*DISCLAIMER*: I do not seek monetary benefits from any of these restaurants, restaurant owners, food trucks and dishes. I am just a Pittsburgh foodie, who enjoys sharing her food adventures! All photos were taken with my iPhone 4S, utilizing Instagram.
*Links to websites and social media below this post!*
I apologize for the lack of posts! I’ve been busy being a social butterfly and going on foodie adventures! Here’s the second installment in my “Summer Foodie Adventures” series!
Towards the end of July, one of my FAVORITE comedians (Bill Maher) performed his stand-up show at Heinz Hall. My Mom and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner before the show. This was my first dish of the night: Butcher & The Rye‘s Caesar Salad! Kale was used in place of romaine (which I LOVED)! Also, there was a lovely piece of bread hiding underneath, with anchovy/caesar salad dressing! 😀
The second dish (and main course) of the night was Butcher & The Rye’s Cauliflower dish (which was THE best cauliflower dish I’ve EVER had)! The cauliflower was cooked to perfection! There was also brown butter, roasted farro grain, baby carrots, pine nuts, harissa yogurt and romanesco! 😀
Of course, I had to get dessert! I ordered the S’mores dessert (which sounded too good to pass up)! The S’more dessert features: bourbon marshmallows, chocolate rope, brown butter ice cream and graham cracker soil! My favorite parts were the chocolate rope and the brown butter ice cream! ❤
Here’s another glamor shot of the FABULOUS S’mores dessert! 😀
Recently, I visited Sienna Mercato for the first time (right after another show). I was so hungry that I forgot to take photos of the MAIN dishes (lol), which were: gyro-inspired meatballs with pita bread and yogurt sauce, tater tots and fried pickle chips. I REALLY loved the main course and the tater tots!
For dessert, I ordered these beauties above: warm ricotta donuts! I didn’t capture a photo of the fudge dipping sauce, but the combination of the light ricotta donuts with he decadent chocolate fudge was absolutely HEAVENLY! 😀 Customers can order the Warm Ricotta Donuts on the first level (which I believe is called the Emporium).
Last week, my Mom and I planned a Strip District adventure on one of my days off from work. We stopped by Marty’s Market for the first time (which is a foodie’s DELIGHT), and we visited old favorites (such as: Penn Mac, Enrico’s, Mon Aimee Chocolat and the Pittsburgh Public Market).
Right outside of the Pittsburgh Public Market, there was a min-food truck round-up, featuring PGH Crepes and South Side BBQ Co. Since I have sampled food from the PGH Crepes cart before, I decided to be adventurous and order some food from the South Side BBQ Co. food truck.
Here’s what I ordered: the “Redneck” sammich (Brisket, Pork, french dressing and cole slaw) with honey-glazed sweet potato! Let me tell you: this lunch was some of the best food I’ve had from ANY and ALL food trucks in Pittsburgh! Plus, the two guys running the truck were super friendly (and good conversationalist)! One of the owners of the truck is holding lunch for me as I snapped a picture. They were so excited that I was taking photos of the truck!
Close-up shot of my GLORIOUS lunch! As Bourdain would say: “Oh yeah, baby; the good stuff”! 😀
Next, my Mom & I dined at Meat & Potatoes before a matinee show of SPAMALOT at the Benedum Center. We were both so excited for brunch! Besides attending the food blogger brunch in January, I haven’t been to Meat & Potatoes for brunch in a while (I usually go for dinner). I’ve been thinking about M&P’s brunch for MONTHS. Thus, it was time to plan my inevitable return for brunch at Meat & Potatoes.
I was greeted by one of the hostess and the co-owner of Meat & Potatoes and Butcher & The Rye, Tolga Sevdik. In my opinion, Chef Richard DeShantz picked the perfect business partner for his second and third restaurants. Tolga pays attention to every detail of the restaurant: from who’s walking in, to whether the tables are cleared and ready for the next guests, to insuring that the bar is clean and presentable. I’ve seen Tolga assist the hostesses by seating customers at the table, and even bring out dishes and pour drinks for customers. Tolga does everything and anything to make sure that those two restaurants are running smoothly, and the hard work of both Richard and Tolga is evident with the constant success and busy-ness of the two restaurants.
Anyway, on to brunch! I ordered Chicken & Waffles (which I have been craving for WEEKS), with a cheddar jalapeno waffle and bourbon-bacon maple syrup. Let me tell you: from the moment I started eating this dish, I wondered if I had made it to heaven (even if just for a short time). The dish is that good- trust me! Don’t eat breakfast beforehand, though. Do what I did and save your appetite (as you can see, it’s a generous portion). Also, I ordered the brunch punch (pictured in the upper right hand corner of the photo), which was a white sangria punch. Soooo good! 😀
Closeup shot of the LOVELY Chicken & Waffles dish- southern comfort food at it’s finest on the east coast (and in the ‘burgh)! 😀
My most recent foodie adventure occurred this past Sunday; my Mom and I drove out to Lawrenceville, seeking out what I’ve been told to be the most authentic and some of the best Thai food in the ‘burgh! The result: Pusadee’s Garden!
I wish I could’ve taken photos of the outdoor garden seating area, but I didn’t want to disturb my fellow diners. I really felt like I was transported to Thailand; the garden was so peaceful and idyllic.
I was so happy to read the menu! I noticed dishes that I’ve NEVER seen on a Thai menu before in Pittsburgh! I could tell this was an authentic Thai restaurant. The women who worked at the restaurant were speaking a different language (I assume the native language of Thailand?); that also assured me that this was an authentic gem of a restaurant.
The dish above was called “Street Noodle #2“, which featured egg noodles, bok choy and shrimp tempura. Everything about this dish was perfect! The noodles were scrumptious, the shrimp had a light coating (hence the Tempura) and tasted so fresh! Plus, the bok choy added an interest taste dimension to the elements of this dish. I must say, Pusadee’s Garden wins my vote as the best and most authentic Thai food in Pittsburgh! 😀
Once again, I HAD to order dessert! I chose the coconut ice cream (which had a very interesting texture! I think coconut milk was used to make the ice cream). I loved the taste contrast between the creaminess of the coconut milk ice cream with the crispy-ness of the toasted coconut pieces on top of this dish!
That’s all of for my summer foodie adventures (for now)! Stay tuned, foodies! This week is Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, and I will be posting about my dinner at Bistro 19 and my brunch at Verde! 😀
Happy Dining,
-Friendly Pittsburgh Foodie
Butcher & The Rye’s Facebook page
Butcher & The Rye’s Instagram page
Sienna Mercato’s Facebook page
South Side BBQ Co.’s Facebook page
Meat & Potatoes’ Facebook page
Mindful Pittsburgh Foodie 
Hey there! My name is nadine Champsi and I’m working on an article about local food bloggers. Wondering if you could send me an email at pittsburghmommyblog@gmail.com?