{PGH Dining} La Vite Ristorante at La Casa Narcisi Winery

Husband and I desperately needed a date night a few weeks ago.
A coworker of mine {Hi, Cathy!} mentioned La Casa Narcisi Winery a few months ago as a potential date or girls night location, and I pulled that thought out of the depths to give it a try. A quick look at their Web site events page told me that we were in luck - it was jazz night at the winery. We made the scenic 25-minute drive from Upper Lawrenceville along Saxonburg Boulevard and turned onto Gibsonia Road to find a decent-sized winery to our left.

{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.

{PGH Dining} Eleven

In an effort to clean out my queue of 'to-be-blogged' PGH Dining posts, I'm pulling this one out on my dining experience at Eleven Contemporary Kitchen from a Friday night last October. Eleven is right on the cusp of downtown, at the very tip of the Strip District on Smallman Street.  We'd chosen to dine at Eleven on a friend's request - she was in down visiting family, which happened to include a family friend on the Eleven staff. {Let's just get this out of the way - no, our dinner wasn't complimentary, and we picked our selections for all dishes.} Before we even sat down to dinner, Husband and I noticed how beautifully lit the restaurant was, and the gorgeously dark decor. Super sexy. But, seeing as this was a family event, we'll forget that!
Our party of 7 was seated in one of their alcoves, which is perfect for hearing everyone speak in a busy restaurant.

Charcuterie Plate with Spiced Pears.

We started with a plate full of meats, creamy cheeses and punchy pickled vegetables. A few spiced pears rounded out the plate.

{PGH Dining} Alexander's Italian Bistro

This might sound odd {or alcoholic to some}, but every once in a while I get a craving for red wine and pasta covered in red sauce. 

Each time I get that craving, I know the place I'll be having my dinner - Alexander's Italian Bistro on Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield. Again, I wax nostalgic about this place because it was out first 'real Italian' experience when we rolled into Pittsburgh last December. And, was it a good one.

{PGH Dining} Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar

Early Saturday afternoon, we stopped into Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar in central Lawrenceville.  We'd been hearing about the cidery {It's a real word, people.} for awhile. It was one of the last stops on our personal Cookie Tour, and I was ready to taste a few of their artisan-crafted hard ciders.

Over the Weekend: Tacos, Target {+ Neiman Marcus} & Tours

After a long week of getting back into the swing of things after a fantastic 4+ day holiday break, I was ready for a cocktail.  A coworker and I planned a happy hour for Friday evening at a favorite of mine in Lawrenceville.  It was a merry group!

Festive wall paper/ceiling.

PGH Dining: Del's Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo

Today, the Lunch Bunch headed over to Del's Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo, otherwise known as Del's {or that place that was on Restaurant Impossible.} Screaming ladies aside, we had a good time.
The four of us each ordered off the lunch menu, where most items were priced at $7.95 {and came with a side dish}.  We sat down at a table near the large windows and ordered caffeinated drinks. It was a must. It's only Tuesday after all! We munched on room-temperature bread while chatting. There's nothing wrong with room-temperature bread, I just thought it was a detail worth mentioning.

Obliterated bread basket.

PGH Dining: Penn Avenue Fish Company: Downtown

During Pittsburgh Restaurant Week this summer, Husband and I were only able to hit up a few places because of our busy schedules. We stopped by Penn Avenue Fish Company in Downtown on Friday night to have a laid-back dinner. 

Penn Ave Fish Co.'s interior.

{PRW} Blogger Dinner at The Porch at Schenley

For Pittsburgh's second Restaurant Week, bloggers from the area were invited to have dinner at The Porch at Schenley.  I'd been to The Porch before on a bright summer day, back when my best friend was visiting from Texas.  During that visit, we'd just walked around the University of Pittsburgh campus when we stepped into The Porch for late afternoon meal. 

 We ordered the farm bread, served with homemade strawberry jam, apple butter and honey butter.  Starting off a meal like this is perfection to me. Have I told you how much I love bread?

PGH Dining: Taiwan Cafe

I had a lunch meeting recently in Oakland at Taiwan Cafe, an 'underground' restaurant that serves so many delicious dishes.  By 'underground' I mean that you literally take a flight of stairs down off the main street. 

We sat down in one of the many open seating options {booths, tables, bar} after ordering our lot.  My colleague ordered the eggplant with basil, a steaming dish with a thick, gooey sauce. 

PGH Dining: Taste of India

Typically, I bring my lunch to work. This allows me to pack healthy options, not over-indulge, and feel energized for the second half of my work day. A few Mondays ago I forgot my lunch {sitting on the counter, no less}, and had to haul my cookies to the cafeteria in the hospital for lunch. This isn't a bad thing - you hear 'hospital food' and cringe. However, this hospital offers under-500 calorie dishes and a fresh sushi bar. I was planning to opt for a spicy tuna roll when I was informed the credit card machines were down. Hence the unplanned-ness of the event, I didn't have any cash on me, save 35 cents in change. For shame! On to the next.

Within walking distance is Taste of India, which sounded like a comforting option to me.  The spicier the better in my book!  Since I had an hour to eat, I chose the lunch buffet.  For under $10, you can have your choice of curries, vegetarian dishes, rices, other grains, accompaniments, naan, desserts and fruit.

PGH Dining: Wai Wai

Going out to lunch is a way of life in Dallas. You and your best coworkers blow off steam and talk about the pains of a particularly trying project you're all involved in over a plate of hot food. It's almost a ritual.

Here in Pittsburgh, both Husband and I have noticed that people don't usually do that. People bring their lunches, eat at their desks or grab something quickly while doing an errand. 

I didn't realize how much I'd miss it!

Thus, I started a Lunch Bunch with a group of coworkers in my building, for a once-a-month dining trip to a restaurant close by. This past month's inaugural trip was to Wai Wai in Bloomfield.

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: Franktuary Food Truck

When my in-laws were in town we stopped at the Lawrenceville Farmer's Market, and there it was: the famed Franktuary food truck. Ever since Pittsburgh's first restaurant week, I'd been hearing about Franktuary and their delicious offerings {no pun intended} at their location downtown.  It was on my list of places to try, but it jumped the line quickly when I saw the truck in the parking lot of Goodwill.  

PGH Dining: Church Brew Works

Husband, James and I went to Church Brew Works in late April, on a Sunday for lunch.  You can just imagine the colorful religious jokes that resulted from this. Anyway, we entered the nave {!?} and then the sanctuary {!?}, to be seated in the back.

Church Brew Works 

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.

PGH Dining: Grandview Bakery

Heads up - This will be a retrospective post. When James was here, visiting from Texas, we stopped in on a late, rainy morning, to have a second {or third?} breakfast before diving in to a noon beer. It was Pittsburgh's Craft Beer Week after all. 

We'd heard about Grandview Bakery from a random party-goer at one of my coworker's Mustache Party/BBQ {?!}, and sampled a chocolate cupcake and a peanut butter kiss cookie. I finished off two of the cookies, and vowed to visit the next time we were up on Mount Washington. It just so happened, we were there, after riding the Duquesne Incline.

We stepped into the bakery/store and walked immediately up to the colorful case of baked goods.

Gorgeous.

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.

PGH Dining: Primanti Bros.

I'll be the first to tell you that I was not impressed with Primani Bros. sandwiches. We rolled into Pittsburgh for the first time, after driving from Dallas by way of Nashville. Where should we have dinner after driving for 22 hours? It had to be Primanti Bros., of course.  My first mistake, I'd learn later, was choosing a 'weird' meat. Evidently, there are FAR more popular meat choices than the one I chose. I ordered the cheesesteak {that's popular in Pennsylvania, right?}, which turned out to be mystery meat-like.

Thus, you can see why I was apprehensive when Husband wanted to take our first guest there as soon as he landed in PGH. But, as the good wife I am, I went along.

 Another way we went wrong the first time was by not going to the original location in the Strip. This time, we knew better.

PGH Dining: Fat Heads Saloon

 After a fabulous win at a Pirates vs. Phillies game at PNC Park, we continued the celebration by heading over to Fat Heads Saloon over the river in the South Side.

Fireworks after the winning game.

 After have a few beers at the ball park, we wanted something hot and crispy. Perfect remedy - Smoked Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke dip, served with fried pita. The smokiness of the chicken hit you as soon as you took your first bite. The warm pita was crunchy, and was the perfect vehicle for the creamy dip. Great job!

 Then, based on a suggestion from the group, we had the stuffed hot peppers. These banana peppers are stuffed with hot sausage and cheese, then topped with a tomato sauce. They were a spicy kick I needed before my main dish.

A friend-of-a-sister once told us if we ever went to Fat Heads to have the wings. What else could we do? We ordered wings. I wouldn't do it again. Not a fan of these wings, with dry, oily skin, and were accompanied by tired celery and carrots. Next time, I'm going for the cheese sticks or fried pierogies!

 Moving on to our main dish - The PCI {Pretty Cool Italian} Headwich. It really was the size of my head.   Definitely a sharing sandwich.

 Salami, capicola, ham, pepperoni, hard boiled egg, and rosemary mayonnaise are just a few of the items on this insane sandwich. I love how many options there are, too, and I'm anxious to try another one!

Fat Heads was just the thing we needed to soak up some of that delicious craft beer we had at PNC Park. There are so many things I'd like to try when I go there next; However, I won't be having the wings again.

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