Sake To Me: Robokyo Japanese Steak House

I love to take long drives through freshly fallen snow. It always calms me. On one of our snowy drives we ended up in Greensburg, Pa and decided to stop for a bite to eat. We stumbled across Robokyo, a Japanese steak house. Since I'm always in the mood for sushi, it seemed the obvious choice!

Moonstone Asian Pear Sake

I've been to many Japanese sushi bars and steak houses. Some restaurants focus on the hibachi section while others go all out in the sushi department. We didn't venture into the hibachi area so I can't comment on the quality of the hibachi food, but we did order the sushi platter for 2 with additional side rolls from the specialty menu. The platter was fine but the specialty rolls were even better. The bartender informed us that a few of their holiday specialty rolls were so popular they were adding them to their full menu. Everything was good, yet a lot of sushi bars are good. BUT, there is a big reason I would put Robokyo on my to do list......the sake! Oh. My. Yummy! We started with the Zipang Sparkling Sake. Think sake and champagne have a baby. (a bubbly, bouncing, beautiful baby!) It has a fresh tropical taste with a light finish. Very nice bubbles, not to strong. It pairs nicely with sushi and does not overpower. We finished with the Moonstone Asian Pear Sake. A smooth sake with a light pear flavor. It rounded out the meal nicely. According to their FaceBook page they always have unique and interesting flavors. Most of them are for a limited time. They even had a coconut sake over the summer. I would love to try that! I'm not really big on sake, but these sakes give a happy ending to any sushi meal! http://www.robokyo.com/

Specialty Roll

PROS: Unique flavored sake.
CONS: The sushi bar is a bit small because the restaurant focuses on the hibachi area. If you have a large group, things could get crowded.

Pennies From Heaven!: Ten Penny

Dirty Pickle and Rumble

I recently hit one of downtown's newer spots - the brilliantly tagged Ten Penny! Named not only for its location on the corner of Tenth and Penn, but also for the type of nails found inside of the building during the demo/remodel period. The name just fits! It's a nice upscale restaurant with a large bar area located center stage. They have plenty of seating (but I heard it can get crowded on game night!) and a private dining area in the rear. The decor is chic but cozy. I loved the cocktail menu! Cohort did mention that the drink prices reflect having a mixologist and a craft cocktail list. You should simply expect to pay more. We decided to order a few different appetizers and split everything. This is a cool way to experience several different dishes that a restaurant has to offer without filling up on one entree. I really wanted to try the Steamed PEI Mussels, but they were out. We ended up with Truffled Mac 'n Cheese, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Crabcake and Chicken Curry. I found the most interesting dish to be the Chicken Curry, a spicy dish with tender pieces of chicken served over forbidden black rice. The broth is light and spicy, but the black rice makes it a hearty, flavorful dish.

Chicken Curry

During another visit, Cohort tried the Ten P Burger. A good burger topped with red onion jam, watercress, cheddar and a fried egg. Things do get a bit messy once the fried egg yoke is broken open. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts were AMAZING. I can eat them all day! They have become my new favorite vegetable! I'm unsure if the taste of brussels sprouts themselves have changed or if my palate has matured. Either way, very tasty and the Jack Daniels' glaze makes them mmm, mmm good! We were fully satisfied...no room for dessert! (unless you count those last few cocktails!) http://tenpennypgh.com/

PROS: One of a kind cocktails. Large appetizers and shareables is always a plus!

CONS: Parking downtown......need I say more?

Sweets In The Strip: Peace, Love & Little Donuts

The weather was gorgeous on Saturday! For me that means one thing, The Strip District. I've always loved walking the Strip District on a Saturday afternoon. There's something about the fanfare and liveliness that has always appealed to me. I headed down to stock up on Steeler gear. You can find just about anything down there. And I do mean anything! You can spend the entire day just eating up and down The Strip. Between the street vendors and restaurants, your options are endless.

Peace, Love and Little Donuts

This Saturday was no different. After a full day of shopping, I was headed to the car when I saw it. A large sign on the corner. It had bold funkadelic colors and an arrow pointing down the street. It read; "Peace, Love & Little Donuts." WHAAAAAT? Game on! I walked in the direction of the arrow like a zombie. I started to smell the sweet cakes in the air as I got closer. I arrived on Smallman in front of a tiny glass door jammed pack with patrons. I opened the door and the smell consumed me. I stood in line and watched the donuts being made. It's a good thing they have a sheet of plexiglass between customers and the donut maker! I pressed my forehead against the glass like a small child while I waited my turn. I ordered a half dozen of the small heavenly circles. They came in many, many flavors. Apple pie, maple bacon, oreo and even salted chocolate! Just to name a few. After you're served, you're funneled right through the exit door. (No room for tables or chairs inside.) They had a few "standing" tables outside, but no need. These donuts are small (2 or 3 bites.) and they are full of flavor. There is something charming and fun about the small size. My favorite was the raspberry lemonade. A lemonade flavored frosting with a raspberry drizzle. They crank these things out nonstop til closing, so they were still warm when I got them. They didn't last long, but I savored every bite! Even licking the frosting from my fingers. The perfect ending to a day on The Strip! http://www.peaceloveandlittledonuts.com/

PROS: Bite size. Hot and fresh. Fast, friendly service.
CONS: I don't know if you can experience a "Con" while eating a good donut!

Valentine Giveaway!!!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Are you driving yourself crazy trying to figure out which restaurant to hit? I'll tell you my little secret about hitting the town for Valentine's Day.... Don't. That's right, don't do it. Aside from flowers and champagne being way overpriced, the restaurant situation can be an even BIGGER headache. 1st you have to make reservations. (don't even think about being late!) 2nd It's going to be overcrowded, so even with your reservation, you may have to wait. 3rd The fabulous menu that the restaurant is known for? Forget it. Most places cut their menu in half, or even worse, they have a set menu on Valentine's Day. And lastly, again with the overpricing. That lobster tail that is $20 on a regular Wednesday just jumped to $50 simply because it's take these suckers for all they've got day Valentine's Day. You're better off celebrating the day before or the day after. It will be less crowded, less expensive and the restaurant will be offering their full menu. So what to do for that special someone on February 14th? I say pick up some good take out, order something on Netflix and curl up with a nice bottle of wine! Need a little inspiration? I'm here to help!

2012 White Blend

Share this post on your Facebook page and add a comment in the section below. You'll be entered in a gift bag giveaway featuring a bottle of Pittsburgh Winery's 2012 California White Blend! http://www.pittsburghwinery.com/wines

Legal stuff: This giveaway is for Pittsburgh, Pa residents 21 years of age and older only. (Our alcohol laws are hinkey.) Winner chosen at random by 3rd party. Drawing closes February 12th at noon. Winner will be posted and contacted. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook.

Congratulations Tammy Bey!

This event is now closed.

A Gluten Free Environment: Gus's Cafe

Greek Village Salad

 I recently wandered into a taste free gluten free restaurant called Gus's Cafe. I'm no stranger to gluten free, vegetarian or even vegan food for that matter, but this was off the mark. We started with fried pickles that seemed a bit "doughy." We followed up with Pakora, a South Indian fritter. These were tasty, although I wish the sauces that accompanied the dish were a bit more amped up. Cohort ordered a Thai soup that had little spice, if any. It tasted as if it were nothing more than chicken broth. I ordered the best dish of the evening, the Greek Village Salad. It had plump tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, onions, feta and Greek olives. (With the pits, so be careful!) It had a vinegar and olive oil drizzle with fresh herbs and spices. A small win. I think if you're going to have Thai, Indian and Greek dishes on the menu (gluten free or not) they better have the taste, flavor and spice to back it up! Most of these dishes fell flat. They do have a decent beer selection, most have gluten in them.....soooooo.... Anyway, Cohort and I left feeling more than unsatisfied. I guess if you have to eat gluten free and you want to eat out, this may be for you. https://www.facebook.com/Gusscafe

PROS: A new spot with loads of gluten free options.
CONS: Gluten free shouldn't mean flavor free. Cash only. Whose idea was it to start putting chalkboard walls inside of restaurants to write the menu on?