Tin Angel - Pittsburgh, PA.

They say you can’t go home again. Well…maybe. When we first moved back to Youngstown in 1975, a big night out was a trip to Mount Washington in Pittsburgh. Mt. Washington is the mountain that runs alongside the Allegheny River giving stunning views of the downtown Pittsburgh and the Golden Triangle. Perched on top are several landmark Pittsburgh restaurants where you can dine with a breathtaking view of the city.

There are two funiculars that go up the mountain. One ends at Station Square, the other down the road a piece, into a gravel parking lot. The dining establishments were at the top end of the latter, where we would park the car and take the incline to the eateries. The very fancy and pricey “view” restaurant list included Christopher’s (no longer there. It was too expensive to pay off the maitre’d for a window table. It’s now a fish place.), Le Mont (still operating), and the Tin Angel.

We liked the Tin Angel. Being young and in love, my wife and I were easily impressed by its picture window vistas, twinkle lights and little flickering candles on the table. Romance was in the air as you dined on a prix fix menu that included everything from soup to nuts, literally. You could choose from Veal Romano, Black Forest Filet (filet of beef stuffed with black cherries), Filet of Sole Almandine, and lobster tails solo or in a surf and turf combination. Throw a dollop of béarnaise sauce onto the various cuts of beef, and you were in 70’s heaven. You ended the dinner with a Tin Angel parfait. The mood was enhanced by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdink music piped in over a then state of the art music system.

I think the last time we were there was in 1979. This past Friday afternoon I had a business meeting in Pittsburgh. Rather than drive home in the Friday afternoon traffic, we decided to stay in the city Friday night and recapture our youth by paying a visit to the Tin Angel. Even the Pittsburgh business dude who I was visiting look stunned when I answered his query as to where we were eating. He said this place was a blast from the past. Notwithstanding, wouldn’t it be fun to see the place after all this time?

Our waitress last Friday night pretty much summed it up. When we told her we hadn’t been there for over 30 years, she said “Well, nothing has changed.” I almost doubled over laughing because she was exactly right. Nothing had changed. And I swear to God she was the same waitress who took care of us thirty years ago. It was the déjà vu all over again!!!

I couldn’t make up my mind whether this was depressing or kitschy. Tom Jones was still being piped in over the system, plus a disco version of Canadian Sunset…seriously!!! The patrons were our age or older, and to be honest, there weren’t that many of them. The menu hadn’t changed at all except for the prices. They did add Bill Clinton’s name to the Black Forest Filet. He and British Prime Minister John Major had a summit meeting there years ago and that is what they ordered. There is a plaque commemorating the event outside the front door.

Here’s the thing. It is still a pretty restaurant, although really dated. And the food, also dated, was just outstanding. We had a great dinner. I put on my Democratic façade and ordered the Bill Clinton Black Forest Filet. Dinner started with wedding soup. Then came a huge antipasto tray, enough for dinner all by itself. The main course was served with a baked stuffed tomato and rice pilaf. The steak was outstanding, perfectly cooked although maybe a tad too much béarnaise sauce. Dinner was topped off with the Tin Angel parfait, consisting of French vanilla ice cream topped with crème de cassis (Chambord) and whipped cream. It was really, really good.

Yes, the place was a tad run down. Yes, the food was heavy. But so what? This was a great dinner, and one I will remember for a long time. We intend to go back.

If I were the owners, I would be marketing the place as a 70’s redo. It would be right in sync with some of the women’s fashion trends of today. Those sweater dresses and tops are back in style. Wait a minute…is that Mary Tyler Moore over there?

Price wise…bring money, but it is worth it. Sometimes at “view” restaurants, you pay for the view and the food sucks. That isn’t the case here. Expensive, but you get what you pay for plus the view.

My rating, a very solid 4 meatballs.

The Tin Angel

1200 Grandview Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15211-1295

(412) 381-1919

Aqueous: Five Meatball Dining in Farmington, Pa.

If you read my blog, you know that this past weekend my wife and I visited Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA. What a wonderful place it is. There are three hotel buildings: The Chateau, Falling Rock, and the Lodge (the least expensive of the three). If you haven’t been there, go!!!! It is the ultimate getaway place for peaceful relaxation, and a ton of outdoor things to do.

The restaurants at the resort are expensive. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. In fact, they are outstanding. Lautrec (Triple-A Five Diamond rated), in the Chateau, is the lead restaurant, but ultra expensive and a tad out of my league. It is for serious foodies. So we visited Aqueous located in the Falling Rock hotel facility. No slouch either, Aqueous carries a Triple-A Four Diamond rating, and surpasses all expectations.

The entire experience is a feast for the eyes as a well as your palate. Falling Rock is based on the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is gorgeous. It takes your breath away when you walk into the lobby. Pictures don't do this place justice. The Amber Bar, located in the lobby, is a great place to sip on your pre-dinner drinks. You can have dinner at adjoining tables also located in the lobby without reservations. You definitely need reservations to eat in the restaurant, and they are difficult to come by on a Saturday night.

Aqueous carries the Frank Lloyd Wright theme to the limit, right down to the table and chairs, the artwork, the table coverings, plate design, and flatware. It is visually stunning, with soaring ceilings and banks of floor to ceiling windows looking out over superlative landscapes.

The staff here is professional, friendly, and well trained. From the bartenders in the Amber Bar, to the Maître D, to the sommelier, and to the wait staff, you are pampered and well tended. These folks could be easily stuffy, but the friendliness transcends everything.

The menu offerings also reflect the straight forwardness of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. At the end of the day, Aqueous is a steak oriented restaurant. The menu is simple and streamlined mirroring the surroundings. It emphasizes basic, well prepared food ranging from salmon to pork chops to signature steak offerings, prepared as ordered!!!

We started with a fig and blue cheese tart with a port reduction sauce. Wow!! Tangy and sweet at the same time, it was the perfect way to begin a meal. My next course was classic lobster bisque…the least favorite item of the meal (good, but not great), and a shared simple salad with vinaigrette dressing. For a main course, my wife ordered roasted Amish chicken with squash risotto. I ordered a small filet with a brandy-green peppercorn sauce served on the side. As a side dish, we shared a plate of potato croquettes, which were luscious and delicious. While the food sounds fancy, it is simple, perfectly presented and prepared.

The Nemacolin wine list is the second largest in Pennsylvania. These are serious wine connoisseurs. That being said, Tony, Aqueous’ award winning sommelier, knows his stuff and is not afraid to offer wine that is reasonable in price and compliments your meal. We took a class from him earlier in the day. He appreciates a good table wine as well as the high end uppity offerings. Tell him what you want and your price range, and he will fix you up.

Aqueous is an event, and pricey to the point where a visit here should be rarely used guilty pleasure. But when you do decide to indulge yourself, you will enjoy every single, delicious, beautiful and expensive mouth full of food.

Although I don't have the cache of a Triple-A Four Diamond rating, I give it a full scale five meatballs.

Aqueous
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
1001 Lafayette Drive
Farmington, PA 154371
800.422.2736
724.329.8555

Primadonna's - McKees Rocks

There are two types of people in the world. Those who know where McKees Rocks is, and those that don’t. If you are in the latter category, McKees Rocks is an adjacent municipality to Pittsburgh. It is located on Pa. State Route 51 reachable by taking I-79 south from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the Neville Island exit. Drive over Neville Island through all of the chemical plants located on Neville Road to Rt. 51 where you will turn left (don’t go up the big hill or you will be in real trouble); take Rt. 51 to Tunnel Way (landmark is Silky’s Gentlemen’s Club); through the tunnel to Broadway and turn right! Got it?

I have often taken “the industrial route” into Pittsburgh, especially if I am going to Station Square, and have driven through McKees Rocks many times. What I didn’t know is that McKees Rocks is located on two sides of a mountain, with the bulk of the city on the other side of the mountain from where you are driving. The area along Route 51 is a little dicey; but drive through the tunnel and you exit into a different place and time. This is a long standing, old fashioned Italian enclave. The main street is lined with all sorts of businesses most with Italian names. We found this interesting anachronism while looking for Joyce’s Cookies a number of years back (don’t ask!). At any rate, Primadonna’s came highly recommended as a good place to eat. So we did.

The cuisine, of course, is Italian. It is located in an old building located on a corner cross street to the main drag. It isn’t much to look at on the outside, and for that matter, not much to look at on the inside either. Yet it has received numerous awards as one of the top restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. And it is currently owned by a gentleman who has ties to the Youngstown area...why am I not surprised?

The place absolutely reflects the town in which it is located. Seated at one of the white table clothed tables with Italian frescos on the wall, you can easily imagine yourself in a movie where you might be tempted to say “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli!” The whole scene is like a movie set reminiscent of the Italian restaurant in the movie Moonstruck. There is a small bar to the right after you enter the building. There are two dining rooms sparsely decorated, but strangely make you feel at home. “Hey!! You wanna good food you stay! S’no…keep-a goin’.”

The service is efficient and professional. I have read other reviews of the place where the reviewers complained that the service is slow. But the kitchen prepares meals individually, and the menu warns that it may take awhile. This is not a place to duck in and out for a quick meal. There is no effort to turn the tables over 3 times in a night. This is a place to relax, and savor good company and a leisurely meal. Have some lambrusco and chill out.

The food here, while not great, is more than good. I have never had a bad meal. The menu is extensive with a heavy emphasis on veal dishes. The veal piccata is outstanding. Ditto for the Veal Parm. My wife and friends have had a variety of well prepared fish dishes. The food here is not fancy. It is straight forward Italian fare several cuts above the standard tavern type Italian food you can get here in Youngstown at places like the MVR.

My only complaint is it is a tad pricey. Veal dishes are about $25.00, well within the norm for this type of place; but a plate of pasta in the $20.00 range gets a raised eyebrow!! On the other hand, the total experience is well worth the price.

Primadonna is worth the trip whether you are looking for Joyce’s Cookies or not. Just look for the turn off on Route 51 at Silky’s.

My score: 3 ½ very good, but very expensive, meatballs!

1/2

Primadonna's Restaurant
801 Broadway Avenue
McKees Rocks, PA
412-331-1001

Mocha House and Panera's

When the economy is booming, five dollar lattes are de rigueur. But when the economy is in the tank, we all try to stretch a buck, and the first thing to go is pricey coffee beverages. After all, you can go to McDonald’s and get a full lunch for the price of a Mocha Grande at Starbucks.

Speaking of which, I have never been a Starbuck’s fan. I find the Starbucks coffee bitter and uber strong. My simple tastes go to Maxwell House.

Notwithstanding, I do like to go to certain coffee shops for lunch and an occasional snack. In this area, there are two that I frequent: the locally owned Mocha House and the nationally franchised chain Panera’s. We locals still claim Panera’s as our own as the Warren based Covelli Enterprises sold its McDonald’s franchises and went into the Panera’s business as the parent company expanded from the original Au Bon Pain coffee shops. Covelli runs a tight ship with all of its operations winning awards for excellence. If you have gone to non-Covelli owned Panera’s, you know what I mean.

Let’s start with the Mocha House. It has been around the area for a long time. It has two locations. The original is located on High Street in Warren, and the expansion is located on Tiffany Boulevard in Boardman. The Warren store is neat! It is large with a warm interior and a fun place to visit. It is what a coffee shop should be. The Boardman store is smaller and somewhat more sterile looking in line with the plaza in which it is located. But it still has a local flavor with locally owned neighbors like the Classic Bakery and Catullo’s Butcher Shop.

Both of the locations offer a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items, and daily soup specials. The food is fairly imaginative, well prepared, with a wide variety of choices given its limited kitchen facilities. I have had some wonderful grilled sandwiches and some very tasty soup at both of its locations. The customer orders at a walk up counter, with the menu displayed on huge hand written boards on the back wall. Desserts are featured in a major way, with a dessert case sinfully filled with decadent cakes and tortes right by the walk-up order counter. I don’t believe the desserts are made on site. But they look really good nonetheless. Don’t count calories here.

If I have one complaint, the help at both of the locations isn’t particularly friendly. I feel like apologizing for bothering them. Coffee is also kept behind the counter, so one has to ask for a refill. The attitude is a bit much, and the owners should try to correct it. That being said, I like going there for lunch or for a sweet.

Panera’s is a class operation all the way, with a heavy emphasis on homemade breads and baked goods. It also offers imaginative lunches and soups, but does not have the main course entrees offered by Mocha House. But it’s kind of “who cares” because the food at Panera’s is always good. There are numerous Panera locations all over the valley. The Canfield and Austintown locations are new and are preferable to the Boardman location, which is cramped with difficult access. Mr. Covelli…build a new Boardman store!!!! How about right across from your O’Charley’s location at Windham and South Avenue…right next to my office!!!!!

If the food is good at Panera’s, the baked goods are outstanding. Yes, they are a little pricey, but when I die and go to heaven, the Lord better be providing those luscious cinnamon rolls and pecan rolls. The Danish are great, and the Bears Claws are the best, and I mean the best, I have ever had. They are addicting. The little quiches they offer for breakfast aren’t too shabby either.

If there is one complaint with Panera’s, it’s the mass confusion at the order counter. It would be helpful if it would develop a system of lines for folks to queue up in rather than people cutting in front of people with the walk up system they have now. It is a tad irritating on busy days. And like Mocha House, some of the help could use some personality training, but that is the exception instead of the rule.

I won’t award meatballs for either of these places because they are basically coffee shop operations. But both get an enthusiastic thumbs up!!!

The Upstairs - Youngstown

The Upstairs has become a local institution. Whether we admit it or not, it is the current “see and be seen” place in the Mahoning Valley. Go there on any night and you will alternately see local politicos, both current and has been, country club types who are out on the town, singles of both sexes…and some really hot babes. You will even see some nefarious folks of questionable repute. This place is a hoot, and a lot of fun.

Located on the second floor of a nondescript building on Mahoning Avenue, you have to climb the steps to get there…hence the name “The Upstairs.” On the first floor, the same owners have a wine store and wine bar which is extremely attractive. You can pretend you are being “scoped out” by the guy sitting watching the comings and goings. Do they call “upstairs” when someone enters the stairwell who may cause a problem? Just kidding!!! But it is fun to pretend.

You enter into a bar area which, in my humble opinion, is what a bar should be. It is nothing fancy, but sophisticated and self contained, filling up the entire space. It is just crowded enough, and reminds me of restaurant bars from the 1960’s.

The dining area is a little crowded, and not particularly large, but it comfortable and extremely attractive. Both the bar and the restaurant can be described as “soft” looking with impressionist art work on the walls and a soft glow. There is a second floor outside patio area which is very nice, and popular in the summer. The view from the patio isn’t anything spectacular, but you are still under the stars in the back of the building away from the street noise.

We were promptly seated, but at a round table made for six, which made my group of 4 have to lean in to talk. The service is good, but it took awhile to get our drink orders, with the drinks coming out one at a time. Notwithstanding, the waitress was very friendly and attentive which made everything okay!!!

The menu and the food are very good, but not great. I ordered the flat iron steak medium rare and came out well done. But it was tender and tasty and not worth complaining about. My wife said her fish was terrific. The menu has Mediterranean overtones with some Lebanese, Italian, and Greek offerings, along with standard American type fare. I have had veal here on another occasion which was out of this world. Prices are on the high side of medium, maybe a smidge higher than comparable places in the area. But you know what? Who cares!!!

The Upstairs should be judged on the total package. It might not reach the top of any my "look for" lists, but there is no shame in being just very good. It has a good ambiance, good food, good drinks, good service, and is a great place to come and have a good time. More often than not, that fits the bill just fine.

We will be back. It takes reservations, a major plus. My rating: a total 4 meatballs.

The Upstairs Restaurant
4500 Mahoning Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44515
330-793-5577

The Fifth Season

Tucked next to Meander Reservoir is a gem of a restaurant located right here in Youngstown. For some reason I have avoided visiting this fine establishment, and it was my loss. The rave reviews I have heard from folks who eat here regularly are spot on.

The restaurant is located in an old tavern building out on Mahoning Avenue. It has been updated and expanded, but not overly decorated fitting the woodsy location of the place. There are several dining rooms, with the largest being in the bar area, and several other smaller dining rooms. The one in the rear overlooks the beautiful surroundings, albeit surrounded by a parking lot and fence. There is also a large deck which allows for al fresco dining when weather permits. Rustic is the rule and I bet that it’s downright charming around Christmas time.

While the restaurant has some Italian overtones, it is probably the most innovative menu I have seen in the Youngstown area. In addition to a wide variety of steaks and chops, it offers dishes like Boursin Chicken, Hungarian Chicken, Spicy Veal, and jazzed up carnivore dishes topped with crabmeat and lobster, and comfort food like pot roast. There is an outstanding selection of appetizers. I didn’t get to try the beer/cheese soup, which sounds intriguing to a Welsh Rarebit fan like me. Next time it will be first on the list.

The food here is great. I had a Delmonico steak, which was perfectly prepared. There is a choice of accompaniments, mostly standard stuff. My wife had the Vegetarian Pasta which looked delicious. It also has numerous sea food selections, including a sea food puff pastry with a béarnaise sauce, as well as several preparations of salmon and tuna. The menu is about as good as I have seen anywhere. Add to the mix some wild game selections, such as alligator or kangaroo, and you can have a good time!!!

In addition to the above, these folks met my pet peeve head on. It doesn’t take much to dress up that ordinary dinner salad that is usually plopped in front of you, making it something special. The chef offers a homemade Ginger vinaigrette dressing which was really, really good. Nothing fancy about the salad, but a great homemade dressing makes it a cut above.

The Fifth Season also has an extensive, award winning list. It offers over 700 selections. I am not a wine connoisseur, so it is wasted on me. My taste goes to Beringer’s White Zinfandel (that is so 1990’s). I will take it from the experts and awards that this place knows what it is doing.

My one quibblie is that the tables are close together, making it seem very crowded, especially in the smaller dining rooms. It you tend to be claustrophobic, ask to be seated in the main bar area which seems to be the most open of the bunch.

Price wise it is very affordable. Dinners range between $13.00 to $30.00, including two sides or one side and a salad. Portions are good sized with great presentation. My bar tab seemed extremely low, almost to the point where I thought they made a mistake. Selling a Gin and Tonic for $2.70, even using house Gin, sounds underpriced to me. I had two Jack and waters and the total was $7.50…which is good for even a non-generous pour.

Oh yes… try the peanut butter pie. It is one of the best I have tasted.

The Fifth Season is a not too fancy place that concentrates on great food…and succeeds. It gets a resounding 4 meatballs. Give it a try. I waited way too long.

The Fifth Season Restaurant

7098 Mahoning Avenue

Austintown, OH 44513

330-799-3483

The Capital Grille - Pittsburgh

OK. What do I do with this one? As you can probably tell, I am steakhouse freak. If I am nothing else, I am a carnivore. I love steaks, and everything that goes with them. Top tier American steakhouses are very expensive. Ala carte ordering is de rigueur, ramping up the cost of the evening to a point where you need to take out a small mortgage on your house to pay the bill. But if it hits, you are in steak nirvana, and what will remain is the memory of an outstanding meal with only a little pain when the credit card bill comes.

The Capital Grille is another premier American steakhouse chain, with what looks to be between 30 and 40 locations throughout the country. This past weekend, we visited the one in Pittsburgh. It is my kind of place. It is spectacularly clubby with mahogany and leather everywhere you look, and lots of male waiters scurrying about taking care of your every need and wish. The service here is about as good as I have had anywhere, and very friendly. There is just enough babe factor to make sitting at the bar awhile worthwhile. These chicks know how to dress for their “men”. Whoa Mama!!!!

The menu is classic steakhouse, with lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail that are large enough to be mutants, wonderful salads, beefsteak tomatoes, creamed spinach, asparagus, au gratin potatoes…I have stop, I am getting the vapors. Everything about this place is top notch…top drawer, top shelf, and top of the line. Everything that is…except the steak.

Here’s the deal. I had the best lobster bisque I have ever had in my life. It was filled with so many junks of lobster, it could have been a meal. My beefsteak tomato salad was outstanding. My wife’s mixed salad had an outstanding house dressing on it and contained wonderful homemade croutons. The au gratin potatoes were to die for. My wife’s citrus salmon was like eating butter. I have never quite tasted anything like it before. For dessert, we split a wonderful piece of chocolate hazelnut cake which was heaven made.

So what do I do with my steak that sucked!!! This place prides itself in its dried aged meat. Its tour de force steak is called the Kona Sirloin. It is bone in, and rubbed in brown sugar and coffee with a combination of spices. I like my steak medium, which is pink all the way through, but I usually order it medium rare because most places over cook them. Steakhouses aren’t supposed to. I asked the waiter specifically if the chef cooked a true medium, or should I under order. He said absolutely it was true medium…and came out like shoe leather. They had cooked the hell out of it.

The waiter was appropriately appalled, and immediately took the steak back. Of course, by the time the replacement came out, my wife had finished her dinner with a good part of it going to me. The replacement steak was cooked medium rare…mostly rare…and was so tough and filled with gristle, only a portion of it was edible.

To the credit of the place, they immediately took the steak off of my bill. But at $43.00 for the steak alone, one would expect a whole lot better.

So there you have it; a place perfect in every way except for the main event. I would definitely go back here for everything but the Kona sirloin. Next time I will try a filet mignon or a strip steak…if I can save up enough iron!!!!

The Capital Grille gets two ratings:

5 meatballs for most everything.

3 meatballs for the steak.

The Capital Grille
301 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-338-9100