J’eet

Last week I was having lunch with a friend and we were planning on heading to Squirrel Hill.  Of course, we’re residents near Bloomfield, so I thought “Why on earth would we not just go to the food haven that is Bloomfield when it’s right here?”  I was looking for something cheap and good, without much limit on food choice.  We went with one of the most underrated spots in the ‘burgh: J’eet.

J’eet is a little spot on Penn near Brillobox that takes its name from a common combination of words in Pittsburgh (did you eat?).  The style of the restaurant is contemporary, the employees and pleasant locals, and the menu is no-nonsense.  J’eet has salads, sandwiches, and crepes stuffed with good things.  Given its location up the hill from Lawrenceville (hipster central), J’eet utilizes delicious combinations of vegetables and light meats to create plenty of options for the brunch time period.

Although I surmised that crepes might be the best option because they’re not typical on every menu, I was really in the mood for a good sandwich.  The combos on their menu made me feel like I couldn’t go wrong with some of their sandwich selections.  For example, the De Medici combines prosciutto, fig jam, and blue cheese on a baguette.  Or maybe you’d dig their twist on grilled cheese (Cheese Panini) with smoked cheddar and gouda, baby swiss, caramelized onion, and tomato on ciabatta.  Fantastic choices!

I went with the Turkey Fig because I had recently encountered fig jam and loved it.  Roasted turkey, avocado, smoked gouda, granny smith apples, and fig jam on artisan bread with mixed greens on the side.  The portion of greens on the side was perfect, along with the balsamic dressing.  The sandwich was dynamite.  The combination was fantastic, especially with the avocado and fig jam spread on alternate slices of bread.  All of this was for under ten bucks, which is solid for a nice lunch.

The atmosphere was neat.  The décor was simple and chic and everyone was polite.  We were asked to share our table to conserve space, which was cool with us.  I liked the fact that the staff was interested in combining tables and encouraging a mixing of people.

Overall, great experience.  The food was tasty and I could tell that a lot of other things on the menu would be, as well.  I’d definitely frequent J’eet for lunch if I worked nearby, but will probably try to anyways!

**** We at eatPGH.com see the value in providing the fine folks of Pittsburgh plenty of voices when it comes to reviewing the foodie fare around town. We graciously allow those with equally temperamental taste buds such as ours to post their enthusiastic comments and yes, sometimes-enthusiastic critiques, using eatPGH as their megaphone. We know, we know… how kind of us! This post was brought to you by Lucky Guest Blogger Jake. As mentioned above (get your read on people!), Jake lives on the border of Bloomfield and enjoys a quality meal. You can find introspective Jake thoughts on his bloggity blog.