...an incredible Nutella find at the Tin Front Cafe

Nutella.

If the sweet taste of this delectable spread has yet to touch your tastebuds, you lead a sheltered, deprived life.  Nutella is the nectar of the gods, the standard to which all sweet spreads should be compared.

People talked about Nutella all of the time when I was on Weight Watchers - how good it was to just spread a thin layer on toast for a sweet treat.  I looked up the nutritional information - not so healthy, really, but ok in moderation.  I was also put off by the term "hazelnut spread", as I am not a fan of hazelnut coffee.

Oh, but one day, I just had to see what all the buzz was about.  I bought a jar.  I put it on toast.

Now I can't keep it in my house, or else it is consumed by the spoonful.

However, I find ways to enjoy Nutella outside of the house.  When James and I visited the super-awesome-fabulous Giant Eagle Market District in Robinson, we ordered crepes with Nutella, strawberries, and bananas.

Crepe from Giant Eagle Market District in Robinson

 Ahhhh.  Divine.

James and I made another visit to the Tin Front Cafe for Sunday brunch recently, since we really liked their setup - order an entree, and the rest is buffet.  I was craving some chili, and their Four Bean Chili is part of that buffet.

We were given copies of the menu for that day, and my eyes automatically drifted toward the Sunday with Elvis - a French toast sandwich with banana and...

NUTELLAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

No questions.  Ordered.  Next.

James went with...some sort of omelet.  I don't know.  I didn't even get a pic.  There was no Nutella involved, so it doesn't even count.

We helped ourselves to the buffet while we waited for our entrees - I started with the roasted potatoes, a Sugared Corn Muffin, orange juice, and - of course - coffee:

Those corn muffins are THE BEST!  I LOVE THE CORN MUFFINS!  Ellie, our waitress, said that they didn't even turn out as well that day - I COULD NOT TELL.  I wanted to stuff my pockets with them (but I controlled myself).

You know what would make them completely irresistible?  Nutella.  Just saying.

Next - the Four Bean Chili.  Such comfort food - AND vegetarian:

Four Bean Chili

 Um, yeah, I went back for more muffins.  I wanted to try the Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin, too, but the Sugared Corn Muffin beckoned as well.  I obliged:

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin and Sugared Corn Muffin

 Why are muffins not the healthiest things on Earth?  They should be.  Muffins should be like carrots - healthy, and good for your eyes.

Speaking of good for your eyes...

Sunday with Elvis - bananas & Nutella on French toast

 I get goosebumps just looking at this pic - gooey Nutella, paired with bananas, betwixt (yes, betwixt - this sandwich deserves fancy words) a pair of cinnamon-y French toast pieces.  That butter in the pic was never touched.  It was not necessary.  Why it existed on my plate, I will never understand.  This.  Was.  Gooey.  Goodness.

My plate looked like a Nutella murder scene when I was finished, and you had better believe that I used my fork (I am civilized, believe it or not) to scoop up every last drop that I could.

Ellie brought us the check with a small plate of chocolate covered, candied cherries and blueberries, which are available for purchase at the Annex Cookery next door:

Chocolate-covered, Candied Cherries and Blueberries

Both were great, but I preferred the cherries, while James preferred the blueberries, so it worked out perfectly.

The Tin Front Cafe is still an amazing, affordable, cozy place for a Sunday brunch - and now that they have blessed me with a Nutella sandwich, their ranking has soared, at least on my scale.

An added bonus?  Metered parking is free on Sundays in Homestead.  Score.

Oh, and a word of warning - remember when James and I went to Wafels & Dinges in New York City?  I had the waffle with Speculoos?  

Not that you can tell, but that liege wafel has Speculoos under the whipped cream.

  Yeah, he found it at Whole Foods...

Look what it's made from - I mean, really?!  Who could resist?!

I can't keep that in the house, either.  This is a close, CLOSE second to Nutella - so fans, beware of the Speculoos...it's the next best thing...

Tin Front Cafe

216 E. Eighth Ave.

Homestead, PA 15120

Website: http://www.tinfrontcafe.com/

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

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

...My Very Vegetarian Weekend, Part 1: Tin Front Cafe

I like meat.

Despite my fondness for meat, I also like to try vegetarian dishes as well.  When Weight Watchers changed over to "Points Plus", and all vegetables (with the exceptions of starches, like potatoes and peas) became zero points, I added a lot more vegetables to my diet - and vegetarian recipes helped me to accomplish that.

Over the summer, I received a free issue of Vegetarian Times magazine - and I loved almost every recipe in it!  I had to subscribe, and I look forward to reading it.  Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to cook, but after the holidays, I will.  YAY!

This past weekend, I unintentionally had a Very Vegetarian Weekend (henceforth to be known as my "VVW".)  James suggested going to the Tin Front Cafe, right across the street from Smoke BBQ and Taqueria in Homestead.  We had gone there for Sunday brunch on our second encounter, after having a great meal at Smoke on our first encounter a few days earlier.

 Cue the flashback music...

I had passed the Tin Front Cafe several times, just like I had passed Smoke several times before going there - and never even gave a thought to trying it.  You can imagine my surprise, too, when I found out that it was a vegetarian restaurant.

Vegetarian?  In Homestead?  Really?

They have a Sunday brunch with a great setup - order a main entree, and the rest is buffet - chili (vegetarian, of course), mini-muffins, potatoes, fruit, and coffee.  For my main entree, I ordered spiced pear pancakes.

I didn't take pictures because it's not a Hispanic/Latino place, and I wasn't reviewing anything other than that type of restaurant at the time.  I totally regret it.

The pancakes were so moist and delicious, I don't think that I could ever replicate anything like them in my own kitchen.  I also tried everything on the buffet except for the chili.

Yet another regret.  Everything else on the buffet was great, though - especially the mini corn muffins.

Cue present day music...

Tin Front Cafe Menu, December 17, 2011

I was relieved to see "Four Bean Chili" on the menu at Tin Front this past weekend, as I wanted to try their chili so badly.  I have made vegetarian versions of chili myself before, and I think they're better than any meat version.

Four Bean Chili

Oh, wow.  This was like the vegetarian version of Aztec Chili at The Franklin Inn.  Spicy, but not too spicy, and full of flavor.  Carrots, corn, and four types of beans (black, pinto, chickpeas, and maybe kidney?  I wasn't sure) make up the bulk of the chili, along with some soy crumbles.  The piece of bread was so fresh that James asked if they make their own.

Yes, they do.  It shows.

For our entrees, James and I both chose grilled cheese sandwiches, which are paired with an arugula salad: for me, Griddled Pear with smoked Swiss (I'm always a sucker for smoked cheeses!), and for James, Grilled Portabella with spinach, red peppers, and gorgonzola.  

Griddled Pear with Smoked Swiss Sandwich, arugula salad

Grilled Portabella, Red Pepper, Spinach Sandwich, arugula salad

 After sampling both, James and I both agreed that mine was by far the best.  His looked prettier, because of the different festive colors (red and green - it IS almost Christmas, you know!), but mine tasted fantastic.  I knew from my first experience that Tin Front does amazing things with pears, and this sandwich continued the trend.  James had never had gorgonzola melted, however, and he was surprised at how well it melted into the sandwich.

The arugula salad was simple, yet it was a great accompaniment to the sandwiches.  I'm not sure exactly what the dressing was, but it added great flavor to the arugula and shaved (Swiss?) cheese combo. 

When the check came, we were given some chocolate-covered espresso beans as an after-lunch treat, just like the first time we went together.  They are also sold at Annex Cookery, the kitchen store adjacent to the Tin Front Cafe, which sells typical and unusual kitchen tools and gadgets.  We took a look around before we left, and agreed to keep it in mind when looking for great kitchen gifts!

My favorite part about the Tin Front Cafe (besides the food) is the tin sculptures that adorn the outside (see first pic) and the patio area.  Across the street, right by Smoke, you can see what looks like a studio where these tin sculptures are made - but I have no idea who runs that or how you can buy them.  If anyone has any info, please advise!

Tin sculptures on the back patio

With Smoke right across the street, it is difficult to pass up tacos, but when we need a break from tacos, Tin Front is our best local choice (more so than any chain restaurant 2 blocks away in The Waterfront).

How was my dinner vegetarian, you ask?  Well, before I went to work at Kennywood that night, I ate a banana and an apple, but when I came home, James had bought some great Middle-Eastern goodies from Pitaland in Brookline, which we discovered on the Burgh Bits 'N Bites Food Tour - he arranged me a plate full of hummus, tzatziki, sleek, tabbouleh, and pickled turnips, along with some warm, freshly-made pita bread.  No animal flesh involved, and it was amazing.

That was Saturday.  Stay tuned for Sunday...

Tin Front Cafe

216 East 8th Ave.

Homestead, PA 15120

Website: http://www.tinfrontcafe.com/

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

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