Review: E2 (“E-Squared”)
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
I firmly believe that a good staff makes a restaurant. Front of the house employees play a big role in defining the overall atmosphere, and — for me — atmosphere is really what makes or breaks a dining experience. One even hopes that it reflects the chef’s or owner’s sentiments. That’s not to say food [...]
Review: Zuppa’s Deli
Posted by mike | Filed under Miscellaneous
As many of you know, I’m a big fan of the independent sandwich shop with free WiFi (prime example). The source of my love is twofold: a good sandwich and a low key place to pull out my laptop. I frequently try to stop at a coffee shop on my way home from work to [...]
Review: Thai Suan Thip
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
If anyone knows where the name “Thai Suan Thip” comes from, please let me know. That’s the name of the restaurant that has made their way into the old Mojo Bistro space. When Mojo Bistro was closing, the owners told me that a Thai restaurant would be moving in to replace them; they just didn’t [...]
Review: Smiling Banana Leaf
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
This one was a great find. I had never before even heard of Smiling Banana Leaf, but then randomly noticed a reference to the place in a Twitter feed. I can’t even remember who posted it, but I’m glad it caught my attention. I did some research, found some reviews, and decided I definitely needed [...]
Review: Stoke’s Grill
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
At some point, Jeff Bearer (of Craft Beer Radio fame) started suggesting I try out Stoke’s Grill down on McKnight. It didn’t take too much explanation for me ot become interested, and in the past few weeks, I’ve made my way over there—twice. For me, it’s roughly on the way between work and home, so [...]
Review: Sababa Grill
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
Not all that long ago, Mr. Willies Barbecue closed its doors (and, in retrospect, foreshadowed the closure of Kazansky’s). Willies never seemed to really pull together something that got people excited, and eventually shuttered—and, yes, the missing apostrophe bothers me too. Whenever a restaurant closes like that, I see opportunity: I see it as a [...]
Review: Abay Ethiopian Cuisine
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
Pittsburgh is home to a wealth of small ethnic restaurants—most of them independently owned, and nearly all of them at least worth a visit. Having previously been scheduling most of my outings for the Pittsburgh Beer Meetup, those establishments just didn’t come up. On the other hand, the newly created The FoodBurgh Meetup brings a [...]
Review: Fajita Grill (Ellsworth)
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
At some point, one of my readers recommended a FoodBurgh visit to Fajita Grill. When the request first came in, I snooped around the web a little and didn’t know what to think. Given the association with Si Senior, I suspected large-ish (but delicious) burritos and wraps—just like the ones I remember from my CMU [...]
Review: Aviva Brick Oven (Warrendale)
Posted by mike | Filed under Reviews
I work up in Cranberry Township, but I live down in Squirrel Hill (don’t ask). Given that positioning, I invited some co-workers out to give the Aviva Brick Oven a try. Located in Warrendale–just down Rt 19 from Cranberry, I had driven by them a few times and thought they were definitely worth a try. [...]
