Heather "National Treasure" S.'s Profile

Enjoyed dinner here for the first time since the opening, and YUM.

The restaurant seemed to be pretty crowded, but the host did a fantastic job of traffic control and really had people moving in quickly as tables were vacated. Our server was quick and friendly, and my seasonal draft beer (Penn Brewery Chocolate Stout) was fantastic.

Partner and I split the tasty classic poutine, and then each had sandwiches (me: Southwest veggie burger, him: chicken sandwich). Both were good, but not as good as the poutine.

My advice: get here early or late on the weekends, because the place isn't huge (though bigger than its sibling, Point Brugge) and I don't think they take reservations. The waiting area is pretty small (and right in front of the door), which led to some folks waiting in the vestibule. The bar area is sort of cramped and busy, meaning that if you can't grab a barstool, you're likely to be blocking traffic and moving out of the way quite a bit.  

Try the poutine and the beers on tap. I'm definitely coming back for a tarte flambe!

This old-school pharmacy in the shadow of UPMC and Pitt's Upper Campus still has the magic touch when it comes to customer service. Yesterday, with a hard-to-fill prescription in my hands, I stopped there on a whim to see if they could help me out. Thirty minutes later a pharmacist and a Pitt pharmacy student had compounded (essentially mixed up from a recipe) my prescription, decanted it into a pharmacy bottle, given me detailed instructions for using it, and even included the measuring cup!

Word to the wise: should you get there earlier in the day and have to wait, they have chairs, coffee, and cookies for customers. The real question: why wouldn't you go there??

Great coffee, great ambiance, friendly staff. This is a great place to get your study on. Lots of outlets and a laid back vibe, and the coffee is wonderful. Highly recommended.

Fantastic vegan food doesn't come cheap. But it was SOOO good.

Beautiful, delicious, great presentation, and laid-back vibe. This was a great place for us to start off the holiday weekend!

We shared the seitan empanadas, the rigatoni w/porcini cream, and the phyllo roulade. Everything was amazing. Seriously, just go here for a special dinner that will knock your socks off. Can't wait to go back for the lavender creme brulee.

We've now visited Curry Kitchen twice, and enjoyed our meal both times. Both late-ish weekend night visits (arriving around 9pm), we found that while the decor is a bit on the odd/tacky side, the food was excellent. Hot, tasty samosas, fluffy garlic naan, and steam rising from both my chicken makhni and his chicken jalfrezi. Everything was delicious. The music selections were a bit strange, but the seating is comfortable and the medium-low lighting is intimate. The pricing is about average for Indian food in the city.

One tip: make sure that your leftovers are packed separately-- the first time we did not, and the server (who was admittedly a bit busy) dumped both of our entrees into one container, and left out the rice. This sad, sad event was not repeated on our second visit (though we did specifically request separate containers).

Decent coffee, bizarre service, mediocre food. I've been there several times during the week, and I just don't 'get' the love for this place.

Honestly, I could (somewhat) forgive the lame food (quiche reheated top side down on the panini press so that it was crunchy/burned on top?) if the service had been less of an experience in obliviousness and/or it was less overpriced. $8 for a slice of inedible quiche and a small latte? Really? When I tried to bring it to her attention, she waved me away. No time to fix. Right. Maybe this is what someone meant in an earlier review about the "eclectic" staff?

My recommendation: only go to Aldo if you have a LOT of time to wait in line while the server tries to do too many things at once. Don't get any food, just coffee. Sit outside, well away from the brusque employee(s). Show owner comment »

Wow.

The milkshakes here are awe-inspiring, and I think that's because the ice cream is just really, really good. In fact, I think that on my next visit, I'm going to try a sundae instead of a milkshake because they sound so good. The ice cream tastes fresh, and the flavors explode in your mouth. I know that sounds odd... but really, this is some good stuff! I had the "flavor of the week" which was lemon pound cake, and it was just amazingly lemony, with little pieces of cake.

Keep in mind that these milkshakes are handmade in front of you, at the soda fountain, with milk and ice cream. They aren't superthick, like fast food shakes that are made with a frozen mix. They are a little bit more liquidy than that, and easier to get through a straw. Anyway, check this place out.

Oh, and Wednesday nights from 4-6pm is Milkshake Happy Hour-- half off! It doesn't get much better than that. See you there!

I really, really wanted to like this restaurant. Hip, quirky, vegetarian/vegan. Lots of owls and kitschy deco. I eat meat occasionally, but had a vegetarian buddy here to visit, and thought this would be a great choice. What's not to love, right?

Well, for starters, the service. Our server was really nice, and had lots of reviews, suggestions and alternate ideas for what we should order... but the service was mind-numbingly, ridiculously slow-- and the place was half empty. Plus, even after two requests for napkins (which were not provided to begin with, and not available from other empty tables around us) we never received any napkins at all. I'm not really a messy eater, but come on!

Maybe part of the problem was expectations? We kicked things off with the "firesticks" appetizer-- some really tasty quesadilla-ish things. After that, our orders (I had the thai salad) were just kind of... boring? Strangely spiced? I feel like the bar was set high with the app, and then none of the entrees met the expectations of yummy veggie goodness, and my dining companions agreed. I also ordered a cup of the mac & cheese, and it was awful. You know how when you reheat elbow mac & cheese in the microwave, and the cheese gets all greasy/gloopy and the noodles stick together? Well, it was exactly THAT, with some powdered garlic sprinked on top. Really. I should have made my own leftover mac at home and not paid $4 for a cup of that. Learn from my mistake.

We had planned to order milkshakes, too, but our server spent so much time in a black hole or something that by the time she finally returned, we'd been completely finished with our meal for at least 15 minutes. For $4 (and probably a ridiculous wait) per milkshake, we decided to hit The Milkshake Factory on East Carson instead.

$4.50 lands you a tasty and filling bacon-egg-and-cheese-on an everything bagel, and the guys at Ess-a-Bagel move the line along fairly quickly. Yum. Check it out for a quick breakfast in midtown.

I'm so glad that the Sugar Cafe has arrived in Dormont! The coffee is good and hot (get the bottomless mug), the cupcakes are yummy, and the wireless works well (which is sometimes a problem down the street at Fredo's). The staff is friendly and attentive, and the cafe is attractive, bright, and comfortable. While the prices seem slightly high for the location, the quality is definitely there.

Bravo, Sugar Cafe! I'll definitely be back.