What I Wore {Sewickley Saturday}

Last weekend, Husband and I continued our "stay-cations" in and around Pittsburgh by visiting the {Borough of} Sewickley. And, guess what - this is what I wore. 

PGH Dining: The Naked Grape Enoteca

I'm going a bit out of order, and I'm skipping other reviews to write one on the Naked Grape Enoteca. It's worth it. 

We received several recommendations from Husband's coworkers that live in or near Sewickley to try the Naked Grape while we were there on our stay-cation this weekend. We walked in at 5:00PM on Saturday evening, and were immediately seated at our table of choice...outside. The weather was lovely. The tables were not fully extended because the restaurant had just opened for the evening, but the tables could seat up to 5 or 6 people. 

But before we get to the wine and food, take a look at the decor on the inside:

Gift sets and wine accoutrement. 

We sat at the table close to the door, and enjoyed the sunset while looking over their order form menu. The Naked Grape works differently than other wine bars/bistros. They are a wine tasting room, with the availability to order bottles or cases of wine. In PA, that's a beautiful thing. {The laws/regulations here are super strict.}

Our sommelier/owner/waitress/lady friend, Ryta, explained that they serve guests wine flights, which feature the wines they frequently order. Great! Sounds like a plan for dinner to me. Pour me a glass, let me hold my Husband's hand, and I'll take in the air while watching the pedestrians, bicyclists and baby strollers go by. 

Our first wine selection was a Sauvignon Blanc from Chafen Vineyards from California. This was one of our favorites, and so much so that we ordered a bottle to take home. {A white wine that Husband actually likes?! Unheard of!}

$24.79/bottle

We then dove into ordering light bites, starting with the biggest thing on their menu: the cheese and meat plate. And, WAS this a PLATE! Salami, Capicola, salted grapes {how rustic Italian!}, artichokes, three cheese wedges {one cow, one sheep and I think another cow}, almonds, walnuts, apricots, olives, and caper berries. Absolutely worth the price {$14}, and perfect with the white wine. 

We then had the Latah Creek Chardonnay {$15.79/bottle}, followed by the Gold Ring Vineyards' Cabernet Sauvignon {16.49/bottle}.

Ryta, one of the owners, was there each step of the flight, sharing her knowledge with us. She was easy-going, and I enjoyed having her to guide us through our hour and a half dinner.

Ryta with the Gold Ring Vineyard's Cab Sav.

I stopped to snap a photo of their plates. Look at that color!

We finished the meal with a plate of hummus, and the bonus pour they were serving for the evening. It was a Chilean wine, which rank among my top picks. {The Consul Chileno Carmenere to be exact. $15.89/bottle.}

Hummus, served with cracked black pepper crackers and olive oiled toasts.

You can view their wine menu here, which while from December 2011, it still features many of the wines we had on Saturday. 

We are so pleased to have made it to the Naked Grape Enoteca and tasted a few of their wines and bites. From the great prices to the detailed selection of the wines they offered, I'm sure we'll continue to order wines from Ryta and her husband, and visit each time we're in Sewickley. Thanks for a lovely meal!

Neighborhood: Sewickley

Good For: Dates, Happy Hour, Group Dinners, Weekend Activity

Gems: Owners, Wine Quality

Drawbacks: Waiting for your ordered wine to come in!

Meeting Pioneer Woman...Ree Drummond!

It's been an eventful Monday. This weekend while Husband and I were in Sewickley, we stepped into the bookstore that was set to have Ree Drummond, or Pioneer Woman, to come to do a book signing. I knew she was supposed to come do a signing on her tour, but I had no idea when or where. It was unfortunate though, because it was in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, and at 4:00PM {which is during my working hours}. Husband talked me into giving it a shot, and going after work in the hopes that she's still be there. She was!

And, she brought her adorable family with her! 

I arrived at 5:30PM, and got in the LONG line. {Pittsburgh showed up for PW!} I was #246. Husband drove in from Warrendale, and joined me about 10 minutes later. As we waited, we saw the three kids skip out to get Mom a coffee at Starbucks across the street. What good kids. ;)

As we made out way to the front door, Ladd's hat came into view. 

I'm so happy to see someone I know...from TV! 

He was greeting folks and signing "his page" in the cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier {p. 152}. It was a relief to see a family member!

 We then entered back into the line:

Then, climbed up the stairs to the kid's section...

And, there she was!

I gabbed about us moving from Texoma Land to PGH, and she asked how we were liking it. I said I didn't miss the 100+ degree weather, and she said she might come join us! Such a lovely person. 

I brought out the sorority pose for this one. You only have one shot!

 {Thanks for staying HOURS after you were due at Primanti Bros., Ree! You're a trooper!}

 Hands down, best book signing! {I hope she remembers me?}

Sarris Candy: The Best in PA

Husband and I love sweets. We especially love chocolates. When we discovered that Pittsburgh had it's own candy-making company, specializing in chocolate, we went a little crazy buying treats to try. All in all, we probably purchased upwards of $60 of chocolate products to savor.
Sarris Candies is located in Canonsburgh, PA, just southwest of Pittsburgh. People I know who live in the South Hills or Mt. Lebanon {pronounced "Leb-a-none"} make monthly trips  to the factory to stock up. It would be a dangerous situation for me, as both Husband and I loved many of Sarris' offerings.

Near Valentines Day, we purchased then ate an entire box of assorted chocolates from Sarris {Pronounced "Sarah's"}. Some may think this is excessive, but I think it was just research. {In the name of SCIENCE!}

PGH Dining: Piccolo Forno

As soon as we arrived to Pittsburgh and found a place to rent in Lawrenceville, we ate dinner at a little spot that looked lively. It was Piccolo Forno. We had a decent dinner, but left thinking it was "just okay." {Truth be told, we ordered 'healthy' dishes like salads and a light pasta because we were shocked at what I'll call our "PGH 15."} 

We moved on, and ate our way through other fabulous places in our new neighborhood. Still, we kept hearing about how incredible Piccolo Forno was from folks who live all over the Pittsburgh Metro Area. In fact, when we told people we were living in Lawrenceville, 85% of people would say, "Oh yeah, that's where Piccolo  Forno is!"

Last weekend Husband and I were out shopping for the final items for our guest room, and what better place to do it than in the self-named Design District of Lawrenceville? We stopped around 1:00pm to take a lunch break, and we were a block away from Piccolo Forno. It was about time we gave it a second chance.

 The place was {of course} packed, and we had to wait for 15 minutes to be seated at the next available table. Fine with us, because we were seated at a table close to the kitchen {Where the lady in the pink shirt is}, which is always a bonus for me. {I like to see how the food is made.} 

Interior of Piccolo Forno.

We ordered iced tea and Pellegrino, which was offered in the large size. Nice. Love me some bubbly water.

 We shared one of their soups of the day, minestrone with kale, to start. 

 The soup had a slow-simmered taste, and the kale was not overcooked. Good appetizer!

 We then moved on to the arugula pizza, with prosciutto and mozzarella hidden underneath. Lovely option for those that still want to eat some greens with their bready pizza. The quality of the prosciutto was excellent and was sliced appropriately. 

 Our waitress told us they offered scoops of imported Italian gelato for dessert, which wasn't too unheard of. The flavors were meyer lemon, coffee/espresso and cinnamon. Husband opted for the meyer lemon, and I asked for the cinnamon. 

Meyer Lemon and Cinnamon Gelatos.

My flavor won, and by a long shot. I was surprised by the complexity of the gelato, because it tasted like many more spices were present besides cinnamon. It's a must-get!

I'm glad we gave Piccolo Forno another try. We were pleased with the pizza, and the cinnamon gelato was a great finish.

What I Wore {To My First Meeting at the New Job!}

Thursday was my first inter-office meeting, where I would be introduced to my new colleagues. Shaking hands and saying catchy things. Smiling and making friends.

So, I chose to bring out the big guns.
And by that, I mean wear the brightest, loudest outfit I own.

Okay, maybe not THE brightest, but close.

PGH Dining: Dozen Bake Shop

This past weekend, Husband and I went shopping to grab a few things for the guest room. On our trip, we stopped for a snack at Dozen Bake Shop in LoLa. {I just love saying LoLa.} We walked into an empty shop, and I did a silent hoo-rah because I knew I'd be able to take photos and ask questions at my leisure. {How lucky on a Saturday!} There were two young folks manning the counter, who had great attitudes. We began to eye the treats behind the glass:

Blueberry-topped Danishes.

Cinnamon Rolls. Can you imagine these heated up?!

Peanut Butter Bars and Chocolate Brownies.

Dog Treats!

Do you see the Poptarts?

 But, let's be real. We were there for the cupcakes. 

Saturday's Cupcakes. 

Dozen has a schedule for their cupcakes, to keep the sweetness in order. Saturday's cupcakes are: Vanilla Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Pumpkin Chai, Chocolate Maple & Bacon, Cosmo, and Vegan Mostness. It's nice to see they have a vegan option every day.

Trays of Treats on the way to order.

 As we stepped up to order, we sampled a hazelnut and fruit biscotti, which tasted like it was only once-baked, not twice. Perfect for me, because I didn't have coffee to dip it in, and soak it soft.

 After much debate, we finally ordered a Pumpkin Chai and a Chocolate Maple & Bacon. 

 The Pumpkin Chai cupcake was a star. It had great pumpkin-y flavor, which wasn't overpowered by "pumpkin pie spice" that people usually throw in by obligation. The chai spices were a proactive replacement of these usual culprits, and it matched the pumpkin base. This flavor will always make it into the boxes I buy from now on.

Pumpkin Chai.

Chocolate Maple & Bacon.

The Chocolate Maple & Bacon was like a mini competition in itself. The maple and bacon icing was incredible, and the chocolate cake had bacon shards and a hint of coffee...how can you reconcile this in your mind?! 

The icing consistency on both cupcakes was that of what dreams are made of {for me}. It was thick, sugary, and had intense flavor. Probably my favorite cupcake icing of all time. The cake was good, but wasn't able to match that icing. 

While we were in the shop, I briefly spoke to Megan Hart of TLC's Next Great Baker, who was on her way out for the day. If you're reading this now, Megan, I apologize for the absolutely ridiculous comment I made - I was struck by the celebrity bug, and shot my mouth off. Thanks for being so kind with your answer! 

Up next on my list at Dozen Bake Shop, I'll have to try the Elvis and the East End Chocolate Stout. Husband plans to order the Salted Caramel and the Lemon Drop. We may have to stop by for a happy hour for $2 spiked cupcakes!

PGH Dining: Legume Bistro

Husband and I went on a spur-of-the-moment dinner date on a weeknight to Legume Bistro {on Leap Day}, and made reservations via Open Table thirty minutes prior. The location in Oakland is fairly new, and it's evident it's in a space that's been remodeled. The tables are covered in white tablecloths, and the walls look up-to-date; however, the ceiling tiles and floor need work. The hostess and our waitress were both knowledgeable and pleasant. 

Leap Day Menu.

Their menu looked interesting and fresh, and we were happy with their wine choices. 

Wine List.

The small plates and side dishes looked the most appealing to us, so we ordered a meal of just that. I started with the Maine-Style clam chowder, and Husband chose the vegetarian mushroom soup.

Chowder.

Mushroom Soup.

The chowder was very clammy, which is just how I like it. Husband's soup had a nice depth.

We then moved on to the small plate of duck confit with kumquat-shallot marmalade and an escarole salad. Luscious! {What else can a confit be?} 

A small crock of brussel sprouts came next.

Filled with bacon and butter! Yum!

Then, maple glazed carrots hit the table. 

Finally, we finished our dinner with another appetizer of pork and pistachio pate. It was more of a terrine, but was still flavorful and lovely. 

Each dish was a buttery composition of fresh vegetables with a savory sauce. At several points during the meal I tried to fool myself into thinking I was eating healthy because it was vegetables, but that was a complete lie. A tasty lie.

We ended the meal with the salted caramel pot de creme, which was decorated with espresso meringues. 

Husband loved this dessert, but it was a smidge too rich for me. I could only take two bites!

Legume Bistro was laid-back enough for a quick weeknight dinner, but could be great for a double date or dinner with a girlfriend. If you're looking for a vegetable-rich or healthy dinner, don't be confused by Legume's name - the dishes here are buttery and creamy. You've been warned! Enjoy!