An Oldie But Lots of Goodies: Max's Allegheny Tavern

Located in the North Side's Deutschtown area, the building that holds Max's Allegheny Tavern has been serving patrons since the 1800's. The present owners purchased the building in 1977 and Max's Allegheny Tavern was born. The bar is a large carved wooden masterpiece. The restored decor represents the grandeur from an older era. Described as "A Fine German Restaurant." I find these words to be an understatement. (A Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious German Restaurant perhaps?)

Jägerschnitzel and Schnitzel ala Holstein

We started with the Bavarian stuffed pretzels, jumbo soft pretzels stuffed with creamy cheddar cheese, deep fried and served with honey mustard sauce. Why would someone deep fry a pretzel? To make it more better, that's why!! If you just stop in for a quick beer, please, I beg of you, order the pretzels. It will make your day. (Maybe even your life!) For my meal I had Jägerschnitzel. Vienna-style veal covered with mushroom sauce served with sweet and sour cabbage and potato pancakes. I enjoy a good piece of veal and this was DEFINITELY a good piece of veal! So tender you could slice through it with a fork. The sweet and sour cabbage is a mix of sliced red cabbage and sliced apples, slowly cooked until tender. The blend of the sweetness with the sour is rather refreshing. Cohort had the Schnitzel ala Holstein. A Vienna-style veal topped with fried egg, anchovy and capers. For sides he settled on kase spätzle (dumplings in a creamy Gouda cheese sauce) and sauerkraut. The beer selection (pils, dunkels und schwarzen) pairs nicely with the German fare and is served in old style mason jars. Towards the end of our meal we spotted our bartender making a large Spanish Coffee for another patron. It was something of a masterpiece! So we decided to take the liquid dessert route. I don't regret a thing. Except for the fact that we ordered one to share and Cohort can get stingy! Prosit!  http://www.maxsalleghenytavern.com/index.html

Spanish Coffee

PROS: Delicious German food, authentic German beer all served in Pittsburgh's Deutschtown!

CONS: I honestly don't have a con. I left feeling full. Is that a con?

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?

OTB Bicycle Cafe North Park

Old Firehouse Dip

Like most good things, a good eating streak can't last forever! On Saturday my cohort and I ate at the OTB (Over The Bar) Bicycle Cafe located in the North Park boathouse. It has a nice bar, comfy dining area, and additional seating outside. I think it's an ingenious idea to open up a new watering hole in a familiar spot. Unfortunately, everyone else thought the same thing! It was jam packed, standing room only. I'm not sure why it would be this busy when it was still early in the evening. We stood around drinking until seats opened at the bar. The couple behind us stood for an additional 30-40 minutes waiting for a table. The bartenders are friendly and know how to hustle through a busy period. The 1st round of drinks were good. The 2nd round was just so, so. (I think it depends on the bartender) We had the Old Firehouse Dip which boasts fresh jalapenos, cream cheese, shredded cheddar, green onions, and crispy bacon served with tortilla chips. I was waiting for a spicy explosion of flavor in my mouth. In the end, it simply tasted like warm cream cheese with tomatoes on top. I ordered Henry's Fish Tacos for my meal. Another miss. They were overloaded with a pineapple salsa that consumed the entire dish. On a more upbeat note, my partner in crime let me taste his burger. It was called the Wheelmill. Extremely tasty! I was jealous. Around this time, Cohort noticed that the restaurant had suddenly cleared out. It was around 8:30pm. (he said everyone was rushing home to pay the babysitter!) If you decide to try it out, be prepared that it may be overcrowded. Another tip? This is not the time to get fancy. Keep it simple...... just get a burger. http://www.otbbicyclecafe.com/

PROS: It has a nice view and friendly staff.
CONS: After all the wait, 2 out of 3 dishes were a bust.