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