PGH Dining: Habitat

What a better excuse to go out to a fancy restaurant than to celebrate a birthday? Husband took me to Habitat, a restaurant we've been planning to go to since we came for our initial apartment-hunting trip. We didn't have the time to make our reservation, so we had to cancel it.

Not to worry, Ashley had a birthday!

We started our Sunday-evening meal with three {don't judge!} appetizers: house-made naan with three dipping sauces {raita, tomatillo, and hummus}, a creamy roasted butternut squash soup, and a roasted beet salad. Typical offerings, but done really well. 

The naan was shiny with warm oil, and crispy on the edges. Perfect!

The soup seemed to be made out of a squash at it's peak deliciousness. 

The salad left something to be desired. It's was just fine, but nothing over-the top.

For our entrees, Husband ordered the "one cow" burger, made with local Pennsylvania beef, and I ordered their halibut dish.

How could you not order it with white cheddar and bacon?

Sweet potato fries!

Trio of sauces. Can you tell Husband had a taste of the mayonnaise?

My halibut was a show-stopper. It was gorgeous, and it tasted just as good. It sat atop sautéed spinach, and a sauce made from saffron, vanilla and mussels. Next to the fish was a lump of roasted parsnip goodness. When reading the menu, they had me at parsnip. 

Crispy parsnip shavings on top.

For kicks, we also ordered a side of the roasted local mushrooms. {Umami?}

The real kicker for the meal was the accompanying wine. Since Husband and I are such wine snobs {JOKE}, we were pleasantly surprised to see our favorite wine on the wine menu. I decided to order a few glasses of wine rather than the bottle of our favorite so I could have a little variety between red and white.  Our waiter had the manager stop by to discuss the options, and answer my question about 'cheesy, nutty white wines.' Good discussion!

Then, the meal ended with a complimentary dessert {of my choice!}, the mint-infused chocolate oreo torte. 

Before ordering, I asked about a pear dessert, and the waiter said the only dish they had that featured pears was the warm gingerbread dessert. I passed and ordered the torte, but he brought me a small dish of the pears anyway. {This may or may not have been because it was a slow night - the Steelers were playing!} I was thrilled!

Habitat earns a good review, based on their smart use of local ingredients, knowledgeable staff and attentiveness. Plus, it was romantic!