Root 174: Take Two (Regent Square)

On the second night of Uncle Gary's visit, we took him to another one of our favorites in town: Root 174. We started with the amazing Crispy Brussels Sprouts with a bacon black pepper glaze—the only Brussels sprouts I've ever liked, by the way. The entrées were equally satisfying; Uncle Gary seemed to enjoy his Heart Sausage, served with flannel hash, duck confit, fennel carrot salad, an egg, and whole grain demi. R.'s Roasted Chicken Breast with chickpeas, Moroccan spices pistachio, and tomato both looked and tasted fabulous, while I tried the highly recommended Vegan "Meatloaf," with green lentils, mushrooms, yams, turnips, and apple soy sauce.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Heart Sausage

Roasted Chicken Breast

Vegan "Meatloaf"

For dessert, I was not going to miss one of the specials of the evening: Curry ice cream with roasted pineapples, coconut tapioca, and Thai basil. It was definitely one of the more unique ice cream desserts I've had at a restaurant and I loved it!

Curry Ice Cream with Roasted Pineapples, Coconut Tapioca, and Thai Basil

It is safe to say that we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to show off some of Pittsburgh's best food to our very special out-of-town guest!

Restaurant info:
Root 174
1113 S. Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412)243-4348
on the web: http://www.root174.com/
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ROOT-174/208637352499563
on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ROOT174


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Square Cafe (Regent Square): Take Two

I met up with Señorita Cibulka and Burgh Gourmand for brunch at Square Cafe this morning.  I hadn't been there since my first visit last summer and I was definitely excited to be back.

I'm a big fan of crepes so I really couldn't resist ordering something from the crepe column.  Unfortunately, they no longer have the amazing Creamy Salmon and Roasted Tomato Crepe I loved last time, so I chose the Vegetable Crepes instead, with mushrooms, zucchinis, onions, green peppers, spinach, topped with a sundried tomato spread and parmesan cheese.  It was good, and my favorite part was definitely the sundried tomato spread which gave everything else a bold flavor.

Vegetable Crepes ($9.59)

BG invited me to take a picture and a bite of his White Bean and Pancetta Soup, and it was great as well.

White Bean and Pancetta Soup

And of course, our caffeinated beverages gave us a nice little energy boost.  I have been trying to watch what I eat, but when I saw the Banana Nut Toffee Latte, I just couldn't resist!

Coffee, Peppermint Patty Latte,
and Banana Nut Toffee Latte

It was most certainly a lovely brunch to kick off the weekend.  I also verified with the server that they are able to use egg whites for their egg items, which is good to know for future visits. :)  Hope to be back again soon!

Restaurant info:
Square Cafe
1137 S. Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412)244-8002
On the web:  http://www.square-cafe.com
On Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/TheSquareCafe
On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SquareCafe

Curry Away (Edgewood)

To be honest, I would have never known about Curry Away in Edgewood if it weren't for a LivingSocial deal that arrived in my inbox one day back in July.  The amusing name caught my attention immediately, and because both R. and I love Thai food, I figured I'd get the deal so we could go check out this place some time.

This little unassuming joint is located a bit off the beaten path in a little strip mall that's easy to miss.  (Thank goodness for Garmin!)  The inside of the restaurant is tiny with only 14 seats total.  The walls are decorated with photography that customers can purchase.

Inside Curry Away

Inside Curry Away

We went on a Sunday night, so the restaurant wasn't busy aside from some take-out customers.  They seem a bit short-staffed nonetheless, as our server, who is from northern Thailand, seemed to be needed in the kitchen quite a bit.  He was nice, in any case.  For our meal, we started with the appetizer special, the Curry Puffs, with a choice of either chicken or taro filling.  Being a huge fan of taro, we naturally picked taro as our option.  I liked these - the mashed taro filling is sweet but not overly so.

Taro Curry Puffs ($5.95)

Taro Curry Puff

As for the main course, it is pretty much a rule that I must order curry when I'm at a Thai restaurant.  I can't help it.  I am a curry fiend.  I can seriously eat curry every day and not be sick of it.  Of the ten or so curry options, I decided on the Duck Curry, described as roasted duck, tomatoes, pineapple, peas, carrots, and coconut milk.  It was tasty, and there was so much that I got an extra two meals out of it.

Duck Curry ($12.95)

Duck Curry

Luckily, R. did not order curry, so at least I get to share a photo of something other than curry. :)  R.'s entree was the Chicken Cashew Nut, with crispy chicken sauteed with chili, pineapple chunks, scallions, and cashew nuts, in a homemade sweet and sour sauce.  I had a bite of it and can attest to its deliciousness!

Chicken Cashew Nut ($10.95)

We followed up our entrees with a shared dessert:  Black Sticky Rice with Taro in Coconut Milk, which we enjoyed.  I so love taro. :)

Black Sticky Rice with Taro in Coconut Milk ($3.95)

We both enjoyed Curry Away a lot.  It's a nice, casual neighborhood joint that serves great Thai food at great prices.  They offer weekday lunch specials for under $7 and free delivery as well.  I highly recommend it!

Restaurant info:
Curry Away
247 Edgewood Avenue,Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412)731-0740
On the web:  http://www.curryaway.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curry-Away/107044832694608


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Root 174 (Regent Square)

A visit to Root 174 had been a long time coming.  I had been watching with curiosity since I discovered that Chef Keith Fuller had left Six Penn Kitchen to open up his own shop, and I welcomed the news of the restaurant opening in Regent Square in the summer with excitement.

Soon after its opening, a friend who lives in nearby Swissvale and I had talked about making a trip to Root 174.  So I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And then life got in the way and dinner plans at Root 174 just never happened as intended.  Finally, I decided I was done waiting, especially after fellow blogger friends raved about it nonstop.  The first opportunity I had to choose a restaurant for a date night, I picked Root 174.

We started with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Black Pepper Bacon Jam, which is technically a side item, but we had it as an appetizer.  Friends had talked about how much they enjoyed these brussels sprouts, and I'd have to say I was a bit skeptical at first as I've never really had brussels sprouts that I was crazy about.  But these...wow.  These really were amazing:  Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and taste like they had been thoroughly marinated in some candied concoction.  I had always found brussels sprouts to be somewhat bitter, but these actually emitted a hint of sweetness.  We devoured them in no time.  I have even been inspired to make my own brussels sprouts for the first time in my life, though I've yet to replicate Root 174's heavenly version.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Black Pepper Bacon Jam ($6)

My entree was a special of the evening: Yam Gnocchi with Beef Lengua, or beef tongue.  I grew up eating and loving beef tongue, but it's rare to see it being served in a typical restaurant, so when our waitress mentioned this special, I knew I had to have it.  This dish exceeded my expectations; the beef tongue was well-seasoned and melted in my mouth, and the yam gnocchi was solid.  I wish the beef tongue would become a regular menu item, because I'd love to be able to enjoy it again.  And again.  And again.

Yam Gnocchi with Beef Lengua ($23)

R.'s entree was a very tasty Smoked Salmon Sausage that was on the menu, served with couscous, peas tendrils, and cocoa-cranberry jam.  I enjoyed my bite; he loved the rest of it.  It was a great choice.

Smoked Salmon Sausage ($25)

Our dessert was the PB&J Cheesecake, presented in the form of a pseudosandwich.  Cute!  The middle layer consists of cheesecake with peanut butter Cap'n Crunch drizzled with strawberry sauce.  The outer layers consist of angel food cake made to look like Wonder bread slices.  It was a delightful way to cap off our meal.

PB&J Cheesecake ($7)

Both R. and I thoroughly enjoyed Root 174.  The menu is creative, inspired, and personal.  The atmosphere is pleasantly cozy, and the service was attentive.  I only wish I lived closer, but even if it's a trek for me, I will be back for sure.  Methinks it's time to call up my Swissvale friend.

Restaurant info:
Root 174
1113 S. Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412)243-4348
on the web: http://www.root174.com/
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ROOT-174/208637352499563
on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ROOT174
Bonus: BYOB


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Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen (Regent Square)

Update: Alma will be closing as of November 3, 2013.

Since the summer when I had heard about its impending opening, I had been closely following the news (i.e., Twitter feed) about Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen.  After it opened, Señorita Cibulka and I had also talked about going there, and we both finally had the opportunity to check it it out a few weeks ago.

Alma sits at the corner of Forbes and S. Braddock Avenues, at the site of the former Calli's.  I had never been to Calli's (or to this part of Regent Square...or Swissvale or Point Breeze, whichever name you prefer to call the area), but it seems every time I mention Alma, I am told that it used to be Calli's, so I thought it would be worth mentioning.  I'm not sure what the space used to look like, but I like what Alma did to the decor, which is bright and comfortable.

I had browsed the menu online beforehand so knew exactly what I wanted for my entree:  the Arepa de Vegetales con Plátanos Maduros, or arepa (corn pastry) topped with cabbage, cilantro, beets, and avocado, along with sweet plantains.  Mostly because I recently discovered a love for beets.  What an awesome dish with a great combination of veggies...at an awesome price, too!

Arepa de Vegetales con Plátanos Maduros ($11)

I also love that Alma's menu states the country where each dish is from.  For someone (like me) who enjoys learning about different cultures, this menu is a great tool.  My arepa entree is from Colombia.

And apparently, I like Colombian food, because for dessert I chose something from Colombia as well:  Flan de Coco con Caramelo, or coconut flan with caramel sauce.

Flan de Coco con Caramelo

Yum!

I think it would be safe to say that everyone in the group I was with enjoyed their meal.  The service was also top-notch.  They were more than willing to accommodate our large group, and when they messed up one of the entrees at our table, they apologized profusely, corrected the problem promptly, and took the item off the bill.  It was, all in all, a great meal.  Alma is a nice addition to the Pittsburgh food scene, for sure.

Check out Señorita Cibulka's perspective on Alma on her blog post here.

Restaurant info:
Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen
7600 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
(412)727-6320
On the web:  http://www.almapgh.com
On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-Pan-Latin-Kitchen/172826542774927
On Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/almapgh


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Square Cafe (Regent Square)

Square Cafe in Regent Square is one of the places I've heard people rave about but never had a chance to visit, partly because Regent Square isn't a neighborhood I happen to frequent (this was in fact my very first visit) and because my usual dining out occurs closer to 6 or 7 pm, so I rarely find the chance to check out day-time restaurants.  I had jumped on the chance for a Groupon for Square Cafe a few months ago thinking this would finally force me to make a trip out there, and that it did.

I made plans for brunch last Friday with a friend from work who lives in that area.  We had been talking about going for several months now, but with our busy schedules and unavailable weekends, we just kept putting it off until now.  The first thing that struck me about Square Cafe is the brightly colored walls, which, as someone who appreciates bold colors (I did paint my kitchen red after all), I quite enjoyed.  It gave off a fun and friendly vibe.  I opened the menu, but it didn't take long for me to decide what I wanted - I can almost never resist crepes!  So I ordered the Creamy Salmon and Roasted Tomato Crepe, which was so delicious it made me want to go back as soon as I was done!  It was probably a little heavy for the toasty summer day that it was and a little too much food I wanted to be eating at that hour, but I gobbled up every last bite it was worth it.

Creamy Salmon and Roasted Tomato Crepe ($9.50)

Friend from Work, who is a Square Cafe regular and probably knows the menu by heart, got the Oatmeal Pancakes, which she described as "delightful."  After brunch, we took a quick stroll down Braddock Avenue, and took a peek into a couple of restaurants that are on my wish list.  Sometime in August we really hope to get together with our other friend from work, who happens to read this blog (Hi Liz!) and do dinner at the very new Root 174 just a couple doors down in the old Legume space.  And then of course there is Green Mango, which I really need to visit one of these days because I just love Thai food.  So many good restaurants, so little time!

Restaurant info:
Square Cafe
1137 S. Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412)244-8002
On the web:  http://www.square-cafe.com
On Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/TheSquareCafe
On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SquareCafe