Sriracha Peas

Me and Sarah with our bag o’ tacos (1 of them…)

Indian Butter Chicken. WHAT?! Delish.

Indian Butter Chicken

Even more delish… Pork with Pineapple Citrus Salsa (and that pineapple was not out of a can).

Pork and Pineapple

Keep track of the truck so you can getchu some!

First stop, La Gourmandine in Lawerenceville. We opted for the classics, an eclair, chocolate croissant and cream puff. Oh hai!

All the French pastry classics!

Then we made the trek to Oakmont Bakery where we each had a giant paczki. Cherry for me, and cream filled for my friend!

Giant Paczki!

Just to make sure we didn’t go into sugar shock, we saved the last spot on the tour for the following morning… Trax Farms. CINNAMON ROLL!

Trax Farms Cinnamon Roll

Where are some of your favorite spots to get a sugar fix first thing in the morning?

The mac and cheese! Let’s talk about how creamy this stuff was… CREAMY! With delicate cheesy sprinkles on top.

The creamiest!

Their version of a Cuban Sandwich.

Bartram’s Cuban

And bean soup.

Bean soup reminds me of my dad… hi dad!

I was STUFFED. But everything so totally worth it. Comfort food at it’s finest.

Giving out our John Hancocks!

G Squared Gallery in Ligonier showing us the love. <3

We may have even found ourselves a new publicist!

Sarah and Laura with Judy from G Squared!

After we closed up shop on the signing, our gracious hosts treated us to a legendary lunch at The Kitchen on Main. A beautiful restaurant nestled right beside G Squared, serves up breakfast (ALL DAY!), lunch and dinner. Everything on the menu looked good and it was difficult to decide what to order. We had a great seat and sneaked peeks at the plates coming out of the kitchen. Salads piled miles high, soup served in real people bowls (as opposed to teeny tiny give me a bigger dish cups) and did I mention… BREAKFAST!?

Our table munched on Eggs Benedict, Burgers, Turkey Sandwiches and Salmon Burgers. And tons… of… fries.

Look at those sweet tater fries!

Because we are who we are… we couldn’t pass up the Ligonier Creamery. One of the only places on planet Earth (that I know of) that sells Teaberry ice cream. Teaberry is my favorite gum (yes, like an old man) and anyone who knows me knows that aside from pizza, ice cream is my favorite food. Match. Made. In. Heaven.

I of course had to get sprinkles. And these weren’t your average waxy colorful dots. These were crystallized, crunchy, sugary, sprinkles.

Teaberry ice cream from Ligonier Creamery!

Then we had to walk off all the food we just consumed. So we moseyed into Second Chapter books and perused the adjoining bead shop.

Overall, good times were had in Ligonier. We’ll come back soon. Thanks friends!!

Chips and Curry

I had a tough time trying to pick just one thing to eat here. So many things on the menu looked so interesting. Including the Sweet Potato Po Boy. I’m not into wraps because I think they are a weak sandwich. But the idea of sweet potato fritters with cajun mayo made my mouth water. Next time PP.

So, we ended up with some more traditional fare. Bangers & Mash for me and Shepherd’s Pie for her. Both meals were swimming in thick brown gravy. And both warmed up our bellies in a matter of minutes. After a beer and the fries and all but one bite of banger and one mound of mashed taters… I had to tap out. I turned to my friend and looking for a little sympathy, said, “I’m full”. I had a look of slight sadness in my eyes and she responded in her teacher tone, “Well, yea. We just ate a man’s meal.”

Bangers and Mash

Go us. P.S. How about a smile next time bartender?

What’s your go to meal when you need to get warm from the inside out?

Display of Cakes at Bartram House Bakery in McMurray

This place took me by complete surprise. I LOVE when that happens! Tucked away in strip of storefronts in McMurray, Bartram House Bakery is way more than a bakery. Filled with cute tables, both high top counter style seats and cozy 2 tops, Bartram House serves up soups, salads, sandwiches and a select few sides to the tune of mac and cheese, coleslaw and cabbage and noodles. The soups are posted daily and the sandwiches range from your average deli options like the Club and BLT to heartier options like Pulled Pork and Grilled Cheese. Totally unexpected judging by the name! I went in while I had delicious Pad Thai from The Bean Curd in my car…. so alas, so dinner for me, but as Arnie says, “I’ll be back”.
Picture this… my face pressed flat against the glass, eyes bugged out, perhaps a little drool happening. If you look closely, you can just barely make out my face smudge right there by double chocolate cake. See that?

Cakes, pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, tarts, brownies, muffins, bearclaws, pepperoni rolls. Wait… pepperoni rolls? Yep.  In that sweet line up of delightful desserts rested a tray of perfect rolled pepperoni puffs. Say wha? Kinda weird but I don’t even care.

I spent a good long while debating which treat to take home with me but after much deliberation I had to decide on two treats. Thankfully I had a friend with which to share the sweets. We took one slice of Coconut Cream Pie and one piece of the Tiramisu. Good. Good. Decisions. While I may have decided I’m not a huge fan of meringue… the Coconut Cream pie had the perfect ratio of cream to crust and the toasted coconut on top provided a little crunch. Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts next to ice cream… so I was intrigued by this version. It was more of a cake, and drier than most I’ve had. It wasn’t soaked, which meant the flavors weren’t as bold but it was piled high with layers of cocoa, spongey cake and cream.

Has anyone ventured out that way for a sugary snack or better yet… real food? Curious to hear if it’s worth the trip back!

Mineo’s Pizza House

I had all the best intentions of trying out Aiello’s Pizza in Squirrel Hill this past weekend but I just couldn’t go through with it. Mineo’s is my hands down favorite and I felt so guilty with it being just a few doors down. I love spending less than $5 on two, large, super greasy slices of pie. I love that I know it’s going to be consistently delightful. I love that I live a few blocks away….

One day I’ll finally try something else.

What are some of the best pizza places in the burgh?

But last night I paid a visit to this Italian restaurant in Allentown and I believe I have officially reached food nirvana. We often get asked at book signings where the best Italian food is in this city. And, I’m here to tell you it is at Alla Famiglia. I double dog dare you to prove me wrong. Seriously, some of the best food I have eaten in this city. Period.

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When you go to Alla Famiglia, be sure to make a reservation and ask to be seated on the first floor at one of the handful of tables that look into the open kitchen.  In this open kitchen, chefs prepare all of the meals, from pasta courses to meaty entrees. Smells of robust flavors fill the room, flames shoot up high above the sizzling pans on the stove, and the chefs call out to you, asking how your meal is and if you need anything. When you dine at Alla Famiglia, you are engaging in a dining experience of multiple courses of food served at a pleasant, non-rushed pace. It’s a lovely, engaging, and filling experience, something I recommend each of you experience for yourselves.

Upon arriving at Alla Famiglia, my table was not ready, so my party and I were sent up to the Trenta Cocktail Lounge, located on the second floor. We enjoyed a round of cocktails and met owner, Jonathan. He filled us in on the menu and even allowed us to taste one of the signature house pasta dishes: pasta with cheese, fresh cracked peppercorns, sea salt, and olive oil, served and tossed inside of a cheese wheel. Picture that! (because I didn’t get a picture of this awesomeness).

Once our table was ready, we were greeted with a table full of accouterments for the breadbasket of white, Italian bread. On the table was a spicy “Holy Oil,” cecci bean gustoso, and a goat cheese and olive spread. Also on the table was grated cheese that our waiter, Clint, said we would use multiple times throughout the course of dinner. He was totally right.

Small bowls, packed with flavor to accompany the breadbasket.

Appetizers:

One of the appetizer specialties at Alla Famiglia is the gigantic meatball stuffed with fresh mozzarella and served in a bed of tomato sauce. This is definitely a must-try appetizer that can not be passed up.

One gigantic meatball? Yes, please!

Just a warning, appetizers here are made to serve about four people each, so getting just one to share with your table will be plenty. Each entrée at Alla Famiglia is served with a salad and a pasta course, so be sure not to fill up on too much Italian bread and appetizers beforehand. I definitely recommend you pace yourself during your dining experience because you are going to get A TON of food throughout your dinner.

Salad:

Crisp pieces of romaine lettuce fill a bowl with a variety of goodies, including roasted red peppers, candied walnuts, several kinds of olives, and a light, sweet dressing.

Crisp and refreshing salad.

Pasta Course:

The pasta of the day was the Alla Famiglia Vodka Sauce (which you can buy pre-bottled at the restaurant). The pasta is not made in house, but purchased from Penn Mac in the strip. A spicy chili oil is served in a bottle with the pasta in case you want to amp up the spice level.

Now, I am not a fan of pasta. Strange, but true. I have to tell you that Alla Famiglia has won me over with this simple vodka pasta sauce. Seriously, I’m devouring my leftovers of this pasta course as soon as I’m done writing this blog post.

Pasta with creamy vodka sauce, topped with fresh basil.

Entrée:

For my entrée, I went with the Filet Mignon Gorgonzola: center cut filet roasted over hot coals and finished with a Gorgonzola cream and port wine reduction. Probably the best filet I have ever had. I say probably in case there is a better filet out there, which I doubt. The char from the hot coals provided a crusty outer layer to the buttery, meaty inside. The Gorgonzola cream provided a rich and salty flavor that was balanced by the sweeter wine reduction.

Filet, gorgonzola cream sauce, wine reduction, green and red peppers. Absolute perfection.

Dessert:

I just couldn’t do it. After all of these courses, glasses of wine, and bread. I just couldn’t. But, I’ll be back Alla Famiglia. This place is known for their non-traditional raspberry almond tiramisu. I’ll totes be back to try that.

At Alla Famiglia, I reached food nirvana. This will definitely be the first restaurant I write about in our next book.

After catching a few tunes by the legendary Cahal Dunne, we took a jaunt around the field to check out the booths, gave a sheep a pet and a baa then took to the road to get some ice cream! I would have driven right past Page’s Dairy Mart. Good thing Julie  had the lowdown on the place. Without skipping a beat, I ordered the Strawberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. I peeked inside the window as they mixed strawberry sauce right into the ice cream, creating the most beautiful pink frozen treat ever! It was a lot of ice cream. A normal person wouldn’t be able to finish it… *coughJulieandSarahscrapedsomeintothegarbagecancough* and I had to look away in horror. I can’t wait to go back and try another combination as they have tons of toppings!

Seriously, two dinners at two fine establishments on Carson St. in the South Side.

My first dinner was at Piper’s Pub, always a solid choice when looking for a dining option in the South Side. Inspired by the British Isles, Piper’s menu consists of sandwiches, salads,  and hearty Irish entrees. I SO wanted to order the Lamb and Smoked Chestnut Shepard’s Pie, but knowing I was in for eating two dinners this night, I opted for the Rachel (with sauerkraut) and a side of fries.

This grilled sandwich was a bit heavy on the grease, but the real star of the plate was the fresh-cut french fries. As a self-proclaimed french fry connoisseur, I immediately tasted the freshness in these french fries. I later learned via Twitter that Piper’s had made the move from frozen to fresh cut fries. Much applause for this Piper’s. (insert claps). I also learned that they are opening up a new something-or-rather involving food next door. We will be sure to let you know what that’s all about when they let us know.

My second dinner found me across the street at Fat Head’s. (Note: Fat Head’s has a mighty fine Turkey Reuben on the menu . Possibly one of my top favorite Turkey Reubens in the city).

After already consuming one dinner, I figured I should go “lighter” on this meal and order an appetizer.  Being a Pittsburgher and in the South Side, I HAD to order the Fried Pierogies.

You know what I got when I received this basket of fried pierogies? A huge side of disappointment. By the looks of these, they appear to be Mrs T’s. Though I can’t confirm it, they are absolutely factory made. I get that factory made pierogi are more economical, yadda, yadda, yadda, but we are in Pittsburgh folks! Let’s hand-make our pierogies or find one of the many church ladies who are already making them and buy local.

Can I get an amen?