I was SO BUSY this summer that I really didn't get out to many new places. In fact, the majority of my writing this summer was about Kennywood, the place where I spent the majority of my hours this past summer, working away, answering phones, making announcements, filing papers....
...I guess I didn't SPEND as much money that way. More to spend in the winter months!
Savor Pittsburgh is a fantastic way to sample what many of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh have to offer. Although it's a sampling, it gives you an idea of how creative our local chefs are, and how lucky we are to be in Pittsburgh - a city with more to offer than I could ever cram into this little blog post.
Pittsburgh = Awesome.
I attended the event last year with my brother, as he bought my ticket for me for my birthday (awww!). This year, I was fortunate enough to WIN two tickets from the Savor Pittsburgh organizers though a Facebook competition. I would have probably gone anyway, but it was VERY nice to save money (again) on the price of the ticket.
I got more than my money's worth, even if I had paid!
I sampled from every restaurant, with myself and Burgh Gourmand, my date for the evening (duh), alternating getting small plates for each other, while the other saved a place at the table we had staked out with another couple. Here are just a few of the foods that I tried:
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| From Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina: Carnitas Tamales with Mango & Jalapeno BBQ |
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| From McCormick & Schmick's, South Side: Seared Ahi with Creme Fraiche in a Sesame Cone |
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| From Jackson's, Moon Twp: Short Ribs with Roasted Apple, Root Vegetables, and Natural Reduction |
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| From Walnut Grill: Tuna Tostado |
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| From Cafe Chocolade: Gluten-Free Crab Cake with Mascarpone Aioli |
Best Appetizer: "Chocolate Ravioli" - SAVOY Restaurant & Lounge
Best Entree: "Short Ribs with Roasted Apple, Root Vegetables & Natural Reduction" - Jacksons-Restaurant-Rotissiere
Best Dessert: "White Chocolate Cappuccino Cannoli with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries" - Grand Concourse - Pittsburgh (yeah, that was pretty good, too!)
Dish of the Year: "Smoked Pig Wings" - Meat & Potatoes (yup, didn't try that pig dish!)
People's Choice Award: SAVOY Restaurant & Lounge (You can never go wrong with chocolate!)
However, the people also make the event so fantastic. The entertainment was courtesy of "No Bad JuJu", a band that rivals any band you could ever find in any big-city venue. With great sound and powerful voices, they kept the party going all night!
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| A shot of the crowd, with No Bad JuJu performing on stage. |
And...AND...I also met the man, the myth, the legend - Mr. Rick Sebak himself. We have played Scrabble via the iPhone/Facebook application for awhile, and I am - of course - one of the current "Voices of Kennywood", so it was only appropriate that this meeting occurred. He is a class-act, an all-around Pittsburgh legend.
And I swear this pic is NOT Yinztagrammed! It's not even the right colored shirt for it to be so:
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| The Voice of Kennywood + Rick Sebak. It was meant to be. |
Savor Pittsburgh will be an annual tradition for me, for sure. No doubt about it. I sampled foods from more new restaurants in that evening than I have in many, many months...
...but that needs to change. Guess I'll be spending that money I saved at more restaurants soon! Stay tuned!
Savor Pittsburgh
27th & Sidney Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side)
Website: http://www.savorpgh.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SavorPGH
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SavorPittsburgh
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