Witty (and Tasty) Food on the Mount

123 Shiloh Street, Mount Washington

Being a Suburghia newbie, I really had no expectations about Shiloh Grill when we decided to head there for dinner and a few drinks before a what would be rained out Pirates game.  I had purchased a Groupon for the Grill the month before in an attempt to make sure that the husband and I tried someplace new every time we drove into the city.  It is easy to become creatures of sustenance comfort, always heading back to your few fave joints when you are only in the 'Burgh a few times a month.

When we first arrived atop Mount Washington and lucked into a parking meter space right in front of the restaurant, we opted to sit on the spacious outdoor deck.  That is, until Mother Nature made other plans  and we were quickly bolting for the indoor dining room. ;)

So, let's get to it.

From top left, clockwise:

• The first thing that struck me was Shiloh Grill's facetious and very humorous menu listings and descriptions.  Even if the food had been sub par (which it was not- thank goodness!), it would have been worth the visit just to browse through the menu.  ;)  My favorite menu item by far (and only for it's colorful description) is the Roethlisburgher. 
• I started with the World Famous Patio Gazpacho.  Their gazpacho is fresh, with chunks of crisp veggies (think cucumbers, peppers, and onions) in the broth.  It packed just enough spicy heat to not overwhelm the freshness of the gazpacho.
• Next up- Shiloh Grill's new Arugula Steak Salad. Okay, they pretty much had me at arugula and steak.  ;)  The medium-well grilled steak was sliced over a bed of fresh spinach and arugula and adorned with blue cheese crumbles, radish slices, and pepperoncini's.  Divine...
• Ahhhhh.... we were there just in time for their happy hour (5-7pm on the weekdays).  Happy hour at Shiloh Grill means half off their draft beers, wings, and their frozen cosmos.  The FROZEN COSMOS!  Holy libations, was this a wonderful treat for an almost full-time craft beer drinker. Frozen, smooth, tasty, and it packs a punch.  This is no frou-frou Cosmopolitan.  They are deceptively easy to drink, but those pink martini glasses of frozen happiness sure do sneak up on you. (Not that I know from personal experience or anything... ;) )

What you need to know before you go:

• Bring change for the parking meter!  Though I am sure there is free parking somewhere, most parking that I have observed on Mount Washington is metered or valet.
• Try to to head to Shiloh Grill on a Tuesday evening if you happen to be a lover of all things bacon.  They serve up FREE bacon baskets at the bar, $1 a basket in the dining room and deck.  They also craft a bacon martini to wash down your bacon basket with.  ;)

For hours, directions, specials, and menus, visit below:

http://www.theshilohgrill.com/





A Foodie's Oasis in Suburghia- Delallo's Italian Store

6390 Route 30, Jeannette

My first visit to Delallo Italian Marketplace after arriving in my new home of Greensburg, Pennsylvania was my first realization that I could survive (and probably even thrive!) after my big move from one of the larger locavore capitals of the Midwest to what seemed to me a sleepy suburb of the Steel City.  I walked through the doors and my eyes fell upon the colorful and abundant produce area of the marketplace like the eyes of a child to the bountiful gifts below the tree Christmas morning.  This is all for me??  ;)  And I hadn't even got to the cheese counter or the deli, or to the bakery.  And oh, that bakery...

So, let's get to it.

From top left, clockwise (in order of occurrence in store):

• After perusing all the fresh veggies and fruits in the Dellalo's produce section, you are immediately face to face with the enormous olive and antipasti bar that lines most of the entire right wall as you walk into the main part of the store.  Need hot peppered green olives? They got it!  Need marinated artichoke hearts?  Yep, they got that too.  Need prosciutto wrapped and cheese stuffed peppers?  Yep, check!
• The cheese counter at Dellalo's is heaven...  They sell every cheese from most any country imaginable.  The cheese mongers are more than happy to slice you off a little taste of any wedge that appeals to you.  They also sell fresh, homemade mozzarella and ricotta.
• Before you have even turned the corner past the cheese counter and the deli, the aroma of fresh baked bread floats all around you.  Delallo's bakes fresh breads, pepperoni rolls (these are amazing!), and their famous egg rolls daily.  The egg rolls have become regulars to at least one home cooked meal in my kitchen every week (and that is easy to do when they are only 2 for $1!).
• I will admit it.  Sometimes I come to Delallo's and forgo the deeply purple eggplants and gorgeous avocados and I go straight to the bakery.  And nowhere else.  For those of us who have the pleasure of suffering from an insatiable sweet tooth, Delallo's baked yumminess may just be the cure. ;)  My favorites in no particular order: their whole grain biscotti's, their carrot cake, their coconut cream pie, their made when ordered cannoli's, the salted caramels (my mother's favorite), and the almost as big as your head cinnamon rolls. (Just a tip- they do not always have the cinnamon rolls. So if you go and see them on a plate on top of the bakery counter, have them wrap up as many as you can take home! ;) )

What you need to know before you go:

• If this will be your first visit to Delallo Italian Marketplace, make sure you set aside ample time to explore the store & it's many culinary offerings.  You do not want to rush your first Delallo's experience. 
• The cheese counter, deli, and bakery get pretty darn busy on the weekends.  I suggest going during a weekday if you want to take your time to sample cheeses or ogle the bakery counter. ;)
• Above is just a small sampling of what Delallo Italian Marketplace offers it's customers. You can also find pastas there, dried beans and nuts in bulk, ready made Italian meals to go, Italian cigars... the list goes on and on.

For store hours, directions, recipe ideas, and the Delallo's blog, visit below:

http://www.delallo.com/jeannette

Old World Italian in the Heart of Greensburg- Rialto Cafe

25 West Otterman Street, Greensburg

Rialto Cafe is tucked inside a more than century old stone building (circa 1796) at the corner of West Otterman Street and North Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Greensburg.  The bar (pictured above) is the original from the restaurant's opening in 1933, and the staff still serves up cold ones and libations over this bar almost 80 years later.  The Montouri family has owned the Cafe for 3 generations now.  It has become one of those places that a couple may have come to on a date, then got married and brought their children there, and now those children bring their children there.  Tradition, family, and good family recipes is what makes Rialto Cafe a mainstay (and quite literally a historical landmark) in Greensburg.

So, let's get to it.

From left to right:

• Most of the dinner entrees are served with the Rialto Cafe House Salad.  The salad itself consists of lettuce, chopped mozzarella, pickled beets, and black olives. I ordered mine with the house dressing, the Creamy Parmesan.  The salad was simple, yet different.  

• We shared the Fried Zucchini Appetizer.  I was pleasantly surprised by the cut of the zucchini.  The zucchinis are sliced lengthwise, then breaded lightly, and fried.  It is served with a side of their traditional red sauce.

• As my main entree, I ordered an Italian favorite of mine, the Cheese Raviolis.  Each ravioli was a pasta pillow filled with a ricotta cheese mixture.  My favorite part of the dish was the generous meatball spooned right into the center of the plate.  It was tender, well seasoned, and quite possibly one of the better meatballs that I have had.  The entire plate was smothered in Rialto's traditional sauce, which is a smooth red sauce.

What you need to know before you go:

• Parking is metered, so bring change!
• Rialto Cafe is a fabulous choice on a nice, pretty day.  They have a good amount of patio seating (the outdoor space was once where the dining room of one of Rialto's patriarchs used to serve his family his homecooked meals. ;) )
• There are menu choices for every budget!  The staples of the Rialto Cafe menu are their sandwiches, pasta dishes, and their pizza.

For hours and directions, call below (Yes, I said call. They do not have a website yet- so very old school.):

 724-834-8010

A Suburghian Girl Recipe: Creamy Egg Salad with Capers

What is a girl to do with leftover hard-boiled eggs?  Make a fabulous egg salad, of course! ;)

I started with 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped coarsely.  Then I added about a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (made with olive oil). Add more or less mayo , depending on how creamy you prefer your egg salad.  That is the great thing about a recipe like egg salad- it adapts easily to your preference.  Just add a little more or less of something. Or if you really don't like an ingredient, leave it out or substitute something else.  

I then dabbed in about 2 tbsp of whole grain mustard.  I recommend whole grain versus regular mustard for two reasons: the texture it adds to the salad, and whole grain just simply has a much better flavor. 

Finely chop about 2 tsp worth of fresh dill and toss that in!  Chop about a quarter of an onion (red or white) and throw that in to. 

Next I add about 2 tsp of capers.  If capers is a foreign cooking ingredient for you, let me tell you a little bit about them.  Capers are actually the flower buds of the caper bush which are commonly found in the Mediterranean region.  Typically they are pickled or salted.  I used pickled in my recipe. (A-hem, I found my jar of capers at Dellalo's Italian Store in Jeannette. ;) )  Capers add a salty, brininess to any dish.  Because of this, please taste your egg salad before adding any salt to it- It might not need it!

Finally, add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice.  Add a little pepper. 

Now mix all the ingredients together.  Taste, and then add salt if you find that it needs it. 

Enjoy! :)

A Suburghian Locavore's Paradise in the Big 'Burgh- The Pittsburgh Public Market

2100 Smallman Street at 17th, Pittsburgh



This past Saturday I had the wonderful pleasure of attending the Pittsburgh Public Market for the first time.  As a Columbus transplant, I immediately felt that a missing puzzle piece had just been snapped into place for me. (You see, we have a very similiar kind of indoor market place in the Buckeye city.  And I had been missing it very much. ;) )  Local bakeries, candy makers, farmstands, food vendors, and what is that??  A local brewery selling growlers in the corner of the market?  Yep.  This is definitely the place for me- a foodie, a locavore, and a lover of craft beer. I could spend hours in here sampling the goods, talking to the farmers, inquiring about how something is baked or made.  So, what goodies ended up in my shopping tote Saturday?

Let's get to it...

From top left, clockwise:

• These cookies live up to their name, To Die For.  We were immediately drawn to this plate of cookies (and I think you can see why!) despite all the other delicious baked goodness that Espresso Specialty Foods was offering.

• Homemade marshmallows from The Pittsburgh Marshmallow Factory.  We are especially partial to the peanut butter.  But we also took home the dark chocolate and bananas foster.  (Did I mention that we are going to give away these delicious marshmallows as wedding favors at our reception next month?)

• Gala apples from Morning Dew Orchards.  We were offered an apple to sample before we decided to make a purchase.  (A whole apple, not just a slice.)  The sweet, fresh crunchiness sold us. :)

• A growler of the East End Brewing Company's Session Amber Ale.  The East End Brewing Company's taps in the market are a new (and a most appreciated!) addition.

What you need to know before you go:

• The above listed are not the only local goodies that ended up in my shopping tote.  A jar of Blueberry Butter from the Berry Patch and a couple of yogurt dipped doggie bones (for which our papillon was very grateful!) from Four Paws Bakery also found their way in there... :)



• The market is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays so plan your weekend accordingly.
• Bring change, for most of the parking near the market is metered (except for Sundays!).
• Don't forget to bring your own reusable shopping tote (or maybe 2, or 3...).  If you forget your's, they have lovely Pittsburgh Public Market totes that you can buy upstairs for $5.

For hours, directions, and a list of merchants by day, visit below:

http://pittsburghpublicmarket.org/

Lights, Camera, Carnage in the Big 'Burgh

At Bricolage Theatre, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh

I had the pleasure of attending a special Bloggers' Night preview of the newest theatrical production from Bricolage, Hunter Gatherers, yesterday evening. 

Let me give you the quick lowdown on the theater itself.  It is small and intimate, and if you sit in the front row you are often only a few feet away from the actors.  In essence, you feel like you are sitting right in the middle of a very entertaining and somewhat twisted sitcom. 

I won't say much about Hunter Gatherers itself (because I would hate to give away too much of the good stuff!), but there are a few things you should know before you go:

• This play is for you if you have a healthy appetite for raunchy, and at times animalistic humor and have the hunger to laugh. Hysterically. Often.

• This is not one of those theatrical performances in which you glance at your watch every 10 minutes, wondering when it will be over.  In fact, you are a little disappointed when the 15 minute intermission is called. ;)

• This play will beckon and satisfy the foodie and the theatre lover alike.  If you are a hardcore vegan, maybe not so much. ;)

For further details on Hunter Gatherers and Bricolage, please visit below:

http://www.webbricolage.org/node/668

Helping to Make Greensburg a Little More "Green"- The Supper Club

101 Ehalt Street, Greensburg - at the Greensburg Train Station

The Supper Club is one of those places that you walk into, and you instantly wish the place could speak to you and tell you the stories of what it has seen.  The Greensburg Train Station will be 100 years old this August. And the station still welcomes passengers once daily even to this day. You can hear and feel the rumbling of the trains passing by, and even an occasional train whistle if you listen very close. The station now houses one of Greensburg's first ever farm to table restaurants.  Owner Deb Driggers told me that when her family became interested in opening a new restaurant in the train station building, their goal was to create a restaurant that they as a family would want to share meals at.  They also shared a passion for supporting local farms and businesses, investing money back into the local economy, and their menu of local offerings reflects this. The building itself evokes a connection with the past; the menu offerings evoke a connection with the community.

So, let's get to it...

From top left, clockwise:

• Since The Supper Club buys from local vendors, the menu changes seasonally as new meats and produce are offered in the area.

• Mondays are for Meatballs & Martinis! Stop in on Monday evenings for 50 cent (yes, just 2 quarters!) meatballs and $6 martinis.  We started our evening with the Swedish meatballs in sauce and the turkey meatballs served with a cilantro aioli (both pictured above). 

• The Friendship Farms Grass Fed Beef Burger is by far one of the best burgers that I have had in the Suburghia area.  Because the cattle are raised on grass, the meat itself has a clean taste.  It is seen here topped with blue cheese & black pepper bacon.

• And I couldn't leave without partaking in one of their $6 martini offerings of the evening.  I chose the Liquid Dessert- an almost sinful mixture of Irish cream, amaretto, Frangelico, Kahlua, vanilla vodka, and cream. 

What you need to know before you go:

• Entrees run from around $8 up to $34.  You can enjoy this restaurant even if you are on a tighter budget.  Plus, various wallet-friendly specials are offered Monday through Thursday:  http://www.supperclubgreensburg.com/events.html

• If you plan to visit on a Friday or Saturday evening or if you are bringing a larger dinner party, you can easily make reservations.  The Supper Club is one of the only restaurants in the Greensburg area that utilizes the online reservation system, Open Table:  http://www.opentable.com/the-supper-club-greensburg

For hours, directions, events, and seasonal menus, visit below:

http://www.supperclubgreensburg.com/index.html