Some people go to the country or to the beach for some R&R. Not me. I love to go to the city, and the closest one around with any true urban consequence is Pittsburgh. This past weekend, we ventured into the Steel City with a friend of ours who had never been…to Pittsburgh. We did the cook's driving tour around the perimeter of the city, then parked the car at Mellon Square for a walkabout downtown.
Not such a good idea. Between three sets of feet, you probably couldn’t find a good right foot. My original plan was to go to the 17th Street Café for dinner, but the walk, and our feet, did us in. What we needed was air conditioning and a martini. So we nixed the drive to the south side and headed for the Omni William Penn for a leisurely dinner and few cocktails.
The Omni William Penn is the grande dame of Pittsburgh hotels. There are plenty of new ones. As a matter of fact, the Fairmont Hotel chain just opened a super deluxe hotel near the theater district. Unfortunately for me, I would have to re-mortgage my house to stay there. A little pricey!! Nevertheless, the William Penn fills the bill in elegance and convenience. It is like stepping back into a more gracious time.
The lobby is a stunner, and so is the The Terrace Room, its restaurant. With chandeliers and murals and palm trees and mirrors and well spaced tables…they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. There was a time back in the 60’s and 70’s when hotel dining was synonymous with expensive, mediocre food. Not anymore. Most big city first class hotels have upped their game to make hotel dining a first class experience.
The Terrace Room is no exception. It has a wonderful Sunday brunch for those attending theater matinees or going to church services at some of the magnificent downtown churches. If you are staying at the hotel, get a bed and breakfast package and you won’t be disappointed. Nothing is more relaxing the drinking mimosas in this absolutely spectacular setting while watching Pittsburgh walk by outside.
This is not a trendy spot, although the action at night in the adjoining lounge and separate Tap Room can get hot and heavy. But one quirk about new Pittsburgh restaurants…they all tend to be a tad avante-garde, looking for a gimmick or trying to be “so California” with lots of stacked food. Not the Terrace Room, its all about a quiet and appreciative dinner experience with no loud music blaring in the background, or high decibel noise levels. It’s all fine china and crystal. I suppose if you are twenty, it would be boring. At age sixty, it is a welcome respite of bygone grace.
The wait staff is properly attentive, friendly, but not too friendly. There is a degree of formality. The food is just old fashioned enough to go with the setting. For example, prime rib was a special of the day, prepared medium to well…huh? Medium to well? Hey, beginning in the 1980’s you ate prime rib rare, or at least medium rare. But I thought I would give it a try hinting to the waiter, the closer that medium came to rare, the happier I would be.
Well…the prime rib came out medium well. I almost sent it back, but I tasted it first and it was wonderful. It was juicy and moist, and flavorful. This how it was prepared when I was a kid. It brought me back to the Crystal Dining Room at the Hotel Pick Ohio in the 1950’s. I doubt if there is another restaurant around today that could pull this off. No doubt this was slow cooked the old fashioned way. It was accompanied by a cheese and bacon bread pudding and perfectly cooked French green beans. I started my meal with a well prepared turkey and rice soup. It had a kick!!! Outstanding!!! I tasted my friends seafood chowder-Manhattan style . Whoa Mama!
We finished dinner with a crème brulee trio…a perfect ending to a great meal.
The downside to the evening was the service was excruciatingly slow... S-L-O-W!! I’m not sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Back in the day, the evening’s entertainment was going out for dinner, the courses were spaced, and you relaxed, drank, and enjoyed the company. Now it's "let’s see how many time we can turn the table over tonight! Here’s your burger, now eat it and get the hell out!!!" Notwithstanding, the slow service was almost annoying.
That being said, if you are ever in Pittsburgh with hot, sore feet, put on your game face and head over to the Terrace Room in the William Penn. Get a martini and cool off. It is the quintessential Pittsburgh experience. Park in the Mellon Square underground garage right across the street from the hotel.
My rating 3 ½ meatballs…1/2 meatball penalty for the slow service.
1/2
412-553-5235
Not such a good idea. Between three sets of feet, you probably couldn’t find a good right foot. My original plan was to go to the 17th Street Café for dinner, but the walk, and our feet, did us in. What we needed was air conditioning and a martini. So we nixed the drive to the south side and headed for the Omni William Penn for a leisurely dinner and few cocktails.
The Omni William Penn is the grande dame of Pittsburgh hotels. There are plenty of new ones. As a matter of fact, the Fairmont Hotel chain just opened a super deluxe hotel near the theater district. Unfortunately for me, I would have to re-mortgage my house to stay there. A little pricey!! Nevertheless, the William Penn fills the bill in elegance and convenience. It is like stepping back into a more gracious time.
The lobby is a stunner, and so is the The Terrace Room, its restaurant. With chandeliers and murals and palm trees and mirrors and well spaced tables…they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. There was a time back in the 60’s and 70’s when hotel dining was synonymous with expensive, mediocre food. Not anymore. Most big city first class hotels have upped their game to make hotel dining a first class experience.
The Terrace Room is no exception. It has a wonderful Sunday brunch for those attending theater matinees or going to church services at some of the magnificent downtown churches. If you are staying at the hotel, get a bed and breakfast package and you won’t be disappointed. Nothing is more relaxing the drinking mimosas in this absolutely spectacular setting while watching Pittsburgh walk by outside.
This is not a trendy spot, although the action at night in the adjoining lounge and separate Tap Room can get hot and heavy. But one quirk about new Pittsburgh restaurants…they all tend to be a tad avante-garde, looking for a gimmick or trying to be “so California” with lots of stacked food. Not the Terrace Room, its all about a quiet and appreciative dinner experience with no loud music blaring in the background, or high decibel noise levels. It’s all fine china and crystal. I suppose if you are twenty, it would be boring. At age sixty, it is a welcome respite of bygone grace.
The wait staff is properly attentive, friendly, but not too friendly. There is a degree of formality. The food is just old fashioned enough to go with the setting. For example, prime rib was a special of the day, prepared medium to well…huh? Medium to well? Hey, beginning in the 1980’s you ate prime rib rare, or at least medium rare. But I thought I would give it a try hinting to the waiter, the closer that medium came to rare, the happier I would be.
Well…the prime rib came out medium well. I almost sent it back, but I tasted it first and it was wonderful. It was juicy and moist, and flavorful. This how it was prepared when I was a kid. It brought me back to the Crystal Dining Room at the Hotel Pick Ohio in the 1950’s. I doubt if there is another restaurant around today that could pull this off. No doubt this was slow cooked the old fashioned way. It was accompanied by a cheese and bacon bread pudding and perfectly cooked French green beans. I started my meal with a well prepared turkey and rice soup. It had a kick!!! Outstanding!!! I tasted my friends seafood chowder-Manhattan style . Whoa Mama!
We finished dinner with a crème brulee trio…a perfect ending to a great meal.
The downside to the evening was the service was excruciatingly slow... S-L-O-W!! I’m not sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Back in the day, the evening’s entertainment was going out for dinner, the courses were spaced, and you relaxed, drank, and enjoyed the company. Now it's "let’s see how many time we can turn the table over tonight! Here’s your burger, now eat it and get the hell out!!!" Notwithstanding, the slow service was almost annoying.
That being said, if you are ever in Pittsburgh with hot, sore feet, put on your game face and head over to the Terrace Room in the William Penn. Get a martini and cool off. It is the quintessential Pittsburgh experience. Park in the Mellon Square underground garage right across the street from the hotel.
My rating 3 ½ meatballs…1/2 meatball penalty for the slow service.
1/2
1 comments:
I appreciate the ambience of this wonderful place, but it would be as good if it weren't for the companionship.
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