Pittsburgh Foodies Thread (suburbs, install, paid)

[fleetiebelle]

Vanilla Pastry is moving to Regent Square: The Sugar Fairy is moving

[BrianTH]

I can just hear our kids begging to go over there now! As noted in the article, we once had a much-loved bakery in Regent Square (in what is now Cibo), so this is a welcome return.

That news was also in this P-G roundup, and I found it interesting so much of it was about beer, plus a speakeasy:

Little Bites: Restaurant news this week - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[sealie]

That's fabulous news. I'd meant to go there and not gotten around to it, I'll have run out of excuses after they move.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Stijl Council

Mr. SC is very into their stuff. We've got some of the rye, white whiskey, and ginever. He especially likes the white whiskey as a cocktail base since it's pretty neutral. Apparently the ginever is tasty but definitely unusual for a gin-like spirit -- more herbal and fragrant.



I used to love that place too! Haven't been in a year or so, though, and that just for drinks -- now that they've switched from a Spanish menu to a more Moroccan menu there's just not as much I can eat there.

My new favorite since Pizzutti's is gone is Alma, which is just a short walk down the street for me.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

ANOTHER BURGER DISASTER!

Today, I tried to visit Burgatory. I visited their webpage and learned they had two locations:

Our Spots | Burgatory

It shows a map, and the downtown location was closer to my other errands, so I clicked on the link for that restaurant, and the corresponding location was illuminated on the map, 1001 Fifth St. The hours were displayed in the lower right. This morning I drove there and saw a TGI Friday's on the lower floor of the building, but I couldn't find Burgatory, though I drove around the building. Fortunately, I happened upon someone who works at the facility and informed me that they are only open on game days. There's no mention, however, of such restricted hours when the link for that location is clicked.

Burgatory appears rude, incompetent and indifferent to their client, and it's an open question whether I'll ever be motivated enough to chance visiting the Water Works location. The most essential purpose of a website is to tell me where they are and when they're open. If they fail at that, I can only ponder what else they slight.

This is why real foodies keep it corporate. Max and Erma's does a great job. Their website is up-to-date. Their menu, service and experience are all very good, up to industry standards, and predictable. There's no wasted in trips in dealing with the big leagues, and that's why they win. There's just too much risk and idiosyncrasy in dealing with the small shops.

People too often go out of their way to deal with local and small shops to make themselves feel "different," "special," or "in-the-know." More often than not, they're wasting time and money, as the corporate guys do a much better job.

I went to a Texas Road House for dinner, tonight. Mmmm, mmm. 1 1/2 hour wait for a table. People parking in the lots of other companies. The local Chick-fil-A is always jammed. These local places could only hope to be as successful. Just like everywhere in America, Pittsburghers love a well run chain restaurant.

By contrast, I foolishly tried to go to lunch at a place on Carson Street. I arrived at 11 a.m., only to find that it didn't open until Noon. I had to fight traffic hell to get there, and then I had to park on a tight potholed parking-metered (and hideously ugly to me) street. With my first choice not being open when it should, I found a gyro spot open, Mike and Tony's, only to hear the staff call it a "jye-row." Like nails on a chalkboard. Instead of heating the pita on a griddle, they grill it. Seriously. Like a steak, there were grill marks on my pita. I got to taste burnt bread with my gyro. Unbelievable.

My first choice was lucky that I learned of the place and doubly lucky that I tried to visit. Shame on him(?) for not being open. I'll only try once. That was also the one-and-only time I'll try that gyro spot.

When you get burned by these one-off oddball restaurants that do stupid things like not offering free parking, opening an hour and a half after lunch starts, not knowing how to pronounce menu items and idiosyncratically preparing food, you gradually realize that the smart and cool people go corporate for very sound reasons.

I knew better than to go to Carson Street, but I went, anyway, out of blind hope.

[Moby Hick]

I've never been to Mike and Tony's or Burgatory, but I do know that they've been bankrupt one less time than Max and Erma's.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I've never been to Mike and Tony's or Burgatory, but I do know that they've been bankrupt one less time than Max and Erma's.

So fly a local airline with run-down propeller planes to Spain. That airline will have been bankrupt one less time than Delta.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

you gradually realize that the smart and cool people go corporate for very sound reasons.

You want to be eat GMO food and live in cocooned comfort zone, there's plenty of room for you to do so. I find such people extremely uninteresting. And I don't know any "cool" people who regularly choose to eat at chains, only 'ugly Americans'. Give it up.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by sskink

You want to be eat GMO food and live in cocooned comfort zone, there's plenty of room for you to do so. I find such people extremely uninteresting. And I don't know any "cool" people who regularly choose to eat at chains, only 'ugly Americans'. Give it up.

I don't know if you run with the cool crowd. I don't think the Texas Roadhouse crowd I saw last night shares much in common with you.

Know this: urban, politically left, socially conscious, Luddite attitudes towards cars and interstates, etc. is the exact opposite of "cool."

Cool:



Not cool:

[sskink]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

I don't know if you run with the cool crowd. I don't think the Texas Roadhouse crowd I saw last night shares much in common with you.

Know this: urban, politically left, socially conscious, Luddite attitudes towards cars and interstates, etc. is the exact opposite of "cool."

Obviously you want to live in suburban Omaha. It's flat, lots of parking, plenty of chains. Why not just go? Most 'cool and smart' people manage their lives so they get to live where they want so they can do whatever motivates them.

Seems to me being against small business and innovation is pretty anti-American when it comes right down to it. Not cool.