Carribean Stripped

IPA-hole & I are on vacation this week, with no real plans except cleaning our house, taking down the Christmas decorations, entertaining the kids, & brewing beer (IPA-hole, not me. he got a American IPA ingredient kit for Christmas that'll be ready in about 8 weeks, so check back).  Yes, I just used "entertaining the kids" & "brewing beer" in the same sentence.  We decided to grab PickyMIL to babysit and have a long overdue date night - just the two of us.  Consternation about where to go - when we realized that Kaya is the only Big Burrito (a group of restaurants in Pgh that are quite unique) that we have never tried.  Turns out they have 1 reservation left for 2, so game on.

Kaya is island-style cuisine, which we just love.  One thing Big Burrito does well with all of its restaurants is that it takes a theme and creates the whole package - the menu, the drinks, the decor, the music, the lighting.  The bar stools are shaped like palm trees meet bongos, the lighting is perfect - warm, low, and tropical. IPA-hole and I have spent a fair amount of time in the Carribean, and Kaya does capture the feel quite well, without resorting the typical "Hemmingway" decor.  Even though it was cold outside, inside we were warm, intimate, felt like some of those backyard joints in the Carribean that we just love, but with some pizzaz. This place is small, which is cool, but be warned: we sat at a table right by the entrance and watched the host turn away group after group without a reservation.  He was even calling down to their sister restaurant, Eleven, to see if they could accomodate and having no luck. And this is a Wednesday night.

On to food.  So, the other day I decided that I was going to lay off the beer and mixed drinks and stay on organic wines. Organic wines are awesome, no headache!  Yeah, I keep saying it and I keep getting derailed.  So anyway, I was thrilled when I looked at Kaya's wine list and they had organics on it - and I chose the Naked Earth Organic blend! I like blends, they are always different, so we're starting off on the right foot!!!  For appetizers, we go for the Tuna Tartare and the Crispy Calamari.  The tuna comes with plantain chips that are so good, and the tuna is very good as well, nice texture.  Crispy Calamari was excellent, the favorite of the night. The calamari was cooked perfectly and the jicama, radicchio, coconut, & peanuts really added to the flavor.  It was sweet, light, and Carribean. 

As for entrees, I opted for the ever popular fish tacos, which were good, don't get me wrong, but slightly disappointing when left to follow the calamari.  IPA-hole went with the Tropical Paella, as did the girl at the table next to us.  I like his better, kept sticking my fork in and coming out with a shrimp. The Paella was lots of seafood, not too much rice, and some heat - perfect amount of spice.  The guy at the table next to us went with the Adobo marinated Flank Steak, which looked excellent.  I may have to try that next time.  And why do I mention the couple next to us?  Well, it was slighly uncomfortable and hugely entertaining - they were scheming the whole time, something about the girlfriend having access to the boyfriend's dad's bank account, and it definitely gave us something to evesdrop on.  Speculate from there...

Who: Me & IPA-hole
Where:  Kaya
What:  Me - Crispy Fish Tacos, Tuna Tartare
            IPA-hole - Tropical Paella, Crispy Calamari *winner

All in all, Kaya was good food, excellent ambiance.  I give them props for being able to capture the islands and bring it to Pittsburgh.  IPA-hole says the beer selection is excellent.  Overall it was fresh & tasty.  When we go back, though, I think we may skip ordering entrees and hit up appetizers for the meal. Yup, frontloading again. 

So everyone have a happy new year!  Stay safe! And stay out of your boyfriend's dad's bank account.

~ CDO

We are definitely frontloaders

This is going to be a long one.

Ok, so I sit down to write this and already I'm annoyed - I need to look at the menu to properly discuss what everyone ordered.  Apparently, the restaurant changes the names of its dishes based on location.  Cute, Hyde Park, real cute...  Now I have to remember what's what without a cheat sheet (aka menu online), and there were 11 of us.  But it was for a good reason - my future SIL (we'll call her Learning to Share because she really had to get used to our family's habit of sticking our forks in your food simply because we want to try it) gradutated from PA school.  For those of you who don't know, she's basically a doctor now!!!  Congrats, love!

We started off on the right foot, though.  Yes, I decided to take my 3 year old and 4 month old to a restaurant that's not really for kids for an 8pm reservation.  So not surprising when BabyGray decides to give a us a diaper gift right before we sit down.  Rightfully so, there are no changing tables in the bathroom, so Learning to Share and I are standing in the hall, trying to figure out what to do when a gentlemen walks by and picks up on our dilemma.  He then tells us to hold on for just a minute, he'll be right back.  He leads us to the back room where he had put together a few chairs to make a makeshift changing table.  I was impressed, it doesn't get much more accomodating.  Thought it was worth mentioning, now on to dinner...

Frontloaders.  My brother said it perfectly, and for that we'll call him FrontloaderB (eluding to FrontloaderA - my Dad).  We order every appetizer that is even remotely appealing to one of us. Forget dessert, its not nearly as important.  Fortunately, Learning to Share's family loves dessert, then it balances out.  So we get 2 Mr. Hyde & Dr. Jekyll shellfish platters and stacked plates of more seafood - Blackened Scallops, Jumbo Shrimp, Crab Cakes on the one; Lobster tails, oysters, crab legs, jumbo shrimp on the stacked deal (at least I think that's what they were called - I didn't order them, just ate them).  Other things on the table: the Hyde Park Wedge and the Lobster Bisque.  Lobster Bisque was a weird presentation when she dumped it into my bowl from a metal cup, but so far everything was excellent.

Its a steakhouse, so steaks were all around with a splattering of Chilean Sea Bass.  All the steaks were good, cooked well, lots of flavor.  My Sacco Steak was sweet, and I love hollandaise, plus bacon, yum.  FrontloaderA was unable to expand on his Sea Bass - he kept telling me he was too full to truly know how it tasted. MacCheese thought his Sea Bass was melt-in-your-mouth good (Yup, MacCheese doesn't eat steak, or most other great foods, hopes for Kraft Mac&Cheese at all times, but then orders sea bass, I don't get it).  Nobody cared for for FrontloaderB's steak compared to the other options - too much peppercorn.  Aside from that, all were well prepared, exactly what we all asked for - medium was medium, rare was rare, bacon wrapped was delicious.  IPA-hole hit the cow on the head with The Rooney.  He tends to go with that steak & lobster combination and it works.  Learning to Share argued, quite passionately, that her Clemente was superior, which it may have been if you love bleu cheese.  All in all, great appetizers, great steaks, great sides.

Who:  Me, IPA-hole, the kids, and the rest of the family
Where:  Hyde Park
What:  Me - The Sacco (Steak Dijon) *sweet and tasty
            IPA-hole - The Rooney (Steak a la Lobster) *winner
            FrontloaderA - Blackened Chilean Sea Bass
            FrontloaderB - The Bettis (Steak au Poivre) *tasted like jerky
            Learning to Share - The Clemente (Steak Au Bleu) *winner if you like bleu cheese, so 2nd
            Enabler - Steakhouse Chop Salad
            MRE - The Big Ben (12oz Filet)
            MacCheese - Chilean Sea Bass w/ Lemon Sauce
            Allergic to Shellfish - NY Strip Steak (sorry about the Jekyll & Hyde, unaware of the allergy until today)
            MamaBsweet - Filet Mignon
            The Kids - Grilled Cheese & FF

I have to mention the family-style sides on the table. Lobster Mac & Cheese, Cream Corn, Asparagus Bearnaise.  IPA-hole thinks that was the best Lobster Mac & Cheese ever.  I enjoyed the corn as well.  Not a huge Asparagus fan, so I passed on that but the others enjoyed it. And of course, MacCheese thought the french fries on the kids plate were exceptional.  Oh, I almost forgot, IPA-hole wants me to mention that the beer selection is mediocre at best.  I enjoyed a few glasses of Malbec.  Mmmmm.

To top it off, Learning to Share decided we needed some Carrot Cake. Please look at the picture - that damn dessert is bigger than BabyGray!!!!  I don't normally eat carrot cake, but merely the size encouraged everyone to try to finish it.  And I liked it.  MamaBsweet went for the Creme Brulee - not as good as other places.

So, as far as Hyde Park goes, its a good steak place.  You can go for a steak and end up enjoying the apps and sides more.  And yes, I would like to stick my fork in your food!

 ~ CDO

C'mon ladies, I'm Chinese...

I have to start this one out by saying the staff was great - they really were a lot of fun!  When I walked in, there were plum wine martinis all the way around waiting for us at a table tucked in the back so we wouldn't disrupt the entire restaurant for a few hours.  Whoever suggested that, smart move! 

So I have a weakness for sushi - Maki, Sashimi, hand rolls, whatever.  All I want for Christmas is a sushi boat...  anyway,  we grabbed a bit to start with - a sashimi sampler (for those of you who don't eat it, its just the raw fish, no rice, no fun rolls, just raw fish and I love it), a Fire Roll, a Dragon Roll, and a TaiPei Maki Roll at the suggestion of the assistant manager.  All were good.  My friend (we'll call her Nonsense from here on out because she's partial vegetarian, but I can't follow her perameters - she ate raw fish) stands by her choice of the Fire Roll as the winner, she actually ordered one as an entree because she liked it so much.  And I'll agree, it was excellent, good texture, right amount of spicy.  But I'll declare the TaiPei Maki Roll the winner, I liked it so much, that I ordered another one for an entree. It had just the right mix of stuff - spicy tuna, crab, avocado, salmon, tobiko, sauces - yum!!

Other starter on the table worth mentioning - the Tuna Tartare.  It was different than most tuna tartare I've eaten, and very, very good.  Spring Rolls, Dumplings, Wonton & Egg Drop soups were on the table - all very typical, nothing to really suggest or avoid. 

For dinner, the popular choice was the Amazing Chicken.  Breaded & fried, in sauce, it was good!  I heard the Dried Sauteed Sting Beans were good too.  Szechuan style crispy prawns were recommended to us, and Onion-hater (yes, she hates them, be prepared for food to be sent back if the raw onions find their way in) ordered it.  Lacking - bland and not living up to the hype.  And then Vegahimsa's fried tofu in sesame sauce, I forgot to try.  Sorry, don't know how I missed that.  She says it was good, and I'm no tofu expert.

Taipei to me is a good chinese joint.  I think some of the Asian options on the east side are just as good and some better.   If you're in the area and craving some sushi or chinese food, you won't be disappointed, but as Onion-hater says, I won't be running back.

Who: Me & the Dining Team
Where:  Taipei
What: Me - Sashimi & Tai Pei Maki Roll *winner
           Nonsense - Fire Roll  *close second
           Vegahimsa - Taro Cakes & Fried Tofu in Sesame Sauce
           Onion-hater - Tuna Tartare, Egg Drop Soup, Crispy Prawns Szechuan Style
           Steamy - Dragon Roll, Fire Roll
           EasyD - Spring Roll, Wonton Soup, Chicken Lo Mein, Dried Sauteed String Beans
           Willtry - Spring Roll, Wonton Soup, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Amazing Chicken
           Chickie - Fried Dumplings, Wonton Soup, Amazing Chicken

Oh, and I can't get through all this without mentioning the Crispies (fried wontons according to Chickie).  I believe we knocked down 8 bowls.  8.  We also came up with creative references to duck sauce, but I'll keep that for another venue.

When I venture out with the Dining Team, we're loud, we laugh, we play games, and sometimes facebook friend the "bus boy"...  Good thing they put us in the back.  Keep the plum wine martninis coming!

Autumn on a Plate

So its been a little while since we've gone out anywhere.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas gets a bit crazy around here.  So the other night, after taking the kids to get a family portrait done, I just didn't feel like making anything.  Actually, I just didn't feel like cleaning it up after I was done, but that's not the point...


So we decided to swing by a local favorite, Bella Luna in Murrysville.  (My SILiac calls it a constant high school reunion - and SILiac I'll get to later ;-)) Kid friendly, and IPA-hole likes their wood-fired pizza, which is terrific, he got peperoni and onions.  Most of you know Bella Luna anyway, so I'll get to the point.  This time of year they have some seasonal specials, and my fave is the Harvest Pasta - like Autumn on a Plate!!!  Its sweet potato, butternut squash, & pumpkin ravioli in a frangelico cream sauce.  Love, Love Love!  Just enough sweet with some creamy that tastes like this time of year.  That and some fried zucchini with some horseradish mayo.  Yum.  Might want to give it try!

Who:  Me, IPA-hole, and the kids
Where:  Bella Luna in Murrysville
What: IPA-hole - Pizza
          Me - Harvest Pasta *winner
          the kids - Grilled Cheese and FF.

So, I'm on my way out tonight with some of my ladies for some Asian cuisine.  I'll be back!

~ CDO