Lent is fast approaching. Though I was raised and continue to be Catholic, the first thing I think of when I hear "Lent" is not fasting, prayer, or Easter. It's fish! (Sorry, Grandma. Please keep giving me crucifixes for my house and mantillas for my head.)
It's not my fault. I grew up in a small, predominately Roman-Catholic town. The Italians love to cook, Catholics love to keep tradition, and small towns (at least the one I grew up in) are crowded with bars and diners. This perfect storm meant that the possibilities for fish frys were endless on a Friday night in my hometown, especially if you considered that not only were bars and restaurants frying fish, but churches and volunteer fire departments were as well. My family happily took part in the fruits of such labor.
I love to continue that tradition now that I am grown. While I enjoy a fresh piece of fish grilled or pan-seared, such preparation is a non-Lenten meal for me. Fridays in Lent mean fried fish. Cod or Haddock. Breaded or Battered. Here are some of my favorite places to get it:
1. The Backdoor Tavern, 128 Beaver Street, New Brighton, PA 15066
The Backdoor offers huge portions and small prices. The fish is cod, and it is battered. It isn't greasy or too doughy (the batter is thin), and it is always piping hot when it gets to you. The fish is enough alone for you to make the trip. But, the accompaniments are great as well. The mac-n-cheese is homemade - creamy and flavorful. The beer list is lenghty and includes a great deal of microbrews. Parking is limited, and wait times are considerable. So get there early and post up at the bar until your table is ready.
2. Weisz's Hazel Manor, 215 North St Ellwood City, PA 16117
Weisz's is a hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bar. It has really slow service and gets really crowded on Fridays during Lent. The fish is breaded haddock. It is served skin-on, unless otherwise requested. It is well worth the wait. Fresh haddock, hand breaded after you order it, fried to perfection.
3. Rene's , 1030 5th Ave, East McKeesport, PA
Rene's serves breaded haddock in huge portions. The fish is fresh and served hot. Housemade cocktail and tartar sauces are wonderful.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
And oh, what a thought...
Vivo - 565 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue, PA 15202
We received a gift certificate to Vivo recently, and I need to send an extra thank you to the gift-giver, who just so happens to have moved up the ladder of love since our dinner. We had not been there or even hear of the restaurant prior to this visit, and we can't wait to go back. I know it's the thought that counts, but this gift beat out any old candle or random bottle of wine.
The restaurant is cozy and comfortable, and the staff was helpful and friendly without being overwhelming. The food was amazing. We started dinner with two appetizers: a beef carpaccio and sauteed exotic mushrooms with chorizo and goat cheese. The beef is sliced to order and was drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt and truffle. The beef was so tender it literally melted in our mouths. It was perfectly seasoned - complimented but not overwhelmed. The mushroom dish was delicious as well, with the star of that dish being the goat cheese. It was fresh and creamy and mild.
The pasta course (which comes with every meal) was served with a house-made sauce which was perfect. The fun of the pasta dish was that it was served with chili oil, which served as a nice addition to the sauce. The pasta itself was not housemade - our only disappointment in the entire meal.
For dinner, we ordered the lamb chops and the scallops. The lamb chops were grilled and served with an amazing honey truffle mustard. It was tender and flavorful. The scallops were the largest I have seen. They were pan seared absolutely perfectly and served over a sweet chili sauce.
The vegetables for that day were cabbage with pears and butternut squash. Vivo serves their vegetables at room temperature, a prospect which was off-putting to hear but surprisingly good to eat. I am not usually a fan of cabbage, but this was some of the most tender and non-bitter cabbage I have had.
Salad was served after dinner and was good but not noteworthy. However, the dessert was certainly something to write home about. We had the homemade "Heath" gelato, and mascarpone cheese with nutella, crushed amaretti cookies, and fresh berries. Both were excellent, but the mascarpone was exceptional. We made it out of there, full and happy, for $110. I think that is a very reasonable price for a five course meal of that caliber!
We received a gift certificate to Vivo recently, and I need to send an extra thank you to the gift-giver, who just so happens to have moved up the ladder of love since our dinner. We had not been there or even hear of the restaurant prior to this visit, and we can't wait to go back. I know it's the thought that counts, but this gift beat out any old candle or random bottle of wine.
The restaurant is cozy and comfortable, and the staff was helpful and friendly without being overwhelming. The food was amazing. We started dinner with two appetizers: a beef carpaccio and sauteed exotic mushrooms with chorizo and goat cheese. The beef is sliced to order and was drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt and truffle. The beef was so tender it literally melted in our mouths. It was perfectly seasoned - complimented but not overwhelmed. The mushroom dish was delicious as well, with the star of that dish being the goat cheese. It was fresh and creamy and mild.
The pasta course (which comes with every meal) was served with a house-made sauce which was perfect. The fun of the pasta dish was that it was served with chili oil, which served as a nice addition to the sauce. The pasta itself was not housemade - our only disappointment in the entire meal.
For dinner, we ordered the lamb chops and the scallops. The lamb chops were grilled and served with an amazing honey truffle mustard. It was tender and flavorful. The scallops were the largest I have seen. They were pan seared absolutely perfectly and served over a sweet chili sauce.
The vegetables for that day were cabbage with pears and butternut squash. Vivo serves their vegetables at room temperature, a prospect which was off-putting to hear but surprisingly good to eat. I am not usually a fan of cabbage, but this was some of the most tender and non-bitter cabbage I have had.
Salad was served after dinner and was good but not noteworthy. However, the dessert was certainly something to write home about. We had the homemade "Heath" gelato, and mascarpone cheese with nutella, crushed amaretti cookies, and fresh berries. Both were excellent, but the mascarpone was exceptional. We made it out of there, full and happy, for $110. I think that is a very reasonable price for a five course meal of that caliber!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Computer Hackers and Pizza
I have been working on this posting for about a week now. (I do have a job, you know.) So, when I read the "A Quest for the Best Pizza in the Pittsburgh Area" (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08262/912834-46.stm) I suddenly felt violated. How could China have known my plans? Can she read minds? Does she have a team of hackers searching computers for Pittsburgh food-related posting drafts?
But, once I read on, I realized that maybe China wasn't stealing my ideas after all. It's not that I came to the realization that she regularly comes up with interesting ideas, or that I realized that she didn't need my ideas (you know, the two ideas I have decided to write about thus far) to continue her successful food-writing career. It was that we didn't agree on everything.
China hit it right on in the often-mentioned best pizzas, including Il Pizzaiolo (my personal favorite), Vincent's, and Mineo's. However, she was a bit off in her descriptions of Mario's and Ambridge Pizza, aka Police Station Pizza.
Mario's Woodfired Pizza (Beaver, PA)
As mentioned in the article, Mario's Pizza is indeed hard to resist. And the Pizza Speciale is a customer favorite. The only thing missed in the PG article that needs to be addressed is the Pizza Insalata. Yes, I know...salad pizza sounds oddly like something my health nut cousin would make on tofu dough and try to tell her kids that it was really pizza. Let me assure you, it is no less a fantastic pizza than a pepperoni pizza from Mineo's or the Margherita DOC from Il Pizzaiolo. The Pizza Insalata is served as follows: the dough , piping hot and fresh from the wood-fired oven, is topped with a drizzle of a robust olive oil and some grated Parmesan. A thin layer of Buffalo mozzarella (probably not made in house, but definitely fresh and a high quality) is layered on the dough and the pizza is briefly placed back in the oven. The oven, by the way, was hand-selected in Italy by Mario and imported therefrom. The pizza is again taken from the oven, and is now topped with fresh greens that have been tossed in olive oil and salted liberally. Viola - pizza salad. But better than you've ever had it. No vinegar to muddle the flavors (though the Paninni Insalata does have vinegar, and is surprisingly a much different beast than the Pizza Insalata), and no other salad usuals to overpower the simple, fresh flavors of the ingredients. I add some red pepper flakes and dig in, hoping that whoever is dining with me doesn't ask for a piece.
Though it is off the pizza topic, I need to mention some other must-try dishes at Mario's. The first is the greens and beans. It has sliced sausage, onions, and Canellinni beans, and is delicious. The next is any of the house made pastas. The pastas vary from day to day, but if you happen to be there on a day there is one, be sure to try it. Mario has a way with pasta that would make any Italian Grandmother jealous. If the culinary Gods are smiling on you, you will happen to be there on a day when Mario is making gnocchi. Call your friends, your family, and anyone you need to make a mends with. It's that good.
Ambridge Pizza (aka Police Station Pizza) (Ambridge, PA , and Zelienople, PA, and Imperial, PA)
Cold Toppings and Hot Pizza (unless on a Pizza Insalata, of course) can be off-putting. However, the beauty of Ambridge Pizza is that it can be ordered "unbaked" and assembled and baked at home. The "unbaked" dough can be ordered by the half-sheet, and it is more par baked than unbaked. Sauce and requested toppings are packaged and sold with the dough as well. The sauce is mild but tasty. Bonus: you can put on as much or as little as you like. Grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella (an especially flavorful mozzarella, might I add) are included as well. My husband and I usually order sausage with our pizza. It is a cooked, ground sweet sausage. When baked at home, the dough is thick, but light and crunchy. While I agree that the canned mushrooms are a buzz kill of the pizza high, knowing what (not to) and how to order at Ambridge Pizza makes this pizza-lover very happy for Ambridge Pizza night at my place. My nieces love it too, because they get to assemble their own pieces and watch them bake right in front of them.
But, once I read on, I realized that maybe China wasn't stealing my ideas after all. It's not that I came to the realization that she regularly comes up with interesting ideas, or that I realized that she didn't need my ideas (you know, the two ideas I have decided to write about thus far) to continue her successful food-writing career. It was that we didn't agree on everything.
China hit it right on in the often-mentioned best pizzas, including Il Pizzaiolo (my personal favorite), Vincent's, and Mineo's. However, she was a bit off in her descriptions of Mario's and Ambridge Pizza, aka Police Station Pizza.
Mario's Woodfired Pizza (Beaver, PA)
As mentioned in the article, Mario's Pizza is indeed hard to resist. And the Pizza Speciale is a customer favorite. The only thing missed in the PG article that needs to be addressed is the Pizza Insalata. Yes, I know...salad pizza sounds oddly like something my health nut cousin would make on tofu dough and try to tell her kids that it was really pizza. Let me assure you, it is no less a fantastic pizza than a pepperoni pizza from Mineo's or the Margherita DOC from Il Pizzaiolo. The Pizza Insalata is served as follows: the dough , piping hot and fresh from the wood-fired oven, is topped with a drizzle of a robust olive oil and some grated Parmesan. A thin layer of Buffalo mozzarella (probably not made in house, but definitely fresh and a high quality) is layered on the dough and the pizza is briefly placed back in the oven. The oven, by the way, was hand-selected in Italy by Mario and imported therefrom. The pizza is again taken from the oven, and is now topped with fresh greens that have been tossed in olive oil and salted liberally. Viola - pizza salad. But better than you've ever had it. No vinegar to muddle the flavors (though the Paninni Insalata does have vinegar, and is surprisingly a much different beast than the Pizza Insalata), and no other salad usuals to overpower the simple, fresh flavors of the ingredients. I add some red pepper flakes and dig in, hoping that whoever is dining with me doesn't ask for a piece.
Though it is off the pizza topic, I need to mention some other must-try dishes at Mario's. The first is the greens and beans. It has sliced sausage, onions, and Canellinni beans, and is delicious. The next is any of the house made pastas. The pastas vary from day to day, but if you happen to be there on a day there is one, be sure to try it. Mario has a way with pasta that would make any Italian Grandmother jealous. If the culinary Gods are smiling on you, you will happen to be there on a day when Mario is making gnocchi. Call your friends, your family, and anyone you need to make a mends with. It's that good.
Ambridge Pizza (aka Police Station Pizza) (Ambridge, PA , and Zelienople, PA, and Imperial, PA)
Cold Toppings and Hot Pizza (unless on a Pizza Insalata, of course) can be off-putting. However, the beauty of Ambridge Pizza is that it can be ordered "unbaked" and assembled and baked at home. The "unbaked" dough can be ordered by the half-sheet, and it is more par baked than unbaked. Sauce and requested toppings are packaged and sold with the dough as well. The sauce is mild but tasty. Bonus: you can put on as much or as little as you like. Grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella (an especially flavorful mozzarella, might I add) are included as well. My husband and I usually order sausage with our pizza. It is a cooked, ground sweet sausage. When baked at home, the dough is thick, but light and crunchy. While I agree that the canned mushrooms are a buzz kill of the pizza high, knowing what (not to) and how to order at Ambridge Pizza makes this pizza-lover very happy for Ambridge Pizza night at my place. My nieces love it too, because they get to assemble their own pieces and watch them bake right in front of them.
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