On Friday, DH and I were still not feeling much like cooking.  So, we decided to venture out to Canonsburg to check out a restaurant, I’d seen favorably reviewed.

I was particularly excited about trying Table because I’d read about some connections between it and the Harris Grill, which we used to frequent during our city-dwelling days.  Ah, those were the days.

The beverage menu.  A good selection of cocktails and beer.  Thumbs up there.

I had the filthy table-tini.  Basically, it’s a dirty martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives and cracked black pepper.  For a change, I had gin instead of vodka.  Very enjoyable.  Would definitely order again, despite the $11 price tag.

We sat out on the deck, which was quite nice.  Unfortunately, the view is somewhat dominated by the shopping center across the way (Hello, Giant Eagle!), but that’s not a deal-breaker.

The house salad.  A perfectly fine green salad with a lemon vinaigrette.  Fit my need for greens after a week of pizza and Chinese take-out.

I also had the grouper, which came lightly breaded in cornmeal and over orzo with black beans.  The fish was nicely done and the orzo-black bean combo was light and tasty.   Definitely hit the spot for a real dinner on the lighter side.

On the not-so-light side, DH ordered the porterhouse.  Which he ate ALL of.  It may have been the first time DH has volunteered a meaningful description of a dish without my asking — perfectly cooked and seasoned.  He loved it.

Following my cocktail, I caved and ordered a glass of the house chard, which the only disappointment of the evening.  I can’t recall the brand, but it was pretty bad.

Completely ditching the semi-healthy theme I had going, DH and I shared a “nucular” cookie.  (Yes, that’s how they spelled it.)  A tollhouse cookie baked in a brick oven topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel and whipped cream.  The cookie was crunchy and yet still doughy and pretty freakin’ awesome.

As for the service, the guy who waited on us seemed to be working pretty hard at acting like he was “cool.”  He was actually quite good, but it was like he didn’t want to seem like he cared.  At first I found it annoying that he was like “whatever”, but then I realized that he was attentive and knowledgeable.  In the end, he won me over.

The verdict:  Probably my new fave everyday-ish South Hills restaurant.  Had that comfy vibe I’ve been missing since the Harris and some tasty good.

]]> http://www.spicyandblue.com/?feed=rss2&p=2046 0 http://www.spicyandblue.com/?p=2031 http://www.spicyandblue.com/?p=2031#comments Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:29:35 +0000 megan13 http://www.spicyandblue.com/?p=2031 On Friday, my sister called to inform me that I “needed” to come check out the specials at the Bigelow (where she works).  Well, as we know, I’m not one to turn down an invitation to check out good food.  So, I hightailed it up to the Bigelow.

I sat out on the patio and checked out the view.  Loved the urban oasis feel.

At my sister’s suggestions, I tried everything new at the Bigelow.

First up:

They have a new machine that purifies water, making sparkling and still water.  I had the sparkling with some lime.

If there is such a thing as delicious water, this was it.  It was such a treat.  (How weird is that?!)  Now I want a water carbonator!

Next up:

A take on clam chowdah.  Tasty.  With sweet pepper.

Finally:

A panzanella salad with local, organic veggies and white balsamic.  So fresh.  So delish.  Pretty much perfect for a Friday lunch.

In other news, here’s week 11 of our CSA:

Not sure what to do with the melon.  Accepting ideas!

And

Yummy tomatoes!

Unfortunately, not for the reason I’d hoped.

Epic fail on the planning front.  Rivas was closed.  According to the posted schedule, it should have been open.  Not sure what the deal was and I can’t say I’ll try again….

Bahhhh…..

So, trooper Rose and I wandered up Carson Street in search of an alternate dining location.  We quickly realized that while there are plenty of places on Carson, not much was appealing.  After we went up and back, we ended up at Mantini’s Wood Fired.

Foiled again!  The menu we were reviewing, which was reasonably priced, was the lunch menu.  And, boy, the dinner menu was pricey for what it was..

Apparently I SUCK at picking a venue!  (Sorry, Rose!)

Oh, well.

We started with drinks.  Rose had a sauvignon blanc, which I neglected to ask about.  I had a drink that was made with Grand Marnier, lemon juice and mint.  Super tasty.  Loved it.

Rose and I both ordered the “vegetarian special,” a risotto with fennel, caramelized onions, asparagus and brie.  Our server was mucho enthusiastic about it.

As my side, I had the house salad — mixed greens, parm and balsamic vinaigrette.  A bit over-dressed and certainly nothing original, but it fit my need for greens.

Rose ordered two sides instead — sauteed spinach and cheddar and bacon mashed potatoes, both of which looked awesome.

The risotto.  Seriously, brie and asparagus will get me every time.  I really didn’t pick up on the fennel or the caramelized onions.  And the rice was a tad undercooked.  Great idea, not awesome on the execution.

As for the service, it was probably the best part of our meal (other than Rose’s awesome company).  She was polite and definitely tried to make the best of our experience as she could tell we felt like the lunch menu posting was a bit of a bait-and-switch.

All in all, I wouldn’t rush back to Mantini’s.   Hopefully, Rose won’t hold it against me and our next meet-up will be at a more successful location!