MMM-mmm-MUSTARD!

Hello, it certainly has been some time since my last post.  This time I would like to rave about one of the best condiments I have ever laid eyes (and tastebuds) on.  Not THE best, mind you—the best condiment I have ever encountered is El Torito salad dressing.  I mean, my god…it’s green!  How could it not be good??

I digress.  Aside from this amazing dressing, probably the best condiment I have ever tasted comes right from Pittsburgh—and it’s not Heinz!  (Though for the record, Heinz > Hunt’s.  That’s just how it is.)  Anyway—best condiment, local, mustard, yadda yadda:  PENN BREWERY PUB STYLE MUSTARD!  The taste is amazing!

I am not a mustard-lover by nature—as a child I would shy away from mustard, even yellow.  As we all know, though, a person’s tastes change over time.  Within the last few years I have begun to incorporate plain ol’ yellow mustard (French’s, sorry Heinz) into my backyard barbecue palate, all the while staying away from ‘that spicy brown stuff’ that COULD be bottled baby poo.

I don’t know what possessed me to buy Penn Brewery’s Pub Style mustard one day—I think I was at the store with a friend and we were having the spicy brown versus yellow argument.  I backed down and agreed that we would go the spicy brown route—IF AND ONLY IF I was the one who made the final selection.  So amid a sea of spicy brown mustards, I chose the Penn Brewery variety—we’ll just say it was in an effort to stimulate the local economy.  Hey—every little bit helps, right?

BOY, DID I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION!  This mustard has BEER in it (Penn Gold Lager)—beer makes everything better.  Usually.  In careful moderation.  Ok, maybe beer doesn’t make EVERYTHING better, but it sure as hell makes brown mustard better.  In addition to the beer, the variety of Penn Brewery mustard that I selected is ‘Stone Ground with Peppers.’  That’s good, too!  One thing I noticed about this mustard versus other mustards is that it had richer, tastier-looking color, and the scent is wonderful, as well.  The other mustards were wimpy-wimpy.  This one is HEFTY-HEFTY!

My only rant (and really, this is not a legitimate one—we’ll get to why in a second) is that it only has a shelf life of about two months.  I would have to use mustard three times a day, daily if I wanted to use the whole bottle in that amount of time, as one person living alone and not having people over a lot for mustard-based meals.  However, as I said, this is kind of an unfounded complaint, as a shorter shelf life usually equates to a shorter list of ingredients (and fewer preservatives).  That is true in this situation; the ingredient list is delightfully short and easy to read and pronounce.

Long story short, you should definitely buy this mustard.

So, I just learned upon visiting some of my favorite Pittsburgh blogs that Pittsburgh Blogfest 13 (although it’s only the 3rd year…so I’m still working on figuring that one out) will be held this Friday evening. The details below come from Cynthia Closkey, blogger of MyBrilliantMistakes.com.

I’m excited to go and network with fellow Pittsburgh bloggers and would love to see others (non-bloggers welcome too) who have the interest. Thanks to the organizers for a great idea to get together some smart Pittsburgh minds!

Here’s the info:

“BlogFest is an informal and friendly quarterly gathering of local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and anyone who enjoys life on the Internet. It’s more happy hour than meeting: No talks will be given, no credentials required. There may be nametags, but that’s only because I’m terrible at remembering names.

WHAT: Pittsburgh Blogfest 13
WHEN: Friday, February 22, 2008, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond
WHERE: Finnegan’s Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters (and their friends!) and Pittsburgh Bloggers

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Finnegan’s Wake, as always. Arrive when you like, leave when you must.

UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: Please note that our events in the Pub Room are smoke-free. The main bar area at Finnegan’s Wake, just on the other side of the door, allows smoking of course.

Please note that we’re gathering on a Friday evening this time around. We’ve received requests to vary the nights of these events, so that people who can’t go out on a work night can join in the fun, so we’re eager to see any new faces. And we’re equally eager to see old faces. Wear whatever face you have handy, and you will be welcome.

As always, if you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to “blogfest@ closkey.com”

Romantic Pittsburgh Dinner+ Amazing Food = Atria’s

I think one of the sweetest little restaurants in Pittsburgh is Atria’s (specifically, the one located in the South Hills). This small brick building was the initial site for Atria’s restaurant and the family actually lived on the top floor, which is now a part of the restaurant. The food is fantastic and not too pricey, the service is terrific, and altogether, I have never had a bad experience there, or anything close to one.

There are actually multiple locations for an Atria’s restaurant, including the South Hills (Mt. Lebanon), Murrysville,  O’Hara Township, PNC Park North Shore, Richland, Robinson Township,  Peters Township, and Wexford. With a Valentine’s Day menu that includes Surf and Turf, Cedar Plank Tasmanian Salmon, Heavy Aged Angus Prime Rib, and Jumbo Lump Crabcakes and Sesame Seared Scallops, any woman would be glad to be taken to dinner here!

If you’re still trying to make last minute reservations for Valentine’s Day, maybe try Atria’s! It’s one of many amazing restaurants in Pittsburgh, but I think, of all, the one in the South Hills has a great quaint and romantic atmosphere

So, there’s this really cool Web site for Pittsburgh party-goers that should be pointed out to all those interested in the nightlife scene. Barjumper.com is actually more than just a guide to nightlife in Pittsburgh, it’s actually a very cool social network (or, as the Web site says: A Nightlife Community) that you can join and receive member benefits.

There are three membership levels - two are free and the third all-access level costs 5$ to join. Not too tough to scrape up - even for you poor college students! What you get with your memberships are access to special contests (there is currently a contest to win a South Side barcrawl). And, discounts…access to private events…specialty drinks…line privileges…reduced or no cover…and, did I mention coupons? Full Story »

Cheap Food + 6 Different Beers = One Fun Pittsburgh Night to Me!

I’m a beer snob - I LOOOOVE a good brew - but there is NO way, as a mother and full-time working professional that I can 1. afford the new (good) beer prices (result of Pittsburgh drink tax), or 2. find time to go out.

Luckily for me, a solution rests about 2.5 blocks from my humble abode and that solution is Tom’s Diner and Beer Store. This great little multitasking unit (altogether, there’s a great diner, a bar, and a beer store) can satisfy any beer urge I have. At Tom’s, I can buy individual beers at a much lower cost than at the bar (I estimate anywhere from 50% to 75% less!). Which saves me money, first. AND, is a huge benefit, because as a working Mom, I’d much rather be able to relax with my hubby at home with a cold brew instead of spending a whole ton of money going wild every night (not to say we don’t all enjoy that once in a while though, right?)

Tom’s Beer Store is a narrow room stuffed between the bar and diner and lined with two coolers of some of the best beers I’ve found in this city. AND, did I mention, I can pick individual numbers of them (from 4 to 12) and can mix and match my faves? That’s excuse to RAVE! PS: They just ordered the whole Great Lakes line of beer. Yum!

Speaking of YUM, did I mention that the diner attached to the beer store is seriously amazing too? Great, low diner prices for fantastic food and quick service. Gotta love it. So, if you’re ever in Dormont, stop at TOm’s diner. Follow this link to Google Maps to find it! Now, go eat, drink, and be merry!

Ring in 2008 with Pittsburgh band JAZZAM at Molly Brannigan’s

Are you still debating what to do in Pittsburgh this New Year’s Eve? Well, stop worrying - I can tell you exactly where you SHOULD be!

The place to be is Molly Brannigan’s in the South Hills. This will be the first time in months that Pittsburgh’s most established funk jam band JAZZAM will be playing together and I can’t wait to see the most talented and amazing local band onstage in the area again!

Molly Brannigan’s is a great authentic Irish pub on Rte 19 in Mt. Lebanon. Molly’s has great drink prices, fantastic food, and a large enough establishment with plenty of room for people to sit and congregate at tables to talk; to sit at the bar for easy drink access; to dance on the floor; or to simply stare at the amazing talent on the stage in your very own backyard!

And, for those of you who have never seen JAZZAM - this is one show that is not to be missed. After their recent stint touring with Rusted Root (some of you may have seen them at the Homegrown Hoo-Ha with the Clarks and Rusted Root at the Post Gazette Pavilion this summer), JAZZAM had taken some time off to re-group. Luckily for all of its fans, this is their first show in months…and let me tell you again - you will be sorry for missing this band!

Anyone interested in listening to JAZZAM can go to their Myspace page (link above), listen to a live show on Archive.org, watch a video on YouTube, or simply purchase their CD online (if you haven’t heard it - it’s AMAZING). The duet with Liz Berlin of Rusted Root, who also does all background female vocals, will truly knock your socks off. Even if you can’t make it this time around, do keep an eye out for JAZZAM shows and other great Pittsburgh bands (more posts on them to come). Support live music!

I hope to see you all there, but even if not, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s to all!

Take a picture, it’ll last longer…

By Becca Malena

At twenty-three years of age, it is absolutely true that I have not seen it all. However, I’ve seen a lot of it, and it’s not good.

What is it?

It’s the strange propensity for all Pittsburghers dining out to stop eating–often with fork en route to the mouth–and stare at every single person that walks into a restaurant. Hey, I’m even guilty of it myself sometimes–but I try really hard to contain it. I’ve noticed, though, that it doesn’t seem to take place in a lot of other cities–it doesn’t even really take place once you escape the city limits (unless it’s a biker bar and you’re decked out like RuPaul), either.

Full Story »

I recently learned about TRAX Farms, a fantastic farm and country store located in Finleyville, about a half hour outside Pittsburgh. The farm has been in the TRAX family for six generations, and today the family’s farm encompasses the farm itself, an antique loft, wine shop, garden shop & greenhouse, bakery, grocery store, deli, and last, but certainly not least, fantastic seasonal festivals including its recent Fall Festival. (Read more to find out about the event!) Full Story »

Hemingway’s cafe, located at the base of Pitt’s Litchfield Towers in Oakland, is a great gathering place for young professionals and, obviously, college students and even professors.

A real hit is the what I call the “Hemmy’s Wednesday Double Whammy.” Take their famous appetizer, the Pita Chips, which consist of fried pita bread covered with a spicy artichoke cream cheese spread, smothered in cheese, and topped with tomatoes and scallions. Pair Pita chips with non-stop $1 Blue Moons on Wednesday and it makes the perfect”hump day celebration’ for a Wednesday night out or happy hour celebration. (ONE SPOILER: There are no orange slices paired with the Blue Moons on Wednesdays) Full Story »