Hal's Bar and Grille - Babcock Boulevard

Hey All....I want to apologize for being M.I.A the last few months, my new bakery business 2 Local Girls got busy very quickly and although we are still very busy with full-time jobs and our bakery, I have become more organized and begun to manage my time better so I can still find great eateries and blog about them!! Let's get back in to it..

Hal's is a great place to watch a sporting event or even to join a corn hole league and get out of the house a night a week. My business partner and best friend, Stephanie Symosko started going to Hal's when we decided to join a corn hole league. We play in the Fall every Tuesday night. It's a nice way to break up the monotony of the work week while we wait for our dart league to start in the winter! Anyway, when we would go for corn hole, the times would differ every week so there were times that we decided to order appetizers. All the items on the menu are reasonably priced and are very tasty. Our favorite, aside from the usual appetizer favorites; calamari, nachos and chicken fingers, are the BBQ Pork Or Chicken Quesadilla. We always opt for the Chicken! These are different than any other quesadilla you have ever had. Onions, chicken, sour cream, pico de gallo and, of course the BBQ chicken. DELICIOUS!!!!

Next time your craving that Sport's Bar theme with a twist on the typical Bar fare, try Hal's Bar and Grille on Babcock Blvd in the North Hills...you won't be disappointed!!!

Brewstone Beer Company - Monroeville

Hi all,

Today I want to talk about Brewstone Beer Company located out near Monroeville. I went there for a 30th birthday party for my friend, Colleen. It was pretty awesome! The atmosphere was amazing. Really nice, large bar area and its great for watching sports games. Each individual booth in the bar section had its own television for whichever sport game you are looking. Sort of like Damon's in this regard. And also, there is a waitress for the tables so you don't have to worry about going up to and waiting for a drink at the busy bar. And the waitress, she was on point with the signature drinks. She flat out told me not get a certain drink because it was 'nasty.' She claimed that it had been returned on several other occasions and it just wasn't a drink that was popular. I respect when a waitress/waiter can be honest and actually know the menu.

For the party, they sectioned off the entire back of the bar. There was great space, even once the DJ arrived. It would also be a great place in the warmer months. There is an outdoor patio with great seating and if it is a bit chilly there are individual heaters. For her party, it was snowing so an outdoor celebration wasn't an option!

Now to the good stuff..the FOOD! Her husband ordered a variety of appetizers; pizza, wings, spinach/artichoke dip, bruschetta and a vegetable tray. His mother also provided a cake and cake pops! Up first, the pizza. It was to die for. I was so full after the first walk through of the appetizers, but the staff just kept refilling each item and I could not stop eating the pizza. It was sooo cheesy and garlicky. Even the dough had great flavor. Paired with their Ranch dressing = awesome! Definitely a must order any time you go!

Spinach/Artichoke Dip. Hot and gooey; when you used the spoon to put it on your plate, the cheese just oozed from the serving bowl to your plate.

Wings. Crisp and perfectly cooked. However, for the party, they left them plain but provided BBQ and hot sauce to spoon over yourself. I love that idea, then if people just want to eat them plain with ranch they can too. You don't really have to worry about pleasing everyone with a ton of different flavors.

Bruschetta. An appetizer favorite and was very delicious. Served with crispy crostini (toasted bread), it was the perfect light bite paired with the pizza.

Now, Monroeville is sort of far for me to travel to hang out and drink because then I would have to drive back to the city; however, I do have friends that live out that way and that is a definite must stop spot and then spend the night!

Please, check out Brewstone Beer company, not for just the great tasting beer selections, but also the great tasting appetizers, especially the pizza. Let me know what you think!!!!