Showing posts with label Cocktails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cocktails. Show all posts

5.16.2013

Top Recipe Posts

Over the past year or so I've posted recipes that you readers loved. So why not remember the good times?
Here's a collection of the highest-viewed recipe posts from {A Dash of Spectacular}:

Boozy Cranberry Sauce. One of the most-viewed recipes that's not only beautiful, but so yummy, all year-round.

Kielbasa & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla. A recipe idea born from a grocery-store challenge. A delicious idea.

The Peach-Ginger-Hit Cocktail. Yes, she's a winner. Really.

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake. One of my personal favorites for a summer dessert with tropical or spicy cocktails.

4.13.2013

{PGH Dining} Tender Bar + Kitchen

Welcome back to Lawrenceville, Readers. I know you've heard about the place, skinny jeans and all, and you may have even been to an establishment or two in the past.  There's a new reason to hang out in Larryville, and it's Tender Bar + Kitchen. I'll affectionately call it 'T Bar'. So, T Bar opened super recently, so you haven't missed a whole lot yet, except for awesome cocktails*.
Previously, T Bar's space had been occupied by a thrift store concept shop from Wild Card and others. Each time we visited the run-down, unfinished space, we'd always get there after the good stuff was taken. At least that's what we told ourselves.
What a transformation this place has made. It's like a sexy cocktail lounge with good wall paper. 
We were seated in the front room, where the library-style wall, complete with movable ladder, was located, where glittering bottles of spirits are shelved. 
The menu page featured food on the front and a smattering of drink options on the back, including wine, beer, Arsenal cider, and cocktails.  Right away, I was drawn to a tiny corner of the menu featuring 30 classic cocktails, which the waitstaff will happy trill off ingredients for you if you need a refresher on a Navy Grog.  It's nice to see something so honest it's hipster. Kidding, but it really was happily 'Mad Men'-esque to have these listed.
Which ones did we order? Well, they came from the house cocktail section and from off the menu.

1.14.2013

{Over The Weekend} Chili Cookoff and Home Decor

Monday again.
And, it's already afternoon! Where has this day gone?
Never mind that, I'll just think on what a great weekend I had. It started Friday night with a cocktail: Disaronno and Red Ribbon Root Beer.
I'd mistakenly sworn off the unique taste of root beer years before, as it didn't suit my taste buds. So much wasted time. This cocktail is a sweet go-to now, especially with craft root beer. 

10.18.2012

{Shop Love} Neiman Marcus + Target Collection

You guys, the southern girl in me has emerged in giddy smiles.
I got a very exciting email today from Target.
Not personally, but you know what I mean. 
They are launching a partnership with Neiman Marcus {read Stanley Marcus, of hometown fame} this December.  They've brought in designs and products from some of Neiman Marcus' best designers and lines, and there's some pretty fabulous items for the home and travel.


A few of my favorites:







These lovelies are available in both Target and Neiman's, and can be found online - all on December 1st. What can't you live without this holiday season?

6.10.2012

Wigle Whiskey Tour

One of the Wigle's Whiskey makers themselves contacted me and thanked me for thinking of their whiskey when concocting my cocktail recipe for Braddock's contest.  Meredith Grelli invited me and Husband to come for their tour yesterday, and I was thrilled - I'd tried to book a spot for us while James was visiting, but they were booked solid for weeks! 
Enjoy the tour yourself {if you're in Pittsburgh}, or take a look at a few photos from the incredibly entertaining tour of the facility.
 We stepped into the back room of the Wigle distillery on Smallman Street, and began our tour with...Cocktails!
My cocktail of White Wheat Whiskey and pomegranate juice!

6.09.2012

PGH Dining: Bar Marco

If you're walking in the right direction on the right street in Pittsburgh, you'll be lucky enough to see Bar Marco.  Walk in, sit down, and order a drink, because this is an experience all to itself.

6.03.2012

Checking In {Best Friend Weekend}

Hi Folks!  I'm taking a second to check in after a fabulous weekend with the best friend and Husband.  We missed having her husband here, but that's how the cards fell this time, unfortunately.  We had a relaxing weekend of food, drinks and taking photos as we walked along, seeing the sights of Pittsburgh.  We were lucky to have great weather {compared to the heatwave of a week ago}. I'll share a few photos from our weekend:
Just arrived!
Drinks & dinner at Round Corner Cantina.
Drinks at Bar Marco. 
Shopping on Butler; at Wildcard.
Lawrenceville Farmer's Market; opening weekend.


Picnic in Highland Park. 

Three Rivers Arts Festival

Monogahela Incline; Mt. Washington.

Love Lock in Oakland.
The Cathedral of Learning.

Diplomacy Rooms: Africa.
Bunny Friend at the Stephen Foster Memorial. 
We had such a fantastic time this weekend!  Next time can't come soon enough.

5.31.2012

Braddock's Whiskey Contest & The P.G.H.!

One of my favorite restaurants in town, Braddock's American Brasserie, recently hosted a Whiskey Cocktail Contest, asking for entries of the best whiskey cocktails from Pittsburghers. After holing myself up in my kitchen for a few hours with some peaches, whiskey and ginger, I came up with the P.G.H. {Peach Ginger Hit!}.
Drunkenly perhaps, I based my drink on my viewpoint as a new 'Burgher. While some folks think of Pittsburgh as a has-been, I'm of the camp that celebrates PGH as the Comeback Kid. There's so much to offer here, and the sassy Pittsburgh voice has a lot to say.

Fortunately, the judges heard that voice {however drunken it was}.


I won the contest! Although I didn't receive the most votes {read: Facebook "likes"}, I got the Braddock's vote.  My cocktail was chosen "for the great summer-inspired taste." I feel so honored!
I plan to walk into Braddock's as soon as possible to order my cocktail.


What a blissful moment.
So, here's the recipe for you to make your own P.G.H. at home!

3.10.2012

PGH Dining: Round Corner Cantina

Through the stress of doing temp work and trying to wait patiently for full-time work, sometimes you just need to take a break and cut loose. Back in college, the "work" was more about mid-term tests and 10-page papers, but we would walk the block over from campus to a famous watering hole called Chimy's Cerveceria. This place is a thing of legend among West Texas alumni, and it's a must-visit when I go back. Chimy's is in a converted old house, and serves lots of beer, margaritas and Mexican food made with love. These margaritas aren't just normal tequila-lime-mixer-salt drinks...they're everclear-infused gold that pair well with greasy Mexican food.

Round Corner Cantina was our closest choice to get this stress-relieving party started, like in our Chimy's days. Truth be told, we weren't expecting much. We just wanted cold drinks coupled with salty chips and salsa. We got so much more!
We walked into the front room, which is composed of a long bar with tons of stools. We looked around briefly, and discovered a back room, filled with tables and chairs. 
In the middle of the back room.
We staked our claim, and sat down to a margarita for me, and a PITCHER of beer for Husband. That was his drink for the evening, and I continued to order several items while it was still happy hour. 
Pitcher and Margarita.
 When you're going to order food, Round Corner Cantina gives you chips and salsa for free. ($3.50 value) Nice!
I proceeded to order more drinks, including this lovely sangria, which was more like zooty fruit punch. I drank it down, nonetheless. Yum!
The decor of the back room is fun and festive. Just what you need after looking at a computer screen for 40+ hours. 
 Paper fringe hangs form the ceiling, and Mexican films are projected onto a screen on one wall. 
 Then, we capped off our drink fest with shots of Patron with lime. We were serious about our libations.
 After about 4 delicious drinks in, we decided it was a dire situation and we desperately needed to order food. Husband ordered the tamales con rajas, esquires (street-style corn), tacos de pescado (fish taco), and guacamole for us to share. 
Tamales.
These tamales were stuffed with poblano and chicken, and were served with a sweet tomatillo sauce. The masa and corn husk wrappers were super fresh.
Esquites.
 The street-style corn was served in a earthenware cup, and resembled a creamed corn because it was layered with crema, crumbled cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. This was Husband's favorite dish.
Tacos de Pescados.
 The fish tacos had slices of radish on the side and a spicy crema on top, adding to the kick in each bite. They were quite a bit of food shoved into two corn tortillas. 
With lime.
And a spicy crema.
 As we finished the last of our drinks, the guacamole hit the spot.* It was slightly chunky, but thankfully didn't feature the cardinal sins of guacamole (tomatoes, black beans, corn, etc.) In our book, adding those ingredients make it a SALSA not a GUACAMOLE. This offering had a lingering spice to each bite because of the residual pepper juice from the sliced jalapeño on top. Lovely!
Guacamole, with sliced fresh jalapeño.
Each dish was seasoned well, and tasted like it should. From Texans who favor Tex-Mex as their comfort food, that's a big compliment.
Husband and I will be visiting Round Corner Cantina as much as we possibly can. It was a perfect match for our nostalgic pining for Chimy's, but still broke out on it's own with the extraordinary food.

Round Corner Cantina on Urbanspoon

*Note: Husband and I live in Lawrenceville, which is where Round Corner is located. Thus, we walked home! Bonus!