Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar

This was my first time dining at Ibiza. However, my friend has been to Spain and vouched that it was not authentic in anyway.  It was more an Americanized version of the spanish tapas, especially the portions. As a food critic/blogger, I ordered many different items from the menu, including: Bruschetta, Crab Cakes, Four cheese lobster ravioli, Spanish meat and cheese plate, and the Patatas bravas, along with the initial bread and hummus. The bruschetta was the best thing that I ate; however, not sure that it originated in Spain and the bread and hummus was equally delicious. The crab cakes had entirely too much spanish mint in the batter, which overpowered the crab. The four cheese lobster ravioli was underdone; even under al dente. For an establishment that portrays high-class, noodles should be one of the easiest things to make. Also, the four cheese sauce was too dense and too thick; it did not complement the lobster at all. Then, there is the meat and cheese plate. There was such an abundance of balsamic marinated olives, that the balsamic ran into the meats and cheeses and that flavor was absorbed into everything. Finally, the patatas bravas. This was, by far, the worst dish on the menu. In fact, just looking at the menu online, it is no longer indicated as an item. It was pretty much chunks of potatoes with Frank's Red Hot poured on top. There was no developed flavor of the sauce. Unless, there is a coupon or special advertised, I will not be returning to dine at Ibiza.

La Casa in Shadyside has a more authentic tasting Tapas and Casbah & The Wine Loft have incredible meat and cheese plates.

Moreover, the service was awful. The waitress was training someone and he was just following behind her like Lurch from The Munsters. He did fill my water glass, but that was only once. Even with two people working the tables on the back porch/patio,   it took a little while for them to return to the table. No where near good tapas.

Let me know what you think or if there is another hidden Tapas gem!

Vanilla Pastry Studio

Hi All,

     Recently my best friend had her birthday! Although, I usually make cakes and cupcakes for friends and family for their birthdays, I decided that with all the other things that needed to be done for her party that I would defer the baking.

     I first had these cupcakes at my friend's wedding. Hands down...the best Red Velvet Cupcakes in the city. I've had Dozen and The Priory, but there is no comparison when it comes to the Red Velvet. I typically do not even consider Red Velvet when I order a cupcake but since they were at a wedding, I had to do my due diligence and try them all. Out of all the cupcakes at the wedding, the Red Velvet cupcake was the only one I ate in its entirety...well 3 of them! Ever since, there have been a few occasions when I've even craved it! So, it was a no-brainer on where to go for her birthday. Plus, she really likes the chocolate-peanut butter.

     The icing itself is just so light and creamy and is the perfect accompaniment to soft, moist cakes. There are a lot of flavors so you can't really go wrong with your flavor choice; however, like I said, I stick with the Red Velvet. It's not too sweet and the cake is fluffy and the icing...it has the perfect amount of vanilla and is so creamy and delicious; you can tell they are made fresh! If you can find one better to rival it, I will check it out and crown a winner!

     As for the atmosphere, you can sit inside, which is decorated in pink! You can see the baker's making new batches and the aroma is to die for. You can place an order by the dozen, a mini dozen or by the cupcake. There are many options and are fairly priced. My suggestion if you want to try a few flavors and not break the bank...go for the mini dozen! For $12, you can try up to 12 flavors, some flavors are excluded, but you can get an understanding of your favorite flavor. Check out Vanilla, located in East Liberty on Penn Circle and let me know what you think!