Bistro to Go / Bistro Soul

At last a sunny Saturday in Pittsburgh!! We wanted to take full advantage (as the rain returneth tomorrow) so decided to breakfast at Bistro to Go on the Northside. It is located in what they call a "historic" neighborhood on East Ohio Street. It is a very busy "city" street, with metered parking and lots of businesses, including more than one check-cashed-before-payday place. Nevertheless, we knew this place features an adorable outdoor seating area, and a gorgeous 75 degree spring morning was the perfect excuse.

The garden courtyard is nestled between these two sister bistros. My company has had nice lunches catered by Bistro-to-Go and I've been here for lunch and was very pleased to learn they offer Saturday breakfast. On this particular morning, we were the only customers when we arrived at 10am. Odd but also nice to get extra great service. When we entered Bistro-to-Go, we were happily greeted and informed that today's breakfast was setup next-door at the Bistro-Soul as a $10 buffet. So we paid, were provided a cafeteria-style tray, and send outside, through the courtyard, next-door to find a delightful selection including pastries, fruit, bacon, sausage, fabulous baked French toast with pecans, as well as a cook-to-order omelet station.

We were encouraged to go back for more, but just one trip was enough to fill us up. The food was okay, with the French toast being the highlight. But nothing was better than enjoying fresh air and sunshine! Even on a not-so-nice day though, the Bistro(s) would be a cozy place to enjoy a meal. The atmosphere is very intimate and inviting. And their lunch menus look absolutely delicious! 

Michelle's Diner

Michelle's Diner in Allentown is where we picked to breakfast this Saturday morning. And no, not "the" Allentown, PA à la Billy Joel, but the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Bit of Pittsburgh history/trivia: Allentown is the only neighborhood left in Pittsburgh that still allows the Trolley to run on it's main street (think Mr. Rogers).

I don't want to say that Allentown isn't a "nice" neighborhood, but when Michelle's closes for the day (in the early afternoon) it pulls a big garage-sized door down to cover the entire front door and windows area.  But on this rainy Saturday morning, they were open for business.  Michelle's is different from the typical diner, because the front half is a mini grocery store(??), complete with a deli, frozen foods section, and all kinds of pantry items.

So you walk through all of this to find the most adorable restaurant area with booths and diner-counter seating. Everywhere you look is something pleasing to the eye - Lots of coca-cola collectibles, photos on the wall of classic TV sitcoms (I Love Lucy, Three Stooges...) and of course, Pittsburgh sports. On the counter I spied some classic lunchboxes that I wasn't brave enough to investigate more closely, but they looked really fun nonetheless...

The place was not at all busy, but those who were there were certainly regulars. The waitress was super friendly, and our food came pretty quickly. The menu was not unlike most local diners, several omelet selections, and other egg/meat combos, along with griddle food. 

Husband picked the most unique item called the "Fat Boy Breakfast #1" consisting of 3 eggs, gyro meat, home fries, toast, and 2 pancakes. And I, as per typical, ordered Texas style French toast and bacon. Interestingly, everything was served on disposable plates, but we ate with "real" silverware.

So the food was okay, but the atmosphere was the true highlight. I love places like this where only the locals go - nice to see small businesses making regular people smile.

Dor Stop Restaurant

No, not a misspelling! The Dor Stop Restaurant is an awesome little diner in the Dormont borough and was our choice for Breakfast in Pittsburgh this Saturday.  It is located on the corner of the cutest little street, with trees and shops that reminds me of Main Street USA in the 1950's (except the cars don't have those really big fins on them.)

We arrived really late today (near noon) thanks to a long walk with the dogs on this sunny Saturday, followed by a long nap thanks to some allergy medicine. But no worries, as the Dor Stop serves its amazing breakfast all day.  The place was packed, but we only waited a few minutes to be seated. Obviously this is an extremely popular place - they  proudly display on the wall in the waiting area newspaper clippings of reviews, and seems Guy Fieri stopped by not too long ago for all you Food Network fans. He featured them in "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives".

The owners pride themselves in home cooked freshness, cleverly bragging that their soups have "never seen the inside of a can". And we were in no way disappointed by their breakfast menu. By this time of the day I was super hungry, so I chose the "From the Bone" which was delicious ham with eggs, fresh grated German potato pancakes, applesauce & sour cream and Italian toast. Husband had the special omelet with spinach, feta, and hot sausage with home fries - and a pancake on the side. Not sure what the story was with this pancake - the menu just said it was "mom's recipe" - it was really tasty but not at all light and fluffy like bisquick.  But this Saturday morning the whole thing got eaten, it was that yummy. And I don't know what it is about potato pancakes (I'd never even heard of them before moving to Pittsburgh) but they are definitely one of my favorite foods on earth, and these particularly just melted in my mouth.

We were seated at the back of the restaurant at a small table right next to the kitchen, which is partially open to the dining area.  They really have a smooth system going, serving up lots of people really quickly. Being so close, we could hear all the banter as they cooked up everyones orders and the head cook shouted out instructions to the kitchen helpers. Now it's been a long time since I worked in a restaurant (does McDonald's actually count as a restaurant??) so I'm not really familiar with the jargon, but I'm pretty sure these guys have a language of their own. Unless someone can tell me what "get me 2 sets of scrambled and work me a Betty from the ground up" means?

All in all, we really enjoy the food and atmosphere at Dor Stop. And I must give it a very high recommendation for its classic home cooked food selection.  Really good stuff!

Eggs-R-Us

Being that tomorrow is Easter, it only seemed appropriate that we spend our Saturday Breakfast at a restaurant dedicated to eggs. (Ha, ha.) Eggs-R-Us is in the Crafton neighborhood of Pittsburgh, not too far from us, in a little strip mall that houses this diner's diner.

We were lucky enough to grab the last available table. This is one busy little place! It feels like the kind of place you love to go to for Saturday morning breakfast. It has a busy atmosphere, with tables and booths as close together as possible, and staff that navigates around like nothing, always with big smiles for everyone.  Very comfortable and warm.

The kitchen is exposed to the dining area, which I think takes some of the mystery out of things. (Definitely not a bad thing!) Service was pretty quick for as busy as they were, but while you wait it's fun to enjoy some of the cool pictures on the wall. My favorite is this one from Breakfast at Tiffany's. (Those are eggs on the wall behind the frame.) So classic.

It is a classic diner, so not a whole lot in the way of healthy, non-grilled, greasy food. Husband did pretty well however by picking the Body Builder Breakfast (5-egg white omelette with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and wheat toast) and the obligatory pancake on the side (which was absolutely ginormous, by the way) but I succumbed to the French Toast Breakfast Sandwich (2-eggs atop grilled French toast with melted cheese and bacon) with a side of hash browns.

I really like this place for its friendliness. It can't be easy to run a diner, (this one is apparently family-owned) and we've been a lot of places where the food just isn't served with smiles. This place is the real deal, and no doubt has won over many of the locals who come back time and again. Yay for diners!

Square Café

Breakfast in Pittsburgh on this rainy Saturday morning took us to the Square Café in the Swissvale neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It's an uber-trendy little place with amazing selections and great people-watching.

Right off the parkway East, the café is neatly situated on a busy street in Regent Square. Spring is just now popping out, so the flowery trees made it feel just a bit less dreary today. The place was very busy, filled with couples, families, and other groups out to enjoy what is certainly one of The best breakfasts in the city.

The decor in the dining area is so bright and fun - The art on the walls is available for purchase, and today it was all kinds of 3D, art-deco, local artist selections. Lots of fun! The tables are as close together as can possibly be, but don't expect to talk to the folks sitting next to you (unlike last week's adventure).

The menu was really hard to choose from - Unlike so many places in Pittsburgh, Square Café Really has an interesting selection. Husband went for the Leek & Goat Cheese Scramble, that came with homefries & toast, and I nearly picked the Challah French Toast, until I was swayed by the "special" (soon to be found on their revised menu) oatmeal pancakes topped with peaches, chopped pecans, and homemade whipped cream. There was also a splendid selection of herbal teas, from which I picked a yummy organic chamomile spearmint. Needless to say, everything was absolutely amazing. And the presentation was so cute - I loved the bright and interesting ceramics!

On our way home, we drove past the Homewood Cemetery, and we couldn't resist stopping by for a stroll on such a gloomy day.  It's one of those really old, historic places, with a whole lot of "notable" Pittsburghers including Mellon, Frick, Benedum, Alderdice, and Heinz. Here's a few pictures of some special places we found...

 

 

Trolley Barn Eatery

Saturday Breakfast Adventures in Pittsburgh continue... Tucked away in a tiny strip mall in Castle Shannon borough is the Trolley Barn Eatery. A very small establishment with a whole lot of heart!

Had to drop my car off for an inspection today, and we remembered visiting here one time before with a friend, conveniently just down the road from the auto shop. This place has got to be the best example of a friendly, neighborhood restaurant.

When we arrived, we were immediately greeted by the owner, who asked us if we had been here before (it has been a while) and directed us to the counter where the menu is found on the wall, and orders are placed. You're responsible for pouring your own coffee, and grabbing your own syrup, jelly, etc. before sitting down where the kitchen staff will bring out your food. It's a cute little system, which surprisingly didn't feel at all like a cafeteria, but rather cozy and intimate.

Castle Shannon is a very small little community, and this is a place where "everybody knows your name." We arrived shortly after the 8am opening, and already several tables were filled with folks who knew each other and shared neighborly banter across tables. Twice while we were dining, it was a customer who came around and offered to refill our coffee! Even though we didn't know anyone, it felt like we were guests at a really casual dinner party.  Really nice.

The food was really good - I would even deem it better than last week's meal. Husband had the #2 (eggs, sausage & pancakes) and I picked the blueberry pancake special with bacon. Nothing too fancy to be sure, but very delicious and hearty serving sizes for such a low price.

Definitely a small town feel about this restaurant, despite being part of the city of Pittsburgh. Makes me a little nostalgic for my little hometown of Rochelle, IL. Love it!

The Original Pancake House

A dreary day in Pittsburgh today - cold, gray and freezing rain. So what can be more cheerful than a giant plateful of pancakes? Morning errands took us to the Greentree neighborhood of Pittsburgh and just down the road on top of a hill sits the Original Pancake House right next door to a Denny's restaurant. These are the only two businesses on the hill. The OPH looks like a newer build, with young landscaping, so does that mean they specifically chose the location to siphon off business from their competitor? Just sayin...

We arrived around 8:30 and I was surprised to not have to wait in any sort of line. There is a really large waiting area, and signs posted "we will not seat incomplete parties" indicating that they are expecting to be busy. So we sat down right away and received great service. The menu was quite informative. I now know that the OHP is not "original" to Pittsburgh, but is in fact a chain founded in Portland, OR in 1953 and is now all over the country. I even got a great definition of a pancake:

"Pancakes are the very old beginnings of bread and pastry. Generally a pancake is any kind of batter, fried or baked in a skillet, on a griddle, or on any hot surface. The peoples of all nationalities have made pancakes from time immemorial."

So now you know. I counted nearly 20 different ways to have your pancakes served. But the extensive menu doesn't stop there. Also available are a wide selection of omelets, crepes, waffles, and egg selections. 

Portions are extremely large. The plates are saucer-sized and my little camera had to stand way back to get everything in one shot. A funny breakfast habit I have is dipping my bacon in syrup. So I had to try their bacon waffle. (Add chopped/cooked bacon to the waffle batter.) And husband ordered an Irish omelet (corned beef & hash) with granola pancakes. 

The omelet was SO big, we ended up taking half of it home. We'll see if it's able to hold up as decent leftovers. The bacon waffle was quite convenient for me, and the granola pancakes seemed to be one of the only choices that didn't include a super-sweet topping. 

So even though it's not original or unique to Pittsburgh, it's a good choice for Saturday breakfast for the very hungry who appreciate a varied menu. 

My favorite part of the restaurant is the cute front doors!