Florida Keys Vacay – Day 1

I just got back from a much needed vacation, and now that I’m back, it has made me realize how behind I am on everything – blogging included! I have a ton of photos and restaurant recommendations from around the Burgh to share with you in the days ahead, but while I am sorting through those – here are some recommendations if you find yourself in South Florida! We arrived on a Monday, and stayed through Thursday, which was great for avoiding crowds, plus we were able to get super cheap airfare through Southwest.

Day 1: We flew into Fort Lauderdale, and drove to Marathon Key.  Late lunch was at Señor Frijoles, on Key Largo. We arrived in time for happy hour, and both got the Original Margaritas for $4. They gave us three types of salsa when we sat down – a sweet and spicy, a mild, and a hot. The mild was our favorite, and neither of us had the courage to try the hot! Dan ordered the burrito, which was enormous, and I ordered two soft tacos – one chipotle chicken, and one barbocoa beef brisket. The brisket was incredible, and definitely my favorite. It had a garlic and sea salt rub, and just a hint of spice. The chipotle chicken was also good, but it had a smokier flavor than I was expecting. I ordered the tacos with Mexican toppings (red onions, cabbage, house made cotija cheese), but they do have the option for you to get Americanized toppings as well (lettuce, cheddar, tomato).

We stayed at the Hyatt Place on Marathon for the first two days, and it was a decent hotel. It wasn’t super fancy, but there was a great place to watch the sunrise from the marina, and the saltwater pool was nice.  Free breakfast and parking was also a plus! The best deal I found was through Booking.com, and using my Genius discount. I shopped around for the best hotel rate, and was a little too addicted to the fact that you could reserve ahead with no fee and cancel for free.

The first night was stormy and rainy, so after exploring the hotel area and marina, we went to a nearby Publix (favorite grocery store ever) and picked up a mini picnic dinner (fried chicken, southern style potato salad, and beer). The beer we tried was Sandbar Sunday, by Islamorada Beer Company. It is an American Wheat Ale, and it is perfect for lounging on a beach, or taking along on your boat trip. Or in our case, watching the Penguins game from the comfort of our hotel room.

Artsy lunch in Oakland

The Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland has a new lunch spot! Why is this a big deal, you ask? Well, a few reasons.

1. It only opened in February, and it is already gaining national recognition. Check out this article from Bloomberg.
2. They use all local, fresh ingredients, house bake their own bread, and make their own stock!
3. They have a James Beard semi-finalist chef (for more info on what this means, check out the link).
4. The menu is seasonal – when my friend Arianna and I went, they were serving the “winter” menu which includes a mix of hearty foods perfect for a winter day, and light lunch fare.
5. The interior is totally gorgeous and updated, and includes a wine and coffee bar which is open some extended hours.

We planned our trip about a week and a half in advance, and I made reservations using OpenTable. Arianna and I both have an hour for lunch, and wanted to make sure that we were able to get a table and eat with enough time to get back to the office.  I arrived a little before noon and there were still plenty of spaces, however once the noon hour hit it began to fill up. Right away, I was impressed with the decor and the atmosphere. The hostess very kindly offered to hang up our coats, which I don’t think either of us were expecting.

The most difficult thing of this entire experience was actually deciding on just ONE THING for lunch. I think this is one of the only places I’ve been to recently where I wanted almost everything on the menu. After much debate, I decided on the Club Sandwich and Arianna got the Vegetable Pot Pie with the understanding that we would share.

I am usually not a turkey sandwich type of person, but this was not just any turkey sandwich. The thing that won me over was the fact that they roast their own turkey. Think of the best leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich you have had – then add in fresh made bread, and subtract the fact that you didn’t have to do any dishes to make this magic happen. The picture above is deceptive, because this entree was actually very large. It included 4 wedges of double decker sandwich plus fries, and lasted me for two lunches.

The Vegetable Pot Pie included the most recent love of my life – brussels sprouts! (More on that recent obsession here – Guitars, Tiki Bars and a whole lotta sprouts) They were in a red wine sauce, along with mushrooms, squash, onions and carrots. I don’t usually think of vegetables in red wine sauce, but this experience changed my mind – it is definitely something I am going to try to replicate at home!

This lunch outing was a great escape from the work day, and the atmosphere was so relaxing that I almost forgot to keep an eye on the time. If you are on a tight schedule, I would recommend going on a day when you have a little more time to spare, especially if you don’t make a reservation ahead of time. The price is moderate if you can stick to one thing on the menu, but if you are the type to order a starter, main course and drink it could get more expensive quickly.

I will most certainly be back to The Cafe Carnegie – especially once the spring lunch menu arrives!

 

Date night in the South Hills

On a lovely payday last month, the hubby and I decided to check out BRGR. We have passed it by almost every week for a year, but I was really craving a burger (which almost never happens). Also, I heard about this fabulous new cupcake vending machine which was conveniently in the Galleria as well.

We got there in time for happy hour ($2 off apps, $6 cocktails), so we both ordered cocktails, and an appetizer. I got the Spiced Brown Sugar, which is pictured on the top right, because brown sugar, pineapple and ginger beer is a match made in heaven. Hubby got an Applejack Fashion, which he really enjoyed as well.

Easily the best part of this experience, however, were the Grilled Cheese Bites. They were crispy, buttery, tart and salty, and I would definitely go back just for these alone. My only complaint is that there weren’t more of them. Or maybe just that I had to share them…

The burgers and fries, though decent, were not my favorite. I got the Steakhouse Burger, and Dan made his own creation which included things like chili and mustard aioli. If you are looking for decadent burgers and fries, Burgatory is still the king, in my opinion (entries on that to come).

The other star attraction of this venture was the cupcake vending machine! It was cute and pink, and exactly as promised, full of cupcakes! Plus it speaks to you in a British accent, and says things like “extraction in process,” which is really amusing considering it is dispensing baked goods. The cupcake I chose was chocolate, with a vanilla cream filling, vanilla bean icing and a chocolate candy shell over the top. I was not disappointed. They even provide a plastic utensil in the box, so you can eat your cupcake immediately!

Overall, this was a nice night out, without having to wait through crowds. There are definitely other things on the menu at BRGR that I would like to go back and try – including more Grilled Cheese Bites.

Guitars, Tiki Bars and a whole lotta sprouts

If you are feeling the winter blues in Pittsburgh right now, which I think we all are given the recent crazy weather, I recommend heading down to Independent Brewing in Squirrel Hill, and following it up with a stop at the tiki bar next door, Hidden Harbor.

My friend Arianna and I try to have a girls night out at local restaurants or bars once a month, and these were our choices for February. We went on a weeknight, so we had no difficulty getting a seat. Neither of us had tried Hidden Harbor before this, and Arianna is a huge fan of Independent Brewing. She recommended their roasted brussels sprouts with gorgonzola and beer mustard as our starter. This was truly a life changing food experience for me, as I have literally NEVER craved brussels sprouts before this, but it led me to try to make it at home!  Mine turned out pretty well, but Independent Brewing are the pros. Their brussels sprouts are buttery and crispy at the same time, and the gorgonzola is deliciously melty. The beer I chose to accompany: Four Seasons Brewing’s Local American Pale Ale.

Pictured above from Hidden Harbor, the Rum Barrel cocktail and the chicken tacos. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rum barrel mug (which IS for sale, $20), and the cocktail itself hit the perfect notes of strength and flavor. It includes their house 5 rum blend, which is delicious and spicy. The presentation is fun and tropical, and includes a cute little plastic shark drink stir, which is now living on my bar at home. I have since gone on other occasions, and the menu items I have sampled are as follows: Ishmael cocktail, the Leaf & Bean cocktail, and their plain daiquiri. Long story short, everything I have tried has been both delicious and well presented! This place can get pricey fast, however it’s perfect if you are just looking for a place to have one or two well made cocktails with a friend.

My at home recipe for the brussels sprouts was provided by the New York Times, who conveniently posted an article last month all about preparing brussels sprouts! Here is the link: How to Prepare Brussels Sprouts. Mmmm, just thinking about them makes me want to go out and buy more!

I paired my homemade brussels sprouts with Bota Box Chardonnay, which I think was a nice compliment with its sweet tartness. This was my first venture into boxed wine, suggested by my friend Becky (plus it was on sale). I loved how long this box lasted me (the ENTIRE month of February), but I think overall boxed wine is not for me – I need more variety! Plus having a box on hand leads me to do crazy things like make very large pitchers of sangria with no hesitation…but more on that another time.

Welcome to Gebby Adventures!

Welcome, and thank you for joining me in my foodie quests! I am addicted to well prepared food, and will be exploring my current home base of Pittsburgh, as well as other cities around the U.S. to find some of the best. I am also planning to include recipes, wine reviews, and some travel photos.

I am usually accompanied on my adventures by my husband, and occasionally other foodies/travel junkies. My travel must haves are fried chicken, and macarons – I must locate these two menu items on any vacation, so you will probably see a lot of them on this blog!

A few of my favorite things (other than travel and food) – cats, crafts, board games, reading, and hiking. The hubby and I have two fur babies named Cakes (below left) and Peez (below right) who let us share the house with them.