The Pittsburgh Marathon: 5K & Half Marathon 2013

I did it again.

People said I was crazy. Doing the 5K and half marathon events as part of The Pittsburgh Marathon again this year, like I did last year. What was I thinking?

My 5K and half marathon bibs for 2013

I think I was thinking I was the same as last year.

Truth is, I'm not.  I've been very, VERY undisciplined over the past year - with both working out and eating, but mostly the eating.  This food blogging thing makes you want to eat EVERYTHING, no matter what the calorie-count.  Not to mention also eating irresponsibly at home, due to the number of ingredients on hand that may not be the healthiest, in addition to a lack of planning time for meals.

What happened to me?

I remember starting Weight Watchers 2 1/2 years ago, and being PSYCHO about it.  I could not go over my daily points target, or I'd feel like a failure.  I lost so much weight (92 pounds!), slowly and steadily. 

Now the thought of tracking everything that goes in my mouth seems like a daunting task.  There have been days when I've tried, and by dinner time, it all went out the window.  Breakfast and lunch are easy when I'm working, but once I get home - forget it.

And weekends? Ha. 

So needless to say, my training for this year's marathon events was lackluster.  I made sure to get my long runs in when I needed to, but as for shorter runs in between - they were few and far between.  I did a 5K in North Park three weeks earlier, and my time was god-awful (it was quite hilly, though), and I was SUPER sore afterwards.  I almost thought that doing the half-marathon wasn't going to happen.

But, I said I was going to do it, so I persevered.

The 5K didn't seem like such a big deal, since I had been doing long runs for my training.  It was CHILLY that morning, so I went with long sleeves, which I hate doing when I know I'm going to run. All of my training runs, with the exception of my 10-mile run the week before, were cold, but it was going to warm up quickly this day.  

5K Start Line

My Aunt Marie and her friends Theresa and Tina were running/walking the 5K as well, so we carpooled (with Theresa driving us to the North Shore, while Marie drove Tina and I to a garage near the finish line downtown).  

The course was different from last year's, and I have to say, this year's was better.  A bit flatter, with enough sights and motivation to keep me moving at a decent pace.  

My 5K Results, 2013

My time was 34:39 - about 3 minutes faster than the 5K three weeks earlier, and only 1 minute, 2 seconds slower than the year before - definitely better than I thought I would do.

A look back at the finish line - which I would see again the next day.

My idea of carb-loading for the next day - free cotton candy from Pittsburgh Candy Buffet Co. What is wrong with me?!

I got more exercise later that day by attending the expo at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (which I had also attended the day before, to pick up the packets and do some shopping).  The expo is one of the best events of the year, with hundreds of organizations showing off their products and services.  I got myself a new phone case for running (which I LOVE) and a few other items, like more running socks, at great prices.

Water Walls at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center

My name on The Wall of Runners

The next morning, when I got up at 4 AM, I was nervous.  Nervous that I wouldn't finish.  Nervous that I would hurt myself.  Nervous that I would fail.

But I had to try.

My cousin, Tommy, was running the full marathon, so we met up with the rest of my family at my aunt's house in Munhall to take one vehicle downtown.  We said our goodbyes in PPG Plaza, used the Port-O-John's before the lines got crazy, and headed to our corrals - I was in Corral E, while he was in Corral A.

Port-O-John's all over Pittsburgh for the marathon.  These ones were in Shadyside.

There was no way I was finishing the half before he was finishing the full.  He's that good.

I waited in Corral E for over an hour before we started moving toward the start line.  We heard the National Anthem, God Bless America, and some other music, but the announcements were impossible to understand until we got closer to the start.  Ryan Clark from the Steelers was doing some announcing, as he had for the last 3 years that I have done marathon events (he's awesome at it, too!)  We got closer, and closer - and then we crossed the start.

And we were off.  

Luckily, I spotted my family not long after the starting line on Liberty Avenue, and called out to them.  They spotted me trotting by, yelled and waved, and then I was off toward the Strip District, one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh.

I ran down Liberty, and thought, "I can make it to the 1-mile marker without walking."  And I did!  I felt good, being on the flat road, so I kept going as long as I could without walking.  We made it to the turn-around to get on Penn Ave., and I figured we were approaching the 2-mile marker soon.  My goal was to make it there without walking. 

And I did.  I have never, EVER ran 2 miles straight without walking.  Yay for firsts!

I walked for awhile, then ran until the 16th Street Bridge.  There are 5 bridges on the half-marathon course, and they are KILLER when you first get on them.  I learned last year, though, that walking uphill and running downhill is the way for me to go.

We ran into the North Side, then back over the 9th Street Bridge (Rachel Carson Bridge), then back to the North Side over the 7th Street Bridge (Andy Warhol Bridge).  Only 2 more bridges to go.

Last year, when I ran with my cousin Nicole, she had to stop to pee - and I had a feeling that I might need to do the same this year.  I didn't want to, but I had the urge - I just kept telling myself to sweat it off.  I refused to stop.

I knew that my Twitter buddies, Mike and Kelly Pound, were working the water station at the 6-mile marker on the North Side.  As I approached, I looked for the red bucket hat Mike said he'd be wearing, and spotted it easily.  I ran over to him, and after a fist bump, words of encouragement, and a cup of water, I continued the course (sorry I missed Kelly, though!)

I was amazed by mile 7 at how quickly the miles were coming up - training and a race are totally different, especially when there are THOUSANDS upon thousands of people along the race course as motivation.

I like motivation.

The West End Bridge always seems like the longest, but with the best view.  As much as I wanted to take a picture, I didn't want my time to suffer.  We continued into the West End Village Shoppes, where it was like a huge block party.  Running without walking was easy to do there.

And then - West Carson Street.  Ugh.  Uphill most of the way, so lots of walking was done there.  I was losing steam, and feeling blah.

Luckily, as we got into the South Side, there was Gu.  I have never tried Gu before, but I needed something to help out my stamina.  I had some, then passed through another fluid station where I took both Gatorade and water, then finished the Gu.

Gu got me through.  That stuff works!

I got a second wind as I ran (and walked) through the South Side.  I spotted Julia Thrower near Nakama, and we exchanged "hi's" and she shouted a "Looking good!"  I was surprised at how fast the South Side seemed, and the Birmingham Bridge was just ahead.  

Another fluid station and a relatively flat bridge, along with the 11-mile marker, made me realize that I was indeed going to be able to finish this race.  The course rule is that you must be over the bridge by 11:00 AM, or you have to board the sweep - I checked my time on my phone: 9:39 AM.

Thank goodness.

And then the worst part of the course - Forbes Avenue.  A highly-graded road, this is the most dreaded part of the half-marathon course.  A man was on the side, shouting, "You're halfway up the LAST hill!"  I thought, that's not true, but it helps.

We turned onto Jumonville with the realization that there was ANOTHER hill going toward Duquesne University, with the 12-mile marker and another fluid station, with many encouraging people letting us know that this was indeed the LAST hill, and it was all downhill from there.

And it was, with the exception of a slight hill near the finish line.

I spotted my mom, who took my picture and ran to get to the finish line (I walked up the last hill and told her I'd let her catch up).  Then I ran to the finish as hard as I could.

My time was 2:44:24 - almost 11 minutes off of last year's time of 2:55:17.  I got my finisher's medal, got my picture taken, took every provided food imaginable (water, banana, Eat 'N Park Smiley Cookie...), then ran into Jennie Roth, who had also just finished.  We congratulated each other, then it was off to find my family.  

My 2013 half marathon finisher medal

I spotted my mom heading into Point State Park, but getting to her was not easy.  Dodging a barrage of people, I finally caught up to her, and then it was a matter of finding my aunt, uncle, and cousin Tommy.  Text messaging was failing (as I'm sure everyone was trying to find each other), but luckily my aunt called my mom, and we were able to reunite.

Tommy did in fact finish the full marathon before I finished the half - with a time of 2:37:30!  He was 14th out of the men, and 3rd in his age division.  That speed is also what made him finish the Boston Marathon 3 weeks earlier - long before the tragedy occurred.  Thank goodness for that speed.

Many, MANY of my friends and co-workers did either the half, full, or relay - everyone that I tracked finished, and with awesome times!  I'm so proud of all of them!

I could feel the soreness start to set in as we walked back to the parking garage - then once we drove home, and I tried to get out of the back of the van, it REALLY set in.  I went home to shower and get ready for lunch at Red Robin (my aunt's choice), and then - something was wrong.

My stomach was absolutely killing me.  I was getting stomach cramps, like I did when I first developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which hasn't been much of a problem lately.  I know not to eat pork, which is a trigger, and I hadn't.  We went to Red Robin, and I felt so horrible that I ended up taking my entire salad (minus maybe 3 bites) home.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doubled-over in pain at my parents' house, with cramps coming and going.  I was ok by dinnertime, and was sure to eat (as I knew I had burned at lot of calories and HAD to eat).

Do I regret doing these races?  Absolutely not.  Even as I am in pain today and walking...funny...I don't regret doing them.  What I do regret, and what I have learned, is that I need to start taking better care of myself again.  I weighed myself this morning - and the scale says that I have lost 6 pounds in the last 2 days.  Good that I've lost weight, but that'st not very healthy - and I'm sure that will be different tomorrow.  

This year's races would have been easier if I hadn't weighed over 20 pounds more than I did last year.  So, Weight Watchers, you need to become my friend again.  Food is controlling me, and I need to control it.  Even if it means that my blog stats suffer, I need to do this.  I am tracking my food today, and I will be doing so from now on.  If I say I will, then I will.

I'm saying it.  Motivate me, people - it got me through the races, and it will help me get through this.

Remember this?

Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon
UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon
Fed Ex Ground Pittsburgh Marathon Relay
UPMC Health Plan/UPMC Sports Medicine Pittsburgh 5K Run

Website: http://www.pittsburghmarathon.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSGPM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PGHMarathon

Esquites!

I haven't tried a new recipe in quite sometime.

Odd, since I tend to cook more in the winter; however, the adventurousness in me has been lacking of late, but I'm ready to start exploring for more cooking adventures.

You know, when I'm about to start working 2 jobs again.  Perfect timing [sarcasm].

One recipe that had been stored away for "future cooking" was a recipe from my favorite Latino cooking site, Flaming Tortillas.  With the advent of the Pittsburgh food truck scene, street food has become increasingly popular, from the trucks themselves to the many vendors along Penn Avenue in the Strip District (especially on weekends), including the PGH Crepes Cart.

The recipe? Esquites.

On my visit to Round Corner Cantina, esquites was on the menu, but I didn't order them because of the many, MANY tacos I ate that night.  In addition, I wanted to try this recipe before I ate someone else's version.

To describe equites simply, I would call it "spicy corn", because it is exactly that, yet so much more.  Typically served in cups, this Mexican dish is right up there with tacos in terms of it's ease of portability and tastiness.  The heat level?  That's up to you, but I totally made mine SPICY (note the emphasis).

I'm so glad that I finally tried this recipe! I will make these often - but I'm sure if I made them for other people, I would have to adjust the heat level (slightly).

For the complete recipe, click here.

You're not from Pittsburgh until you've husked corn into a Giant Eagle bag

Husked corn rock star

The hard part: Getting the corn off of the cob (there's a Pampered Chef tool for that, which I don't own!)

The main heat-maker: Serrano pepper

Serrano and piquin peppers in butter

Add the corn and salt

Mix with mayo, then top with queso fresco, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and lime juice!
Ta-da! Buen provecho!

Easy!  Let me know what you think!

Flaming Tortillas

Website: http://www.flamingtortillas.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flaming-Tortillas/170204376367118

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FTortillas

PGH Crepes

Ohhhh, crepes.  You are the taco of the French.

Well, sort of.

Crepes do serve the purpose of holding together a variety of ingredients like a taco does, but crepes can be either savory or sweet.  I haven't had many crepes in my life, as I've never really had "real" French cuisine, but I have had some.  When the French students had crepes for class (which doesn't happen anymore, as French was CUT from our course of studies 4 years ago due to budgetary reasons), we Spanish (and German) teachers were always invited to partake.  

I miss those days.  A lot.

I think the only other place I have had crepes was at a local diner in Ocean City, MD - not to mention the ones that I made myself at home.  The batter was easy to make, and a crepe pan is a definite necessity to get the correct thin consistency of the crepe (they also make great taco-warmers, by the way).

Now Pittsburgh has an easy way to obtain these foldable, portable gems - at the PGH Crepe Cart.  I saw it one day in the Strip District, and became curious, but did not check it out.  Wow, did I regret that, because about a week later, EVERYONE was talking about it!  

Ilmir Akhm is the owner of the PGH Crepes Cart and Crepes Catering Services, and he is definitely doing something right - portable cart, simple ingredients, and a product that doesn't take long to make.  He has his city permit, and he is vending in the heart of the Strip District on weekends, while taking advantage of the hustle-and-bustle of the city during the work week.  On one occasion, he even popped up in the North Hills at The Coffee Buddha to join PGH Taco Truck and The Steer and Wheel for a Friday midday service.

On Saturday, after my last long, 10-mile training run to prepare for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, I was tired and sore - but I had to venture into The Strip to drop off another Pittsburgh Popcorn Company fundraising order.  One block away, the cart sat - and I had to try it out.

Given that I had just run 10 miles, I felt guilty about wanting to indulge in a crepe smeared with Nutella (as you may know, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nutella!), but I went...uh..."healthy", and instead ordered the Spinach, Tomato, and Cheese crepe.

Ilmir works on my crepe

Ilmir was very nice, asking how my day was.  I introduced myself to him, and he was extremely friendly and personable.  I thanked him for my crepe and walked down 20th street to enjoy my lunch.

The folded crepe

Spinach, tomato, and cheese peeking through. 

Oh, crepe.  You are so light, yet strong in your holding of ingredients.  If I liked the...uh..."healthy" crepe, I can only imagine what one with Nutella would be like...

...I'll find out soon, no doubt!  See you again soon, Ilmir (and have a JAR of Nutella waiting for me!)!


PGH Crepes 
Mobile Food Cart (weekends at 20th & Penn Ave. in the Strip District, most weekdays downtown)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pghcrepes

Stoke's Grill

I'm getting a bit nervous.

I really haven't run as much as I should to prepare for the 1/2 marathon on May 5th.  I mostly blame the weather, because I HATE to run in cold weather.  As a matter of fact, as I write this post, I am waiting for the temperature to hit 50 degrees before I go out and do my 6 miles today.

I'm a wimp.

However, I couldn't avoid running in cold weather for the Ole 5K on April 13th.  I signed up for this race MONTHS ago, figuring it was for a great cause, and the weather would be spot-on at this point.  No.  Not at all.  It was SO COLD and windy!

In addition, it was quite hilly.  I finished WAY over my typical 5K time, and was really just happy that I had finished, period.  Luckily, I didn't get any more blisters (another reason I haven't run as much as I should).

After the race, there was a Mexican buffet - but, Food Collage, her husband (R., who had also ran the 5K), and I decided not to partake for 2 reasons: 1.) It was from a catering company that obviously had no real ties to what "Mexican food" really is, and 2.) The line extended for several hundred feet, and we were cold and hungry.

I'm not too familiar with the North Hills, but Food Collage is, and she decided that Stoke's Grill would be a great place for lunch.  R. and I just wanted some warm soup as part of the meal, so it sounded like a do-able option.

Stoke's Grill

The menus are on a sign post as you walk in.  Soups are listed on the chalkboard menu, and specials are listed on a paper attached to the sign post.  If you're not familiar with the menu already, you stand in the (large) entryway, making your decision.  Then, you go to the counter, place your order, and you are given a number to put on your table for the server to bring you your food when it is ready.

Order at the counter, take a seat, place your number on the table

I knew I wanted soup, of course, so I chose the best-sounding one - crab bisque:

Crab Bisque

It was good - a little salty, but good.  I've had many crab bisques in Maryland, and nothing can compare to the crab soups there, but this was definitely noteworthy.

Pretzel sandwiches caught my eye immediately.  I love soft pretzels, and anything in between two soft pretzels is an absolute bonus.  "The Hitch" was really my only pork-free option: turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard.  I ordered it as a combo with a drink and French fries:

"The Hitch" Combo

Meat view, "The Hitch"

Oh. Yum. Fantastic. The honey mustard was the most dominant flavor of the sandwich, and I loved it.  The only complaint I would have is the structure of the sandwich itself - the pretzels are fairly thin and spread out, so as soon as you take a bite, it feels like it's falling apart...

...but even if it does, it still tastes the same, right?

The fries were good, but nothing to write home about.  I've had better, I've had worse.

I may have ordered too much food, because I was SUPER full - I even offered my fries to Food Collage and R., and he did take some (thank goodness).

A great lunch with great people - and I could definitely tell that I had run when I tried to stand up from the table.  Ow.  Now to try to run 6 miles today...


Stoke's Grill
4771 McKnight Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Website: http://www.eatatstokes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stokes-Grill/261434401242
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatatstokes

Aseoma...then Razzy Fresh

Latino/Asian fusion can be done well.  Or not.

Take Tamari.  I haven't been back in quite awhile...but I need to go back.  They do fusion so, so well.  Sushi? Ok. Tostones? Sure. Combine the two? Whoa. But it's amazing!

Aseoma on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill is another one of those Latino/Asian fusion restaurants that seeks to combine the two cuisines; however, they seem to lean more toward the Korean/Thai end of Asian food, rather than Japanese and Chinese.  Food Collage joined me for dinner there, since our friends, Nancy and Tom, talked it up to us.

Aseoma (bad lighting!)

I arrived at 5:55PM - the restaurant was empty.  The host (who I believe is also the owner) was on the phone at the host desk in the BACK of the restaurant...so I awkwardly waited for him to finish his conversation while I waited near the entrance.  When he was done, he asked if I was a party of 1, and I told him no, there will be 2 of us.  He told me to sit wherever I like.

I picked a 4-top so we'd have room.  Doubt that would be a problem.

Food Collage arrived not long after, and we looked over the menu, fighting the urge to keep our voices down because it was so, so quiet.  And dark.  So if my pictures look terrible...well, there's not much I could do about it.

The menu was quite diverse, and we had a hard time choosing our meals, but one thing we both agreed upon was the Deep-fried Taro, which we decided to split.  Food Collage is the one who got me hooked on taro, after all:

Deep-fried Taro

These were awesome!  Like french fries, with a subtle difference in flavor and a larger difference in texture, they were served with a condiment: sweet chili sauce.  Mmmm, love that stuff.

Unfortunately, that's about as good as it got.

I also had the Coconut Soup:

Coconut Soup

All I could taste in this soup, for the most part, was coconut and onion - and the flavors were subtle.  That was the whole problem with it - it needed more FLAVOR.  I've had thai food at The Smiling Banana Leaf, and that place has no lack of flavor whatsoever.  This soup was disappointing.

Being the Mexican food-fan that I am, a burrito sounded like something I should order, right? I chose the Fire Meat Burrito, which was served with french fries:

Fire Meat Burrito and French Fries

This had more flavor - but the flavors were....weird.  The rice was Mexican-style, the red and green peppers were very large and prominent, and...kimchi. According to the menu, this is caramelized kimchi, but it did not work well with the flavors of the peppers and rice.  As I sit here eating the leftovers, I can't help but think this was one of the worst burritos I've ever had - and I'm someone who likes unusual flavors and new combinations.

Inside of Fire Meat Burrito

The french fries?  Bad.  I'm pretty sure they were frozen fries.  I should've paid the $2.50 more to upgrade to (more) taro fries.

I probably will not return to Aseoma, unless I have a hankering for deep-fried taro.  I don't post bad reviews often, but I can't deny that this meal wasn't great.

Food Collage and I hung around talking so much after we finished our sub-par meal that we developed a hankering for something else, knowing that it was nearby - fro' yo'.  Razzy Fresh, here we come.

It's undeniable to notice how many frozen yogurt places have popped up around town lately, but it's the best concept ever - fill your dish, pay by weight.  There are healthy options, along with unhealthier ones.  Who doesn't love fro' yo'?

Great concept of Razzy Fresh

Well, perhaps the lactose-intolerant, I guess.

My fro' yo' was taro.  SHOCKING. I added popping pearls (which are fruity and fun), yogurt chips, raspberries, and blackberries:

Taro Frozen Yogurt & toppings

A perfect end to a not-so-perfect meal with fantastic company. Fro' yo' saves the day!


Aseoma
2018 Murray Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (Squirrel Hill)

Website: http://www.aseoma.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aseoma/133104136789595
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aseoma









Razzy Fresh
1717 Murray Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Website: http://www.razzyfresh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Razzy-Fresh/117733734917057

Home Cooked by Donna

You know how you go out looking for something, find it, then realize you had something just as good RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE?

Yeah, that just happened.

Having time off for spring break means a few things for me: 1.) Time to clean my house - like REALLY clean - not just get it "clean enough" to not be gross, 2.) Time to like, sit, relax, and do enjoyable things, and most importantly, 3.) Time to try restaurants that close early.

My plan, actually, was to try out the Braddock Community Cafe; however, on Holy Thursday, they were closed due to some work being done on the building (which includes the Community Center, housed in the old First Presbyterian Church of Braddock).  So, I turned around, and headed to Homestead to try another restaurant that I had been meaning to get to: Home Cooked by Donna.

I pass this place SO MANY TIMES in a week - any time I have to travel across the Homestead Grays Bridge, eat at Smoke BBQ Taqueria, or eat at the Tin Front Cafe, I pass it.  I always say to myself, "I need to try that place sometime."

Well, here we are.

Home Cooked by Donna To-Go Menu

I parked at a metered space right in front of the restaurant (cheapest metered parking anywhere around - 1 quarter - 30 minutes!).  I entered - and realized I was going to be their only customer at the time.  The host was seated at a booth toward the back, asked if it was "for here or to go", then told me to sit anywhere when I said I'd eat in.

View of the entrance and counter from my booth

Well, ok, then.

I ordered a water, and he presented me with the menu.  It was almost 11:00 AM, so I was faced with the breakfast-or-lunch conundrum.  Donna herself came out and said hi, and I asked if she had any suggestions - and, of course, it was all good, so that didn't help.

Gorgeous (fake) flowers, but I feel bad for the bear

Finally, I decided upon the French toast, 2 eggs my way (over easy, of course), bacon, and home fries.

As I waited for my food, another customer came in, then another.  The first seemed as if he was there for his first time, while the other seemed to be a repeat customer.  As Donna cooked the food in the back, the aromas permeated the restaurant, only making me more eager to see how this food turned out.

And turn out it did.  Wow.

Italian Bread French Toast

After being cut and drenched in syrupy goodness

This French toast is AWESOME! 2 THICK slices of Italian bread, with what seems like some cinnamon added it, and way more syrup than I would ever need (presented on the side, so I didn't have to use all of it).  This French toast was the smell that made me salivate, and rightfully so.

Eggs over easy, bacon, homefries

The eggs, bacon, and homefries were all well-prepared, yummy - and much like home-made.   The bacon was crispy, the homefries had flavor, and the eggs were nice and dippy.  I could feel myself getting full about halfway through my meal, but there was no way I was letting ANY of that food go to waste!  The serving size was fairly large, though, but a great value at $9.10 with tax.

When Donna came to ask how my food was, I made sure to tell her that I didn't want to NOT finish it.  She then went to the table of the gentleman that came in after me to see how his was, and he replied  "EXCELLENT!" very enthusiastically.

So, about 5 minutes from my house, is a fantastic, local restaurant with many yummy breakfast options - AND they do take-out? I guess I'm going to have to go back for lunch and dinner sometime.

It's just too convenient.  And it's been right under my nose this whole time.


Home Cooked by Donna
406 E. 8th Avenue
Homestead, PA 15120

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homecookedbydonna
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeCookedDonna

Farm to Table Pittsburgh Local Food Tasting 2013

I looooooove trying new things.

You all know I'll try any food once - if I like it, great; if I don't, never again.  That's how I've come to appreciate foods like ox tail, octopus, and even grasshoppers.  I'm sure there are things that I'll try that will gross me out, but...it's all a part of the learning process, right?

At this year's Farm to Table Pittsburgh Local Food Tasting, I had the opportunity to try many foods from a variety of vendors.  Many of the same vendors were there from last year; however, there were many additional vendors this year, which was fantastic to see!

I could go on about every single thing that I tried, but...no.  I won't. Instead, here are some of my favorites:

Restaurant Echo is proving to make me into a beet-eater, as that is one of the foods that I avoid most often.  They offered smoked trout with beets and creme fraiche on endive.  This dish was delish!  I need to try them on one of my adventures up north someday.

Restaurant Echo's offering

A gourmet ice cream caterer? YES! Kleido Kone Creamery does this - and it's BRILLIANT!  The ice cream was rich, creamy, and...well, if you had them cater your party, you had better invite me...

Kleido Kone Creamery's gourmet ice cream catering

I love Regina Koetters, and Marty's Market, but I couldn't try what they had because...you know, pork. They did run out of samples very quickly, so they must have been great!:

Regina Koetters of Marty's Market dishes out the pork!

One of my best discoveries of the night - shrub, a fruit syrup made with vinegar that tastes AMAZING (don't be put off by the vinegar!).  I bought 3 bottles, because I loved each beverage that I tried with the shrub in it.  Not to mention that it's also made near my alma mater, Penn State. I can't wait to experiment.

Tait Farms Schrub (available in lemon, lime, ginger, cherry, and raspberry)

Wow, my hands must have been pretty full the whole night, because I didn't take many pictures...but, I can tell you that I also purchased my favorite hummus in the whole world from The Greek Gourmet (although I missed Michael himself), in addition to bread from Mediterra.  I sampled great Buffalo Dip from Schneider's Dairy, as well as wonderful pesto from E2. I can't complain about anything that I tried, and I was very happy to make some new discoveries (some of which I can't comment on, since students read this).  Overall, the Farm to Table event was successful and left me feeling inspired.  Also, big thanks to my friend Cara for being my "date" that night (since the taco truck was pumping out tacos!!) 

My breakfast the next morning, which included Mediterra bread and The Greek Gourmet Smoked White Bean Hummus

I can't wait until the fall for another food tasting!

Farm to Table Pittsburgh

Website: http://farmtotablepa.com/
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