Gypsy Cafe: Take Two (South Side)

UPDATE 7/15/2012: Gypsy Cafe is now closed.

I had been itching to go back to Gypsy Cafe in the South Side since my first visit there in the spring, and a friend and I finally paid a visit there a few weeks ago.

Gypsy Cafe's menu changes every season, so the savory Oxtail Borscht I had last time was no longer on their menu.  This time, I got the Szekely Goulash, partly because I have this odd penchant for trying food I can't pronounce.  The Szekely Goulash is a buttered egg noodle dish topped with pork, Hungarian paprika, bacon, onions, sauerkraut, and sour cream.  It was a huge serving, but it was so good I gobbled up the whole thing!

Szekely Goulash

The Szekely Goulash came with a dinner salad as well.

Dinner Salad

My friend ordered two appetizers as her meal and let me share a bite of each.  On the left are the Gypsy Cevapcici Meatballs, and I forget what exactly was on the other thing she ordered (my memory gets fuzzy after a few weeks) but both were very good.

Appetizers

Unfortunately, due to a host of family health issues, Gypsy Cafe announced in August that it is up for sale.  I don't know what the current status is regarding the sale, and who knows if the restaurant will remain the same once a new owner takes over?  Should the restaurant close, it would be a huge loss to the South Side food scene, for sure.

Restaurant info:
Gypsy Café
1330 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 
(412)381-4977
On the web:  http://www.gypsycafe.net
On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gypsy-Cafe/55336131881
On twitter: http://twitter.com/GypsyCafe

View Larger Map

Mallorca (South Side)

Mallorca is one of those restaurants that I've heard several friends rave about, and after my positive experience at its sister restaurant Ibiza (and not just because I know someone who is affiliated with the establishment) and a Groupon feature, I bought the deal and planned to check it out sometime in the summer.

But much of the summer went by in a blur, and before I knew it, my Groupon was about to expire!  So the day before expiration in late August I made a trip out there and went all out for a big meal.

I started with the Mussels with Green Sauce appetizer.  The portion was generous, and the white wine sauce with parsley, garlic, and red peppers was very good.

Mussels with Green Sauce ($9.95)

For my entree I decided to try their signature Paella Valencia.  To be honest, I had expected a little more lobster based on the photos I've seen of the dish in the past (including one on their website), but at least it was tasty, and came with chips and a side of veggies that I barely ate because I couldn't even finish half of the paella!

Paella Valencia ($24.95)

And against my better judgment, I ordered dessert.  Yeah, I basically have no self control when it comes to sweets, especially ones displayed on a dessert tray.  As far as I can tell, there is no printed dessert menu at Mallorca, so I'm not sure how often this Flan with a glob of gooey caramel is offered, but I would imagine that this is a pretty standard dessert and it was an enjoyable one.

Flan ($6)

The atmosphere at Mallorca is very charming.  I was seated in one of the dining rooms with blue decorated tiles on the wall, large bottles of wine and paintings on display, and a decent amount of natural lighting.  I've never been to Spain, but I imagine this is what restaurants in Spain would look like.  The service started out great when I was one of only a few patrons in the dining room.  The servers were even joking with me when I whipped out my very conspicuous camera for my food shots.  And then the dining room got really busy and was full by 7:15 on a Tuesday evening, and while there was something even charming about the hustle and bustle, I no longer received much attention.  I suspect the impending Groupon expiration had something to do with the large crowd so it's hard to fault the service staff for seeming frazzled, so I let that one slide.  (Note to self: Never wait 'til the last minute to use a Groupon again!)

Overall, I enjoyed my meal here.  It's a place to go if I ever crave Spanish food.

Restaurant info:
Mallorca
2228 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412)488-1818
On the web: http://www.mallorcarestaurant.com


View Larger Map

Double Wide Grill (South Side)

A few colleagues and I had been talking about doing Happy Hour since April, and we finally made it out to Double Wide Grill one night a couple weeks ago.  The weather was gorgeous so we got ourselves a table outside on the spacious, covered patio, which I found to be just perfect for a fun, relaxing time.  The restaurant has an old gas station theme, which is a bit quirky, but not in a bad way.  I'm not into old gas stations, but I found myself really liking the atmosphere they set up there.

Double Wide Grill has a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, particularly beer, but considering I'm not big on beer I focused mostly on other types of drinks.  When I saw the Pink Flamingo, which was a cosmopolitan with cherry, it was simply too tempting to pass:

Pink Flamingo

I was also pleasantly surprised to find a large selection of vegetarian options on the dinner menu, especially for a bar.  I'm not vegetarian, but I like it when a restaurant makes an attempt to be inclusive, and for a bar, that is even more impressive.  I decided to go for the Caribbean Coconut Tofu, a vegan and wheat-free item, just because I love coconut and I love tofu, so I figured I can't go wrong here!

Caribbean Coconut Tofu ($11.29)

The tofu was fried crispy on the outside, served with a Caribbean onion and coconut rum sauce, caramelized onion cilantro rice, and veggies.  I liked it enough to clear the plate. :)  My dining companions weren't too crazy about their food, however, both of which were appetizers (portabella and nachos).  Guess I lucked out.  I had also read a lot complaints about their service, but we had no problems whatsoever.  Guess we lucked out in that department as well!  Despite possibly inconsistent quality, this is a cool enough place that I would come back again and give it another try.

Restaurant info:
Double Wide Grill
2339 E. Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412)390-1111
On the web:  http://doublewidegrill.com

Gypsy Cafe (South Side)

UPDATE 7/15/2012: Gypsy Cafe is now closed.


Somewhat hidden along Bingham Street, a block north of the hustle and bustle of Carson Street in South Side, is a little restaurant known as Gypsy Café, the venue of last week's dining out adventure.  Gypsy Café has a small but pretty creative menu consisting of an eclectic mix of European dishes, mostly from Eastern Europe.  (I suspect their menu changes often, just like their hours.)  Despite the limited selection, which included several a la carte options as well as a three-course prix fixe menu, I had a difficult time deciding on what to order as everything sounded delicious!  I was tempted by the salmon, but ended up going with the Shortrib and Oxtail Borscht, a traditionally Ukrainian dish, for a true Eastern European taste.


And I'd venture to say that this was one of the best dishes I've had in Pittsburgh so far!

Shortrib and Oxtail Borscht

The Shortrib and Oxtail Borscht was a very flavorful combination of beef, roasted beets, cabbages, and tomatoes, in a delightful sauce that achieves a nice balance between sweetness and tanginess.  The shortrib was a tiny bit on the chewy side, but the oxtail was perfectly tender.  The dish was topped with sour cream which adds another element of tanginess to the soup.  I always appreciate a dish with a full and complex flavor that just works.  As weird as this may sound, I also find myself having a particularly vivid taste memory trace of this borscht - that is, I find the flavor of the borscht to be very memorable (in a good way), which I think speaks to its savoriness.

Everyone else I was with was impressed with their food, and the portions were huge as well.  This is undoubtedly a place for a repeat visit, perhaps on a night that features live music!


Restaurant info:
Gypsy Café
1330 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 
(412) 381-4977

On the web: http://www.gypsycafe.net/ (check their hours before you go!)

Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar (South Side)

I'm getting a little bit behind on posting due to a hectic week with out-of-town visitors (and eating out a lot!), but earlier this week I finally checked out Ibiza with R.  Before I say any more, I should mention that I know someone who is affiliated with the restaurant, but I have heard a lot of good things about it from other sources and have been looking forward to paying a visit.  One of the first things I noticed upon walking into Ibiza is its ambiance.  I liked the contemporary decor and I think it suits the restaurant quite well.  Ibiza has a few entree options, but since it is known for its tapas, R. and I decided that we would share four of them between the two of us:

Grilled Shrimp with Lime Aioli ($12)
This was one of the specials and tastes as good as it sounds.

Spinach and Chorizo with Raisins and Pine Nuts ($10)
One of the more filling tapas, and one of our favorites.

Fish Shish Kabob
The shish kabob comes with three large chunks of fish.  The white fish, in particular, was fantastic.  Very fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Grilled Sea Scallops in Mango Sauce
This was probably my personal favorite.  The mango sauce is to die for. 

I think this ended up being just the right amount of food for the two of us as we are pretty small eaters (which is always a bit of a tough thing for me because I love food so much and I can never eat a lot of it in one sitting).  I should add, too, that the Kobe beef carpaccio was recommended to me as well, but we didn't get that this time around.  It is definitely on my wish list of dishes to go back and try!

Restaurant info:

Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar

2224 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

(412)325-2227 

Website: www.ibizatapasrestaurant.com