A Kid Friendly Visit to the HBH .@HofbrauhausPitt

By Elizabeth / February 28, 2013 / Uncategorized

Pittsburgh’s Hofbrauhaus (yes, a sister outpost of the Munich original) has been a happy hour hot spot since it’s opening. It’s plenty loud, it’s got plenty of beer, and it’s cleaner than Hemingways, so what’s not to like? Mr. Beez loves Oktoberfest and the HBH. I typically run lukewarm with it. I won’t refuse to go there, but it’s not where we’re going when it’s my turn to pick.

We had a groupon to burn there (because I am a sucker and buy every single groupon that comes on sale), and since it is not valid for Saturday use, we decided to try it out on a weeknight. Feeling adventurous, or perhaps foolish, or perhaps tired and just wanting someone else to cook our dinners, we strolled in around 6pm on a Monday. Who would have thought that early weeknight dinner at the HBH is actually kid friendly? Not me. It was a pleasant surprise.

Baby Beez loved the oompah music and the pretzels. She loves pretzels. Since patrons are encouraged to sing and dance and stand on benches, it was a perfect setting for a toddler. She sang around loudly and dancy-danced and didn’t disturb a soul, since everyone was dancing along.

Mr. Beez ordered a schnitzel dish and was very happy with it. The HBH, unsurprisingly, offers Bavarian-type fare. Of the three German restaurants I’ve been to in Pittsburgh (HBH, Max’s Allegheny Tavern, and Penn Brewery), HBH is my least favorite of the three. The food isn’t bad, but I think most people are really there to enjoy the atmosphere.

I forewent the meat-and-potatoes Bavarian offerings and instead opted for a (meat topped) steak salad. Virtually unheard of in Pittsburgh, this steak salad actually did not come smothered in fries. This suited me very well because I actually did not want french fries. The veggies were fresh and the salad generous. It was a good meal.

Baby Beez was not the only little one in the dining room that night. The HBH is apparently a popular place (on weekday evenings) for families with young children. Everyone loves the fun and festivity! While I’ll only visit the HBH on a Friday or Saturday with exclusively grown up friends, it was a fun place for our family during the off hours.

Green Pepper, YUM YUM

By Elizabeth / February 19, 2013 / Uncategorized

Green Pepper has a funny little hold on Mr. Beez and my hearts, because it is in the location that formerly housed Sweet Basil (a Thai & Filipino restaurant), where we had our first date. Misplaced nostalgia aside, Green Pepper holds its own with delicious Korean fare and a friendly neighborhood vibe.

I feel the need to get this out of the way early on: Green Pepper’s website and menu are peppered in weird disclaimers. I totally get that they are trying to be upfront, but being that upfront can be off-putting. Don’t let that scare you away. The proprietors are friendly and normal, and hope that you will be a courteous diner.

Now lets get to the food:

We left a party early that evening and still had time before the babysitter had to go home, so we were thrilled to get a chance for a grown up meal. Mr. Beez opted for the spicy bulgogi.

He loved it. I can’t ever get enough of the millions of side dishes that seem to come with every Korean meal, and I chowed down those tasty noodles before he had a chance to tell me to go away.

I went for my usual–the bi bim bap. Oh how I LOVE bi bim bap. I’m not a “the usual” kind of diner. I want to try something new every time I’m at a restaurant. I just love bi bim bap so darn much that I can’t help but order it when it is an option.

The food was prepared quickly and was fresh and tasty. And that kimchi? Made in house. And delicious. It was tangy and a little spicy. Not that gummy jarred nonsense.

Although we didn’t have more drinks that evening, the one thing I want to scream from the rooftops about Green Pepper is that they are not BYOB, but they do not rip you off with the wine prices either! I should probably be ashamed of this, but I drink enough cheap wine that I can usually spot it right off when a restaurant is trying to charge me $40 for a bottle that costs $7 at the state store. Green Pepper doesn’t serve fancy wines, but they don’t try to charge you like they are fancy wines either. A bottle of good ol’ Yellowtail only runs you $15 at Green Pepper. Sure it’s a markup, but the place has to make a buck, and I respect that they’re not trying to go hog wild in the process.

Green Pepper also has karaoke set up if you’ve got a mind to belt a few tunes. Mr. Beez was not (and is never) up for such things, so we gave it a pass that evening, but next time! Next time! All of Squirrel Hill will share in my vocal stylings.

Green Pepper has all the elements of an awesome neighborhood hangout. It’s a shame that it was so quiet there on the Friday night we visited. It’s a great place, and it deserves to be hoppin.

A Belly-Filling Brunch .@TinFrontCafe

By Elizabeth / February 17, 2013 / Uncategorized

A few weeks back, the Beez family piled into the car, rolled down the High Level Bridge, and joined friends for brunch at the Tin Front Cafe. Baby Beez is an early napper and brunch time tends to be the witching hour. We got lucky on this particular Sunday and she behaved more like a baby than a banshee. We managed to have a charming brunch.

I kicked things off with a generously-portioned bloody mary.

Salty, tomato-y and all things wonderful. They also offer one with horseradish infused vodka, but I was afraid that the kick was more than my delicate sinuses could handle.

The Tin Front Cafe has a varied menu of hearty stick-to-your ribs vegetarian fare, but I also love that they have a small buffet that goes along with your brunch entree. On this particular day they offered chili with chili-toppings and cornbread, potatoes, salad, cookies and to die for banana chocolate chip mini muffins. The mini buffet was a lifesaver for brunching with a toddler. Toddlers, and Baby Beez is no exception, are not known for their patience when hungry. We always order for her as soon as we are seated, but it was nice to be able to give her some food immediately.

For my entree I went for the polenta with ratatouille and veggie sausage. It was a very cold day outside, and this selection was delicious and belly filling.

Along with the typical brunch fare of french toast, pancakes etc, there was a breakfast burrito on that menu that I was dying to try (next time! next time!). As Greenfielders, Tin Front is super close in Homestead. The on street parking is very easy on Sunday mornings. The cafe staff were friendly and attentive. The cafe was all around excellent. Tin Front is a brunch gem.

The Sandwich of my Dreams @BlueBirdKitchen

By Elizabeth / February 11, 2013 / Uncategorized

Sandy has long been singing the praises of Bluebird Kitchen’s chicken salad sandwich. The Post-Gazette added its voice to the choir in a hunger-inducing article about local sandwich shops. I’ve never had much of an opinion about chicken salad. I don’t dislike it. I don’t care much one way or another about it. But with all these devoted chicken salad fans, it was time to try this sammie out.

Oh my goodness.

Seriously.

This is a perfect sandwich. The croissant is flaky, just a tiny bit crunchy, and not soggy in the slightest. The chicken was for-real roast chicken, flavorful and delicious. The mayonnaise was creamy, and lacked that off-putting tang that usually keeps me away from mayonnaise. The chicken salad featured tasty apple chunks and cashews. Wow. What a sandwich. I could eat these every minute, every day.

The one mistake I made was chomping down on a cookie sandwich along with the sandwich. The sandwich is incredibly rich and filling. Going for the sugar cookie sandwich filled with vanilla creme was just way too much. I’m sure the cookie is wonderful on its own, but it was too sweet, too rich, just all around too much to go along with that sandwich. A side green salad, though, might not be a bad option. The sandwich is decadent, and anything else rich alongside it will just be overwhelming.

I don’t know how I’m going to convince myself not to wander on down to Market Square for one of these sandwiches every single day for the rest of forever.

Pastries Savory and Sweet at Bubble Pi Baking Arts

By Elizabeth / February 9, 2013 / Uncategorized

Bubble Pi baking arts is a tiny Asian bakery on a somewhat unfortunate stretch of Murray Avenue. I say unfortunate because parking is tricky around there and it’s on the steep slope of the hill. I am lazy and don’t want to walk far to my car, much less up a hill. I had an appointment at Eyetique, two doors away, and it was perfect timing to check out Bubble Pi.

Many of the pastries were unfamiliar to me. I have been told that Lin, the owner, is Taiwanese, but that her baked goods cover many different Asian countries. Basically, I didn’t know what a lot of the stuff was, and I was shy about asking her a lot of questions. She happily suggested that I try the fresh out of the oven cookies. I did get one (and I swear I took a picture of it, but I have no idea what happened to the picture…), and it was chewy and chocolaty and very delicious.

Wanting to branch out into something less familiar, I picked this pastry. I have no idea what it was….

It was DELICIOUS. It was like nothing I have ever tasted before, and I loved it. It was a savory pastry with a little tang to it. This pastry for sure was worth the hassle of parking on that annoying sloped section of Murray Avenue. Sometimes a blind leap of faith has great results.

In chatting with friends after my visit, I’ve been told that the Japanese Cheesecake is also excellent. I’m going to have to stop in again soon and just buy a bunch of stuff. Who cares whether I know what it is? It’s bound to be good.

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