Custom Hotcakes

Now, I've already posted about hotcakes. And I don't like to be redundant. But! THESE hotcakes aren't on the menu - they're a custom make-up of the best they have to offer (in my humble opinion :)

Pamela's offers a few really great combinations to fill their crispy-edged hotcakes. Fresh banana with chocolate chips and whipped cream is one...fresh strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar is another. So why not have the best of both worlds?? Fresh strawberries with chocolate chips and whipped cream? Yes, please!

Where you can enjoy these by request 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

BEST Calamari

I've mentioned in earlier posts that I usually just eat calamari for the sauce - it's all about using something fried as a vessel for great marinara. But - similarly to last time, while in Pittsburgh - I've disproved my own theory. The calamari at Wholey's fish market doesn't need a sauce, or a light dressing, or even some lemon juice: it's calamari in its purest form, and it is DELICIOUS. We asked for a small side (big mistake...we went back once? twice?? to order more) and they took out the raw calamari from the case - calamari that could only have been caught and brought in earlier that morning, it tasted SO fresh. They dredged each piece quickly in some flour then threw them into the boiling oil, and in about a minute or two we were given a piping hot, fresh order of the side.

I feel a little blasphemous saying this, but I now realize...marinara is just a cover up for mediocre calamari. And that's okay! Because I really love marinara. But truly good, fresh calamari doesn't need to be dressed up at all. I didn't think it was even possible until Wholey's. They've changed the way I now look at fish.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Wholey Fish Market
1711 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.wholey.com/

"Red" Polish Platter

In my opinion, this is the best way to try a new type of food: sample platter! Here, we've got a Pierogi (looks like a dumpling), Kielbasa (grilled meat in the middle of the plate), Golabki (stuffed cabbage - it's the red stuff on the left), Haluski (cabbage noodles - that'd be at the top of the plate), and Kluski (homemade noodles and cottage cheese).

I like Kielbasa - hot dogs would be the American equivalent, bratwurst would be the German equivalent of this meat. The perogies, filled here with mashed potatoes and onions, are the BEST Perogies I've had. But what surprised me the most was the stuffed cabbage. I really don't like cabbage - I go out of my way to avoid it, in fact - but I DO love tomato sauce. So...I was willing to give it a shot. And it was pretty darn good! (Read: couldn't taste the cabbage at all ;-)

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

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

Oven Roasted Vegetable Ravioli

Nothing says vegetable like the color green! The mascarpone and ricotta filling is blended seamlessly with a blend of fresh vegetables (none of which were particularly distinct, in a good way) and swimming in a roasted tomato sauce, topped with fresh basil and grated cheese.

What's neat about this restaurant, Church Brew Works, is it is as it sounds: once a church, it is now a brewery. A unique reuse of the building (and all the more commendable for it, in my mind!), the homemade beer is supposed to be very good - but for me, the homemade cream soda stole the show. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the cream soda (believe it or not - it looked like ever other glass of cream soda you've seen, haha), but I do highly recommend it!

Where you can enjoy these yourself:

Church Brew Works
3525 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.churchbrew.com/

Waffles and Ice Cream

This little cafe, with a few table and chair sets and lots of fun adornments on the walls, can't be more than twenty feet wide - but it's about a hundred feet long! This was a must on my list of things to do in Pittsburgh: I'd heard rumors of a little specialty shop that's all about ice cream and waffles. What could be a better combination??? Though I don't know if I'd come back for the waffles, their ice cream was GREAT - and you see that infinite list on the blackboard?? Those were all the different flavors of ice cream they had, or could whip up for you. Because I had a cinnamon waffle, I just went with plain (fresh) vanilla bean ice cream - but it was really, really good. So good, it's actually a contender for the BEST Vanilla Ice Cream category. I also got a bite of peach ice cream (they mix it with the peaches right there) and a vanilla cookie ice cream. The sky's the limit and the staff seemed willing to indulge any flavor you could think up - so be creative!

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Oh Yeah! Ice Cream and Coffee
232 South Highland Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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

Parmesan-Encrusted Shrimp

...With lump white crab meat over angel hair in a fresh-tomato-and-basil sauce. Really, delicious. I wasn't expecting the shrimp to be fried, but they were still very good - and I have really developed a taste for crab lately, so the garnish of crab meat was perfect for me. And the sauce! When we were walking into the restaurant, we actually passed a half-empty plate that had nothing but angel hair and this sauce left on it. It looked wonderful - imagine my happy surprise to realize it came with the Parmesan-encrusted shrimp, too!!

(Details copied from post immediately below)

Where you can enjoy this:

The Grand Concourse
100 West Station Square Drive
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.muer.com/

This is an expensive restaurant, but it's worth the money if you have a special occasion, as I did :-) The main dining hall is in a historic, renovated train station (which, as a designer, had me drooling as much as the food did) and the second dining room is right on the river and looks out over downtown Pittsburgh. If you make reservations, be sure to request one of these two main dining rooms.

Fried Calamari

Since I gave calamari a realistic try about four years ago (as opposed to a kiddish try, trying to gross out my sister, back in the day) I've loved eating it. But here's my confession: I eat calamari primarily for the dipping sauce. Marinara is my favorite (no surprises there!). It wasn't until this appetizer dish that I realized how much I enjoy calamari for itself. What was really unique about these fried calamari is they were in some sort of a light, flavorful, sweet sauce tossed with slices of candied onions, red and green peppers, and chives. The sauce (even though it was light), fried-ness, and calamari itself were also in perfect balance, which I greatly appreciate, and all in all it was a surprisingly hearty appetizer.

Where you can enjoy this:

The Grand Concourse
100 West Station Square Drive
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.muer.com/

This is an expensive restaurant, but it's worth the money if you have a special occasion, as I did :-) The main dining hall is in a historic, renovated train station (which, as a designer, had me drooling as much as the food did) and the second dining room is right on the river and looks out over downtown Pittsburgh. If you make reservations, be sure to request one of these two main dining rooms.