March was a return to a little more normalcy in my life. I got back to a lot of great restaurants and hit up a bunch of events. I tried some great meals and cocktails. I’m also excited about some of my latest videos doing well on Instagram. It’s been a while since I felt I wasn’t just posting into the abyss. Take a look below at the fun I had over the month.
Restaurants
I started the month with a Friday dinner at Nanban before a double feature at Row House Cinema Lawrenceville (more on that below). Nanban does a special fish fry sandwich for lent with panko-crusted cod and a black sesame yuzu sauce. We also had to get one of their fried chicken sandwiches.
I had an impromptu dinner at Bae Bae’s Kitchen. This has been one of my favorite restaurants in the city since it opened. Their Korean Fried Chicken is amazing. We got a whole bunch of appetizers too. This was also the first time I’ve eaten there and ordered cocktails. They were very good.
My second impromptu dinner of the week was at Kaya with Kanika AKA @ThatCurrySmell and her husband. I got the delicious Kaya Burger. I like this one because the toppings make it different from your traditional burger. We also got to eat outside since it was 70 degrees the first week of March.
I got dinner with fellow Pittsburgh OG Instagram Foodie and long time Abby AKA @foodismysavior_pgh. We decided to go to Blue Sky. They just changed up their menu a bit. We got the Sheet Tray Nachos and the French Dip. Blue Sky is great for cocktails and this evening they were doing a throwback Tequila Cold Brew Martini that used to be on the menu.
I did another fish fry Friday at PGH Sandwich Society to get this year’s special sandwich, the Big McClown Fish. This was paying homage to a certain fast food burger. It was fantastic. The special sauce was what made it so good. PGH Sandwich Society has been one of my favorites for years. It was nice to be able to visit them at Strange Roots and get a great meal with some beers.
My friends at Bridge City Brinery opened up their restaurant in Sharpsburg, The Brinery. I visited them to try some menu items and make a fun video. I got The Fairfax which is their version of a Reuben and the Chick-charrones double fried chicken skins. The food was amazing and I had a lot of fun watching my sandwich get made.
I finally made it to The Parlor Dim Sum for their Monday Happy Hour with cart service. They do a limited menu of select dim sum items and special cocktails for the evening. It was also fantastic as always. I also got to check this out with a new foodie friend @_jessies_eddies_
I love all you can eat meals so I had to check out Cobra BBQ and their All You Care to Eat Japanese BBQ night on Wednesdays. I went with my friend Karen and a couple of others. For $48 we got 3 different types of meat and a bunch of different veggies for grilling. This was a fun and tasty experience.
I was one of the first people to check out the new E.T.A. Bar downtown. This Japanese inspired bar is by the team at one of my favorite bars The Warren Bar & Burrow. The space is decked out in Japanese décor and features cocktails and small bites with a Japanese twist.
Immediately after E.T.A. I went to Gi-Jin for what feels like the first time in forever. They proved again why they are one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. there have been lots of delicious updates to the menu. I was impressed by the latest update to the Hamachi Crudo seasoned with ponzu and ginger oil. I tried the Firefly Squid which was adorable and tasty with the onions on the side. The latest seasonal Beef Tataki was really good with caramelized onion, fried brussels sprouts and a miso cauliflower cream. Their new dessert, the Caramel Purin, which is like a Japanese flan, topped with raspberry compote might be my new favorite dessert in the city. There are also some great updates to the drink menu like a sake flight and cocktails like the Royal Sour made with gin, blood orange and umami bitters.
I had a crunchwrap at Cinderlands Warehouse after Parade Day drinking for hours. The wrap hit the spot.
I got brunch at Bombay to Burgh. This Indian restaurant is a new hidden gem in Pittsburgh does a small brunch buffet with just a handful of dishes. I keep saying I need to get here for a full dinner. Hopefully, it’ll happen soon.
I had dinner at another one of my favorite bars St. Clair Social with my friends Dani and Meredith. Dani is starting a new travel blog Dani Roves the World and Meredith has been sharing food as a member of Yelp elite for years. Cocktails are always amazing at St. Clair Social and they just launched a new astrology themed cocktail menu. I also really wanted to try the Pittsburgh Cheesesteak.
I finally was able to go to the new Novo Asian Food Hall in the Strip district with Karen and a few others. This new food hall has 7 concepts and a full service bar. We got food from almost all the concepts. My Kung Fu Chicken Sandwich was so good and massive. I would get that again. Video coming soon on Instagram.
I got dinner at Mad Mex. This happens pretty regularly. However, I got the Pennsyltucky Fried Tofu and it was very good. I wish I had taken a photo. I guess I’ll have to get it again.
I got lunch at Yuzu Kitchen downtown. I got a delicious ramen made better with a little bit of chili oil. Post coming soon on Instagram.
I got a burger from The Smashery Truck while I was at Eleventh Hour Brewing. I ordered The Situation which is an Italian food themed burger.
I finished the month at the China Buffet. It’s most redeeming quality is it is All You Can Eat.
Takeout
I got Pizzeria Davide on Pi Day. They offered a 2 for $25 deal. They weren’t the prettiest pizzas this time, but still delicious.
Events
I went to Row House Cinema Lawrenceville for a movie double feature. They were featuring Movies with Cars in Them. They did a special showing of 1970s cult classic Death Race 2000 followed by one of my favorite movies ever Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. I’ve been a member at Row House for years mostly because they do great lineups like this. I’m going to two special events in April which I’m very excited to attend.
I attended the annual Penn State Alumni Association – Greater Pittsburgh Chapter Blue White Ball. This event raises money to support THON and Four Diamonds Foundation. The gala was at The Great Hall at The Priory. We had a fantastic meal, a great auction and raffle, and an amazing and inspiring speaker who has survived childhood cancer. I started doing social media for the local chapter this year and it was a great opportunity to be part of this event.
I visited The Cheese Queen in Mt. Oliver to participate in a Wine and Cheese Tasting as a preview for the Good Taste Pittsburgh Say Cheese event coming up on April 7 at Kingfly Spirits. Megan, The Cheese Queen picked out 8 delicious PA cheeses for us to try out. The main event on April 7 will have stations with different cheeses and wines and feature cocktails using Kingfly Spirits.
I drove down to Nemacolin for the evening with Abby AKA @foodismysavior_pgh to attend a special cooking competition. They were hosting an event for WVU College of Business and the WVU Tech Culinary Program. This was an incredible evening where 7 culinary students competed against each other with chefs from Nemacolin serving as their sous chef. The students from the business school got to learn hospitality event management and service. The winning chef got awarded a full scholarship to the culinary school and the other participants got lower value scholarship prizes. I was honored to be invited to this event by Nemacolin and so proud of the students participating.
I attended the media night for the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild Three Rivers Beer Week. This week of evens features the breweries and they beer they produce. I’m excited to be able to attend a whole bunch of events. More details can be found on their website https://threeriversbeerweek.com/.
