One Of A Kind: The Commoner

Located in the new Hotel Monaco at 458 Strawberry Way in downtown Pittsburgh, this place is amazing! The hotel itself is gorgeous and the luxurious theme sweeps throughout the restaurant, with a dark and rich color scheme. The bar and most of the tables sit up high (I love that!) with additional half  booth seating along the side wall. If you're in a rush you can pop over to the grab and go carvery window for breakfast and lunch. It was a bit crowded on the evening that we dined, so we posted up at the bar. Our bartender was a sweetie pie, plus she made a Pisco Sour like nobodies business!

Pisco Sours with Meat Board

After a few rounds of drinks we had a Meat Board for starters. Nothing fancy, just a small variety of meats with toast, mustard and pickled bits, but lovely. I then moved on to the Romaine Salad, which had large planks of romaine hearts lightly drizzled with bacon-garlic dressing, pumpernickel croutons, and frizzled ham. For my entree, I decided on Crab Shells and Cheese- jumbo lump crab meat and pasta shells with a creamy rich cheddar cheese sauce finished to perfection in a wood fire oven. Cohort went a simpler route with the PA Burger- local ground beef mixed with elysian fields lamb, PA noble cheddar, watercress, topped with smoked yellow tomato ketchup. He did share, it was very tasty!

Romaine Salad

For dessert we split the Sticky Toffee Pudding - a warm moist date cake with gooey toffee sauce, topped with a scoop of rye vanilla ice cream. I suggest that during your meal, you keep this in mind and SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!!!! It is to die for. http://www.thecommonerpgh.com/

 

PROS: Fabulous drinks, high end with a relaxed atmosphere

CONS: Downtown parking, gets crowded in the evenings

Out of Prohibition, Into a New Era: Speakeasy Social Lounge

Located in the lower level of downtown's Omni William Penn Hotel sits a hidden gem -  the Speakeasy Social Lounge. In the 1920's, during prohibition, this intimate room was actually used as a Speakeasy. When alcohol became legal, there was no longer the need to hide things in the basement, so for decades this lovely space was used as a storage room. Recently they decided to resurrect this Speakeasy to it's former glory. The term "Speakeasy" originated right here in Pittsburgh. Patrons would speak quietly (or easy) about such places in public, or when inside, so that the neighbors and police would not catch on.

Omni William Penn Speakeasy

The space is small and low key. (I'm sure most Speakeasy's were set up this way during prohibition.) The decor is rich, warm and luxurious and definitely takes you back. I expected the great Gatsby to come over and welcome us. I wanted to sport a bob haircut, flapper dress and take a drag on a cigarette in a long holder. It has a nice bar and small plush cranberry colored chairs in the center and luscious bench seating with low tables surrounded by round golden ottomans along the back wall. Once seated the bartender produced a distressed leather booklet which contained the menu. The menu has a selection of curated spirits that would have been served during that era with a few local twists. We had just popped in for drinks, but they do offer small plates.

Speakeasy Menu

Cohort ordered a Blind Tiger, named after the dispensaries of unlicensed alcohol in the Carolina's, a punch made of Batavia Arrack Van Oosten, Benedictine, Cherry Herring, Chai Tea, Birch Bark Sour, Ginger Beer with fresh seasonal fruit. I had a Raspberry Lemon Vodka Cobbler- citrus infused Boyd & Blair Pennsylvania potato vodka, Schladerer raspberry liqueur served over LOTS of ice. Both were yummy, but Cohort clearly won this round. (I drank his and mine!) The punch was brimming with a blast of flavor. I love a good, classy cocktail - we ordered an entire pitcher! Worth every sip!

Blind Tiger

It's one of the coolest drink spots in town. The prohibition back round makes it even better!

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/PittsburghWilliamPenn/Dining/Speakeasy.aspx  

PROS: Very good drinks. Nice decor. Historic place.

CONS: Not much signage, so you have to know that the Speakeasy is down there-but then again, maybe that's the point!