COMMENT NUMBER THREE:

Kate! with the Avocado Blue Panini!

Email us at eatpgh@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Congratulations!

This bird says: “Do you like french toast and buckwheat pancakes?”

Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to the legit, NATIONAL Aviary? NATIONAL, guys. That’s the real deal. I had admittedly never visited this gem on the Northside. I have no excuses. They have penguins, eagles, super weird birds that I can’t identify, and flamingos! So many birds!

Sidney, just like another Penguin we know, is thinking about perfecting his golf swing and not winning a championship. Too soon?

Mandy and I were invited to the new brunch buffet** the Aviary is rolling out for one Sunday per month through September. The first official brunch is this Sunday, Father’s Day, and seatings are sold out. But fear not, there are 3 more months of brunching out there for the taking! Sunday July 7, Sunday August 11, and Sunday, September 15.

So what’s the deal?

For $30 (for an adult), you receive a hearty brunch buffet by Atria’s (we particularly loved the roasted vegetable frittata — bomb dot com) AND admission to the Aviary. ALL OF THE BIRDS! Special appearances by some bird friends happen during brunch as well. We met a lovely parrot who chewed her treats with her mouth open, so we didn’t feel so bad about our table habits. You also sit in the lovely rose garden behind the Aviary. We had such a good time! Perfect atmosphere and pleasant, feathered company. I’m already planning my next trip!

An assortment of brunch goodness.

Make your reservations today, kiddos. Before the summer flies on by (HA HA! Get it?).

**Real talk: We ate for free!

According to the PDCDC (Pittsburgh Downtown Community Development Corporation), 10 new restaurants are slated to open up Downtown.

10!!!

Wahoo!!!!

Some of these new spots include: Butcher in the Rye by Chef Richard DeShantz and partner Tolga Sevdik of Meat & Potatoes, a TBD American dim sum restaurant by Brian Pekarcik of Spoon/BRGR, another Burgatory… and more (including a chain restaurant by Toby Keith. You know how we feel about chains…)

You can see the full list of new spots on the PDCDC website here.

Giada De Laurentiis

She knows what’s up when it comes to making salads: 1. Not boring and 2. Containing no lettuce leaves. I’m not sure she knows about the non-leafy strawberry Jello pretzel salad that is a staple in Western Pennsylvania, but I’ll be sure to insert that into our conversation when I meet her in my future life.

Trust me, I love a green leafy salad, but sometimes I severely hate chopping up lettuce leaves and spinning them in my salad spinner. Hate.ful. Thank goodness for these two Giada non-leafy salads:

1. Fried Couscous Salad (Original recipe from the Food Network here)

AKA everything, including a salad, is better when it’s fried.

I first tasted this gem of a salad last week at a lovely par-tay hosted by one of my favorite gals, Alissa Martin of Pavement. After shoving spoonfuls of it in my mouth inbetween talking clothing, I got the recipe from her and made it this past weekend.

Following Alissa’s directions, I omitted the cucumbers because “yuck, why?” as she pointed out, and also omitted the fresh basil because I forgot to buy some at Giant Eagle. It’s fine.  It is totally delicious and as I stated earlier, everything is better when fried.

2. Shaved Carrot and Pear Salad with Curry Vinaigrette (Original recipe from Food Network here)

With this salad, Giada suggests you shave your carrots into ribbons. I love the thought of this idea, but really I didn’t have time. Who does?! Instead, I purchased some carrots already chopped up in matchsticks. Lifesaver. Also, I omitted the parsley leaves well because it seems as though I HATE purchasing fresh herbs. I’ll be better about this in my next recipe posting, promises.  If you love curry, this salad is for you. If you are unsure you love curry, then I suggest starting with just a drizzle of the vinaigrette on your salad. It definitely packs a punch.

Giada kinda does know what’s up when it comes to salads. At least these two are bomb (dot) com in my book!

The Three Rivers Arts Festival kicks off  today. And while I love the art and music, the main reason I go to any festival or fair or event is for the food. Duh.

So to meet all my your eating needs, here’s a short list of some of the upcoming food events around Pittsburgh this summer.

Three Rivers Arts Festival 
June 7-16, 2013
Point State Park
http://www.3riversartsfest.org/

Holy Cross Greek Food Festival 
June 12-15, 2013
Hours: M-F 11:30a-2:30p & 4:30-9p
123 Gilkeson Road, Mt. Lebanon

Northside Sandwich Week
June 17-23
Northside, various locations
http://sandwichweek.pittsburghnorthside.com/

Summer Dining Under a Tent
June 20
6:30p
Whole Foods, Pittsburgh
facebook.com/tablemagazine

Marty’s Pig Out
June 21
4-8p
Strip District
https://www.facebook.com/events/133204846879418/

Churchview Farm Summer Dinner Series
June 23, July 14 & 28, August 11, 19 & 25, September 22 & 29
Churchview Farm
https://churchviewfarmpgh.squarespace.com/dinners/

Holy Dormition Greek Food Festival 
June 28-30, 2013
Hours: Fri. 5-11p, Sat. 4-11p, Sun. 2-11p
12 Washington Avenue, Oakmont

Big Butler Fair
June 28 – July 6
1127 New Castle Road, Butler
http://www.bigbutlerfair.com/

Celebrate Your Independents
June 29 – July 2
Walnut Street, Shadyside
https://www.facebook.com/events/425501427548192/

Deutschtown Music Festival
July 6
Northside
http://deutschtownmusicfestival.org/

Little Italy Days
August 22-25, 2013
Bloomfield
http://www.littleitalydays.com/

Ypapanti Greek Food Festival 
August 22-25, 2013
Hours: Th-Sun. 11a-10p
1672 Electric Avenue, East Pittsburgh

If you have some festivals we’ve missed, leave a comment and let us know!

Our pals at City Dining Cards are at it again, scouting the hottest spots to be included in the 2013-2014 Pittsburgh deck.

Can’t wait.

To help our pals out and make sure this deck is baller (dot) com, we want to hear from yinz.

Who do you want to see in the deck? Drop a comment below and let us know!

Stepping into Butterjoint, both Sarah and I were shocked about 1. how packed it was and 2. how absolutely delightful it was. We shouldn’t have expected anything less of Trevett, chef and owner of both, and his team.

We cozied up to the bar and looked over the menu (you can choose from the smaller Butterjoint menu or the full Legume menu).

I have a first-time visit theory called “sit at the bar.” Sitting at the bar of a restaurant provides a whole new perspective of the joint. You feel like you’re part of the vibe and you get insight from the bartenders. I think it’s really a testament to how the establishment functions whether you leave feeling frantic and unorganized or relaxed and calculated.

If you didn’t know, I love cheeseburgers. It’s hard for me to not order one whenever it’s offered. So naturally I ordered the cheeseburger. I have, or should I say had, a favorite Pittsburgh burger. A burger I used to dream about and gush to strangers about. I now have to change my tune because Butterjoint’s burger surpasses my former love by a longshot.

Most good burger joints either grind their own or bring in freshly ground beef every day. Butterjoint is no exception. They do it in-house on the daily. The difference is the source: Jamison Farm. Maybe they put crack cocaine in the burger or maybe it’s just that Jamison Farm is better at all things meat, but this burger was a little piece of heaven.

The burger comes with lettuce, onion, and tomato and you can add a variety of cheeses (blue, American, cave-aged gruyere). I went with cave-aged gruyere because I am fancy. The burger is also served with duck fat fries which are never a bad thing in my book. The bun was soft yet held up to the the beefiness (no bun intended) of the patty. And unlike some local burger makers, this burger was cooked exactly how I asked.

While I was devouring my burger, Sarah was doing work on a plate of pierogies.

Sarah: “HOLY HELL, these are some of the best pierogies from a non-Polish Church basement I have had in this city.

Inside: Light and fluffy potatoes mixed with farmer’s cheese. On the outside: A smothering of caramelized onions. Typically pierogies can be greasy, dripping in butter, (which I do not hate one bit), leaving you feeling full, bloated, and just down right gross. These on the other hand were not one bit greasy and left you feeling just the right amount of full. But let’s be honest, I could have housed another order without even thinking twice. Housemade sausage and sauerkraut can add ons to the pierogies you might want to take advantage of. I didn’t, so now I must go back ASAP to do so.”

One hot afternoon I moseyed on out to the Steel Tower plaza to Craftwork Kitchen. I was seconds away from ordering a chicken sandwich when I spotted the Chorizo Meatball Hoagie. Last minute decisions usually pay off and this one delivered.

The chipotle marinara sauce and meatballs had a great spicy kick to them and the Queso Fresco, crema, and cilantro cooled it all down with each bite. Also that bun was pretty killer.

One of my favorite meatballs in the city is at Osteria 100 (or Osteria 2350). Either on a bun or by itself, this meatball is a delight.

It’s also quite big if you can’t tell from the picture. One of those is more than enough to accompany any dish you choose.

After poor lunchtime planning, I ended up at Sienna Sulla Piazza in Market Square last week.

It was like I locked eyes with my soulmate when I saw the meatball hoagie on the menu. So moist and delightful. Two veal meatballs stuffed with mozzarella on a super soft hoagie roll. It also came with pasta salad (or homemade potato chips) which had just the right amount of creaminess and flavor.

Where are your favorite meatballs in the city? 

I’ve been on a bit of a health kick recently, which has lead me to Googling the interwebs for countless new “healthy” recipes.

One of the recipes the interwebs presented to me was  Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers with a Curry Aioli. Totally skeptical of sweet potatoes and chickpeas making a decent, non-meaty, meaty burger, I made the recipe anyways. And, I was pleasantly surprised.

THIS BURGER IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE EVER MADE.

*Mindblown*

You can find the original recipe here.

I followed the recipe exactly as stated, but let me offer up a few of my own tips for making these delights:

- I used one of those microwaveable sweet potatoes instead of roasting a fresh one. (It happens!)

- I had to add about 1/4 cup of water to the recipe as I was processing the ingredients in a food processor. You may have to do the same.

- I disregarded buns for my burgers and opted to serve them with some fresh greens and sliced tomatoes.

- These burgers are also excellent on top of salads.

- I didn’t use basil in my aioli, but I’m sure it will taste good if you do. If you don’t have any fresh basil, don’t worry. The aioli is still bomb.com without.

The next time you are in search of a non-meaty, meaty burger, consider these. They will not disappoint, pinky swear.

We were invited to partake in a sampling of some of Chef Kevin’s finest offerings, and we are here to tell you that you should know about Savoy. You should go eat at Savoy. You should sit outside on the rooftop deck that has awesome views of Polish Hill and The Strip. You should listen to jazz here on Mondays. You should brunch here on Sundays.

All together now: Go to Savoy! Try it out!

Do you need more convincing? Here is the meal that wowed Julia, Mandy, and I:

Calamari and awesome sauce

First up? Calamari and shrimp. Pedestrian, right? False! Cooked to perfection, and tentacle free, this dish surprised us all. I personally would never order calamari at any restaurant. I just don’t care about it. However, I would order this at Savoy. In fact, I would make a special trip to Savoy just for this calamari.

Veggie salad!

Warm! Vegetable! Salad!

Chocolate ravioli

So we were a bit scared to try the chocolate ravioli filled with butternut squash accompanied by lobster. The most popular item on the menu, Chef Kevin had to outsource his recipe to a supplier to make so he could keep up with the demand. But chocolate and lobster? Really? What the what? Well surprise, surprise: This was good freakin’ stuff.

So good, in fact, I composed a chocolate ravioli haiku:

chocolate ravioli
lobster, cream, and heaven dust
belly full of dreams

BOOM. POETRY.

Palate cleanser

Palate cleanser. SERVED IN A FLOWER DISH.

Chicken and waffles

Beef two ways

 At this point in our meal, we were thinking, “how could this get better?” Enter: Beef two ways. Beef brisket and grilled filet… Or, melt in your mouth and melt in your mouthier. (The secret is in the sous vide.)

Salted caramel chocolate torte

The goodness keeps coming: Salted caramel chocolate torte.

PHEW. OK, so that was our meal. We left with very full stomachs and an appreciation for a very attentive wait staff and the unique Savoy atmosphere. Cozying up in a large banquette while the house lights danced and savoring an after dinner port, we felt fancy.

Go feel fancy at Savoy. Let us know what you think. We can’t wait to try the brunch buffet. We here it is epic!

***Note: our meal was free, courtesy of Savoy!