...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

…Las Velas con Burgh Gourmand

I know what I like.

I have been raving about Las Velas for months, since my first visit before the reopening as a guest with my brother, to my second visit for dinner with my brother, through this first quarter of the school year.  I have worn my Las Velas t-shirt to school (and had to correct many people who thought it said “Las Vegas”.  Ay de mí…)  I bought a CBS Local Offer AND a Groupon to ensure that I get back there soon (and save some money).  I even had a Twitter follower, Susan Lee, DONATE a CBS Local Offer to my classes so that one of my own students could experience this restaurant that I love so, so much.

I guess my love for Las Velas shines through with effect, because after our experience at Smoke Taqueria, Burgh Gourmand suggested that we go to Las Velas, since he had never been there, and I talked it up so much.

No hesitation here.  I accepted the invitation.

Photo courtesy of Burgh Gourmand: View of the inside of Las Velas (taken from his perspective, near the windows)

 We arrived and were seated by the windows, which reveal a gorgeous view of Market Square.  It was chilly and gray outside, with a chance of heavier rain, but regardless, people were still socializing and milling about.  The ice skating rink was in the beginning stages of being built a block away, and the barriers for it could be seen in the distance.

Our waiter asked if we wanted chips and salsa, and of course we said yes, but I made sure to add, “And guacamole, too, please!”

I love the guac.

Chips, guacamole, salsa roja

Burgh Gourmand commented on the guac as well, saying that it was “so creamy” (sometimes guacamole is a little chunky when the avocados aren’t mashed too well).  I know that it still gets my vote for “Best Guac”, despite trying it in other restaurants now, too.

Burgh had this to add later:

I did blur Burgh Gourmand's real name to protect the innocent - I promise, though, this was from him!

Although I am partial to the guac, I made sure to have my chips with some salsa, since A.) salsa is fat-free, and guacamole is not, and B.) I love the way the salsa tastes, since it is made with fresh cilantro, and C.) It is not super-chunky, but not super-runny, either.

Burgh Gourmand and I had a hard time deciding upon our main dishes – I wanted to try something off of their “Traditional Mexican” menu, since I hadn’t yet, and I keep touting authenticity.  Back when I started doing this, the owner’s wife, Ginny, replied to my email about my blog with a list of items on the menu that are authentic – and anything on that part is (in addition to others).

I decided to go with “Pollo al cilantro” – basically, you choose your meat and sauce, so I chose chicken with a cilantro sauce (I had to go cilantro!).  Burgh originally decided upon “Mar Y Tierra” (Surf ‘N Turf, to put it simply), but at the last minute changed his mind to the “Pollo en Mole Poblano”, which was my choice on my last visit.

Who doesn’t love a good mole?!

Pollo al cilantro - no leftovers this time (guess I'll have to come back for more...)

Photo courtesy of Burgh Gourmand: Pollo en mole poblano

Neither one of us regretted our choices.  Burgh’s mole exceeded his expectations – I told him that I wouldn’t steer him wrong, and I live up to my promises.  My “Pollo al Cilantro” was what I was hoping for – a delicious, but not overpowering cilantro-flavored sauce encasing shredded chicken, which served as a great filler for my handmade tortillas and veggies.  The sauce was a little salty, but not enough for me to not savor every bite of my meal.

In addition to comida muy rica, the trip to Las Velas included a spectacular view of Market Square, capped off with witnessing a torrential downpour (and pedestrians scattering to avoid it) and helicopters flying dangerously close to skyscrapers around Market Square due to the filming of the Tom Cruise film “One Shot”. 

Even better?  Great conversation with Burgh Gourmand.  It’s nice to converse with someone that A.) has common interests, B.) has intelligence, and C.) can tell you things you never knew before.  If you ever get the opportunity to dine with him – do it.

At the end of my last post about Las Velas, I said:

“I left so, so full, and so, so happy.”  - I did this time, too.

“I will be back, Las Velas.” – Obviously, I came back.  Duh.

“I will try something different next time, although I was completely smitten with the meal that I had chosen.” – Totally tried something new (although Burgh did let me sample his mole poblano!  I couldn’t resist!)

“I will bring friends.” – Done.

“I will encourage others to patronize you, even if I am not with them.” – I do through my blog, Facebook page, Twitter.  I wear my Las Velas shirt to school on Casual Friday when I can.  Not to mention my contest where a student won $30 to spend at your restaurant!

Further proof that I live up to my promises.

Las Velas

21 Market Square

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Web: http://www.lasvelasmex.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf - !/LasVelasMex

Twitter: @lasvelas

Burgh Gourmand

Website: http://www.burghgourmand.com

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

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

…My Strip District Visit 10-15-11, Parte 5: Roasted Apple & Tomatillo Salsa + homemade Yucca Fries

I have an obsession with yucca.

Ever since I first tried yucca fries at Chicken Latino, I can’t get enough of them.  No potato-based French fries can compare to yucca fries, especially when they are eaten with their green salsa and mayonnaise.

During my Strip District visit, I was shopping at Stan’s Market, grabbing ingredients for a salsa recipe, when my mom, who had just been to Chicken Latino for the first time, spotted it – yucca, $1.19/lb.  And not moldy.

Yucca (Yuca, in Spanish) on the shelf outside at Stan's Market - good eye, mom!

 Giant Eagle, you may recall, had yucca, too - $1.99/lb.  And moldy.

Done.  Purchased.  Yucca fries will be made.

I am very aware that this looks like poo.  However, it is yucca root.

It's much prettier when peeled.

Beginning to fry (looks like they're on fire at the bottom - I swear they're not!)

Fully frying

Crispy and delicious!  No, they're not burnt!

 In addition to the yucca, I purchased a lot of fresh veggies from Stan’s Market that day, including tomatillos, Granny Smith apples, jalapeno peppers, garlic (a head, not the jarred stuff that I usually buy), and onions, among others.  Why?  

Granny Smith apples from Stan's Market

 Yet another fabulous-sounding recipe, this time for salsa, thanks to @eatocracy and @chefmarcela.

Tomatillos have always intrigued me, but I have never tried to make anything with them myself – the bulk of this recipe was made up of tomatillos, so I figured that this was the best thing to try with them. 

Tomatillos from Stan's Market

@eatocracy (from CNN) posts links to recipes all of the time, but on this particular day, they seemed to be focused on recipes by Marcela Valladolid, or “Chef Marcela”, who has a show on The Food Network and is the author of Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Flavor.

Mexican?  Easy?  Yes, please.

The recipe can be found here: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/10/13/out-of-the-fryer-into-the-salsa-bowl

Ready to roast

Roasted

Roasted fruits/veggies ready to blend

Blended (salsa)

Reyna's tortillas, cut, baked

 At this point, I tasted the salsa – it was ok – I could definitely taste the apple, and I could get the feel for the flavor of the tomatillos, but it wasn’t very exciting.  I packaged it up in plastic containers, opened my fridge…

…then I saw the package of jalapenos.  

CRAP!   I forgot to put the jalapeno in my salsa! 

Luckily, I already had a tray of tortilla chips in the oven (corn tortillas from Reyna Foods sprayed with Pam, cut into 1/8ths), so I threw the stemmed jalapeno onto the tray to roast.  I pulled the chips out after a few minutes (otherwise they would have burned), and let the jalapeno continue to roast.

Trying to salvage the salsa by roasting the jalapeno!

 Once the jalapeno was roasted enough, I put all of the salsa back into the blender, along with the roasted jalapeno.  I probably should have removed the membrane and seeds, but I can handle the heat.

Going to blend in the jalapeno

 With the jalapeno, it didn’t make a huge difference flavor-wise, but the spice factor had definitely changed.  The tortillas had turned out crispy, yet almost chewy on the inside, and worked well with the salsa.

Mmmm, delicioso!

Nothing will compare to the flavor that the chicken and apple taco from Smoke Taqueria had, but this apple/tomatillo combo wasn’t bad, either.  Tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and…apples (?!) does not sound like an appetizing combo, but roasting them definitely gave them a different, sweeter flavor, almost the way they would taste in a pie, minus the extra sugar and spices.  I tried this salsa with chicken, too, and it was pretty tasty.

I now check out all of @eatocracy’s recipes when they are tweeted, and I follow @chefmarcela.  I need to go get her book!

Stan’s Market

1811 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stans-Market/247614901924765

The Strip District Website: http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/

Neighbors in the Strip on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=699253613466&id=47505581&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/StripDistrict

Strip District Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StripDistrict

Eatocracy

Website: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ - !/pages/Eatocracy/333730193484

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

Marcela Valladolid

Website: http://www.chefmarcela.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chef-Marcela-Valladolid/308000942651?ref=ts&sk=wall

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

…Mexico City Restaurant (Smithfield Street Location)

What do teachers DO on in-service days?

I get that question a lot, and honestly, there’s no one answer to that question.  It really depends on the needs of the district.  Sometimes we have workshops and meetings.  Sometimes we meet in small groups.  Sometimes we meet as a building.  Sometimes we meet as a district.

It depends.

One in-service day that is always a sure thing is the annual Journey to Learn Day, organized by the Consortium for Public Education.  Districts that are part of the consortium participate and sign up for workshops in other districts to learn from those teachers.  Last year, I led a workshop on Traveling Teachers, and I was really upset that the teachers who participated carried on during my workshop instead of participating.

Teachers are the worst students.

City-County Building

This year, I wanted to DO something on this day, so my first choice was the Strip District Stroll, led by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (shocker, since I love The Strip, right?)  My second choice was another tour led by the same group, titled “Downtown Dragons”, which focuses on the architecture in Pittsburgh.

Of course, I got my second choice.

Looking up The Mon

I wasn’t going to complain, though, since at least I didn’t have to sit in a classroom that morning – I got to be outside, looking at things and walking around, which I’d rather do any day.

And you know what?  I learned A LOT.  If you ever get the chance to do a tour through the foundation, DO IT.  I want to do more – the one in The Strip, of course, but they also do one on the Mexican War Streets, and I’ve always wondered what that’s all about.

Fountain at the courthouse 

I also got some great pictures along the way.  My Instagram app helped make them even better.

First Lutheran Church

Another great thing about the tour is that it ended at Wood St., and I had time for lunch, so my brother offered to meet me for lunch.  His suggestion?  Mexico City on Smithfield Street.

Aww, he’s so supportive of my cause!

We got there exactly when they opened – 11:00 AM – and were seated right away, as the only patrons of the restaurant.  It’s not very big, but it is festive. The décor reminded me a lot of a cantina in Merida, Mexico (although this location is BYOB – no bar), and I just had to take pictures of the quotes on the wall:

We were served our one complimentary basket of chips and salsa – it literally states on the menu that you get ONE complimentary basket of chips and salsa, and additional ones are $1.99 each.  That was fine with me, since I tend to fill up on chips and salsa too often – and I could have filled up on a lot more, because they were quite delicioso.  The salsa was also quite flavorful and cilantro-ish – my brother really likes their salsa because it’s not chunky (he hates chunky salsa).

Chips and not-so-chunky salsa

 I had pretty much also decided upon what I wanted to eat ahead of time, as I checked out their menu online the night before.  I was impressed with their “Black & Gold” themed foods – burritos & chimichangas, with a variety of options for fillings: chicken, pork, steak, lamb, tilapia, shrimp, and more.  I thought – what could be better than black & gold-themed Mexican food?  That represents what I’m all about: Pittsburgh + Hispanic/Latino foods.

Black and Gold Burrito

 It was Mexican-Pittsburgh perfection – the “black” is mole sauce (MY NEW FAVORITE SAUCE!) and the “gold” is a mildly spicy cheese sauce:

For my filling, I chose “pollo con rajas” – chicken with poblano pepper (which is quickly becoming my pepper of choice for main dishes – not too hot, not too mild, and lots of flavor):

Chicken with poblano pepper filling (and rice)

 This was definitely the best way to end my tour of Downtown Pittsburgh – I learned about architecture, saw things in the city that I had never seen before (and wouldn’t have noticed, had it not been for this tour), and had lunch that not only fits the theme of the day (Pittsburgh), but also the theme of my blog.

What do teachers do on in-service days?  If done right (as this was), they learn…

Mexico City

111 Smithfield St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Website: http://www.mex-city.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mexico-City-Restaurant/343687990784?ref=ts (Wood St. Location)

Additional Locations:

409 Wood St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

(this location has a full bar with happy hour and salsa parties)

2212 E. Carson St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

(Taqueria)

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

100 West Station Square Drive

Suite 450

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Website: http://www.phlf.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pittsburgh-History-Landmarks-Foundation/371231865486?sk=wall

…Triple B Farms Jalapeno Peppers and Salsa

I.  Love.  October.

It is my absolute, no lie, no joke, FAVORITE month of the year.  You would think that I would love July, the one month of the year where there is absolutely NO school, or maybe even May, since the school year is ending.  No.  October.

Remember – I also work at Kennywood.  I don’t get summers “off”. 

October is awesome for so many reasons – Halloween, leaves turning pretty colors, cooler weather, and of course, eating anything pumpkin-flavored is completely acceptable. 

This also means that it’s time to pick a pumpkin at Triple B Farms!

Every year, my mom, brother, and cousin go to Triple B to pick our pumpkins and do the usual Pumpkin Festival activities – corn maze (my least favorite), Boo Barn (my most favorite), Pumpkinland, and shopping for yumminess in their Country Farm Market.

Unfortunately, the weather on October 2^nd was absolute crap – rainy and cold – but we were determined to make this our day to get our pumpkins.  We went early – and there were 2 other cars in the parking lot.  Perfect.  No crowd!  

My brother and cousin, carefully choosing apples to pick.

After picking apples for the first time (which was more fun than you ‘d think!) and picking out our pumpkins from the pre-picked area (we always end up getting them there, anyway), it was time to shop in the Country Farm Market. 

Triple B makes their own brands of several items – pasta sauces, marinades, and what I always go for – salsa.

I decided upon the Mad Mango and Blackberry Salsas this year – you know, because I love mangoes – a lot – and I have been on a crazy blackberry kick this year as well.  I had never tried them, but they seemed interesting.

The produce section is always great because local farms tend to have more reasonable prices for produce than Giant Eagle (as was evident in my trip to Stan’s Market in The Strip - $0.89/lb. for jicama as opposed to $3.99/lb. at Giant Eagle?! Unreal!).  I started filling up my basket with my fall recipe staples – butternut squash and spaghetti squash – then threw in a head of cabbage, and then….

Jalapeno peppers.  5 for $1.00.  Awww, yeah!

Now – what to do with them?

Today, I decided to get creative with my jalapenos.  I had seen many recipes lately for stuffed hot peppers, and I love jalapeno poppers, so I wanted to try something along those lines.

I cut my peppers in half – using Ziploc bags as gloves to do so.  I have learned the hard way – especially since I wear contact lenses that must be removed every night - that you must, must, MUST protect your hands and surfaces from the burn of the jalapeno seeds and membranes, as that is where most of the heat in the pepper is concentrated.  

Since I wanted to keep this semi-healthy, I decided upon two different cheeses to add to my peppers – two Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss wedges, and a serving (1/8^th of a wheel) of Red Apple Smoked Gouda, my favorite type of cheese.  I divided them up amongst the 10 pepper halves, along with a little Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning for flavor.

Something was missing  - these looked boring.  I remembered reading a recipe for stuffed jalapenos that were wrapped in bacon…mmmm, bacon….but all I keep in my house is turkey bacon.

That’ll do, pig.  That’ll do.

I wrapped each pepper in half of a piece of turkey bacon (so 5 pieces total), and placed them in my ancient 1950’s oven, which I had preheated at 400 degrees, and set the timer for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, I thought there still might be something missing from this recipe…maybe something vegetable-like to add to the pepper taste.

Oh yeah!  I bought those salsas at Triple B, too!

I decided to try each type of salsa on my peppers, leaving two without so that I knew what they tasted like sans-salsa.

The peppers were pretty good without the salsa – I definitely liked the bacon-jalapeno combo, with the smokiness of the gouda and the mildness of the Laughing Cow cheese.  They were pretty delicious with the Mad Mango Salsa as well, since it added some sweetness to those flavors.  However, my favorite was by far the combination with the Blackberry Salsa, which had a much more subtle flavor than the mango, so I could still taste the smokiness of the cheese with the bacon.

My trip to Triple B this year may have been wet, cold, and muddy, but I definitely got more out of this trip than any other.  Usually, I come away with a pumpkin and memories of frustration from the corn maze, but this year was a whole new experience.  I came away with my pumpkin, as usual, but also apples, jalapenos, awesome salsas, a delicious cabbage (which I made into soup), and a new way to combine flavors from a local farm.  I may have to try these types of experiments more often….

Their labels are cute.  I had to include them.

Triple B Farms

823 Berry Lane

Monongahela, PA 15063

Website: http://www.triplebfarms.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Triple-B-Farms-Harvesting-Homegrown-Produce-Family-Fun/159023361809