During my visit to Pittsburgh last week, I had plenty of opportunities to eat some good food. On the first day of walking around, I noticed The Pita Pit, which was pretty close to my hotel. I made my way there on Wednesday night. The Pita Pit has locations all over the place, but this was the first time I had heard of it, so it was new to me.
While looking at the menu over and over again, I struggled with a decision. I finally decided on the Thai Chicken Pita. They had a double meat for $1 special, so I went with that.
This was a really big pita. You can’t really tell from the picture, but this was pretty much the size of an extra large burrito.
This was a really good sandwich. The double meat was probably too much food for me, but it was worth it. The Thai satay and veggies added some tremendous flavor. By the end of the pita, about half the meat was on the wrapper. I had a fork and ate it all up. There were some really good layers of flavor and the pita itself had nice flavor and texture. If I’m close by, I could see myself trying some of the other items on the menu, but I’d also be just as happy getting this one again!
On one of my previous visits to Pittsburgh, I tried Crazy Mocha Coffee Company and I liked it. When I was going to be there last week, I noticed that there was one really close to the hotel where I was staying, so I knew I would be there at least once.
I went there on a Wednesday morning after a long walk and decided to try a Peppermint Mocha Frappe. The consistency was perfect, and the flavor was great. The peppermint flavor went well with the mocha, and was a nice and refreshing treat.
I decided to go with a chocolate chip muffin for breakfast from there as well. This was a very good muffin. The sugar crystals on top added a nice burst of sweetness. The inside part was nice and light, and this accompanied the frappe nicely.
On Friday morning, the weather was really cold (20 degrees with a wind chill in the single digits), so I didn’t want to venture too far from my hotel. I went back to Crazy Mocha and decided to order a white chocolate mocha frappe. This also had good consistency and a nice flavor.
My original plan was to have two visits to Crazy Mocha, with the second one happening on the day I left (Saturday). Since it was so cold Friday morning, I ended up there. And Saturday morning was no better. The weather was in the teens and felt even colder. I wanted to limit how far I walked, so I stuck with Crazy Mocha for the third time. I got a Peppermint Bark Mocha Frappe this time. The consistency was great once again. The flavor was really good, too. This was different than the peppermint mocha because they had a peppermint bark syrup that they used, so there was the white chocolate base in there.
Three visits, three really good coffee drinks. Definitely has me looking forward to my next visit to the city!
While I was in Pittsburgh last week, there was a need for me to have some coffee drinks (frappes). There were a couple that were in walking distance of my hotel, including Big Dog Coffee. I walked there the first morning I was there (I had arrived the previous evening).
I decided to go with a Mochaccino. This was a very good coffee drink. It had the perfect consistency, and it had a surprisingly sweet coffee flavor. It worked really well and I was happy to have gone there.
There are some pretty cool decorations all over the place, and there was even a working fireplace that first morning, when it was a bit cold. The atmosphere was very friendly, and it seemed like there were quite a few regulars who were there extra early in the morning.
They had these chocolate chip cookies. These cookies were fantastic. Nice and soft on the inside, not too crunchy on the outside. They were so good that I went back a couple of times just to get a cookie.
I went back on the Thursday morning for a coffee drink and possibly something for breakfast. I ordered a Caramel Mochaccino the second time. It was another good frappe. It had nice flavor and a good consistency. The mochaccino was my favorite, but the caramel mochaccino was also good. The banana bread was a good breakfast treat. It was a thickly sliced piece, so it was a perfect amount for breakfast. The banana flavor was nice. Not overbearing, and not something that you had to struggle to try and get the flavor. It had a heavier consistency, but that worked really well as a balance to the coffee drink.
This may have been a little off the main road, but they do have a big sign outside, just in case you need to find it. Good coffee, good cookies, good treats, and a really nice atmosphere made me happy to have been able to try this place last week.
During my visit to Pittsburgh last week, my hotel was a about a three minute walk from Batram House Bakery. As a result, I ended up going there a few times throughout the week.
My first visit was on the night I arrived. I had a very big lunch/dinner at Hofbrauhaus, and waited a few hours before venturing out for dessert.
When I arrived, I started looking at the goodies. So many nice looking items to choose from, but I was leaning towards a cupcake. Then I saw a sign that indicated that the pastries were on sale (if you purchased two). So, I decided instead to go with the pastries.
I started with a chocolate croissant, which was my dessert for the night. This was a really good dessert. The bites that had the chocolate on the inside were truly delicious. The crust was nice and flaky. It was easy to bite into, and the soft bites of chocolate added a perfect amount of sweet. I was happy with this choice.
The other pastry I went with was the croissant. I saved this for the morning. Even though it sat overnight, it still had a really nice crunch to it. The inside was very flaky and had a really smooth flavor. This was a really good croissant and was a nice breakfast treat.
The next night, I went back to the bakery again for dessert. Fortunately, they still had the cupcakes, and I went with chocolate, although the vanilla was also looking quite good. The cake part had a nicely baked outside, and the inside part was very light and fluffy. The flavor was very good. The frosting was almost like a mousse and was also delicious. The bites with both the cake and the frosting were exactly what I would want from a cupcake. So I was a happy camper.
On my last night, I went back to Bartram House one last time. This time, I went with the S’Mores bar. It looked too good to turn down. There are three main components to a S’mores bar, and they did a great job on two of the three. The marshmallow topping was perfect. Nice and gooey, but not so much that was hard to bite through or would stick to part of your face. The chocolate layer was incredible. Probably the best chocolate layer I’ve had in any store bought S’mores bar. The graham cracker crust was the only part that missed the mark. Not on flavor. It had really good flavor. My only problem with it was that it broke apart too easily. There were some bites that the crust fell before I got it into my mouth, which was disappointing. It is a shame, because it had good flavor. And when all three were together in one bite, it was a great S’mores bar.
I would be happy to go back to Bartram House the next time I’m back in town. I would easily order any of these items again, or try something new. Knowing that there is a good place for some tasty sweet treats is an easy way for me to stay positive.
On my first day back in Pittsburgh, I had to decide where I was going to eat. It was just after 2:00 PM, I hadn’t had lunch, and I was pretty hungry. I did a little walking around to see if there was anything that stood out, but I decided on Hofbrauhaus. I think it was already in my head, since I had checked it out online before I left, but at least I got some walking done first. This was right next to the hotel where I was staying, so the walk home wouldn’t be bad (even though I would walk around town even more after I had my lunch/dinner).
This is a beer hall, but I don’t drink beer. I think that this would be a really cool experience for people who enjoy beer and want to get a little taste of a German beer hall.
When I sat down, there was an accordion player making some music. Some people were getting into it more than others, clapping along to the music. I thought it added a really nice touch and gave the feeling of being in a different place.
There were long wooden tables with benches, so you could be seated next to complete strangers, depending on the time of day. I got there in between lunch and dinner, so I had some space to myself. As I was looking through the menu, the tough part was deciding on one thing. If I was there with other people, I probably would have been happy to get a couple of appetizers and maybe split one or two things. But since it was just me, I had to think about what I could eat without leftovers. I have a completely different mindset at home, but when I’m on the road, I am not thinking about leftovers. I didn’t order a beer, but did order a root beer. 🙂
When it came time to order my food, I decided on a Schnitzel sandwich, and I replaced the French fries with Potato soup. The soup was really good. It was a creamy soup with some really good flavor. There were chunks of potato and bits of bacon in there as well, so it was a good way to start the meal. The schnitzel sandwich had a fried pork cutlet on a brioche bun with lettuce, onions, and their signature Bier Cheese (I asked for it without tomatoes or pickles). The schnitzel itself was really good. Nice and crispy on the outside, and juicy and full of flavor on the inside. Easy to bite through as well. The brioche held up well, but there was a lot more schnitzel than bread, which made me quite happy. The bier cheese made this extra special. It had good flavor, and it worked really well with the schnitzel sandwich. It is probably really good with pretzels, but maybe I’ll get to try that some other time.
As far as a start to the week, it doesn’t get much better than this. Good food and a good environment make it easy to stay positive!
When I first saw that Dandelion Bakery was going to be opening in Downtown Sykesville, I was pretty excited. When it was finally scheduled to open, I was getting ready to go on my Disney Cruise. So, I knew it would be awhile before I got to actually try it out.
I first made my way over there a few weeks ago. I got a chocolate chip cookie, but the other items they had looked really good.
I wanted to start with a chocolate chip cookie because I wanted to see if they were able to do it justice. This was a really good chocolate chip cookie. It tasted fresh, not generic at all. The nice crunch on the outside and the chewiness on the inside went well with the melty chocolate chips. Knowing that they could make a good chocolate chip cookie made me want to try more of their items.
They had some really good offerings, but it took me until this weekend to make my way back. I decided on two things: Flourless Torte slice and Oreo Mousse Cake.
I decided to start with the Oreo Mousse Cake. The mousse was nice and smooth, not grainy at all. There were plenty of Oreo pieces in there, and they had a soft consistency. The cookie crust also had a really good consistency. This was a delicious piece of cake. Sweet, but not too sweet. A nice balance of chocolate and the mousse. I was a fan of this one and will order it again.
The flourless torte was the next one I tried. This was all different types of chocolatey goodness. The torte was thick, and had very rich flavor. The icing on the top was a nice addition to these bites. The flavor of the cake was really good. This is an indulgent treat, but well worth it. The toughest thing for me was to decide which of these two treats were my favorite. To be honest, I don’t really know. They each had a lot of positives without any negatives. I’ll probably just have to buy them both again and try to make a choice again. 🙂
When you eat this well, you can’t help but stay positive!
When I planned out my morning, I had two things in mind. First was to get breakfast at Rise, which I did. Second was to get a coffee drink at Mad City Coffee in Columbia, Maryland. I used to make my way to Mad City Coffee every few weeks when I lived in Ellicott City, but I haven’t been there as much since I moved into my house. They offer plenty of food and sweets, but I just haven’t tried them yet. I’ve only gone there for coffee. Their coffee is good, so I’m sure their food is good as well (and they always have a lot of people in there eating, so I am sure it’s good). Maybe one day I will just have it as a goal to eat there as well.
As you could see by the first picture, they take pride in roasting their beans in house. They have a nice, large roaster, and I’ve been there a couple of times when they were in the process of roasting.
They have quite a few offerings in terms of flavors. There are more than just these pictures, but I thought I would share some.
When it came time to order, I went with an old standard, the Mocha Frappe. They do a good job with this drink. The straw is a little skinnier than I’m used to, but there was no problem drinking the frappe. There was no iciness, so it had a nice, smooth consistency. This is made with espresso, and I could taste hints of the roasted flavor. One of the reasons I like my coffee drinks with espresso is because the flavor of the espresso provides a nice balance to the sweetness of the added flavors. I’m on my third punch card here, so this is a place I will continue to go back and visit from time to time. Definitely an easy way to continue to have a very Positive Day!
It took me a couple of months to make it back to Rise in Columbia, but I’m glad I did.
I started with a Creme Brûlée donut. I had my eye on these the last time I was there, but decided to go ahead and order it this morning. The donut itself had nice flavor. It was a light and fluffy dough. The filling was nice and thick, but not overly sweet. The top of the donut was caramelized, which gave it the Creme Brûlée touch. This was a surprisingly good treat.
I finished it up with some biscuits and gravy. I love sausage gravy, but this was meat free and I wanted to give it a try. I decided to go with a cheddar biscuit instead of buttermilk. The biscuit was topped with the creamy gravy, cheddar cheese and green onions. Not the combination I’m used to, but it’s always good to try something different. Starting with the biscuit, it had a nice texture, but I couldn’t really tell it was a cheddar biscuit since it had all the toppings on it. I will have to go back to Rise again just to try their cheddar biscuits. The gravy had the perfect consistency. It was seasoned well and had a very smooth flavor. The cheddar cheese was a nice addition. There were some bites that were really melty, which was a nice change of pace to biscuits and gravy. The green onions were more than I would have preferred, but they did add an additional layer of flavor and texture. Overall, I would say that this was a good biscuits and gravy. I’d still prefer the traditional sausage gravy, but the flavor combinations and textures were really nice. I could definitely see myself ordering this again along with a donut in the future. The combination of the two is the right amount of food for me for breakfast.
Since this was my second visit, I could see this as something that goes into a regular rotation for me. Maybe every 2-3 months, depending on my cravings. They also have lunch items on their menu, so I would not mind expanding out and trying additional offerings. The staff was different for each of my visits, and on both occasions the staff was nice and friendly, and the wait time for my food was not too long. Eating at Rise is definitely a good way to start the day!
For the past few years, I’ve tried to make foods that have components of both teams in the Super Bowl. This year’s teams are San Francisco and Kansas City. I could have gone the easy way and had a steak sandwich on sourdough bread, but I wanted to try something a little bit different. Something that would let me test my cooking skills. I saw that the Kansas City regions (both Kansas and Missouri) have something called bierocks as a popular local dish. They are a yeast dough pastry pocket sandwich filled with savory foods.
Since this was a bread dish, I thought that sourdough would be a good match, since sourdough bread is one of those things I think about when it comes to San Francisco. I looked for raw sourdough bread, but was not able to find any in the grocery stores, so I decided to make my own sourdough starter, which I wrote about yesterday.
One of the tough things with sourdough bread is that it can have a very hard crust. I didn’t think a hard crust would be a good fit for the bierocks, so I had to make adjustments.
Last night, I mixed up 2 cups of my sourdough starter, 3 cups of flour, 1 1/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. It was a better consistency than my first effort, and I covered it loosely and let it sit on a cookie sheet over night.
I thought about the timing of the food and how it would best be prepared. I had to make the filling and provide it with enough time to cool, so that was the next thing I worked on.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1/2 head cabbage
1/2 large white onion
dash of salt
dash of pepper
Step one was to chop 1/2 head of cabbage and 1/2 of a large white onion.
Next, I browned the ground beef. I used an 85/15 split, so there was some fat but not too much. I added the salt and pepper right before it was all browned.
Next, I added the chopped cabbage and onion and reduced the heat to medium low. I covered with a lid and cooked for 25 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
I took off the lid, turned the heat up to medium, and cooked for another five minutes. I then set it aside to let it cool. I tried a couple of bites, and it tasted much better than expected.
While the mixture was cooling, it was time to turn my attention to the sourdough. After about 15 hours of sitting, it expanded and got flat. I put some flour on a wooden board and worked the dough a bit.
I could have stopped here and made a bread bowl, but I wanted to make those bierocks. I rolled the dough until it was about two inches around, and then took off two inch portions and made round balls.
They didn’t keep their shape, but that was okay. This batch made 19 dough balls. I let those sit for about 15 minutes, which also gave the filling more time to cool. I didn’t want the filling to be too hot, since it was going to be surrounded by dough.
It was now time to make these stuffed sandwiches. I flattened out the dough balls.
Next, I added in a spoonful of filling.
I sealed it up at the top, and then I rolled it around in my hands to be more rounded.
This is one of the trays. They didn’t keep a round shape, but they still looked good. There were a couple of spots where there was too much filling and it tore through the dough, but I wasn’t looking for perfection. The meat mixture was about twice as much as I needed. I don’t mind the leftovers, since I can use them in the next few days. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees. I did this to let the dough have some more time to rest before getting baked.
I cooked them for 15 minutes, rotated, and then another 16 minutes, and they were done.
It was now time to eat. I know that I made this well before the Super Bowl started, but there was no way I could wait until 6:30 PM to eat food. And prep time would take away from watching the game (and the commercials). Biting into this stuffed sandwich was pretty nice. The top was easy to bite through and was not crunchy like a normal sourdough bread. The bottom was a little more crisp, but still easy to bite through. I think this would be better with the traditional dough, which would be softer and a little more sweet, but this was still good.
The meat mixture had some good flavor to it. I’m not always a big fan of cabbage, but it had a nice consistency to it and it absorbed the flavors of the meat and onions really well. I had one bite that was just cabbage, and it had a velvety consistency and a smooth flavor that pleasantly surprised me. I really enjoyed this meal. It would have been better to have people to share it with, but at least I already have my lunch and dinners prepared for the next week. It’s easy to stay positive when the food you spend time to prepare works out. No matter what happens in the Super Bowl, this has been a great day. Enjoy!
I had a plan to go to The Habit Burger down in Rockville, Maryland for a few weeks. This was the weekend that the timing worked out the best.
The Habit has been in the news recently, since it was bought by Yum! Brands. I used to work for Yum! Brands at the Taco Bell Corporate office in California, but my opinions for this are my own. I’m not sure if I’m happy about the change in ownership. I was working for Yum! Brands when they took over A&W and Long John Silver’s, and I don’t think they did things right. I’m hoping that they can sit back and let The Habit do what it does best, and not get too mired into trying to change the way they do things to the “Yum” way. If they support them in the background, it could be a mutually beneficial deal for both sides.
The first time I heard of The Habit was about 15 years ago. We used to visit my uncle and grandmother in Goleta, and I remember one time my uncle was talking about liking to go over on Hollister Street at a hamburger joint called the Habit. I never thought too much about it, but looking back, I wish that I would have recommended going there with him at least once.
It wasn’t until a few years later that The Habit started popping up in Orange County, and I enjoyed it. If you haven’t been there, think more along the lines of Five Guys or SmashBurger, not McDonald’s or Burger King.
Now that I live in Maryland, it’s not a place I can go to whenever I feel like It. I have to take the time to plan a day to go there. When I was in California, I could have driven by one of their restaurants any day of the week on my way to or from work, or visiting with family.
As far as the Rockville location goes, it’s right on Rockville Pike, but if you blink you might miss it. I’ve been there a few times, since it’s one of those places that reminds me of California. It’s close to CostPlus World Market, so if I time things right, I can get there right at lunch time.
They’ve got some paintings up, which pay homage to their roots. I think that’s pretty cool.
I decided to go with the Double Char with Cheese combo, which includes fries and a drink. The Double Charburger has two Chargrilled burger patties, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, and caramelized onions on a toasted bun (and I got it with cheese as well). I ordered mine without the pickles and forgot to order without tomato. The buns had good flavor and held the sandwich together well. They didn’t get mushy and didn’t break apart. They were intact down to the last bite. The burgers had a nice, juicy flavor with the right amount of seasoning. The caramelized onions gave an extra layer of flavor that really elevated the overall experience. No ketchup needed for this burger at all. Everything in there worked perfectly. The fries were nice and crispy, but I should have asked for light salt. These didn’t have too much salt on them, I just prefer to have little to no salt on my fries. Compared to fries you can get in other places, these were still good. They were a nice complement to the burger. The bonus was that they have Mr. Pibb, so I had a complete meal.
This was a very good experience. The burgers are made fresh, but it wasn’t a long wait. It helped that I got there right at 11AM, but even when it got busy, there was still a good flow to the other customers getting their food.
I was happy to eat at The Habit Burger Grill today. The food was really good. It also brought back nice memories of California. It made me think of my uncle. Although he’s not here anymore, having these little reminders of the good conversations we used to have makes it easier to focus on the positive side of things.
Noninsightfulness 