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

Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen (with a much smaller crowd)

I can't believe I haven't made it back to Alma in over a year.  Wow.  

I had wanted to go back for awhile, and James even commented several times that he'd like to go, since he had never been (and I, of course, raved about my first visit).  But, a busy summer of working and taco-truck mania prevented us from doing so.

Until last Saturday.

James suggested going there, since I got off work at 4 and we (FOR ONCE) had no other plans.  He threw out a few other suggestions, but nothing seemed more appealing than the first one.  

I was afraid that we would not get a reservation, since Saturday night dining is so popular, but when I called at 5:00, I had no problem getting a 6:30 time.  Thank goodness, because all I could think about was how much I wanted to try more of their menu.  Thanks to a few others at the Meetup that I had attended there last year, I was able to sample more than just my own meal, but since this is a pan-Latin restaurant, the foods come from all over the Latino world, from Cuba, to El Salvador, to Argentina.  

THERE IS SO MUCH FOOD DIVERSITY!  *Head explodes*

The weather was perfectly fall-like for early September, so we parked 2 blocks away and enjoyed our walk on the opposite side of Frick Park.  The sidewalks were buckled from the tree roots that grew underneath them, so it was more of an obstacle course - but not an unpleasant walk in the least.

Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen, Regent Square

When we arrived, I realized that we would have been safe even without a reservation, as there were many empty tables in the relatively small space.  We were seated by the window (thank goodness, because I needed good pictures!) and given the menu to peruse.

I knew what I wanted for my entree right away...no doubt about it, oxtail all the way!  I had been wanting to try oxtail for a long, long time, seeing it on the menu both at Alma and at Calypso Caribbean Grill, which was 2 minutes from my house until it closed less than a year ago.  A Caribbean delicacy and an odd choice (by normal American dietary standards, at least), it was simply glowing on the page.

I could have eaten any appetizer on the menu, but when the Diaspora Platter was presented as a special, I figured it was something worth trying - grilled pita bread, pink bean hummus, heirloom tomato jam, guacamole, and plantain chips.  I love to dip, and 2 dips and a topper seemed perfect:

Diaspora Platter

Oh, and it was.  The pink bean hummus was pretty lemon-y, but good, and the guacamole had a LOT of flavor to it.  I could definitely taste the peppers - not the heat, but the peppers themselves.  The tomato jam went really well with the hummus, and the pita and plantain chips made perfect dippers.  We devoured the entire plate, including the pickled carrots for garnish.

I had ordered a horchata as my beverage - it wasn't the most spectacular horchata I've had (the best, of course, was at Smoke).  This was much creamier, and didn't have a strong cinnamon taste at all - in fact, mixed with the flavors in the appetizer, all I could taste was straight milk at times.  It wasn't horrible, but definitely not great.

The very milky horchata.

As we waited for our entrees, I noticed that the restaurant was starting to fill up rather quickly.  We watched people come at us from all angles through the window...from the same direction that we had, then from Frick Park, then from around the opposite corner.  We also saw a man pacing outside with a baby in a stroller for quite some time - only to see the hostess bring him a take-out order.  Good to know - take-out is possible!

For his entree, James had chosen a Cuban dish - Chuletas de Puerca con Pina y Batata, a pork loin with white sweet potato puree and grilled pineapple - a dish I could not try due to the pork part, but drool-inducing nonetheless:

Chuletas de Puerca con Pina y Batata

My oxtail.  Wow.  That was a lot of meat:

Oxtail, French Fries, Collard Greens

Oxtail, close-up

James actually helped me finish this entree.  There is a lot of fat on oxtail, but the meat itself was tender and fell apart easily - it actually kind of reminded me of tongue (yes, which I've eaten before, thanks to my 6th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher, Mr. Martin).  The official name of the entree is Rabo de Buey con Papas Fritas Caseras - braised oxtail with homestyle french fries.  The french fries were good, but were definitely...french fries.  Nothing special or unusual about them.  The collard greens, however, were DELICIOUS!  I had also had them before, thanks again to Mr. Martin, but I do not remember them being anywhere near as good as these ones.  Not. At. All.

The aftermath of eating oxtail looks something like this:

Only the bones remain.  Not a pretty sight.

Yummyyyyyyy.

Having such a tummy full of meat, we passed on dessert, but I knew that the Tres Leches Cake there was amazing.  Next time, for sure, that cake shall meet my lips.

It was definitely nice dining with just James and not at an L-shaped table with 17 people at this time.  Although I didn't get to try as many entrees, I still enjoyed the one I had.  In addition, every table was full by the time we left - I guess it's a good  rule of thumb to get there before 7:00 pm!

Guess I'll have to go back again.  And again.  And maybe again...just to try the foods from even more countries.  I mean, what do they eat in El Salvador, anyway....?


Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen
7600 and 7606 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15221 (Regent Square)

Website: http://www.almapgh.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almapgh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/almapgh

...Square Cafe, Squared

Breakfast. Is. Awesome.

I was one of those kids who never ate breakfast.  I did like cereal when I was much younger, and typically picked out the marshmallows from Lucky Charms (leaving the actual cereal part behind), or ate some Raisin Bran, or loathed plain old boring Cheerios.  I even went through a phase when I loved regular Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

In middle school, we learned how to make scrambled eggs.  I swear I made them every day for about two months - but usually for lunch or dinner, not breakfast.  What a phase.

When I started Weight Watchers, I realized that I need to eat breakfast to survive.  I ate carefully measured-out cereal, usually Special K, until I realized how addictive Special K cereals were (ALL OF THEM - Fruit & Yogurt, Chocolatey Delight, Vanilla Almond...), and switched to oatmeal.

I am now realizing how awesome breakfasts at restaurants are.  I had great brunches at the Tin Front Cafe and Zenith during my "Very Vegetarian Weekend", and even more recently, I had brunch at the Square Cafe on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I had to keep that bank holiday tradition.  On President's Day, I went back.

Inside Square Cafe

 James suggested the restaurant, and I did not hesitate in agreeing with his choice.  Those salmon crepes that I had had last time made me wanting to try more of that delicious-sounding and expansive menu!

We arrived early enough - around 9:15 AM - to be seated right away.  I ordered a Raspberry Truffle Latte as my attempt to be caffeinated and perky for the day:

Raspberry Truffle Latte

It was delicious, but I don't know if it made me perky enough.  Maybe I should have had a second?

So many options for breakfast!  I wanted to stay semi-healthy, as I have been making some pretty awful, out-of-control food decisions lately.  The salmon crepes were so savory and memorable from my last visit that I wanted to stay in the crepe family, so I went with the Vegetable Crepes:

Vegetable Crepes

 James was so jealous of my Caramelized Onion and Smoked Salmon Crepes last time that he had to get them for himself (and share with me, of course):

Caramelized Onion and Smoked Salmon (Lox) Crepes

And, it was National Pancake Week, so we felt the need to at least TRY a Johnny Cake - a "sweet cornmeal pancake topped with caramelized pears, butter, powdered sugar, and whipped cream":

Johnny Cake

Self-control?  Well, I did push that gob of butter to the side, and only ate a tiny bit of the whipped cream...and no syrup.  It wasn't necessary.  The pancake itself was that good.

Everything was delicious.  Everything.  Not one complaint.  The salmon crepes were as savory as the last time, and my Vegetable Crepe was a fantastic choice (and made me feel less guilty).  

That Johnny Cake?  Awesome.  The young, maybe 2- or 3-year old kid at the next table (who was practically breathing on our Johnny Cake - it's pretty cramped in Square Cafe) was eying it up until we had inhaled it (for fear of losing it to the child).  

Upon finishing, James and I took a walk around Regent Square to burn off some calories and just take in the neighborhood.  The houses are beautiful, and how convenient would it be to live within walking distance of so many great businesses, like Square Cafe, Katerbean, and D's Six Pack and Dogs, not to mention being a short drive from Penn Ave., Bakery Square, East Liberty....?

 At least Regent Square is only a short drive from me.  I see many more breakfasts (and lunches, and brunches) there in the future...

Square Cafe

1137 South Braddock Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Website: http://www.square-cafe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SquareCafe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TheSquareCafe

...Square Cafe

I love the zoo.

When my brother suggested that we spend our day off (due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) going to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, I was ecstatic.  James was all in, too, as he wanted to try out his new camera (so did my brother - his whole reason for wanting to go in the first place).

Our rule for going to the zoo is that we go EARLY - less people, and the animals seem to be more active earlier in the day - especially in the winter, too.  This plan has not failed us yet, so we planned to be there close to the opening time of 9:00 AM.

We arrived around 9:15, and immediately started wandering amongst the wildlife.  The snow leopard, polar bears, and tiger were especially entertaining on this day.  You can view the rest of my zoo pics on my Facebook page (be sure to "like" the page while you're there!):

Snow leopard, sitting pretty

James took this AWESOME pic! 

The polar bear was actually IN THE WATER!

Deciding on where to go for lunch spanned the length of our zoo visit, as my brother is particular about where and what he eats.  I finally suggested the Square Cafe in Regent Square, as I knew that they were open (they had tweeted it earlier in the day), and it was on the way home.

Finally.  An agreement.  After 3 hours.

Square Cafe, Regent Square

When we arrived, it was pretty crowded, but we were assured that the wait for a table was not very long.  We were seated after about 10 minutes.

Inside (and this empty table did not become ours, BTW)

I absolutely love the bright colors inside of the cafe - bold, shiny, and attractive, that's what I like in a neighborhood dining establishment.  Dark and dingy is not my forte, so the decor alone drew my eyes to it on several occasions.

Coffee Bar

 We ordered hot beverages, since we had been out in the cold air for most of the morning - coffee for James, a latte for me, and chai tea for my brother.  Square Cafe has very unique coffee mugs with one flat side (at a hefty price of $18, if you'd like one to take home), which make storage much, much easier than the roundness of traditional mugs:

The Square Coffee Mug

In addition to the hot beverages, James and I ordered a Peanut Butter Smoothie to try, since I am a lover of all things peanut butter.  It was thick and creamy, and I was very satisfied with the peanut butter flavor!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

The menu is quite expansive, so on a first visit, it seems overwhelming - the descriptions of everything on the menu sound delicious!  James and I decided to start with soup to try to warm up some more - White Bean and Pancetta Soup.  I'm not a fan of rosemary, so this wasn't the best choice for me, but despite my disdain for the herb, it was better than I expected it to be:

White Bean and Pancetta Soup

James and I decided upon the same item for lunch - we're both pretty obsessed with lox right now after our New York trip, so we wanted the Caramelized Onion & Smoked Salmon Crepes:

Caramelized Onion & Smoked Salmon Crepes

 James was kind enough to allow me to order this crepe for my entree, while he went with the Braised Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Pancetta Frittata:

Braised Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Pancetta Frittata

I was so happy with my choice - but James kept stealing some...I guess we both thought it was that excellent!  James's frittata was also tasty, and I have to say, as a not-so-great fan of goat cheese, it worked really well with this dish.  The subtle onion taste of leeks plus the saltiness of the pancetta made the goat cheese taste not so strong and overpowering - which, for me, was great.

My brother requested the Breakfast Sandwich, made with chicken apple sausage, American cheese, and served on ciabatta bread (a favorite of his).  On the side?  Sweet Potato Fries.  Mmm, sweet potato fries...

Breakfast Sandwich: chicken apple sausage & American cheese; sweet potato fries

Now, picky eater that he is, my brother was not a fan of the chicken apple sausage because it reminded him of kielbasa.  He thought that it would be more like traditional pork sausage, so he ended up taking it off of the sandwich; however, he liked the rest.  James and I ate the sausage, and I thought it was pretty delicious, but I am also a fan of kielbasa.  The sweet potato fries were also cooked well - not too soft, but not too crispy. 

Knowing that such a great breakfast and lunch spot isn't too far out of my way makes me want to go out for these meals more often, as is the case with other close breakfast and lunch spots like the Tin Front Cafe and Smoke BBQ Taqueria - I'm not a fan of crowds, however, so I may be hesitant to go on a holiday again (or weekend, for that matter).  Given that they have such a large menu, I want to go back - often - to try more of the things that looked as tasty as what we ordered - more crepes, pancakes, sandwiches than anyone could imagine eating in just a few visits!

Square Cafe

1137 South Braddock Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15218 (Regent Square)

Website: http://www.square-cafe.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SquareCafe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TheSquareCafe

...Root 174 [off-topic...kinda]

I have always gotten along better with guys.

I don't know why, but that has most likely been the case.  I guess it's the pettiness that girls have, or the grudges that they hold, or the drama that seems to follow them wherever they go - hanging out with guys is so much simpler. 

When James invited me to go to dinner with his friends Jacob and Matt at Root 174 in Regent Square, I accepted because, 1.) Dinner with James is always a good time, 2.) I wanted to meet his friends, who are guys, and I knew that I would get along with them, and 3.) I had been wanting to try the food at Root 174 since I started following them on Twitter, even though they are not in the genre of food that I normally review.  They use Twitter and Facebook to post menu items and specials, and it always looks and sounds unique and tempting.

Root 174 Facade

James and I were the first to arrive, and Jacob arrived not too long afterwards.  Matt arrived after a few more minutes, and we contemplated our appetizers.  We started with the day-boat scallops, confit wings, and bone marrow creme brulee (all split among the 4 of us to try, of course).

Day-boat Scallops

The scallops melted in my mouth - even though there were only two large scallops which we cut in half for each of us to try, they were definitely the best out of the appetizers.

Confit wings

I think James disagrees with my last statement, because he devoured these confit wings - then proceeded to ask for two more orders.  I had to look up "confit", because I had no idea what that meant: "Confit is a cooking term for a variety of foods, most often meats, preserved by being salted and cooked slowly in their own fat." (Thanks to http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-confit.htm for the definition!)  I'll admit, they were better than any wings that you would get from a "wing" establishment (e.g. Buffalo Wild Wings, Quaker Steak and Lube...) - not to mention that they were also cooked in a much more complicated manner - but there was much more food to be had!

Bone Marrow Creme Brulee

None of us were impressed with the bone marrow creme brulee.  The consensus was that it tasted like pimiento spread - I like pimiento spread, but I was expecting a bit more out of this.  Not like we didn't eat it all, though!

Brussels Sprouts

We were also presented with brussels sprouts, courtesy of the chef, Keith Fuller, for being such loyal Twitter followers.  I have never, ever had brussels sprouts in my life, and I think that these will spoil me for brussels sprouts forever, as they were AMAZINGLY delicious!  People always complain about how disgusting they are - and these were the complete opposite of disgusting.  I would have never thought to order them, but luckily Chef Fuller knew exactly what to serve us to keep us happy!

Frog Legs

Grilled Romaine

We then ordered more appetizers, including the frog legs and grilled romaine.  Frog legs do pretty much taste like chicken (I've had them before, I just can't remember where), and I never would think to grill a leafy vegetable - but it works!  I was impressed at how tasty the grilled romaine was.

Trout "taco"

Believe it or not, even after all of these appetizers, we still ordered entrees.  I chose the one thing on the menu that sounded Hispanic - a trout "taco" (yes, even on the menu, "taco" was in quotes, so I knew it wasn't going to be very authentic, but I had to try it, regardless!).  It was so, so pretty and so, so delicious.  The trout was cooked perfectly - not dry, very flaky, and not "fishy-tasting", meaning that it was fresh.  The pink and green part is guava, which is a mild tropical fruit that added a subtle tropical flavor.  The chipotle aioli, romaine, black beans, and crab salad that were also part of the "taco" complemented it well.

Grilled Hanger Steak with Fingerling Fries

James chose the grilled hanger steak, which was accompanied by fingerling fries, bleu cheese croquette, and a port wine demi.  I sampled the meat, which he ordered rare, and was surprised at how tender and juicy it was without me feeling like I was eating the flesh right off of the cow.  Usually I don't order meat any less than medium-rare (usually I order it medium), but now I may have to try it rare (in a restaurant that's trustworthy, NOT at a chain!).  The potatoes were a nice accompaniment to the beef (I only sampled one, and potatoes aren't that exciting to me).

Yam Gnocci with Pumpkin Pesto

Matt ordered the yam gnocci with pumpkin pesto, which was my second choice to the trout "taco".  Matt generously allowed each of us to try some, and I would say that having that as my second choice was brilliant.  The gnocci was so full of fall flavors - sage, pumpkin, cranberries - it was like a bowl full of Italian Thanksgiving (not that they have Thanksgiving in Italy - I just imagine that this would be a traditional dish if they did!)

I did not get a picture of Jacob's pork brisket - I thought I did, but I was wrong.  I tried some, and it was pretty delicious, even for someone like me who is not a big fan of pork.

Of course, as we were finishing our entrees, we were asked if we wanted dessert - and how could we say no?  Clearly, the food here was so magical that it caused us each to grow another stomach (and the metabolism to burn it all off, right?  RIGHT?!)

Berry Compote

Our first choice was a berry compote, which was warm and comforting.  I love berries, and in compote form, they are amazing - I tend to put this over ice cream when I make it at home.  It's almost like a berry pie.

PB&J Cheesecake

Our next choice was a PB & J Cheesecake - that, in itself, speaks volumes.  As a lover of all things peanut butter, I'd like to say that I am biased and would love this even if I had to pull it straight out of a pile of dirt to eat it - but luckily, I didn't have to, and it was rich, creamy, peanut buttery, and balanced with the right amount of sweetness from the jelly.

Vegan Chocolate Brownie

Emarie, our fabulous waitress, suggested the vegan chocolate cake-brownie thing (that I can't specifically remember the name for, but we called it the vegan chocolate thing), and the power of suggestion won us over time after time on this visit, so we ordered it.  Emarie is one smart woman, because this chocolate cake was moist and delicious.  People seem to be turned off by the term "vegan", but honestly, all that means is that the pastry is made without eggs and substituted with something else, like in the vegan cupcakes that I have made in the past (that uses soy milk and apple cider vinegar in lieu of eggs).

And I don't know why, but James insisted on the apple and cheese plate.  This was quality cheese, no doubt, and it was delicious, but geez...

Cheese and Apple Plate

It took me days - DAYS - to type this post because of all of the food that was ordered and consumed between the four of us.  The food was amazing, comforting, and savory.  A huge thanks to Keith Fuller for not only cooking us so much delicious food, but also taking the time to come out and say hello to us as loyal Twitter followers.  Also a big thanks to Jacob, Matt, and of course, James, for an evening of entertaining conversation, both about food and not about food.

The best part?  The menu changes, so there will be even more to try over the course of time...perhaps with these new friends (and others!)...

Root 174

113 S. Braddock Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Website: http://www.root174.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ROOT-174/208637352499563?ref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ROOT174