Up Modern Kitchen

Who doesn't love a good view?

People think I bought my house because it overlooks Kennywood.  Uh, no.  I bought my house because it was in my price range and not far from the rest of my family, thank you very much (not to mention that it takes me 2 minutes to drive to work - but that was a bonus, because I didn't get hired until after I had put a bid on the house).

A restaurant with a great view often receives accolades - but the food will speak for itself.  It doesn't matter if the scenery is good, the food is what matters.

Up Modern Kitchen

Up Modern Kitchen (or ^Up Modern Kitchen - I'm supposed to work an arrow in there, somewhere) has a great space, on the 2nd level of the popular shops on Walnut Street in Shadyside.  The space itself is awesome - the view of Walnut Street below, the double-sided space (dining room to the left, bar area to the right), the dark colors - you couldn't ask for a better space for a restaurant.

But how is the food?

James and I went for their Sunday brunch, mostly because our friend David Roth has taken his jazz stylings to that location.  He formerly tickled the ivories (well, the keyboard "ivories") at Bar Marco, where we had also gone before for their brunch:

David Roth, Jazz Man/architect

Looking over the menu, I could see that there were many pork-ridden dishes.  Knowing that my body would hate them, I tried to find something that wasn't going to kill me later.  However, James and I met the chef, and James decided to let him choose our fate, forgetting to tell him about my pork problem.

Uh oh.

Every dish that was sent out had pork in it - Eggs Benedict with ciabatta, poached eggs, hollandaise, and...capicola; Dippy Eggs with crispy potatoes, onions, and....kielbasa; and the Giant Meatball Sandwich on brioche with mozzarella...and the meatball was beef and pork.

Eggs Benedict

Dippy Eggs

Giant Meatball Sandwich with potato salad

I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the full meal - which was not the fault of the chef or restaurant itself - but I will say that what I COULD eat was delicious!  I had both types of eggs, the ciabatta, the potato salad, and the potatoes, and they all made for a very satisfying meal.  In addition, David's jazz music blended in PERFECTLY with the atmosphere - laid back, relaxing, and not at all intrusive.  In fact, one woman sitting near us returned from the restroom, looked at David, then returned to her seat, exclaiming to her dining partner, "I didn't even realize someone was playing that music live!"

Oh, but wait - what MORE than made up for the abundance of pork was...dessert.  Upon hearing that there were cannoli, we had to place an order:

Cannoli

Ohhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyyy goodnesssssssssssss.  Talk about an indulgence.  I could have eaten these alone and been completely elated.  Sooooooo yummyyyyyyyy. 

I will go back to Up Modern Kitchen, for brunch, lunch, or dinner - not for the view, but for the food - and know to order for myself...


Up Modern Kitchen
5500 Walnut Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Website: http://www.upkitchen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpModernKitchen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatupshadyside

Hot Metal Diner

It's sad how many businesses have left West Mifflin.

I remember being young and realizing that everything that we could ever need was right in our little borough - a mall, an amusement park, plenty of restaurants, and even an airport.  Going shopping someplace else was an excursion - Monroeville Mall was a treat, South Hills Village was like going to the high-end markets, and Ross Park...no one went to Ross Park (too many bridges to cross).

I've also mentioned that this is why I never went to restaurants other than chains, as the Century III Mall area was full of them - Applebee's, Chili's, Denny's, Bob Evans.  Any national chain that you could think of was within 5 minutes of the area (yes, including Taco Bell).

Unfortunately, so many things have changed.  Pretty much every Pittsburgher knows about the decline of Century III Mall, which is supposed to be changing now that Simon Malls no longer owns it.  However, its assessments have declined DRAMATICALLY over the past several years, therefore cutting a deep hole into West Mifflin's tax base.  In addition, P.J. Dick & Company pulled out of West Mifflin, along with many smaller businesses.  I thought that it was devastating when the penny candy store behind my house closed when I was about 7 years old, but these businesses leaving our borough have done much to drain our financial resources.

This is why it is so important to patronize businesses in your own hometown - without stimulating your (very local) economy, it will only cause tax increases, program cuts in your town and school district, and overall business collapse.  I know.  I've seen it first hand from many angles.

Knowing this, I found it important to have my usual Sunday brunch at a West Mifflin business - and what better place to do so than the well-revered Hot Metal Diner.

Hot Metal Diner

Recently, Rick Sebak featured the diner in his PBS special, Breakfast Special 2: Revenge of the Omelettes (the segment can also be seen on the Hot Metal Diner's webpage as an In Pittsburgh special).  I was happy to see something so local on TV, but I was surprised to see my 7th grade Science teacher (who is now retired) talking to the camera.  Wow.  Talk about keeping it local.

A friendly warning as you enter

James and I arrived late in the morning, and the entrance was full of people.  However, tables were being turned over quickly, and the line was reducing just as quickly.  An older couple was in front of us, and the hostess offered to seat the 4 of us together at a bigger table.  "You don't even have to talk to each other," she offered.

Counter seating with more humorous decor

The older woman declined.  "We'll wait."  Oh, ok.  Thanks, lady.

Luckily, the younger couple behind us had no problem co-habitating a table with us, so we sat at a table for 6, with this looming over the wall cut-out from the private room next door:

The Chicken Creeper next door

We made our introductions to the couple across from us - they are from Carrick, and he is a Pittsburgh Firefighter.  They had been to the diner once before and knew how the place worked.  James struck up a conversation, as he is so good at doing, making the awkwardness of dining with complete strangers disappear completely.

As we reviewed the extensive menu, the table to our right received their order - including a massive pancake.  I had wondered why one single pancake a la carte would cost $3.00...well, this was definitely $3.00-worth of pancake!  James and I decided to split one as an "appetizer":

One pancake.  Yes, one.

Oh, yum, pancake!  Very fluffy, and definitely split-able.  With some syrup (which you can also request hot), it was scrumptious.

For my "entree", I ordered the BB Breakfast (formerly known as "The Hog"): 2 eggs my way (over easy), home fries, bacon (my choice), and Italian toast.  When the waitress took my order, she literally said, "homefriesItaliantoastsayyes", to which I replied, "I'm sorry?" and she repeated, "home-fries-Italian-toast-say-yes".  How dare I say no (I wouldn't have any way!)  The waitresses describe themselves as a bit "saucy"...but I wouldn't ask for extra sauce.

BB Breakfast (aka "The Hog")

It was a classic diner breakfast - not overpowering on flavor, but not by any means bland.  Greasy - a bit, but I've had much greasier at Denny's (it IS breakfast, after all!).  I don't know HOW they cook their bacon, but I wish I did, because it was crispy and AWESOME.  The Italian toast was great for dipping into my egg yolks.

James decided to go the lunch-route and ordered the Best Burgher Ever with the whole kit and caboodle: bacon, cheese, onions, mushrooms, and BBQ sauce:

Best Burgher Ever with the whole kit and caboodle

I tried a bite, and it was one darn good burger.  It was served with potato chips - not a favorite of his nor mine, so they went untouched.  We sat in fear that we might get yelled at for not eating them, but...we didn't, thank goodness.

While eating and still conversing with our table mates, Wendy, the owner, decided to play some music on the Touch Tunes machine to liven up the place.  Well, heed this warning, which is at the register:

It even says "True" in the top left corner...

Her song selections included a polka classic, "Grab Your Balls (We're Going Bowling)", followed by "A--hole" by Dennis Leary.  Not exactly a family atmosphere, but if you want to dine there, you'd better get over it and find a sense of humor.  I've read reviews online about the "horrible service" that people received - well, we got our food quickly and without any mistakes on a busy Sunday morning.  The staff did their best to seat us quickly, and we ended up meeting a very nice couple and having a nice conversation.  So you know what?  Thumbs up to the Hot Metal Diner.  I hear and deal with much worse as a high school teacher, and I'll deal with your waitresses - along with having a great breakfast.

Do as I tell my high school students - follow the rules, and you'll be fine.

The Rules

Hot Metal Diner
1025 Lebanon Rd.
West Mifflin, PA 15122

Website: http://www.hotmetaldiner.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hot-Metal-Diner/236685476442536?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotmetaldiner

Asian Food Weekend, Part 3: Salt of the Earth's Ramen Brunch

Special meals come but once in awhile.

Salt of the Earth has a fantastic dinner menu.  It changes occasionally, but no matter what appears on that chalkboard menu, you know it's going to be unbelieveable.

But remember my cardinal rule if you can't decide what to order - you can never go wrong with the duck.

A few months ago, Salt of the Earth started offering my favorite meal - brunch - on the third Sunday of each month.  Not a brunch from the chalkboard menu, but a special ramen brunch, where your only options are pork, vegetarian, or vegan ramen.  Anyone who ever spent any time in college is familiar with "ramen noodles", the dried noodles when, mixed with hot water, created a cheap yet filling meal for a poor, overworked student.

But this ramen was better.  SO MUCH BETTER.  The real deal.

When we arrived, we were told to place our order with Maggie Meskey, the cocktail wizard of Salt of the Earth.  The communal tables downstairs were pretty full, but there was also seating upstairs if needed.  A line of at least 10 people was already at the bar, so we worked our way to the end.

Spanish teachers must know good food (no matter which culture it's from), because in front of us was my colleague, Rachel, whom shares my room at school when I leave to teach my English as a Second Language Students.  A strange coincidence, but of course, we know what's good, right?

When we arrived at the bar, we placed our ramen orders - pork for James, vegetarian for me, and decided to stick with water to drink (cocktails are available, though).  We found two seats that communal tables, and waited for my name to be called with our orders.

After several minutes, my name was called, and we approached the open kitchen to fetch our food.  I couldn't wait to dig in to the steaming hot bowl of ramen!

My vegetarian ramen consisted of tofu, seitan, and egg, with plenty of veggies and ramen noodles:

Vegetarian Ramen with Egg

James's pork ramen had...pork (duh), ramen noodles (double duh), scallions, radishes, and even some fish cakes for flavor:

Pork Ramen

This apparently was the last time that the ramen brunch was going to be offered - because, according to the Tweets, ramen will be available 7 days/week at Station Street Hot Dogs (another Kevin Sousa restaurant) not far from Salt of the Earth.  Hot dogs, ramen...and their new taco menu?  Interesting...

The brunch will be changing to a spaghetti and meatballs meal, with details coming soon.  I can't imagine what awesome thing Kevin Sousa will do with spaghetti...

Salt of the Earth
5523 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (Garfield)

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

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

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

Sabroso Brunch at Bar Marco

Social media is a powerful medium.

I received a message on my Facebook page from Sabroso: Comida Latina about a brunch being held at Bar Marco, featuring Latino foods from the Caribbean region of the Spanish-speaking world.  Knowing that "sabroso" means "flavorful" in Spanish (while my alias, "sabor", means "flavor", the noun form of the same word), my interest was piqued, as this sounded right up my alley.

I checked the logistics and discovered that two women, Tara Sherry-Torres and Carolina Almarante-Terrero, were behind Sabroso.  Their mission: bring authentic Caribbean Latino food to the 'Burgh.
That's a mission I can surely support!

Pre-sale tickets were available for $20 through Brown Paper Tickets, a service that I had never used, but found very easy to navigate - and I especially liked that it was paperless, as it is always so much more convenient to have the tickets available on your phone than printing them.  I also found out that I was able to make a reservation via email, which I did, because I did NOT want to have to wait around long, smelling the flavorful foods and not being able to indulge immediately.

Of course, I brought James with me, and when we drove into the Strip District, I was glad that I made a good decision making that reservation.  The Strip was bustling with shoppers, as it was a beautiful fall day, and parking was at a premium.  After 3 laps around The Strip, we found a spot in the $5 section next to the Produce Terminal, and arrived right on time for our 12:00 reservation.

Bar Marco

Bar Marco was PACKED, but because we had that reservation, we were able to snag two spots at the bar (other people who arrived before us had to wait, because they did not have a reservation), thanks to Tara, who introduced herself upon hearing my name for the reservation.

We were waited on at the bar by Giuseppe, a Bar Marco worker with one of the best mustaches I have ever seen on a real person (I didn't want to be creepy and take a picture, but for sure go to Bar Marco at some point, and you'll see what I mean!)  The menu was simple - pick your appetizer, pick your entree and your side, and pick your dessert - all for the $20 that I had already paid for the tickets.

But first - coffee.  I had taught on Friday, then worked Kennywood from 5:00pm-1:00am for the first night of Fright Nights, and needless to say, I was not nearly awake by noon.

We had a choice of either chicken or queso blanco pastelitos, which resemble the more popular empanadas of other Spanish-speaking countries.  James and I were trying to cover as much of the menu as possible, so he chose chicken, while I chose cheese:

Pastelito de Queso Blanco

Pastelito de Pollo (chicken)

Both were incredibly flavorful, but I preferred the queso blanco over the chicken.  Cilantro sprinkled the plate, and the combo of that plus the cheese and fried goodness was a great warm-up for my palate.

For our entrees, I chose the Pastelon, "a Puerto Rican casserole with sweet plantains, seasoned ground beef, topped with eggs and pepper jack cheese", with a side of Mofongo, "fried green plantains mashed with garlic and spices".  Each entree was also served with Ensalada de Repollo, which included shredded cabbage, tomato, and avocado in a lemon-cilantro vinaigrette:

Pastelon, Mofongo, Ensalada de Repollo

James chose the Pernil, "slow-roasted pork shoulder, seasoned with oregano and garlic", with a side of Boiled Yucca topped with sauteed red onion:

Pernil, Boiled Yucca, Ensalada de Repollo

Wow.  Wow wow wow.  That's all I can say about both meals.  "Sabroso" is an understatement for what these women make happen in the kitchen.  James's Pernil was incredibly tender (I only had a small taste, as I cannot technically eat pork - this made me wish I could!), and the yucca was a fabulous alternative to a typical potato starch.  My Pastelon was succulent, and anyone who thinks that garlic is just for Italians should definitely try Mofongo sometime - SUPER garlicky, but not by any means overwhelming!

We were already so full, but there was one more course - dessert.  With two options, James and I got one of each - he chose the Pudin de Pan, a Dominican bread pudding with cinnamon, sugar, golden raisins, and rum, while I went with the Tembleque de Coco, a Puerto Rican coconut flan:

Pudin de Pan

Tembleque de Coco

The Tembleque being the lighter of the two desserts, I for sure made another good decision there, but I could not resist trying James's Pudin de Pan.  Rich.  Definitely rich.  Incredibly yummy!

James asked me after the meal if the ladies of Sabroso planned on opening a restaurant.  My response: "After that meal, I wish they would!"  Then again, the idea of pop-up brunches and dinners seems pretty cool

I made sure to tell Tara how fabulous everything was before I left.  She asked me how I got into Latino foods, and I told her about my background and how difficult it is for my students to realize that there is Latino culture in Pittsburgh.  She informed me that there will be more Sabroso meals in the future, and she hopes to partner with me in the future for more educational opportunities for my students.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

Thank you, social media, for bringing Sabor and Sabroso together.  My students, my belly, and I will be forever in your debt.  And thank YOU, Bar Marco, for allowing these ladies the opportunity to accomplish their mission!  I can't wait for more!

Sabroso: Comida Latina

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SabrosoComidaLatina
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SabrosoPGH

Bar Marco
2216 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://www.barmarcopgh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bar-Marco/167136583366244
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarMarcoPGH

Sunday Brunch, Part 1: Bar Marco + Lucy's Banh Mi

Brunch and the Strip District.  Two of my favorite things in Pittsburgh.

Not having to work until later on Sundays in the summer is such a benefit to me, since I can partake in Sunday brunch.  Having had brunch at the Tin Front Cafe and Zenith on a few occasions, plus other experiences at Sugar Cafe and Kaya, have made me fall in love with the concept.  A laid-back meal, intended to fill me up in the way breakfast and lunch would do separately.

I love it.

A friend of ours, David Roth, a Pittsburgh architect with a passion for playing jazz-style music on his synthesizing keyboard, was to play on a Sunday at Bar Marco, a newer place in the former Embry/Firehouse Lounge space in the Strip District.  It was the perfect excuse to go there for brunch and explore the Strip on a Sunday, as I love to do.

David Roth provides our brunch entertainment

 It was the best of both worlds.

Bar Marco maintains the original firehouse architecture

 We arrived and sat at a table for two.  David greeted us with hugs and his usual cheery personality, as he was just getting back from a short break before beginning another set.  After a brief catching-up session, we ordered our coffee -- French pressed from local Commonplace Roasters:

Coffee - I really like this cup!

 The menu was impressive, but a bit expensive.  I thought about getting the Skirt Steak and Eggs, but at $19, I couldn't justify a good reason to order it.  I instead went with the Plantain Pancakes, with a side order of Brown Sugar Cardamom Bacon:

Plantain Pancakes, Cinnamon Butter, Local Honey, Brown Sugar Cardamom Bacon

 Wow.  This was a FANTASTIC choice.  The cinnamon butter and local honey made these pancakes.  Plantains are not sweet, but these pancakes did not need to be sweet; the accompaniments made this dish.   The bacon was sweet and crispy, as good brown sugar bacon should be.

James went with the Breakfast Risotto, and a side of Cheesy Potatoes:

Breakfast Risotto

Cheesy Potato

James and I sampled each others' foods, and I think I made the better choice, although his risotto was cheesy and creamy, and the cheesy potato was warm and crispy.  However, we both agreed that there was one problem --

We were both still hungry.

I was glad that I did not spend $19 on the Skirt Steak and Eggs, because if I had, and I were still hungry, I would be...well, demanding more food.  Our choices were excellent, but not enough for the double meal that James and I so desired.

After saying our goodbyes and thanks to David, we walked outside -- and as usual, Lucy's banh mi tent was set up just outside of the doors of the restaurant.  Banh mi is a simple Vietnamese sandwich, often sold as street food, with a variety of ingredients.  A French-style baguette (yes, French), usually topped with meat (today it was chicken) cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, Daikon radish, carrot, pickled onion, and a sweet, sticky sauce; ours was wrapped in foil for easy transportation:

Lucy's Banh Mi

This was JUST what we needed!  James and I split one $6 sandwich (James tried to get 2 for $10, but there was no bargaining with Lucy), and it was spicy, savory, and overall fantastic.  Street food in the Strip District is the way to go -- whether it be the tacos at Reyna's, or the many other options (pepperoni rolls from Mancini's, gyros, Korean pancakes...)

You'd think we'd be done, but...no.  Not yet.  Not even close.  There's more to this eating adventure.

To be continued...

Bar Marco & Lucy's Banh Mi Stand

2216 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://www.barmarcopgh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bar-Marco/167136583366244