The Unvegan

11/25/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

A Lamb Good Time at Pino’s

Point Breeze basically has two restaurants. One is Point Brugge, which was eloquently reviewed recently on this site, and the other is Pino’s, a classy Italian joint basically across the street. In truth, I knew nothing about Pino’s before walking in, but by the time I left I was looking forward to more. You see, when it comes to pasta, I kind of have a thing where I feel like a jar of Classico and some dry pasta is just as good as many restaurants. Pino’s, however, was not one of these restaurants.

Italian Lamb Pasta Pino's Pittsburgh Point Breeze Restaurants Rigatoni

11/20/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

A Bite and a Brew at Bites and Brews

With a name like Bites and Brews, you kind of know what to expect when walking into the place. And let me tell you right here: the place does not disappoint. If all you are seeking is something to eat and something to drink, Bites and Brews has you covered. With a beer menu including about 30 brews starting at $3 and a food menu ranging from bar staples to hoagies, the name of the place is certainly apt.

American Bar Food Bars Bites and Brews Pittsburgh Restaurants Sandwiches Shadyside

11/13/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

Verde with Envy (CLOSED)

As a city with only 2.3% of its population claiming Hispanic or Latino as its ancestry, Pittsburgh isn’t exactly a hub of south-of-the-border cuisine. Yet, I had heard rumors of a delicious upscale Mexican restaurant called Verde in an area of town called Garfield and headed there one night when my momma took me out to dinner. After all, upscale as a student is typically only in the lexicon when parents are around.

Enchiladas Garfield Mexican Pittsburgh Red O Restaurants Verde

11/12/2013 Strange Eats

Strange Meats: Guinea Fowl

You know that whole “tastes like chicken” thing that was popular back when The Matrix came out? Yeah, I thought it was annoying too. However, when it came to eating guinea fowl (also known as bush chicken), I was eager to put that old adage to the test. My opportunity to dine on this fowl came in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and perhaps the best part of eating guinea fowl for dinner was the fact that I saw flocks of wild guinea fowl wandering the grounds of the restaurant earlier in the day.

Chicken Guinea Fowl Meat Strange Eats Strange Meat Victoria Falls Zimbabwe

11/8/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

Sauce is Boss at YinzBurgh BBQ

Not your Jewish mother's brisket. — Not your Jewish mother’s brisket.

Pittsburgh is quite a unique place. So unique, in fact, that when I arrived I was given a crash course in how to speak Pittsburghese. I’ll spare the details, aside from the fact that Pittsburgh has its own version of “y’all.” That word is “yinz” and people who speak in Pittsburghese are referred to as “Yinzers.” With that in mind, you can now rest easy knowing that the BBQ you are about to read about is a play on “yinz” and not some obscure Civil War battle. And now, onto the BBQ.

American Barbecue BBQ Bloomfield Brisket Mac and Cheese Pittsburgh Restaurants Southern YinzBurgh BBQ

11/7/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

In Point Brugge

When you think of brunch, do fries, mac and cheese and waffles come to mind? Okay, maybe the the waffles, but when the brunch destination is Point Brugge in Point Breeze, a Belgian gem of a restaurant, it would be a shame to limit yourself to typical brunch options. That’s why we didn’t, and it turned out to be a mighty good choice.

Belgian Brunch Fries Mac and Cheese Pittsburgh Point Breeze Point Brugge Restaurants Waffles

11/6/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

A Cubic Burrito at Mad Mex

In Pittsburgh, there is a big time restaurant group called Big Burrito. One of their spots is Kaya, which I reviewed recently, and another is Mad Mex in Shadyside, which I had high expectations for based on the name of the restaurant group. A look at the menu made it apparent that this wasn’t your traditional Mexican meal, but I hoped the creativity would shine like it did in LA at places like Tinga.

Big Burrito Buffalo Wings Burritos Mad Mex Mexican Pittsburgh Restaurants Shadyside Wings

11/5/2013 Reviews Pittsburgh

Too Much to Handle at Sun Penang

You know how some restaurants don’t seem to have an identity? You know, like Jack in the Box but in full restaurant form. Well, Sun Penang in Squirrel Hill is one of those restaurants. The only identity it really has is “Asian,” but Asian covers a lot of groups and so does Sun Penang. From Thai to Dim Sum to Malaysian, it is a hard place to choose a meal, but choose I did.

Asian Chinese Curry Dim Sum Malaysian Pittsburgh Restaurants Squirrel Hill Thai

11/4/2013 Reviews Saint Paul

Devouring the Black Sheep

Apparently, the Twin Cities are about more than just Jucy Lucys. And while some may question that, Black Sheep in St. Paul gives reason to believe in life beyond cheese-stuffed burgers. A coal-fired pizza place, Black Sheep still relies on cheese, but in quite a different manner. Walking in to the below-ground-level spot, I was immediately inundated with the scent of garlic, a smell that signaled good things ahead, as well as a scent that would remain with me for the rest of the day.

Black Sheep Garlic Italian Minneapolis Minnesota Pizza St. Paul Travel

10/31/2013 Heroes and Villains

Pat LaFrieda: Unvegan Hero

Everyone one who knows anything knows about Shake Shack. Or at least they should. But perhaps they don’t know the man behind the meat: Pat LaFrieda, who has made the world of meat immeasurably better and is finally getting his due as an Unvegan Hero.

Burgers Hamburgers Heroes and Villains Pat LaFrieda Shake Shack Steak

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