple … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheap eats, Family, Ingredients, Presentation, Recipes, Seasonal, Techniques and tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pittsburgh Marshmallow Factory.

Posted on May 21, 2011 by

Willy Wonka may have said it best. The snozzberries taste like snozzberries. Get a lemon marshmallow from Chris Momberger at his place in the Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip District and it tastes like actual lemons. The ones he … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheap eats, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Strip District | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The deed.

Posted on April 3, 2011 by

Not too long after I moved to Pittsburgh, I started going to D’s Six Pax & Dogz in Regent Square. Good beer, something new on tap with tremendous consistency, solid, flavorful hotdogs and exceptional fries. I’m probably there more often … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheap eats, Ingredients, Meta, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Regent Square | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Salt of the Earth.

Posted on January 2, 2011 by

This is probably a little backward. The first time I went to the one Pittsburgh restaurant everyone — everyone — is talking about and it’s on a night it’s not serving any of its regular menu. It’s on a night … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Beer, Garfield, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Presentation, Service, Traditional | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bad Doors song, good advice.

Posted on November 19, 2010 by

You want to get people in your doors, especially for a special event, tell all the people. Put it on your website. Tweet it. Post it on Facebook. Blast your email list. Give your regulars a heads-up. I met up … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Cheap eats, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, North Side, Presentation, Service, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dean Supply.

Posted on November 17, 2010 by

There’s a place, easy to miss, practically underneath an old railroad line at Penn Ave. and 33rd. It’s the kind of place that can make your life easier. Restaurant-supply store. Open to the public. Which not all of them are. … Continue reading →

Posted in Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Techniques and tools | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More than coffee.

Posted on November 7, 2010 by

It looks like coffee. I get it. Still looks like coffee. Yeah. I — I know. But this is why there are such things as $11,000 Clover coffee machines. And baristas who describe coffee like Jancis Robinson talks about wine, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ambience, Coffee, Neighborhoods, Nontraditional, Presentation, Service, Strip District, Techniques and tools | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Thai Cuisine.

Posted on November 7, 2010 by

Never been to Thailand. Or Italy. Never been to France or India. I can’t tell you about authentic. But I know when something’s good. A friend of mine first took me to Thai Cuisine at Liberty and Pearl before I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloomfield, Ingredients, Neighborhoods, Presentation, Service | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments