{Travel} Road Tripping to Lexington & Cincy

To continue the streak of short, cheap value-conscious trips, Husband and I jumped in my beloved 2006 Jetta and drove to Lexington to meet our friend James, who recently moved to Nashville. {Evidently it shall not be referred to as NashVEGAS, which is likened to calling San Francisco, 'Frisco. Oops.} You may remember James from his guest post during Pittsburgh Craft Beer week last year.  Anyway, according to Meetways.com, Covington, KY is the mid-point between these two fine cities. Covington is across the river from Cincinnati, so we called for a road trip.  

Cincy is about 4 and three-quarters hours from Pittsburgh, so we left around 2pm...to get stuck in PGH traffic! Lesson learned.

Husband and James love craft beverages, thus we made a side trip {or a starting point?} of Lexington, Kentucky. We rolled into town around 9pm on Friday night, amidst the rain. Husband and I had just finished listening to Wave, so we were definitely in the mood for a drink.

{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.

{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.

Take a look at the collection here.

A few of my favorites:

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Cristin {Ashley} on Pinterest

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?

PGH Dining: Rock Bottom

As I said before, I am very backed up on PGH Dining posts.  For example, the post you're about to read was from a dinner we ate in late February.  I apologize for my tardiness!  Rock Bottom is part of the restaurant chain that encompasses Gordon Biersch (Craft Works Restaurants & Breweries), which was one of our favorite "beer and bite" restaurants in Dallas.  Husband and I had no idea when we first stopped in to the location in Pittsburgh's Waterfront shopping area. 

PGH Dining: Shiloh Grill

It's been a while since I ate at Shiloh Grill, and I'm just now getting to write up a post. This is a shame, because it's worth writing about - the staff knows their beer, and any beer lover would enjoy eating at this establishment before or after taking in the view from Mt. Washington.

If you recall from an earlier post about Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week, I posted several photos of gorgeous, cold beer. {Can you tell I'm writing this on a hot day?} Many of those photos are of the beer selection at Shiloh Grill.

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!

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.

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.

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!

{Health} Moab Juices!

We've been in a HEATWAVE over the last week, and I was fortunate to have a set of MOAB juices sent to me in the nick of time, people.  100% juice.  A godsend, I tell ya.

 Hello, juices!

{Guest Post} Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week

Our friend James was in town this past weekend for Pittsburgh's first Craft Beer Week.  How advantageous that our most knowledgable beer buddy would visit PGH while this craft beer celebration was going on! It must have been fate. Either way, since I don't know much about beer {other than it tastes good!}, I've asked him to write a short guest post on the subject. Without him by our side, we would have been full of questions about the beer menus.  Thanks for accompanying us, James, on a week we hope to replicate many times over!  

I was lucky enough to visit Pittsburgh on their inaugural craft beer week. While we didn't do too many of the events, we still had fun. We got a sneak peak of the Dogfish Dinner at Shiloh Grill and went to Hofbrauhaus for their party/trivia event. I also got to try a ton of new beer {he can't get in the South}, so it was a successful trip.

Here is a little Q&A from Ashley.

Questions:

1. What is the difference between craft beer and regular beer? How is the process different?

Craft beer is brewed on a smaller scale with more thought and stories behind the beer. The process of brewing doesn't change materially but the ingredients and the style varies. I would compare it to the local restaurant vs the mega-chain.

2. What are some of the most 'known' craft beers? Or are there any?

Sam Adams' Boston Lager, New Belgium's Fat Tire and Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale are probably the top 3 most recognized craft beers. The more well-known craft breweries are Sam Adams, Dogfish Head, New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, Rogue, Avery, and Stone among others. (Shiner for the people in Texas.)

3. What are the types of craft beer {i.e. hoppy, stout, etc.} What do they taste like?

There are way too many styles of beer. There are also people like Sam Caligione at Dogfish Head that pretty much invents a style each time he brews a new beer. You have your popular styles like Pale Ale (semi-hoppy), IPA-India Pale Ale (very hoppy), Stout (dark and thick), Lager (clear and crisp). I maintain that there is a beer/style for every palette.

4. What are some of your favorite craft beer makers?

My favorite brewery right now is Great Divide out of Denver. They make an incredible stout (Yeti) and even a good fruit beer (Wild Raspberry Ale), among other solid beers. Dogfish Head is another favorite. They brew from the tiny state of Delaware and they are known for stretching the boundaries of beer. Of note is their line of Ancient Ales, recipes researched by historians to get close to historic as possible. Also their Music line, with ales brewed for greats such as Miles Davis, Pearl Jam and Robert Johnson.

James in the background texting his Beer Buds about Hellhound.

5. What are some of your favorite local/PA/PGH craft beers?

Yuengling is a great representation of what a macro pale lager (Bud/Miller/Coors) should be. The Troegs bros also make some great brew.

6. Can you give some recommendations for those of us novices on ordering craft beers we'd like? (ex. if we like red stripe/dos equis/stouts, what should we order?)

My first piece of advice is to try a lot of beer. You will most likely find you don't like before you find the one you love, don't give up so early. If you are used to the lighter macro brews then try a lager/pilsner/golden ale from a craft brewery. If you are a Guiness Fan then go for the stouts/porters/barleywines. If you are a Shiner fan then gravitate towards the bocks/swarzbiers/ambers. If you are a Blue Moon person then try the hefeweizens and fruit beers. The only beers that I suggest new craft beer drinkers avoid are sours and IPAs. They have very strong tastes and can be quite a shock to the palette. Brooklyn Brewery and New Belgium are both great breweries for you to try as they aren't too crazy with their normal selection.

7. How many craft breweries have you been to, and where would you like to visit next time you're in town?

I've been to way too many craft breweries to count. {I see a trend here!} Next time I visit Pittsburgh I want to hit up their version of a flying saucer. I want to see a bar with a diverse selection of east coast brews.

If you aren't a beer fan then maybe craft sodas are your take? If so, then check out Maine Root or Jones (Nationally). For the Texans, hit up Dublin Bottling Works(former maker of Dublin DP) or Armadillo Ale Works.

Thanks, James! 

Readers, if you have questions about craft beer you'd like answered, leave them in the comments!

Seeing the Sights with Our First Guest!

This past weekend {give or take a couple days} was a blast! Husband's BFF came in town, and was our first guest to stay with us in PGH.  It was {for lack of a more grown-up word} awesome to show someone around our new turf. 

 Essentially, this photos sums it up nicely:

Dogfish Head's Ta Henket

Read about the rest of the weekend after the jump!

PGH Dining: Jergel's Rhythm Grille

Jergel's Rhythm Grille opened just a few short weeks ago, and everyone at Husband's office park in Warrendale heard about it. We all went for an office happy hour, and were welcomed to sit in the upper deck since we had a party of 12. The place has a nice, wide patio for those that want to be outdoors, and a floor full of tables ringed by a second floor {complete with bar}. Smart setup, especially on concert nights. {Check out their upcoming bands here.}

We were told by our hostess there was a rush on the kitchen right when we got there{?}, so we were asked to wait for 45 minutes before we ordered our food. This is odd, but not uncommon for newly opened restaurants. We ordered our happy hour-priced drinks {good deals!}, and Husband and I settled on the half-priced bottle of wine. {Red Guitar Spanish Temrapanillo, $14.50.} Great wine for a good price.

The ceiling of the upper deck.

Once we were able to order {it went by fairly quickly}, the two of us ordered chicken and waffles,

 and a trio of meatball sliders.

The sliders were bland and the meatballs were far to small for the amount of bun. The chicken and waffles were great! Crispy fried chicken wings {interesting/convenient choice of meat!}, fluffy waffle and warm syrup.

  Around the table, others had rich, creamy pasta dishes:

a Buffalo Chicken salad, later to be "Pittsburghed,"

 and a scalloped potato casserole {with three cheeses}. 

 Jergel's was fun, the menu was surprising, and featured good happy hour deals. The wait for food, however, wasn't a good move. We'll have to go back in a month or so, once they've gotten the high volume down pat!

Neighborhood: Cranberry Township/Warrendale

Good For: Happy Hour, Concerts

Gems: Seating Options

Drawbacks: Food Wait