Restaurant Recommendations

Postby **Troy Loney** » Wed May 01, 2019 3:48 pm

Gonna check out Spork Pit BBQ tonight.

https://www.post-gazette.com/life/dinin ... 1904240112

Postby **LITT** » Wed May 01, 2019 3:51 pm

lol nice

speaking of bbq - walters in l'ville is pretty good

Postby **LITT** » Wed May 01, 2019 3:52 pm

napa prime chophouse on 19 across from north hills lexus and behind house of 1000 beers and bakn is finally open.

this restaurant is brought to you by the same restaurateurs from off the hook.

went for dinner on one of the first services. prices are commensurate to capital grille/mortons/ruths chris/etc. pretty nice wine list and some somewhat reasonably priced, largely dominated by california wines (obviously based on name).

overall, everything was very good. french onion soup, wedge salad, cesear salad, steak tartar were all delicious. steaks were good, prime rib was good, the au poivre and stilton bleu cheese sauces were excellent.

service was still spotty. they will get it figured out as time progresses, but when you are paying 50+ for a steak, there is little room for error. in terms of accessibility of the actual restaurant, their marquee sign is on the 'back' of the restaurant. you must enter from the other side, but there is no sign indicating that it is the entrance for the restaurant.

they claim to have a cigar bar, we did not look for it.

overall, if they can figure out the service, i imagine this place will be quite successful for the expense account meetings that don't want to go in to town and special events in the north hills

napa prime chophouse has instituted a happy hour in their lounge/bar and cigar bar. prime filet slider trio for 21, wagyu sliders for 13. many other items. 4 dollar house wine, 3-6 dollar drafts. pretty good

Postby **nocera** » Wed May 01, 2019 3:53 pm

Gonna check out Spork Pit BBQ tonight.
https://www.post-gazette.com/life/dinin ... 1904240112

Yeeaaah... They passed the reinspection but I don't think I'll be eating there any time soon. At least it wasn't really pest related.

Postby **meecrofilm** » Thu May 02, 2019 3:52 pm

Gonna check out Spork Pit BBQ tonight.
https://www.post-gazette.com/life/dinin ... 1904240112
Yeeaaah... They passed the reinspection but I don't think I'll be eating there any time soon. At least it wasn't really pest related.

Well uh... good thing it was closed since they were also replacing some smokers? Too bad, from people I've talked to they've said it's absolutely delicious.

Anyway, called a big audible and went to Umi in Shadyside instead. Pretty good, but as far as trendy Japanese places that are up 3 flights of stairs go, I still prefer Umami in lawrenceville, as it's at least as good, and provides some cheaper options (but a little noisier).

Postby **Shyster** » Thu May 02, 2019 5:22 pm

Did you order off the menu? The best way to do Umi (which, alas, is really super expensive) is to sit at the sushi bar and go the omakase route. Mr. Shu specializes in new-style sushi and is a master sushi chef, but one doesn't get that as much by ordering off the menu.

Umami annoys me because it calls itself an izakaya, but izakayas in Japan don't really serve sushi. If you want sushi, you go to a sushi restaurant. If you want Japanese bar food, you go to an izakaya.

Postby **meecrofilm** » Thu May 02, 2019 7:39 pm

Did you order off the menu? The best way to do Umi (which, alas, is really super expensive) is to sit at the sushi bar and go the omakase route. Mr. Shu specializes in new-style sushi and is a master sushi chef, but one doesn't get that as much by ordering off the menu.

Umami annoys me because it calls itself an izakaya, but izakayas in Japan don't really serve sushi. If you want sushi, you go to a sushi restaurant. If you want Japanese bar food, you go to an izakaya.

Makes sense. I'm not a huge sushi guy, which probably explains my preferences.

Postby **mac5155** » Sat May 04, 2019 11:17 am

We ate at condado taco last night before the Eric church concert. It was pretty good. Albeit expensive.

Postby **mac5155** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:19 pm

There is no better sub (cold cuts) than a dibellas godfather with oil.

Postby **slappybrown** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:23 pm

I went to Cucina Vitale in the South Side this weekend for dinner. BYOB. Solid Italian-American joint. Had the ravioli special which was damn tasty. Wish we had more BYOBs in Pittsburgh.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:33 pm

Wish we had more BYOBs in Pittsburgh.

Is it a local ordinance thing? Because as you obviously know, BYOB's are ubiquitous on the Philly Main Line.

Postby **slappybrown** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:40 pm

Wish we had more BYOBs in Pittsburgh.
Is it a local ordinance thing? Because as you obviously know, BYOB's are ubiquitous on the Philly Main Line.

I dont think so. They exist, but nowhere near to the extent in Philly, which is a great BYOB city.

Postby **LITT** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:41 pm

nickys thai kitchen (NH) now has a 10 dollar corkage fee. gfy

Postby **slappybrown** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:45 pm

Nicky's Thai Kitchen is not good, however

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:31 pm

not good???????

Postby **slappybrown** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:35 pm

We've gone over this I believe, its average at best in my view and last time I went there it got us both sick.

Postby **dodint** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:36 pm

Yeah. I don't have the heart to tell slappy he's wrong again.

Postby **nocera** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:40 pm

We've gone over this I believe, its average at best in my view and last time I went there it got us both sick.

Which location did you go to? The North Shore joint gets busted by the health department every few years. Mouse droppings and an actual dead mouse inside of a "cooking vessel" would definitely get you sick...

Postby **slappybrown** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:41 pm

We've gone over this I believe, its average at best in my view and last time I went there it got us both sick.
Which location did you go to? The North Shore joint gets busted by the health department every few years. Mouse droppings and an actual dead mouse inside of a "cooking vessel" would definitely get you sick...

Really adding to its allure.

I've been to North Side and North Hills. Last time was North Hills.

Postby **nocera** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:49 pm

Yeah, the other locations seem okay but I'd avoid the North Side one. Along with all the mouse ****, they weren't properly storing food, bags of raw chicken and its juice were mixed with mussels and other food, nobody washed their hands, and the dishwasher didn't have any sanitizer in it. Sure, that was last year, but I think I'll play it safe.

Also, I spoke too soon about the others being fine. In 2017, the Penn Ave location had a boat load of roaches.

Too many to count German Roaches (live and dead) observed in the following areas: the kitchen under the dish washing machine (live & dead), under the kitchen cooking equipment (dead), under the hand washing sinks in the kitchen (live), under the dish washing machine drain board (live), in the basement dry storage area (live & dead in glue traps), in the basement prep area near the hand washing sink (dead).

The ACHD restaurant finder site is extremely useful. Or extremely disturbing. You pick.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Mon May 06, 2019 1:57 pm

We ate at condado taco last night before the Eric church concert. It was pretty good. Albeit expensive.

Condado is trash. I'm disappointed in you.

There is no better sub (cold cuts) than a dibellas godfather with oil.

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon May 06, 2019 2:08 pm

Fantastic gif work, Dickie...

Postby **mac5155** » Mon May 06, 2019 9:37 pm

We ate at condado taco last night before the Eric church concert. It was pretty good. Albeit expensive.
Condado is trash. I'm disappointed in you.

There is no better sub (cold cuts) than a dibellas godfather with oil.

LOL. Though I must admit I do get mine heated. Is it still a cold cut then?

Postby **dodint** » Wed May 08, 2019 10:57 am

I had Uber Eats bring me some poutine and a pecan crusted walleye dish last night. Living the good Minnesota life right now.

Postby **Lemon Berry Lobster** » Wed May 08, 2019 11:00 am

poutine, so woke