Sad Day - Hello Bistro Downsizes

As a new office resident of Oakland, I've become even more familiar with Hello Bistro, an Eat'n Park Hospitality Group dining concept. I frequent their Forbes Avenue location for delicious treats like mini smiley cookies and what I refer to as Dog Bowl Salads:

You can fill your $7 bowl with as many toppings as you'd like, and protein options {Grilled Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp, etc} are only around $2 more. Not a great price, but not bad for the quality topping you're getting. They chop it up to your liking, then garnish it with tasty crunchy bits {like tortilla strips or roasted soy nuts} and a dressing. Eating is pure delight.

THEN
By some sad twist of fate, the dog bowl is now more like a beta bowl. {tiny exaggeration} They are about 20% smaller than before, which is enough cause in my book to cause a stir. This stir resulted in my opening of the Web browser, finding them online, then giving them a shout:

While I love going to HB for one of the best salads in PGH, I am majorly disappointed in the new size of the salad dishes. As a working professional and grad student, I was already a bit 'arched-brows' over the prices, but now that the bowls are smaller, it's even more dissatisfying. I hope you will consider taking a dollar or two off the price of the smaller size - I'd buy them more often! (Now they're just a treat). 

Thanks!
Ashley

Maybe this is the universe trying to tell me I do not need to eat a dog bowl-sized salad for lunch. Perhaps. Or, maybe I'll get a few free salads that will put a dent in the deficit. Probably not. At least it's off my chest now!

Has this ever happened to you?

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. 

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.

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!