Dear Jesus, Please Help As I Prepare For Lent

As Lent is fast approaching, I find myself thinking not only about the spiritual ways to ready myself for the season, but also the gastronomical ways to do so. Before I get myself into a tizzy thinking about all of the awesome Lenten fish specials I want to partake in (view last February's post for more information) I need to concentrate on some pre-Lenten indulgences. Some of my favorite edible immoderations include:

Paczki - Oakmont Bakery, Oakmont, PA
I am a newcomer to the paczki. I happened into the Oakmont Bakery two years ago the Friday before Ash Wednesday five minutes before close. Somehow, though faced with the sheer terror of having to choose a treat from the vast, seemingly endless cases of dessert heaven, in a very short period of time (this decision would normally take me several recon missions on the internet prior to the visit as well as a good half hour research in the bakery), I did not crumble. I did not turn around and leave, I did not ask for whatever the counter woman recommended or what I know to be safe. I pointed to the round doughnut-looking dessert that I couldn't pronounce and I asked for one of each filling. Those fillings included prune, custard, Pittsburgh cream, lemon, raspberry, apple, and peach. Sweet success. These Polish dessert treats are similar to filled doughnuts, but with more filling and lighter dough. They are also smaller than most filled doughnuts, making them easier to try one of each!


Glazed Cinnamon Rolls- Oram's, Beaver Falls
If you haven't had one of these, go now. But if now is a Saturday after 11, don't go now, as they will likely be out of their famous glazed cinnamon rolls. Don't get me wrong, every doughnut at Oram's is special in it's own right, and an indulgence all the same. This includes some of my other favorites there, like the coconut crusted glazed doughnut and the custard filled chocolate buttercream topped doughnut. But, for all out indulgence, the glazed cinnamon rolls are unbeatable. They are the size of a small frisbee, are light (as impossible as that seems, being as they are a frisbee-sized doughnut), and are glazed with a thin, sweet icing. They are more doughnut than cinnamon roll, and are sinfully wonderful. Get extras, share with your closest friends, then go to confession. And bring them. You'll all need 40 days of fasting after this, but it will help get you through.

Davio - Beechview
Anything here is indulgent. Before your appetizers come, you get fresh baked breads, a gorgonzola spread, dipping oil, and a white bean spread. And this is just the beginning. The lobster bisque, served in a bowl big enough to feed the table, is heavy on the heavy cream as well as the lobster. Don't plan on touching the bread if you order this as anything besides your main meal, as there will be no room left in your belly. The double veal chop is easily two inches thick and can be ordered topped with lump crab meat. Along these lines, the lobster pasta is angel hair served in a lobster cream sauce with chunks of tail and claw meat throughout. Though you won't have room for dessert, one bite of the Russian sable cake (chocolate, flourless) is rich enough to make the cast of Jersey Shore blush. For those avoiding the temptation, you are out of luck. A cookie plate is complimentary after dinner, and is full of amazingly decadent cookies, often including macaroons and biscotti. Confession required again ladies and gents, and I don't mean the confession during mass where the Priest forgives the congregation in one pass of the hand. You need to sit face to face with the Padre and repent if you want to get in the pearly gates after this one.
FYI: This one is heavy on the wallet, too.

smoked mussel and scallop pasta - Seviche, Pittsburgh
For a small plate to make the list, you know it must be over the top in all of the right ways. Think Isaac Mizrahi as opposed to Joan Rivers. This pasta is not on the menu but came as part of a tasting. It is linguini with smoked mussels and smoked scallops in a cream sauce. I am not a huge fan of smoked fish, but this dish was to die for. The creamy sauce with the tender pasta was an amazing compliment to the smoky but not overpowering mussles and scallops. Mwah!

Beef and Bean Nachos - El Campesino, McKnight (or any of the other locations)
Pile of homemade tortilla chips? Check. Pound of sauteed, not too lean beef? Check. Refried beans? Check. Queso? Hell yeah. Check. Checkmark broiled to browned, toasted perfection while you are at it.