And by "there," I mean flavor. And spice. And taste. And appeal.
This is a town where everything comes with fries, even the salads, where Buffalo wings may have come as an uninvited guest from that town up the road but have found friends and family here (unlike yours truly).
I've had one or two good meals here (one at Tamari, this Latin-Asian fusion spot in Lawrenceville comes to mind--a trend that perhaps happened everywhere else years ago, but still, I wouldn't turn down a great meal--and a tasty mojito--just because it's a bit five years ago in culinary trending). But for the most part, I've been disappointed even by places that came highly recommended, that seem more style over ingredients.
But I shan't name names, at least not the bad ones.
Credit where credit is due, though: One thing Pittsburgh does really well is baked goods. There are a number of bakeries here, some new-fashioned but many old-fangled ones, even though some of those are on the way out. Food service work looks really hard with bad hours and tight profit margins. Baking looks even harder and I'm sure has been undercut by so many supermarket bakeries. I can imagine it's tough to make a go of it. Add to that it appears to be something of a family tradition and perhaps younger generations don't want to take on the work.
What a shame. Because the few bakeries I've had the pleasure of visiting in Pittsburgh and environs have been incredible. Kretchmar's in Beaver was probably the first one I visited, and it set a very high standard for the others, as did Carol's Pastry Shop in Zelionople and Moio's Italian Pastry Shop in Monroeville.
Oh, I like Allegro in Squirrel Hill, too, and I'm always going on about Jean-Marc Chatellier in Millvale. I've only had donuts from Stoecklein's in Penn Hills (they were delicious!) because it's too hard to find for a non-native like me. I've still yet to stop in at Prantl's in Shadyside because I hate the parking in that neighborhood. The point is, there are some excellent options for baked goods in Pittsburgh--A yeasty embarrassment of kneaded deliciousness, one might say. If one were so inclined.
But this week maybe I've had too much of a good thing. On Tuesday, Mardi Gras, one of my office mates and I went to Jean-Marc in search of King Cake only to find them sold out. So, naturally, we each bought a Breton cake and a six-pack of French macarons. It seemed like the thing to do.
Today, the beginning of the Lenten season, said office mate got a lead on King Cake from another shop, the Oakmont Bakery in one of my favorite parts of the Pittsburgh area, little Oakmont on the Allegheny. So we got one. And we also got a six-pack of pączki, a type of filled Polish donut (like a German Berliner, as in Ich bin ein a big jelly donut). Each.
Which is just insane. Financially, first of all--I mean, so much for saving on cable. At $1.50 per pączki (big enough for two meals, let alone one), this was not in and of itself an unwise purchase. Combine it, however, with a Breton cake, some macarons, gas money, future heart medication, etc., and, lordy, I blew any savings on pastries. Which just seems a little weird . . . and pitiful.
Healthwise, second of all and third of all--although it should be first of all--as much of a slacker I've been at the gym the last couple of weeks, I certainly don't need the calories. And I swear I was getting a contact high off the sugar and yeast alone. Thus, this week, I'm destined to take at least twelve steps toward a better, healthier life.
So any lessons this week? Other than "don't eat your feelings"? Yeah, well, easier said than done of late, although seriously, I'm much better/worse at it when I'm stressed over work than I am over life. But point taken. I'll try to keep it to dry toast and mineral water the rest of the week.
Then again, bakery items and pierogis are the only things edible in this town. So, again, credit where credit is due: Pittsburgh is why I'm fat. If the salads were better and weren't loaded with French fries, it might be a different story . . . .
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