Barcelona & Madrid, Spain, June 2013

Barcelona & Madrid, Spain, June 2013, a set on Flickr.

From June 24-July 1, 2013, four of my students, my brother, and I traveled to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. I had never been to Europe (none of us had), and it was quite an adventure.

And 2 years in the making, We couldn't have done it without help, especially from the Pittsburgh restaurant industry. You. Are. Awesome.

I would like to thank everyone who helped us along the way:

- Alma Pan-Latin Kitchen, for donating the proceeds of their Father's Day brunch to the trip, as well as selling City Dining Cards on our behalf. You are so generous!

- YADA YADA Empanada, for your awesome fundraiser!

- Casa Rasta, for holding a benefit dinner and donating the proceeds to the trip. Gracias!

- PGH Taco Truck, for donating drink sales on several occasions.

- The countless people who bought flower bulbs, coffee, cookie dough, bears, dining cards, beanies, and much, much more to help out our cause!

- The teachers, staff, and administrators of the West Mifflin Area School District, who have been SO supportive of having our students experience other cultures!

- A special thanks to Meg A., who handles student activity accounts for the district, for putting up with my many deposits and check requests! You rock!

I am also happy to announce that I am planning another trip for 2 years from now - to COSTA RICA! This will be an exciting one, with zip-lining, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and horseback riding! See this link for details, and let me know if you're interested:

http://www.eftours.com/educational-tours/tour-detail.aspx?code=COB&year=2015

I hope you enjoy looking at our pictures from the trip! Please let me know if you have questions or feedback!

PGH Taco Truck

You'll probably think this post is biased. I don't care.

About 10 months ago, when James told me that he had bought a truck from someone in Denver to turn into a taco truck, I'll admit, I thought he was crazy.  But, it was his dream, one that he had talked about since we had met - and I do believe in people following their dreams and DOING instead of WISHING, so I supported him 100%.

The truck, when it first arrived in my driveway from Denver.

 Having a big, red truck in my driveway for almost that entire time wasn't a big deal to me, but it was hard to see all of the planning and preparation that goes in to opening such an unusual business (for Pittsburgh, at least).  We did summer events at The Coffee Buddha, The Mattress Factory, and elsewhere. Things looked great, things went wrong, discouragement set in...then hope sprang eternal...then the dream finally became a reality on January 18th.

Thank god.

I have tried so many different tacos from the truck and from the events that we did in the summer from a cart that I couldn't possibly share how I feel about all of them.  BUT, I can say this:

They're phenomenal.

Not only that, but flavorful, creative, and...honestly, I dont know how he comes up with some of this stuff.  However, don't start the "authentic" argument with me.  James uses corn tortillas (gluten-free, by the way), which are more typical in traditional Mexican tacos, but what is placed on those tortillas may not be considered "authentic".

Potato Taco at an event at Coffee Buddha in the summer (pre-truck opening)

The pickled onions ALONE on this taco are amazing. Usually on pork, but chicken for me (can't eat pork).

Venison taco.  Doesn't look like much, but...I loved it.  And it's deer.  DEER.  

Who cares?  They're D-E-L-I-C-I-O-S-O.

From the many comments on Facebook, mentions on Twitter, and overall feedback from people as they ate their tacos right in front of the truck, I know that I'm NOT the only person who feels this way.  Check out the comments for yourself, and maybe you'll think that my opinion is not quite as biased as you might think it is.

I had a chance to help out on that first night, and I was so overwhelmed by how willing people were to wait A.) in 28-degree weather, B.) in a long line, and C.) to tell us how they felt about the food (and to even come back for seconds!).  Some people even just hung out after eating for fun.

My "Muppet Face" inside of the truck on opening night. It was COLD!

It was inspiring.

Dreams do come true.  They have come true.  They will come true.  BUT - only if you MAKE them come true.  Talking is not doing.

 Zucchini-Mushroom-Kale taco with Greek Gourmet jalapeno-cilantro hummus. One of my all-time favorites!

Ceviche from Bar Marco's "No Menu Monday" on Feb. 11. I HOPE THIS BECOMES A REGULAR THING! 

So, now I want to do something that I've dreamed of doing.  I've always wanted to participate in La Tomatina in Bunol, Spain.  You know, a bucket-list item.

Unfortunately, because it's held on the last Wednesday of August, and I'm a teacher who starts school within the last 2 weeks of August, that may never happen.  What's the best solution?

Have one here in Pittsburgh.

I mean, Heinz ketchup is headquartered here (I know, it was just sold to investors, but it WILL be headquartered here even after the sale is finalized), so what better place to have such a tomato-y mess occur?

If you agree with me, follow La Tomatina PGH on Twitter and Facebook.

AND go buy tacos from a truck.  More specifically, buy them from PGH Taco Truck.


PGH Taco Truck
Follow on Facebook and Twitter for locations.

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

Late Night Bite: Mineo's Pizza

I am affiliated with PGH Taco Truck.

As a matter of fact - you could say it's my boyfriend. Well, the OWNER is my boyfriend, so the truck is by association. It has spent many a night (and day) parked in my own driveway.

A taco lover's dream-come-true.

Now, however, the truck is in Indiana (the state, not the city in PA) getting its new, awesome, super-functional kitchen installed, so life is quiet. James had to drive it out there, then had to find a way to get back - with the most cost-efficient being to take the good ol' Greyhound Bus.

He asked me to pick him up at the station downtown, and it actually worked out well, because the bus got in not long after I left work. I drove there, alerted him of my arrival, and he got in the car. Not long after, those words I expected to hear...

..."Are you hungry?"

I really wasn't, as I had planned out my eating pattern for the day, and it was already 10:30 PM, but I knew he had to be hungry after that long bus ride. I offered to stop somewhere, and since it was on the way home, he suggested Mineo's.

Wow. I hadn't had their pizza in forever. So I was ok with stopping there.

Mineo's Pizza House

 Mineo's is a Pittsburgh legend - although pizza is not something for which Pittsburgh is known, it is one of the more well-known pizza shops around town, with Aiello's being a neighborhood (actually, more of a 1/4 block) rival.  The Mineo's vs. Aiello's rivalry runs deep, but James insists both are great in their own ways.

He often gets 2 slices at each place - he likes the meatball topping on Mineo's; says it's the best pizza hot. They put a lot of cheese on it, and it gets quite greasy, but not in a bad way.  He says, however, this is not the pizza you want to eat cold because the cheese just doesn't taste right when it's not hot.

Aiello's, on the other hand, has a sweeter flavor profile, and the dough is chewier. James insists that his 2 slices from Aiello's come "off the top -- as is." I have yet to try Aiello's, but I am sure there will be another trip, another ride home, and another visit to Murray Avenue for pizza soon.

My dad used to stop at Mineo's to bring home their famous pizza when I was much younger, where I amongst other Pittsburghers, thought that it was awesome that they put the pepperoni UNDER the cheese.  I mean, how smart is that?  No pepperoni pieces falling off of the slice - they were trapped under the layer of cheese.

I have always made my pepperoni pizza that way.  No lie.

James suggested the Meatball Pizza, so we each got 2 slices.  We sat at the bar-style seating on one side of the place (the other was closed, since it was late and they were cleaning up that area) and waited patiently for our pizza.  Groups of teenagers graced some of the booths and counter area, with a few adults around.

I guess it's the place to be at 11pm in Squirrel Hill.

Our food was ready, and James brought it over to our seats.  Two thin-crusted slices, covered in bits of meatballs:

Meatball Pizza

 He suggested adding garlic powder and red pepper flakes, as he normally does, so I took his suggestion:

Meatball Pizza, with garlic powder and red pepper flakes (big difference...right?)

 The pizza was good.  Not overly-covered in cheese, thin, and tasty - I didn't feel overstuffed or regretful of my choice (even though I wasn't hungry to begin with).  For pizza, it was above-average.  

And who doesn't love above-average pizza...or pizza, period, for that matter?

Mineo's Pizza House

2128 Murray Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Website: http://www.mineospizza.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mineos-Pizza-House/202700486409798