Ditka's steakhouse

I have been to a lot of the popular steakhouses around the city, i.e. Morton's, Capital Grille, Ruth Chris, Hyde Park and now Ditka's. My friend, Jill, once told me that the best steak that she has ever eaten was at Ditka's so I felt compelled to make my way there. First, I started with the soup; Tortilla Soup vs. Crab Bisque. Winner: Crab Bisque. Although there were a few shells in the soup, overall, it was very flavorful and warm and creamy. The tortilla soup was not thick and there was way too much corn that the corn over powered the flavors of the cheese and the chicken. When asked which soup was better, I indicated the Crab Bisque and the reasons why (too much corn and thin broth) and the waiter brought over a second complimentary cup of the Crab Bisque. Goes to show you, when asked how you like a meal, don't be too shy to state the truth; but in a nice tasteful way and you never know how you can be rewarded...in my case, it was an extra cup of yummy crab bisque.

Next, the main course. Now, all the steakhouses in the city are ala carte when it comes to side dishes. However, Morton's and Hyde Park have special dining promotions. These include side dishes and desserts for a special fixed price. Ditka's did not offer any special dining promotions. I got the filet Oscar, which indicates Filet Mignon topped with a Bearnaise sauce and lump Crab meat.

As for my side, I got the garlic green beans and grilled onions. The steak was very tender (mine was Medium Rare, as how a steak should be cooked) and flavorful, along with the crab; however, the Bearnaise sauce had a not so appetizing taste. A hollandaise sauce would have been a much better paring in my mind. What's the difference, well not much; a Bearnaise is more meaty and used for steaks. The ingredients are similar in both sauces: butter and emulsified egg yolks but with a hollandaise sauce there is lemon juice and the Bearnaise sauce uses herbs like tarragon instead of the lemon juice. I'm not a particular fan of tarragon, which has a licorice flavor so I will always choose Hollandaise over Bearnaise.

The garlic green beans were average, they were sort of soggy but there was good flavor. As for the grilled onions, it was one slice of onion and charred with a few grill marks. It was basically raw once you cut into it and it did not pair well with the steak. I would have loved to have had the caramelized onions from Anthony's Coal Fired paired with my steak!

Finally, the dessert. By this time, I am beyond full. But it is my duty as a food blogger to find the 'best of the burgh' so I pushed on and ordered the Creme Brulee. The custard was cooked too long, it was not as warm and creamy as I am used to; the flavoring was a little bland and definitely did not compare with the Creme Brulee from Morton's or Capital Grille, which is still too close to call as to which is the 'best.' Final Grade: Not worth the money and you can definitely get a better tasting steak dinner that is more satisfying and doesn't break the bank!!!

I'm Back

Hi All,

Sorry I have been away for a little bit. I was on vacation with my co-worker, Kathy for her 30th Birthday in Vegas. Prior to leaving for vacation, I did dine at a few eateries, such as: Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza and Ditka's in Robinson.

As far as Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza; there are signs everywhere indicating that the pizza is 'well done' and, in fact, it is! But I believe that it is more than 'well done' its actually charred along the entire edge of the pizza. Now, I'm not sure if you can ask for it to be cooked a little less, but I am not a fan of anything burnt. During my dining experience, I ate the broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pizza, the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza, the wings and the Roast Beef Sandwich. All this food was shared, lol, I was there for my friend Marguerite's birthday...I didn't eat all this food myself!!!

Anyway, both Pizza's were very charred on the end, definitely more than 'well done.' There was an over abundant amount of broccoli rabe it was very bitter and over powering and it just wasn't a good topping on a pizza, the Philly cheesesteak; however, was very good.

The caramelized onions on the both the pizza and the wings were phenomenal. There are a lot of places that claim to use caramelized onions but fail at the attempt to actually produce a sugary, caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth taste; Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza is a restaurant that does that. The wings were good but nowhere near the best. Other than the onions, there was a lack of taste and were just simply bland.

As for the Roast beef sandwich, it was good but probably not something that I would order again. Again, very little flavor and it was more of a different type of sandwich. While the bread was warm and flaky, the roast beef was cold. There was no sauce or dressing but it was worth trying it at least once; at least, for the greater good of my viewers! My friend, Stephanie has been wanting to go there for some time now, and I'm going to all of you like I told her, it's pretty average and there are better gourmet pizza places out there. The atmosphere is nice and the waitstaff is very friendly and if your culinary journey takes you there, I would totally recommend the Philly cheesesteak Pizza!!!

View my next post to read about Ditka's!

Lunch at Osteria 2350

Hi All,

So today a few co-workers and I went to the Strip District for Lunch. We decided to check out Osteria 2350 across from the Cork Factory apartments. It is a quaint little restaurant, not too formal but not too casual. Very quiet and a comfortable atmosphere where you can watch the cooks preparing the food. It reminded me of a more modern Italian eatery than the historic little restaurants actually located in Italy.

They have food ranging from salads to sandwiches to pasta to pizza. The price is right and you are in and out quickly. I work in the Northside and we drove there and back plus ate lunch and enjoyed relaxing conversation within an hour. There was one waitress and she seemed a little annoyed/bothered when asked too many questions. But she can get over herself. I, for one, ask a lot of questions, so she needs to be a lil more open to customer inquiries; however, that will not deterr me from making more and more trips back to this restaurant.

From looking at the menu prior to making a lunch decision, I knew that if we went there I was going to get the Prosciutto sandwich. Well, it was between the home-made Gnocchi, the Antipasti plate or the sandwich. I ultimately chose the sandwich and definitely a good decision. It was hearty and filling and I completely ate the entire thing; along with the oil and bread that was brought out minutes before our lunches. Let me tell you, the foccacia had a nice light garlic taste and the oil was light and earthy and just so yummy.

As for the sandwich, it was prosciutto, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzerella, and a balsamic oil on a baguette. Now, I read a review on the sandwich from urbanspoon, who stated that there wasn't really any flavor. Not true! There was just enough flavor from the oil and the red peppers in order to not mask the taste of the prosciutto itself. Just for an added touch, I was also sporadically dipping it in the herb oil that came with the bread for the table. Delicious!

This is definitely a culinary trip worth your while. For the evenings, they have a substantial red/white wine list and would be a perfect little date night getaway.

Pittsburgh's Best Restaurant's Party

Sorry all,

I have been really busy at work and havent been able to talk about my experience at the Best Restaurant's Party on Moday night. Here it is...I know its long but worth the read.

First off, for all of you that really wanted to go to that A. not worth the money so good for you for saving $130 or $250 if you wanted to be VIP, B. you did not miss much. It was so crowded and unorganized. You would think that being the 23rd, there would've been more order and structure and C. You wouldn't really get a taste of the food because the food had to be made in bulk and ready to be plated. Plus, even though it said on the website that it was from 6-8:30....by 7:50pm there were mutliple restaurants that ran out of food. Including CURE, the winner of the 'Best in Show' Award.

Here's the thing.....you can't have a party based on Pittsburgh's Best Restaurant's when you have Eat N Park there and then a station from Heinz field (hot dogs and sandwiches). Nothing against Eat N Park or Heinz field, because anyone that knows me knows that I love Eat N Park, but that just doesnt belong. Especially, when WILD ROSEMARY, my pick for best overall restaurant in the city, wasnt there or even in the Top 25. Moreover, pics from past parties showed attendees dressed up...I observed girls in formal wear to club wear and when I say club I mean Club Erotica to then a guy dressed in jeans shorts and a white t-shirt. If I would've known that it was fairly casual, I would have worn something more comfortable and not stuffed myself into skinny jeans that where just a little too skinny. Based on this experience, I will not be attending this party again because you dont even get a good feel of the food anyway. I tasted a lot of good food but I will just stick with going to the restaurant and eating something fresh and not hurried along. So that brings me to the food itself.

Of all the restaurants there, a few stuck out:

• Monterey Bay (Mt. Washington) - most amazing caramel-filled chocolate cake pops coated in chocolate and oreo cookies. One is all you need and it was heavenly.
• The Taj Mahal (downtown) - Chicken Masala and Rice with Naan. Spices were just right, Naan was soft and comforting.
• Dinette (S. Highland Ave) - Tomato & Saffron Soup - Very elegant, gourmet tomato soup. Although, Im not really into the flavor of Saffron..it was warming and elevated the soup.
• Andrew's Steakhouse (River's Casino) - Steak Tartare and Strawberry Cheesecake with Basil dressing. The Tartare was different, texturally but the flavor was on point. The cheesecake was deliciously creamy but a lil too much basil dressing.
• Stagioni (Southside) - Salted Cod, Farro and Marinated Mushrooms. The cod was excellent. Very tender, cooked perfectly and it just melted in your mouth. The Farro and Mushrooms were good but a little too vinegary.
• Legends (Northside) - Gnocchi in a red sauce. The sauce might be my favorite red sauce around. Usually red sauces are too sweet for me, but this was just right. The Gnocchi; however, not homemade. But, still worth the visit and worth the try.

There were a few that didnt wow my palate.

• Burgatory (Waterworks) - Burger was dry and very salty.
• Porch (Oakland) - BBQ Brisket and Cornbread Croutons. Not too good.
• Ibiza (Southside) - Ahi Tuna....Texture was like gooey boogers.
• Tamari (Lawrenceville) - I couldnt even tell you what was offered...I know that I spit it out. It was gross!
• Park Bruges (Highland Park) - Belgium Beer Pork. Average.

Hope this helps to start you off in your culinary journey. Stay tuned for more reviews from the City's best restaurants.

Pittsburgh's Best Restaurant's Party!!!!!

Hi all, Tonight is the Pittsburgh's Best Reastaurants Party at Heinz Field. I can't wait, its going to be so amazing! There will be food from restaurants such as: Avenue B, Dinette, Dish, Eleven, Legume, Nicky's Thai Kitchen, Root 174, Spoon, Stagioni and Toast...just to name a few. These restaurant's all made the Top 25 Pittsburgh's Best Restaurants this year. I will say, I've been to a couple of these and it's true they simply are some of the city's best restaurants. Throughout the night, I will post pics and make comments on my twitter page, so make sure to follow me on there. If not on twitter, no worries, I will blog tomorrow about my night and fill you in on all the food and drinks that I've experienced as well as post pics of the evening.

Welcome Foodies!

Have you ever went to a restaurant and had this intense craving for a certain food but then once it was served to you, it wasn't what you were expecting. I feel like that happens more often than not. Each week, there will be a certain food or foods and by the end of that same week, I will have gone in search for the best i.e. wings in the city. Suggestions/Questions/Comments are encouraged.
There have been countless time that I have gone to a restaurant/bar craving a certain food and then when it arrives in front of me it's A. not very appetizing and B. not as good tasting as I was hoping. Or, when I'm caught between multiple options and I ask the waitress/waiter which I should choose and he/she either has never had the dish or he or she says 'its sooo good, etc' and its actually quite the opposite. I'm not a professional chef...Yet, but I am huge foodie and self-proclaimed wine connoisseur and for someone like myself that LOVES food, I decided that I was going to cut out all of that mess and find the 'Best Of the City'. I want to share my love for great food and great wine plus, where you can find the best, most authentic food in Pittsburgh! From Bloody Mary's to wings to desserts to wine to fruity fun cocktails, I will locate and experience the best food/drink around the city and help guide you to finding the best option for your personality. While on my journeys each week, I will also discuss different recipes and tips to create the exact experience you are looking. There are a lot of options out there and it could get frustrating, not to mention time-consuming and expensive to find that wonderful, amazing meal that you had in mind. There are a lot of places and a lot of choices so that's why I'm here; to help you have an amazing experience every time you decide to dine out! Also, I will share my tips and recipes in case you want to have an amazing, restaurant quality meal in...the possibilities are endless!!!!!
June 4, 2012 will be the first week I actually get started on my journey. Please provide me with any and all suggestions and I can begin my search for the....'Best Of Pittsburgh'