Strip District Tour Contined

Strip District food tasting continues with Pennsylvania Macaroni Company as we hear all about cheese from "Dear Heart" and taste a few cheeses. I have separate blog about another place, but let's get to the sweets. Enrico Bakery for biscotti. It seems that they have a bar in the back where they make their own wine down in the cellar. Colangelo's specializes in Italian pastries. We had one called Mele. Mine had almond paste in it. Kind of a triangular pastry with sugar atop and a few choices of the middle. Just next door is the Pittsburgh Popcorn company.

Strip District Tour

Is it time to eat again? We meet with tour guide Syvlia McCoy of Burgh Food Tour in front of one old church and given water. Was it holy water? The Strip district has nothing to do with prostitution or even taking off your clothes. It's several city blocks at the edge of downtown offering food markets, coffee shops, dance clubs and restaurants. It looks like our first stop is to Wholey's where they specialize in fresh seafood, meat and poultry. We tasted fried smelt. It was good! I also had a taste of baby octopus at the sushi station. Next was Mancini's bread bakery for a tasting of their pepperoni roll. I shared it with Esther.

Henry Clay Frick's Clayton House

We walked off breakfast in Shadyside and then went off to Clayton, home of Henry Clay Frick on the grounds of the Frick Art and Historical Center. Well, it looked like we were just about off limits to everything! No photos, food, drink or chewing gum! Yes, we were told no chewing gum as if we were kids. I was chewing gum and made no effort to dump it. We are inside and then they complain about the size of my bag. They are afraid that it may hit something! Not dumping the bag either. We spent too much time having Kevin argue with the manager...or whoever he was...about the no photography policy. He just couldn't handle that the guy would not cowtow to him. He's one of those media people that think he's so important as well as thinking that he's more important than any of the other people on the press trip. This will come up later! Oops, did I accidentally snap a photo in the Carriage House?

Pamela's In Pittsburgh

Pamela's seems to be the place to go for pancakes...or rather, as they call them, flapjacks. What's different. The pancakes are crepe-like and have specialties with lot of stuff stuffing. Mine were stuffed with strawberries, brown sugar and whipped cream. What a way to start the day...big sugar shock! We went to the Pamela's location in Shadyside. I am posed with the owners.

Tamari's in Lawrenceville

Tamari's is an infusion of Asian and Latin American cuisine. I began with a pretty good sake that was not filtered. We all had a small appetizer of skewered and grilled items served with three dipping sauces - ponzu butter, ginger and chimichurri. Sushi was important! Maki rolls. One was a lobster roll in two portions. The lobster tail was filled with some of the tail's meat and prepared with tempura while the maki rolls had some other good stuff with it. There was also a TNT roll with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, masago, avocado and tempura fried. Not pictured is the Naruto roll of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, tobiko, wrapped with cucumber, served with ponzu. For an entree I had Charred Serrano Hoi Sin crusted Lamb Lollipops with sweet potato mash and cilantro-mint chimichurri. Chef Roger Li is the creator.

Dessert was a green tea layered cake for me. As it turned out, all of the desserts are made by that cupcake bakery!

My battery went dead on my camera so Dave Thompson took these photos

Pittsburgh's Lawrencville

Sherri Moreira-Byers of Sole City Tours (www.solecitytours.com) took us on a walking tour of Lawrenceville, a "funky district which includes antique shops, artist galleries, boutiques and home accessories" and FOOD. The first place we visited was Dozen Bake Shop noted for their cupcakes. However, it appears that owners James Gray and Andrew Twifg won an award for having the best buns! We visited some stores before hitting Espresso Mano and Grey Box Theatre and owner Gina. Small theatre in this up an coming district. Found the statue of the Doughboy (the flag covers his naked body...not really) and had cocktails at a local bar (shared my juice with Esther) before dinner at Tamari's.

Pittsburgh preview

Went to Pittsburgh but not for the Steelers. Checking out the some of the 89 neighborhoods. Checked in with Esther (my rubber chicken) at the Courtyard by Marriott in Shadyside then met the rest of the writers. Kristin Mitchell of www.visitpittsburgh.com arranged this trip as we ate our way through each of the neighborhoods beginning with lunch at Point Brugge, a neighborhood gathering spot with European cafe mode. We shared an appetizer of an artichoke and spinach concoction. I ordered a lentil soup with lamb sausage followed by a stir fry shrimp dish both of which were a special vs on their regular menu. Esther seemed to enjoy it as well. I later found her trying to eat the head off of a Pittsburgh Steeler.