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CHECKING
OUT SOME
HOT
FOODIE SPOTS IN
PITTSBURGH
By
Michael Hepworth
I have come away from a recent trip to
Pittsburgh
with the overall impression that portions here are well above average, and
despite the lack of any superstar chefs, the local ones have a lot to
offer. I checked out a few interesting places last month that warrant
mention, a couple of breakfast places, an over the top lunch
establishment, and a fine dining restaurant. All this helps makes
Pittsburgh
possibly the most livable city in the USA, and the 29th most livable city in the world to live.
First up I have to talk about Oh Yeah, a breakfast place located in
Shadyside, a real trendy and upscale area that would be one of the top
choices to move to if locating to Pittsburgh. The place is open all day,
but the idea of ice cream and waffles for breakfast was a first for me,
but since everything is organic here, and a real good way to start the
day. They also have a weekly
coffee pass for $7, and no wonder the locals were cruising in for their
morning fix of their excellent organic coffee. There are over 100 ice
cream toppings to choose from including some real wild ones such as
habanero and Swedish fish, and even have specials for dogs. Looking back,
that now explains the number of young women cruising in with their pooches
for an ice cream breakfast.
Pamela’s Pancake House is something of an
institution in
Pittsburgh
with six locations, and more so now since President Obama popped in last
year unannounced for a hotcake breakfast. Who really cares if the service
is sloppy, the quality of the food is what counts. In fact Obama likes
Pamela’s so much that he invited them to the White House for a Memorial
Day Breakfast for the White House team and invited veterans. The Strip
district location is where the Obama action took place, and I was told he
tried the regular hotcake breakfast, but not sure if it was the blueberry,
chocolate chip, banana walnut or strawberry version. Whichever version it
was, the crepe hotcakes served here is an institution in Pittsburgh
.
If you are going on a weekend be prepared to stand in
a long line. Church Brew Works
is a unique theme church restaurant that is located in the former
St. John
the
Baptist
Church
in the Lawrenceville area. It is the only brew pub in the country to be
located in a historic church, and the visuals are magnificent. It also
serves gargantuan portions of food for lunch, but they have been doing it
for 13 years, so the locals obviously love it.
This is where I had my very first Pierogi, a traditional
Pittsburgh
dish of Polish origins that is normally contains potato and cheese served
with onions, butter and sour cream. I tried the Cajun Chicken
version, and this set up for the main course of Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich
served on a ciabatta bread. Despite being starving after an overnight
flight, I could not finish it, and all the other main courses ordered by
the group of hungry writers were equally treated in gingerly fashion.
Eleven Restaurant is one of the top five restaurants
in
Pittsburgh, and despite being part of a chain, it is the flagship restaurant of that
particular group. A massive two story spot in the downtown area, Eleven is
basically an American/Continental style eatery with a huge wine list and
an on-site bakery and with 200 seats to fill every night, and it is a
great success. Chef Derek
Stevens believes strongly in using up to 90% local ingredients purchased
from local suppliers, and that passion is reflected in the menu at Eleven.
There are three Farmers Markets in the area, and a typical example of
Steven’s creative touch would be the side dishes with his Wild Striped
Bass, cous cous, fennel, sun dried tomatoes and caperberries.
The four course tasting menu ($45) would be an ideal way to check
out his cooking, ad that includes Spicy Tuna Tartare, Yellowtail Sashimi,
Alaskan Halibut, Veal & Lobster and Strawberry Mascarpone Tart. Eleven
could hold its own in any city in the world.
Fact
Sheet
Oh
Yeah
232 S. Highland Ave.
Phone:
(412) 253-0995
Website:
www.customswirl.com
Pamela’s
Diner
60 21st Street
Phone:
(412) 281-6366
Church
Brew Works
3525 Liberty Ave
,
Phone:
(412) 688-8200
Website:
www.churchbrew.com
Eleven
Restaurant
1150 Smallman St
Phone:
(412) 201-5656
Website:
www.bigburrito.com/eleven
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