Japanese Gyoza

Having now established my love of dumplings, I'm always looking to expand my dumpling horizons. Also known as "pot stickers," these are the Japanese version of dumplings (apparently!) and have a slightly thicker and different skin than wontons. The ones I tried were available on a lunch buffet, and after my first I went back for a second...and a third...and a fourth. Steamed and filled with a pork mixture, they were so light and delicious I couldn't stop eating them! I highly recommend giving them a shot if you've got the chance.

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Golden China
119 Floral Vale Boulevard
Yardley, Pennsylvania
http://mygoldenchina.webs.com/

The interior of the restaurant is classy, but not fancy - another great spot to bring friends or colleagues. The food is always fresh and my favorite is the lunch buffet - good food and great variety!

Greek Pizza

On a thin, flatbread crust that maintains a great balance between soft and crispy (and firm enough to hold all those toppings!), marvelous Greek flavors come together for a light-feeling but certainly satisfying lunch meal. Toppling with fresh olives, feta cheese, artichokes, red onions, and a little roasted pepper, and finished with a drizzle of balsamic, the flavors are great and the combination is even greater. I've ordered this twice now and have not been disappointed. A perfectly refreshing and nicely dressed side salad accompanies the pizza as well.

Where to enjoy this yourself:

Canal Street Grill
27 East Afton Avenue (->right in downtown Yardley)
Yardley, Pennsylvania
http://www.canalstreetgrill.com/

This restaurant really is a great place to stop in - with friends, family, colleagues, or by yourself. Recently redesigned inside - and with a nice seating area outside, as well - the service is great and the food is very good. A cup of soup or a side of their french fries is also highly recommended! You can't go wrong with the Canal Street Grill.

BEST Perogies

Sauteed in butter to perfection, these potato and onion filled perogies are as good as they get. Not only are they delicious - but during happy hour (5 - 7, I believe) they are CHEAP! We're talking 50 cents a piece. That's jaw-dropping cheap for great food - for the BEST food, especially. The stuffing was creamy and filling, and each platter of three perogies is served with some sour cream (blech...) and sauteed onions (score!). Bottom line, these are the BEST perogies I've ever had, and you can find them in a little dive Polish bar in downtown Pittsburgh. Who knew??

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Bloomfield Bridge Tavern
4412 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://bloomfieldbridgetavern.com/

Hotcakes

Hotcakes: not quite a pancake, not quite a crepe - but definitely delicious! These are unquestionably the only "breakfast wraps" I would ever consider eating (let-a-lone recommend). Pamela's hotcakes come in a number of delicious varieties, including blueberry, strawberry, chocolate banana...the list goes on. I was a little hesitant because most of them (for instance, the blueberry and strawberry) are both stuffed with brown sugar and sour cream - and I'm not a big fan of sour cream. But! They were great. The combination of ingredients all wrapped up in a piping hot hotcake was great. But beware...one platter is an awful lot for breakfast!

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Pamela's
Pittsburgh, PA
http://www.pamelasdiner.com

Here are all the different locations they have throughout Pittsburgh. Check out their website for exact locations of each branch:

- Mt. Lebanon
- Squirrel Hill
- Shadyside
- Millvale
- Oakland
- Strip District

Wolfgang Puck

Lupo's, in Las Vegas, is the first Wolfgang Puck restaurant I've been to. The food and ambiance was great, though I was a little disappointed with my dish (our server explained it to be quite different than it was, so I was expecting something else). The menu, about two pages long, is easy enough to read through but hard to make a decision about - everything really sounded wonderful. My dish was Scialatielli "Ai Quattro Passi" con Salsicce alla Bolognese, Basilico e Lamelle di Parmigiano - House Made Thick Noodle Pasta alla 'Quattro Passi', Sausage Bolognese, Cream, Basil, Parmesan. It was essentially a bolognese sauce over square-cut homemade pasta (that looked a lot like worms, actually). Their regular bolognese sauce is much brighter tasting, but my sauce had nice warm tones to it and the fresh basil added a nice light, fresh contrast to the dish.

The desserts were also delicious. I haven't seen zeppole ("zeppies") outside of a pizzeria - and they're a rare find even there. Traditionally small round donuts made from leftover pizza dough, the dough is fried and then tossed in a mountain of powdered sugar. They're messy, but delicious. But! These were ricotta zeppole, made with a ricotta dough base and served with a warm caramel and cool vanilla dipping sauce. They were great. I also have a photo of the tiramisu, ordered by my friends (very picturesque, but I'm not a big tiramisu fan) which got rave reviews from everyone else at the table.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Lupo by Wolfgang Puck
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/trattoria.aspx (menu available!)

Sorry for the hiatus! I've been out of town for a while (that means lots of new places I'll be posting about...soon) and have been all around busy catching up with things. So don't lose hope, I'll be back with more great food and photos soon!

I've also joined Yelp and started writing reviews, so you may want to check out my new link on the lower right to hear reviews of entire restaurants (instead of specific dishes at said restaurants). I'll prioritize updating my blog over Yelp, however, once I am all caught up. Hope to see you again soon, and thanks for stopping by! :-)