Brunch at Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina

Mexican brunch?

Yup, we have that here.  Actually, on Sundays, any meal between breakfast and lunch can be considered brunch.  Sure, you may have to get up early for church or an event, but even if you have two meals before dinner...I guess we could call that "double-brunch".

Yeah, I'm coining that.  Trademarked.

Verde has been doing brunch for several months now, and even did brunch on Saturdays over the summer.  Now they are down to Sundays-only, but that is the day when brunch is a must - especially since so many restaurants have great brunches in the area.  I've experienced great ones at the Tin Front Cafe, Root 174, Zenith, Bar Marco, Sugar Cafe, and Square Cafe - and now a Mexican restaurant with Sunday brunch?

Yes.  That's for me.

Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina

Even better, Verde was recently named the 3rd-best Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh by readers of the Pittsburgh City Paper (in a tie with the Franklin Inn, which we had visited the night before!).  Finally, people of Pittsburgh are starting to recognize that there are greater Mexican restaurants around here besides the chains.

But I'll be happier when a non-chain is #1.  It needs to happen.

We made a 12:30 reservation, but arrived a little early and were seated right away, not far from where we had sat on our last visit.  The place was bustling with people - not completely packed, but definitely busy.  Jeff, the manager, re-introduced himself, as we had met on our previous visit almost a year ago.  He's one of the most hospitable managers in Pittsburgh, for sure!  So friendly and inviting - it makes the rest of the restaurant experience seem even better.

View from our seats - bustling!

Jacen was our waiter, and I adored him!  To start off, James and I both asked for coffee, and I also wanted to try fresh-squeezed orange juice - which is the best way to experience orange juice, of course:

I had such a hard time making up my mind, and Jacen had no problem suggesting something that he was sure I would like - the Caballeros Pobres.  Funny, because a Twitter follower had suggested the same thing, so it sealed the deal.  Two pieces (each) of brioche with a jalapeno cream cheese, mango marmalade, and cinnamon syrup:

Caballeros Pobres

I also ordered the Tortita de Patata, a sweet potato hash brown:

Tortita de Patata

Wow, was that a lot of food!  In fact, I only ate half of the Caballeros Pobres, and basically tasted the Tortita.  The Caballeros Pobres was not spicy hot - the flavor of the jalapenos was there, but in no way was it burning my mouth.  The mango marmalade plus the cinnamon syrup gave it a sweet flavor on top of that savory jalapeno flavor - genius!  Chef LBEE is a kitchen magician, for sure.  It was SO GOOD - but I was SO FULL!

Oh well.  I ate the rest for dinner the next day :-)

Caballeros Pobres leftovers!  Double meal!

James ordered the Ensalada de Pescado del Dia, which on this day included Mahi Mahi:

Ensalada de Pescado (Mahi Mahi)

He also ordered the Camote Hash, which included sweet potatoes, poblanos, red onion, and sweet peppers:

Camote Hash

Again - so much food!  I tried some of his things, too.  I was leery of the fish salad, but it wasn't "fishy" and actually complemented the rest of the salad nicely.  The hash was great, but so filling.

Darn.  More leftovers.  Nothing like prolonging a fantastic meal!

Everything was great - the food, the service, and the atmosphere were all awesome.  Jacen was amazing, and Jeff was so nice to talk to us about our experience after the meal (and offer us the to-go bags that we so desperately needed since we ordered too much food!)

Eat at Verde.  Brunch, dinner - it doesn't matter.  The people (of the Pittsburgh City Paper, at least) have spoken, and it's well worth the visit.

Now I need to figure out when I'm going back for dinner again...


Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina
5491 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Website: http://www.verdepgh.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VerdePGH?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerdePGH

A Fall Day and The Franklin Inn

Weekends.  I treasure them.

Especially when I actually HAVE a full weekend.  January to April have become my "slow" months, simply because Kennywood isn't open, and I don't have to work there.  It used to be November to April, but now with Holiday Lights, my slow months have decreased.

Oh well.  I've come to appreciate free time more.

This past weekend was one of those weekends.  I worked Friday night, but did not have to work any other nights, so I had all of Saturday and Sunday to myself.  Really?  REALLY?

Now what should I do?!

Sleep was first on the agenda.  Waking up at 4:30 AM, then working until 1:00 AM with about an hour or so break in between is not easy, so I didn't roll out of bed Saturday until about 11:30 AM.  But, not wanting to waste the day, James and I decided to stop at Smoke BBQ Taqueria for "brunch" (yes, AGAIN - we can't help ourselves), then drive to North Park to take a walk through the peak foliage.

And peak foliage it indeed was.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of trees.  TREES.  Even when it rained, I couldn't stop.

Treeeeeeeeees!!!

Playground by the pool

Panoramic pic from across the swimming pool parking lot

Am I weird?

Since we were already in the North Hills (or to those of use from the South Hills - Canada), we figured dinner at The Franklin Inn was only appropriate, as it WAS voted the #3 Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh by readers of the Pittsburgh City Paper (tied with Verde Mexican Kitchen and Cantina).

We contacted Food Collage to find out her whereabouts, and she agreed to join us for the meal.

The Franklin Inn

While we waited for Food Collage to arrive, James and I devoured chips with the Black Bean Appetizer - a mix of black beans, hot chile pepper sauce, feta cheese, and a lemon sour cream sauce:

Black Bean Appetizer

The lemon sour cream sounded a bit strange, but it definitely made the appetizer!  It was gone in no time.

We also had chips with some salsa and gaucamole.  I love the guacamole at The Franklin Inn simply because it is A.) chunky, and B.) garlicky:

Chips, salsa, and guacamole

James and I, as usual, decided to get two different entrees to try as many different things as we could.  I chose the Chiles Rellenos with a side salad (with house dressing) and black bean and corn salad:

Chiles Rellenos, Side Salad, Black Bean and Corn Salad

They were awesome.  Fried, not spicy-hot, and delicious.  The black bean and corn salad was definitely a highlight as well.  I remember getting that on my last visit and loving it, and I'm so glad that I chose it again!

James chose the Chicken Enchiladas with Colorado Green Chile Sauce, with a side salad (house dressing) and refried beans:

Chicken Enchiladas with Colorado Green Chile Sauce, Side Salad, Refried Beans

I did like these enchiladas a lot, and I'm not normally a fan of green sauce, but this sauce had a nice flavor to it - not too spicy, and not boring like some of the green sauces I've had at other places.  However, the last time I was there I had the Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Mole Sauce, and I thought that was better (I'm a sucker for mole).

You just can't go to The Franklin Inn without getting dessert, and Food Collage was all about the Fried Ice Cream.  James and I agreed that it sounded the best, so we all ordered Fried Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce (James and I split one, though - we were full from all of the chips):

Fried Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce

You can never, EVER go wrong with fried ice cream.

It's not hard to understand why people would vote for The Franklin Inn as one of the best - a fun, family atmosphere with excellent Mexican food.  The owners, John and Wendy Cibula (not Cibulka, like me, but Cibula - close!), sure do have a fabulous business, and it's fantastic that they have been recognized as such.  They also are supportive of the many Spanish Clubs in the area, including my own, for which I am so grateful!

If only it were closer...Canada is so far away...


The Franklin Inn
2313 Rochester Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Website: http://www.franklininn.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranklinInn?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranklinInn

A second shot at Gran Agave

Kids know everything, right?

At the end of the school year, in Year 1 of my project, my students had frequented Gran Agave, the closest Mexican restaurant to our school, not to mention the most easy-to-access.  I had kids write about it being the "best Mexican food they had ever eaten" and how they "love Mexican food now" because of their visits there.

Not that they went to other places, though.

The first time that I went to Gran Agave, I was not impressed.  Not in the least.  I had the Mole Poblano, and after having the Mole Poblano at Las Velas, there was no comparison.  The flavor just wasn't there at Gran Agave - it wasn't gross or inedible, but it was just not as good as the dish I had at Las Velas.

Everything's relative, right?

On the very last day of school for us teachers, several of my friends from the middle school asked me to go to lunch with them - and they were going to Gran Agave.  Despite my past experience, I figured it would be worth a second chance, as in any restaurant.  Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing last time.  Maybe they had changed things.  Maybe I was just so impressed with Las Velas that nothing could come close to their food.  

Gran Agave Menu Cover

 I arrived first and got a booth for the 6 of us in the back.  While I waited, I ordered what they called on the menu the "Orange" Jarritos, a popular brand of Mexican soda.  The flavor is actually "mandarin", but I understand that the common gringo knows "orange" more commonly than "mandarin".

At the same time, people will never learn anything knew unless what they already know is challenged. 

"Orange" (Mandarin) Jarritos

This is not "orange" like Sunkist Orange - the flavor is more subtle, and not as sweet.  It is more like orange-flavored soda water, so in my opinion, the flavor is more sophisticated than that of a kid's-marketed soda.

I even held off on eating any of the complimentary chips and salsa until everyone else arrived. Willpower is a tremendous thing, when it exists.  I do like the chips and salsa, even if the salsa is very runny - it has just enough spice to satisfy without being overpowering.  The chips are crispy with a good corn flavor.

While others decided upon quesadillas (some with just meat and cheese - really?), taco salads, and tacos, I decided upon an entree to try a few things on one plate.  The menu at Gran Agave is enormous, and it's too complicated - if you want people to have options, offer a mix-and-match menu, not a huge menu with about every food combination imaginable that makes it impossible to be decisive in a timely manner.  

I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted some basic Mexican foods, so I ordered "La Favorita": One special burrito, one tostaguac (basically a tortilla covered in guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and cheese), and one chicken enchilada.  

"La Favorita": Tostaguac, Special Burrito, Chicken Enchilada

 The best part of the meal was again catching up with my middle school friends.  Even though the middle school now sits on the same campus of the high school where I teach, I still rarely see them, as our school hours are not aligned. 

My opinion on the food at Gran Agave remains at "Meh".  It's not bad.  It's not great.  I cleaned my plate, but there is something about the flavor - basically, it lacks flavor.  On the menu, it reads, "Not all Mexican food is hot.  All our dishes are meticulously prepared with authentic yet mild flavor.  For those who like it hot, we put a dish of hot sauce on the table.  Let us introduce you to real Mexican food."

Um.  Yes, most people think that Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Moe's are examples of "real" Mexican food - but, I'm sorry, David Montanez's version of Mexican food at Las Velas remains to me a better example of "real" Mexican food.  

I trust him.  He's Mexican - for real.

So kids, I understand that Gran Agave is a CLOSE example of better Mexican food, but really, downtown Pittsburgh isn't that much farther - and a good meal is never not worth traveling for.  Popularity and proximity should not be determiners of what is "good".  

When something is truly "good", it's worth the extra effort.

Gran Agave

152 East Bridge St.

Homestead, PA 15120

Web (picture of menu available): http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1505587/restaurant/Pittsburgh/Waterfront/Gran-Agave-Homestead

...Azul Bar y Cantina

Blue.

My favorite color.  The calming effect of blue is something that I have always loved.  Not to mention that when I think of "blue", I think of "water", and water has a calming effect on me, too - whether it be swimming the ocean, or a pool, or taking a shower...

James had been to Azul, which means "blue" in Spanish, several times before, and suggested going there one night while his friend, Andy, was in town.  As always, I'm up for any new restaurant, especially if it is Hispanic or Latino, so I had no problem saying, "Yes!  Let's go!"

Azul

 Azul sits on a side street in Leetsdale - in fact, when we parked, I said, "We're here?  This is it?" because it wasn't exactly on a main drag, or at least on what appeared to be a main drag.  A church was across the street, but there were several residences near it as well. 

Can you imagine living across the street from a Mexican restaurant?!  It's a Senorita's dream...

I absolutely loved the blue-ness of the restaurant - the ceiling was blue, but with lots of light-colored wood that really made it pop.

Inside Azul

The menu was a good size - not overwhelming, but with a good amount of options.  We first started with the house chips and salsa, but requested both a mild and hot salsa - we got the house salsa, plus pico de gallo.  We also wanted guacamole, and we were told that they only had table-side guacamole (where they make it at the table, like we had at Verde), so we figured that was fine.

House salsa, chips, pico de gallo

As we looked at the menu, we noticed that there was an option for a "side" of guacamole - $4 - and another option for the table-side guacamole - $10.

Duped.

Sides - Guacamole - See that?

And even better?  Their definition of "table-side guacamole" is: Bring out mortar and pestle with pico de gallo already in it, 2.) Add avocado 3.) Add lime juice 4.) Mix.

End product

Step 2

At least it tasted good.  I don't know if the experience was worth $10, though.

For my entree, I chose the Vegetable Enchiladas with Mole Sauce - the deciding factor was the huitlacoche.  I had never tried it (knowingly, at least), and I was curious about anything that is also known as "corn smut".  

Who knew corn fungus was such a delicacy?  For a full description, click here.

When it arrived - I was immediately put off.  Not by the corn smut, either:

Vegetable Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

 Iceberg lettuce.  Really?  Don't bury my food in iceberg lettuce!  This was my main complaint at both Gran Agave and Emiliano's - and here it is again.  I had to dig for my enchiladas, which were actually good - I couldn't finish them, though, so I took about half home.  This means that I had some very warm iceberg lettuce mixed in with those enchiladas.

Warm iceberg lettuce is gross.

Have no fear, Las Velas.  You still have my vote for "Best Mole", because the sauce at Azul was not very flavorful.  Maybe the lettuce dulled the taste.

In addition, the rice and beans were ok, but nothing special.  I thought that the beans had a strange aftertaste, but it wasn't with every bite, so I can't really explain how unusual it was.  I think my negativity over the rest of the meal may have taken over at that point.

James chose the Carnitas Plate - slow-braised pork with onions, cilantro, salad (not iceberg either - interesting), and tortillas to make soft tacos.  It also came with rice and pinto beans:

Carnitas Plate

I tasted this, and it was better than what I had, honestly - but remember, I really can't eat pork, so I didn't eat much.

Andy went with a local dish - the Steel City Burrito: New York Strip, seasoned fries, cabbage, chipotle.

Steel City Burrito

Although not exactly "authentic", I thought that this was a good way for Azul to honor the famous Primanti Brothers' sandwich with their own twist.  I did not try this, but Andy liked it a lot!

We decided to get dessert - there are only 3 desserts on the menu: Fried Ice Cream, Flan, and Fried Cheesecake.  We ordered one of each - I went with the Flan, James with the Fried Ice Cream, and Andy with the Fried Cheesecake.  After ordering, our waitress came back to tell us that they were actually out of Fried Cheesecake, so Andy decided to forgo the dessert altogether.

Fried Ice Cream

Flan

Both desserts were as delicious as they looked.  My only issue with mine was the fact that my plate was covered with many tufts of whipped cream - I understand that the plate would have been pretty bare without them, but at the same time, maybe smaller plates are a better option?

Overall, the food at Azul was a disappointment to me.  I don't think I'll be driving all that way myself to go there again (and I'm glad James did the driving this time).  Gran Agave and Emiliano's are much closer, and if I want my food buried in iceberg lettuce, I could always go there.

But I don't want my food buried in iceberg lettuce, for the record.

Azul is still my favorite color, but unfortunately, not my favorite Mexican restaurant...

Azul Bar Y Cantina

122 Broad St.

Lettsdale, PA 15056

Website: http://www.azulbarycantina.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azulbarycantina1

...Pittsburgh City Paper's "Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant" (a rant)

I hate popularity contests.

I had seen awhile back that Pittsburgh City Paper had opened voting for their "Best of..." edition, which seemed dangerous because ANYONE could cast their vote.  Of course, it was limited to businesses in the Pittsburgh area (as it should be), but it was scary to me that anyone could vote for anything - and that there were about 3582492 categories in which to vote (ok, maybe not that many, but close).  And THEN there was the option to add your OWN category...

Geez.

Anyway, I admit, I voted - but not in every category.  I didn't think that it would be fair for me to vote in categories such as "Best Local Music Venue" when I don't go to see live, local music, nor would it be fair for me to vote on "Best Bicycle Shop" when I don't even own a bike.  However, I'm sure that there are people who voted in categories that they know nothing about, simply because they know the name of a person or business who promotes himself/herself/itself well.

Today, the results were revealed.  Knowing that people vote because they know names, but have not experienced the actual business themselves, it is difficult for me to take this poll seriously, at least in some categories.  For example, in the category of "Best Car Dealership", guess who won?  Just guess.  Think of a car dealership who has ads on TV, radio, etc. CONSTANTLY. 

Yup.  #1 Cochran.  Shocker.  I mean, how often do people buy cars?  Personally, I'm 31, and I've NEVER gone to a dealership myself to buy a car.  I just bought my grandmother's car from her estate last year, and before that, I drove the same car that my parents purchased (but didn't completely pay for) for me when I was in college and had to have a car to do my pre-student teaching.  There are people who lease cars, so they get a new one every 2 years or so - but let me ask you this: If they're using the same dealership repeatedly when the lease is up, how can they compare it to any others?

That's what I thought.  They can't.

Anyway, my point is that this was not a scientific poll - therefore, it can only be taken with a grain of salt.  So when I saw the winner(s) of "Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant", I had to remind myself repeatedly that this wasn't that serious.

But some people will take it seriously.  That's scary.

The winner?  Mad Mex.  The one restaurant that I was on the fence about when creating my "Authentic Restaurant List" for my students' extra credit project.  I had been to Mad Mex, and don't get me wrong - their food is really tasty - but I would hardly call it "authentic Mexican".  So for this restaurant to win in this category, to me, is a disgrace.

And that's why I write this blog - awareness.

Coming in second was Mexico City, the restaurant with the Black and Gold Burrito that I wrote about and whose picture I use as my profile pic on Facebook.  I was happy that they were in the top 3, so no argument there.

Black & Gold Burrito, Mexico City Restaurant

The third place winner was El Campesino, the first authentic restaurant that I ever tried here in Pittsburgh, back when I was in college.  This was the time of Chi-Chi's, so I was happy to try some "real" Mexican food at the time.

But wait - all 3 of these restaurants have something in common...

...multiple locations.

Of course.  Visibility.  Mad Mex has SEVEN Pittsburgh locations, PLUS locations in State College, Columbus, and Philadelphia.  The first time I ever had food at Mad Mex was when I was in college, at Penn State - they had just opened adjacent to the Days Inn in downtown State College, and every weekend night especially was PACKED.

You can probably guess why...and which is probably why Mad Mex won in two other categories: "Best Happy Hour" & "Best Late-Night Menu".

In addition, Mexico City has two downtown locations (a prime place for Pittsburgh City Paper readership), plus a location on the South Side (another high-readership area), and El Campesino, like Mad Mex, has 7 locations - one as far away as Altoona.

You're probably wondering who got my vote in this category.  Of course, it wasn't any of the winners.

Click here to find out.

I say to you Pittsburgh - it is time to challenge yourselves.  Discover AUTHENTIC Mexican/Latin American food in this city - it exists.  Next year, I want to see restaurants with one, maybe two locations dominate the top 3 in the "Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant"category.  On Urbanspoon, Smoke BBQ and Taqueria is in the top 10 for all of restaurants in Pittsburgh - that says something, don't you think?  If you need help figuring out what is "authentic", read this great blog post about that very topic by the owners of Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina (a NEW, AUTHENTIC Mexican restaurant!)

Follow this blog.  You'll learn about many of them.

Pittsburgh City Paper Website: http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/

...Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina

Different does not equal bad.

Sometimes the negative connotation of "different" causes people to think so - when you want to be nice, and you try a new food, you often say, 'Well, it's different..."  Unfortunately, this can cause confusion, in that people tend to think that any food described as "different" isn't delicious.

Verde is different, but in a good - as in unique - way.

I have been eagerly awaiting this restaurant's opening for months - in fact, I have been eagerly awaiting its opening since being inspired to start this blog, as it was mentioned in the original China Millman article in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that caused my epiphany.

Verde has been running a blog since April, which I have been following since June.  It's refreshing to see a business that reflects upon its doings and is excited to share its progress, whether it's progressing positively or negatively.  They commented on their research, their vision, their progress, and their successes and failures alike, which goes to show that the restaurant industry, no matter how much education, planning, and vision you may have, is always a learning experience.

I like that.

I was so thrilled when the soft opening was announced for November, but I didn't want to visit until the soft open was over.  It's not fair to review a restaurant when it first opens - that would be like doing someone's annual performance review in their first week on the job or giving a midterm exam during the first week of classes.

No es justo.

James suggested going to Verde, and I couldn't hold off any longer.  We made a reservation for the Thursday of the official opening week, and I was thrilled to see a post on their blog about what they had learned during the soft open and what they were going to do to improve.  That in itself showed me that they were doing everything possible to make this restaurant a success.

I arrived first and was seated at a booth near the restrooms.  James arrived shortly thereafter, and we started to decide upon our vittles.  While debating upon our appetizers, we were served our complimentary basket of fresh cut chips with roasted tomatillo salsa.  Although I am partial to red tomato salsa, this tomatillo salsa was far superior to any kind that I had had before, including the apple tomatillo salsa that I had made myself.

We knew that we had to try the table-side guacamole, where the guacamole is concocted right at your table with the option to adjust the ingredients to your preferences.

Making the guac, table-side (pardon James' hand!)

 Neither James nor I are super picky about fresh guacamole - we love every ingredient, so it wasn't as if we wanted anything special.  It was wonderfully fresh (it couldn't BE any fresher!), and the mix of ingredients was perfect, but I would have been just as happy if it had been made in the back; however, if you have special preferences (such as no cilantro, not a lot of lime, no onions, etc.) this would be the perfect way for you to enjoy guacamole the way that you prefer it to be. 

Our guac - the final product

 We also ordered the "Ceviche del Dia", made with barramundi, a fish sometimes referred to as perch.  I was mostly intrigued by the red-ish topping - we thought that they were beets, but our waitress informed us that they were pickled jicama (say that three times fast).

Barramundi Ceviche topped with pickled jicama

I love a good jicama, especially if I get it at a good price.  I wasn't sure how I'd like it pickled, but it was almost like pickled beets.  Regardless, this was great ceviche - fabulous flavor from the lime, onions, peppers, and herbs, plus it wasn't fishy-tasting, proving that it was made well.  It was served with plantain strips, which were perfect planks upon which to perch the perch ceviche (now say that three times fast...)

Barramundi Ceviche & Plantain Strips

Although I need to try many different types of Hispanic/Latino foods, I cannot ever resist the Pollo en Mole Poblano on a menu - and so that is what I ordered; moreover, it came with yucca fries, a staple in my visits to Chicken Latino.  James went with the Chiles Rellenos, since many of his Twitter followers suggested it from their visits to the restaurant during the soft open.

Pollo en Mole Poblano, yucca fries, grilled spring onions

I'm so glad that I chose the Pollo en Mole Poblano, because their version is truly unique.  I commented on the mole at Las Velas (which still holds the ranking as my favorite!), and how bland the mole was at Gran Agave, and how much sweeter and more chocolate-y the mole at the Franklin Inn was - but this mole was unlike any other.  In fact, it did not taste chocolate-y at all - more like nutmeg, or a similar autumnal flavor.  In addition, it was not very spicy, which I can take or leave in a mole.  I'm not saying that the mole wasn't delicious - I definitely enjoyed the flavor of the mole, and James agreed.

Like I've mentioned - different does not equal bad.  Not at all.

The chicken itself was not shredded, as it was in every other chicken mole dish in every other restaurant - it was served as half of a chicken, which also set this apart from the others.  I felt as if I got more chicken than sauce, making this a better value than most dishes, as I'm usually left with a plateful of sauce with nothing else with which to clean it up.

If it were socially acceptable to lick sauce off of a plate, you had better bet that I would.  Fortunately, I didn't have to at Verde with all of that chicken!

The yucca fries and spring onions complemented the dish well.  The fries were as crispy and well-salted like those at Chicken Latino, and the grilled spring onions were cooked well enough to dilute the strong onion-y taste that raw onions have, while maintaining the flavor of a fabulously cooked onion.

Chile Relleno

James' Chile Relleno was quite tasty - it was stuffed with quinoa and a black bean succotash, and covered in queso blanco and chipotle asado sauce.  I only took one bite to try, but I am a fan, based on that bite.  It was quite spicy - spicier than I expected, actually, and spicy enough for James to sweat like a menopausal woman having a hot flash.  Perhaps some of the membrane of the pepper was still intact, or maybe the sauce was spicier than we thought; either way, it was much spicier than the chile rellenos I have tried previously.

I was surprised during our meal when a man came over to our table, looked at me, and said my name, questioningly.  I replied, "Yes?" and he proceeded to introduce himself as Jeff, the owner of the restaurant.  I was in disbelief mostly because this was the first time that any restaurant owner recognized me without me first introducing myself to them or a member of their staff.  He thanked James and I for coming in, and at the end of our meal, returned to ask for feedback.

He wants constructive criticism.  He wants this restaurant to be spectacular.  I love Jeff for that reason.

We commented on the uniqueness of the Pollo en Mole Poblano, mostly, and how much we enjoyed everything else, especially the ceviche.

I'm sure that the menu at Verde will continue to change and evolve as feedback comes in, whether explicit or implied.  Regardless, there are many things on the current menu that are great options for my next visit...which will occur in the near future, hopefully...

Verde Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

5491 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (Garfield, at the Glass Lofts)

Website: http://www.verdepgh.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Verde-Mexican-Kitchen-Cantina/189289264447790

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

...Franklin Inn Mexican Restaurant

Weird coincidences make me happy.

I got a follower on Twitter one day by the name of Wendy Cibula - funny, considering that her last name was one letter off of mine, and I figured that's why she added me.  The next day, I got an email from her, saying that I popped up as a suggestion to follow on Twitter, she thought it was funny that our last names were so similar...

...and after seeing what I do, that by total coincidence, she and her husband own a Mexican restaurant!

I had never been to the Franklin Inn, but a teacher that I worked with in the past lives in the North Hills and had RAVED about it, since she is a frequent visitor.  She said that it is her and her friends' go-to place for a fun night out.  In addition, Food Collage and FoodBurgh had written reviews on their visits (Food Collage wrote about them twice!), and I had read them all and became quite intrigued by the hype.

I had to get there soon.  But when?    Pittsburghers know how the layout of the metro area seems - the city is the United States, the North Hills is Canada, and the South Hills is Mexico (in disproportionate geographic terms).  The Franklin Inn is all the way in the North Hills, and for me, that's like driving from Mexico to Canada (and I'd have to cross TWO bridges!  Blasphemy!)

Luckily, my mom suggested that we go on our way back from our annual shopping day in Grove City, which we do every year on the first day of buck season (since us Western Pennsylvania people don't have school, and she takes that day off since she can never get Black Friday off).

Yay, mom!

Note: Look for this sign when going to the Franklin Inn!

It wasn't easy getting there, thanks to some bad iPhone GPS directions - however, we were both pretty hungry upon our arrival, since we shopped all day, stopped at Wendell August to get some engraving done, and stopped at Mojo Running and Multisport to get fitted for some new running shoes before our next 5K on December 10th.

(They're closed on Sundays)

Thank goodness we found them, because there was so much yummy food to eat there!

House-made chips and salsa

 We were immediately served house-made chips and salsa, which I could NOT stop eating - I got the "Stop eating the chips!" exclamation from my mom several times (she still yells at me).  They were not at all greasy, and the salsa was not spicy (which I wouldn't have minded if it were, but lots of people prefer not spicy), but it was flavorful.  

I made sure to order a cup of the award-winning Aztec chili, as I wanted to see why it was so commended.  The recipe won first place at Northway's Fire & Ice Chili Cook-off just this year, 20 years after winning first place in a similar contest.  Read more about it here.

The award-winning Aztec Chili

Yeah, I can see why!  This was one of the best chilis I've ever had.  I love chili, especially in the colder months.  I've had chili in many other places, plus I've made many versions of chili myself at home - and nothing...NOTHING...tops this Aztec chili.  It has the perfect amount of spice and southwestern flavors that made my taste buds tingle.  My mom tried it and love it as well.

Oh, and they're really good with the tortilla chips, too.  Not that I kept eating them or anything...

For my main entree, I couldn't resist the Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Mole - yup, just like I had at Las Velas and Gran Agave.  This mole sauce was much thicker than the others that I had, and much less spicy, but more chocolate-y - and it was fabuloso!  If you're the type of person who prefers sweetness over spice, this mole is perfect for you (I'm a fan of both, really!) 

Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Mole, House Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette, Black Bean and Corn Salad

For my sides, I chose the side salad with house dressing, a jalapeno vinaigrette, and the black bean and corn salad.  Both were great - the jalapeno vinaigrette was spicy, but added a lot of flavor to my typical green salad, and the black bean and corn salad was my favorite.  Black beans and corn make for a great combination of flavors, especially with red onions and Mexican-inspired spices.

My mom decided upon one of the "Mexican Combinaciones", for which she chose the chicken soft taco and chicken chimichanga, plus rice and the black bean and corn salad as her sides.  She agreed with my opinion on the black bean and corn salad, and she commented that she liked the fact that she could taste her chicken instead of its flavor being completely overpowered by Mexican spices and sauce.  

Chicken Soft Taco, Chicken Chimichanga, Rice, Black Bean and Corn Salad

 I think it's pretty evident that we enjoyed our meals...

My empty plate

Mom's empty plate

Despite consuming a large amount of food ("large" being a very mild term for the feast that we had just devoured), Wendy had suggested to me earlier in the day that we try her husband's famous Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream - he had just made a new batch that day, but she warned me that it tends to go fast.  Fortunately, it was not gone yet, and my mom and I decided to split a bowl between the two of us.

Ay.  De.  Mi.  This ice cream was so rich, so creamy, so decadent - I don't think that any ice cream in a carton could ever be as wonderful as this.  Handmade ice cream is always better, but this...THIS...is a definite dairy delight!

I now understand why that teacher raves about the Franklin Inn - it has a casual, friendly atmosphere with flavors of Mexico in the food as well as the decor (without looking like Mexico threw up in it, like at Patron).  It's hard to believe that someone with a last name so close to mine owns such an awesome business, even though I wish it were closer!  I guess I can't have it all, considering that Smoke BBQ & Taqueria is so close.  

A very big "Feliz Cumpleaños" to the Franklin Inn on their 33rd birthday today.  Here's to 33 (and more!) years of fabulous, flavorful Mexican food!

Franklin Inn Mexican Restaurant

2313 Rochester Rd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (North Hills)

Website: http://www.franklininn.net

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

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

The Franklin Inn does catering!  Pick-up only.  View their catering menu.