Brunch at Root 174

It's fall again.  And I love it.

Chilly air, pretty leaves, and my favorite clothing is back in fashion...

...sweats.

After a long night of working at Phantom Fright Nights (which means not getting home until about 1:15 AM - not easy for someone who normally goes to bed at 9:00 PM), I was looking forward to a nice brunch the next Sunday morning.  James and I had already discussed that we would definitely do Sunday brunch, but the location was up in the air.  I was fighting for Root 174, while he listed it as an option.

I guess you can tell who won that debate.

The temperature the next morning was the coldest that it had been in months, and the air was heavy with rain on the horizon.  No other option for clothing but comfort.  And that meant - sweats.

It was nice to walk into Root 174 wearing sweats and not feel like there's something wrong with that.  E Marie was our waitress, as she was on our first visit almost a year earlier, and presented us with the menus.  Our drink of choice - coffee.  Not just for caffeine, but also for warmth.  Root 174 proudly serves the locally-roasted Commonplace Coffee:

Commonplace Coffee Co. Ethiopian 

James and I each decided to have a starter and an entree.  For his starter, he chose the Grilled Romaine - a starter I would never try on my own, yet this is the only place where I've ever really liked it (having always tried some of James's):

Grilled Romaine, Pinto Beans, Chipotle Caesar, Cornbread Croutons, Toasted Almonds

I chose the House-Made Granola and Yogurt:

House-Made Granola and Yogurt

Not sweet like commercially-made yogurt with granola, but a perfect starter for fall, and complementary to the weather.

For James's entree, he chose the Omelet of the Day: Trout, Zucchini, Cherry Tomato, and Parmesan:

Trout Omelete, Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan

I went Mexican and ordered the Huevos Rancheros, which E Marie said was her favorite:

Huevos Rancheros, Refried Beans, Over-easy Eggs, Chipotle Crema

I can see why - those Huevos Rancheros were full of smoky, spicy flavors.  James and I always share some of our entree with each other, but I couldn't help but notice that I was sharing more of mine with him than he was sharing his with me.

I don't blame him, though.  Mine was awesome.

His omelet was good, too - I'm not putting it down at all.  The trout was cooked well, not fishy - and those tomatoes were some of THE most flavorful tomatoes James and I have ever eaten!  The potatoes that accompanied them were crispy and delicious as well.  

As we excitedly tweeted about our meals, Chef Keith Fuller took note and insisted that we try his Beef Tongue Hash.  James asked for it to be wrapped up, as we were very full, but I snuck a piece - so tender!  I ate it as part of my dinner the next day, and it was amazing (yes, I like tongue!  I always have!):

Beef Tongue Hash

Buuuuuuuttttt...because of Twitter, James was also tempted to try the Boston Cream Beignets, as people on Twitter insisted that they were amazing.  So, we ordered:

House-Made Boston Cream Beignets

And...we ate them all.  We had to.  They were too good not to put in our mouths.  There's always room for dessert, I suppose?

Simply an amazing brunch.  I made a great choice - which James admitted later.

After eating quite a large brunch, James and I decided to take a walk around Regent Square, despite the chill.  So worth it, just to see how beautiful the trees were becoming:

A Tree on East End Avenue

A Tree on South Braddock Avenue

A look down East End Avenue

TGIF.  Thank Goodness It's Fall.

Root 174
1113 South Braddock Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15218 (Regent Square)

Website: http://root174.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ROOT-174/208637352499563?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ROOT174