Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! September and October Issue!

There are 3 rules to the game:

1) Every month one person picks the places to dine.

2) No one in the group could have eaten there before.

3) Everyone splits the bill.

Follow me on this journey of tasting new things and learning more about the city I love! Feel free to use this game with your own family or friends and share below the amazing places you find throughout your travels!

-SEPTEMBER-

This month, it was my turn to choose the restaurants, and I decided we should start the evening at Cork & Crust, located on the main floor of the Oaklander Hotel in Oakland. It’s a trendy dining space featuring a stylish bar and a small patio.

We started with drinks: Rachael ordered a glass of red wine ($14), and I chose the Palermo Spritz ($16), a refreshing blood orange cocktail.

To begin, we ordered the special arancini, the Black Garlic Schiacciata ($15), and the Smoke Show Salad ($16).

I’ve never been served arancini quite like this before. Instead of individual bites, it arrived as one large, flattened round. The schiacciata was more reminiscent of focaccia bread and was served with marinara sauce for dipping. Our waitress presented the smoked salad tableside, which made for a nice touch. The salad featured roasted beets, pickled fennel, strawberries, and mixed greens.

For our entrées, we shared the cavatelli with rabbit sausage, peas, mushrooms, cream sauce, and pesto ($29), along with a cheese pizza topped with pepperoni on half ($20).

We were especially excited to try the blueberry cannoli for dessert ($13), but unfortunately, it was only okay at best.

Our server was excellent and provided great service throughout the meal. Overall, however, we felt that Cork & Crust was overpriced and delivered fairly average flavors for the price.

Next, we headed to The Finch in the South Side Highline. This rooftop bar offers beautiful views of the city, although the rain prevented us from fully enjoying the scenery during our visit. We stopped in for a quick drink before heading home. Rachael ordered the Beach Blanco – still or sparkling white wine base with house-made sangria and mango puree syrup ($16), while I tried the Extended Vacation – spiced rum, orange and pineapple juice, and cream of coconut ($17).

The building also features a cigar bar on a different floor. While it’s a beautiful venue with impressive views and a unique atmosphere, parking and access can be a bit challenging.

-OCTOBER-

This month, it was Rachael’s turn to choose the restaurants, and we kicked off the evening at the Oktoberfest celebration hosted by the Coldwell Banker Realty South Hills office. The spread of food was impressive, and the staff fully embraced the theme, dressed in traditional German attire while German music played in the background. The festive atmosphere made for a fun and memorable start to the evening.

Our dinner destination was Ava Mae’s Bistro and Pizzeria in Cuddy, Pennsylvania. The restaurant is bright, spacious, and welcoming, featuring both a casual dining area and a more formal dining room, along with a bar and plenty of outdoor seating. Although the outdoor space looked inviting, the cool evening temperatures kept us inside.

The service was excellent from start to finish. To begin, we shared an appetizer of three meatballs served with crusty Italian bread ($8).

We also ordered a six-piece, square-cut classic pizza. The crust was wonderfully crispy and packed with flavor ($15).

For my entrée, I chose the chicken piccata, which was outstanding ($25). The dish featured two generous chicken breasts topped with a plentiful serving of lemon sauce and capers, accompanied by a side of penne pasta. The portions were so large that we easily had enough food left over for another meal.

Of course, dessert was a must. While I am starting to tire of restaurants featuring “signature desserts,” they are usually hard to resist. This time, we ordered the triple chocolate cake and the coconut cream cake. Both slices were enormous, giving us yet another round of leftovers to take home.

Ava Mae’s offers a moderately priced menu with generous portions and excellent value. Based on this experience, I plan to stop back someday to sample one of their sandwiches. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Oh… and one final note: we completely forgot to take our picture!

Until next time, happy eating!