Lifestyle • October 16, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! October Issue

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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!

-OCTOBER-

This evening we celebrated our monthly dinner and it was Rachael’s choice who deemed it ‘a dud of a night’. We drive by both of these places often and have never tried them so, tonight was the night! We started at JMOS(Jamison’s) in Dormont. We had a sweet new waitress who was very anxious about doing a good job and she was great! Rachael enjoyed a beer while we waited and she commented on what a clean bar it was.

It was $3 off the half pound burger tonight so Rachael ordered a bacon swiss mushroom burger. ($11 with special) It was cooked as ordered, the bun was dry and the bacon ‘stix’ were not good. It was sticks of really thick bacon but the taste and texture were not appealing, served with a side of oily mac and cheese. I decided on the kielbasa burger, made locally for them served with tomato, red onion and pickles. I opted for it wrapped in lettuce, served with a side of chips. It was ok but did not taste like the kielbasa I am accustomed to.

We ordered garlic parm wings, flavorful and crispy. ($7.50)

On to Amy’s Bakery in Mount Lebanon. Rachael ordered a chocolate crepe pie and I had the tiramisu crepe pie.

They were large pie shaped servings but were very light on flavor. So….we laughed and enjoyed the evening out but we will look forward to November for sure.

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • September 13, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! September Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-SEPTEMBER-

It was my choice of restaurants this month. We started at The Parlor Dim Sum and Cantonese BBQ on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. Nice decor and service. We ordered to share.

We started with a pleasant white peony hot tea.

We had roasted duck soup, flank steak with wide rice noodles and scallions and roasted pork shoulder with a ginger honey glaze. All were generous portions and were plated pleasingly. The flavors were on the light side but I enjoyed it more than Rachael. Give it a try. Great bar area on the lower level.

Then we went to Perrysville to Wilson’s BBQ, a third generation rib joint that advertises as “riblicious”.

The ribs were so tender that the meat fell off of the bone. We tried a side of mac and cheese and the ribs were served with a lot of sauce, mild or hot and a slice of bread and butter. They reopened recently after having closed because of a fire. The staff was super courteous and attentive. It is basically for take out and they do have two tables on the sidewalk. We were entertained by a retired city cop who rapped with the staff for fun. We always enjoy our monthly dinners and trying new places.

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • August 15, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! August Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-AUGUST-

August was Rachael’s choice of dining spots. We headed for dinner to Mary’s Vine, located in a refurbished church in Rankin. They did a fabulous makeover of the space, top to bottom, adding a modern vibe and an outdoor dining area. The tables and chairs are formal, the original altar space is the wine area, and the bathrooms are well appointed and clean. Service is gracious and attentive. Mary’s Vine has a great offering on Wednesday evenings for a 12-seat wine tasting table. One pays $28 for a flight of wines and a host explains the various profiles and history. It is a nice social gathering if you are interested in learning more about wine. They also have a cigar bar that we did not visit.

Our starter was a spiced Asian pear dish. The pears were poached in mulled wine, served with burrata, house made crostini, and balsamic reduction drizzle. ($22) Plentiful, beautiful presentation and tasty.

The dinners were plated well with a pleasing decorative presentation but small servings for the price, lacking in flavor. I chose the roasted airline chicken with a sweet potato puree. Odd flavor with crispy baby vegetables and a bourbon glaze. ($34) Rachael’s entree was jumbo sea scallops with a beet puree and crispy baby vegetables served with a fresh blue purple orchid, nice touch. ($43) Next time we both said we would order a couple of appetizers and a salad to share.

We continued on to Shelly Pie Pizza in Turtle Creek, the former VFW. As we approached the building looked uninhabited but then we realized parking was in the rear and the parking lot was quite full.

We ordered a slice of the chocolate layer cake, moist and fudgy and Spanish coffee. The coffee was good but it does not replace the fabulous Spanish coffee that was our indulgence for many years at the Mallorca on the Southside. Standard order was 2 Spanish coffee and a piece of almond cake to share!

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • July 13, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! July Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-JULY-

This month was my choice of restaurants. We started at Four Twelve Project Wine and Dinery – a farm to table concept in Coraopolis. FTP has a casual atmosphere with a small bar with loads of beers and spirits and an interesting cocktail menu. The walls are adorned with various sayings and local art projects.

Rachael indulged by kicking things off with a very summery tasty Aht’er Banks – a rum base with pineapple, lime, raspberry and peach concoction. ($8)

The farm salad was fresh with almonds and goat cheese but it was a bit of a search for the beets. ($7.25)

Two meat options – pink or no pink.

We shared the 1/2 pound burger special with American cheese, crispy bacon, and the special sauce ($14.50) with a side of Mac n cheese. ($2.50) Great burger, mediocre Mac n cheese.

We also ordered a skewer of pork with a pineapple honey marinade topped with a coconut peanut sauce. ($7) Very good and tender with a little kick.

The menu is a little hard to get when you first start to look but they offer a nice assortment of options with shareables, entrees, skewers, handhelds and salads. Very reasonably priced. Our service was average.

Off to deBlaze at 131 in Carnegie for dessert.

I had a cup of regular coffee – probably a little too late in the evening for me! We shared flourless chocolate torte topped with chocolate sauce, sweet cream, slivered almonds and cherry chutney. ($11) Delicious!! I need not say more!!

Until next month, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • June 14, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! June Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-JUNE-

Yesterday we enjoyed our monthly dinner and it was Rachael’s restaurant choice this month. We started the evening at Emerson’s in Market Square, located on the second level. We climbed the long stairway and were pleasantly impressed by the space.

It felt like a big city eatery with a long bar, a mixture of of high top and regular tables, conversation areas with overstuffed furniture and a fireplace. The walls were interesting, some nicely finished and others ancient, scraped old paint with exposed piping. We had great service. The food was adequate but not impressive.

Rachael started with a refreshing, light mango cocktail. ($12)

We shared the mezze platter, a generous portion of mediocre hummus, artichoke hearts, grape leaves, assorted fresh vegetables, feta and grilled pita. ($20) The crispy Brussel sprouts topped with Parmesan were very good. ($10)

We shared the stuffed pork chop topped with a touch of pear miso sauce, plated with roasted heirloom carrots. ($28) If I would return I would stop for the ambiance and a drink and appetizer.

Then we headed to the Art Festival and it was a nice evening to stroll through the vendors.

Dessert was a must—a funnel cake. Very disappointing, odd texture, greasy and light on the powdered sugar.

We enjoyed a bit of it, saw a few of Rachael’s friends and listened to a little music. Overall a pleasant evening out.

Until next month, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • May 3, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! May Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-MAY-

This will be our New Orleans edition of the monthly dinner blog and it was my choice for dinner. We had a fun afternoon of meandering through the shops and listening to some street music. The culture here is so different that it is actually fun to watch the sights pass by. Of course we have to visit Cafe du Monde. During Covid-19 they were bagging the beignets and they just did not taste the same. Thankfully, they are back to table service. We heard some fun piano music and stopped to listen to Big Joe Kennedy at Mahogany’s Jazz Hall. Good Hands for reflexology is out of this world. We have been visiting them for a number of years. Sore feet are a regular occurrence in a city where you walk for hours and we enjoy the hours immensely, often more than once per trip.

Then we made it to our monthly dinner at Gianna’s. It is a pretty place with great service.

We started with tasty beef shank arancini and chopped salad with salami, artichokes and cheese with some kick to it. Our dinner was veal saltimbocca with capers, accompanied by pasta bordelaise.

The lamb lasagna with mushrooms and bechamel was good but underwhelming but the side salad was good. Everything was fresh and was plated well.

We planned to visit another place for coffee and dessert but it was close to 10PM and they stopped serving.

On to next month, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • April 13, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! April Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-APRIL-

This month was Rachael’s choice of restaurants and she picked the Ritual House Downtown in the Union Trust Building, next to the Omni William Penn. They had really nice service, a friendly, attentive waitress. Fun decor with murals by local artists and unusual dessert presentations. Appetizer and dinner menu could be a little better rounded.

Really enjoyed what we did eat – meatloaf with mashed potatoes ($28) and lobster pot pie with a flaky crust ($38).

Desserts were seven layer chocolate cake ($18) and baked Alaska topped with table side torched cotton candy ($18). Prices moderate to slightly high. Music a little too loud, had to concentrate on conversation.

Next we headed to the Puttery in the Strip District. Adult indoor miniature golf and restaurant, nice concept. The decor in funky and there are 3 courses and skill levels, the lodge, the garage and the library. The courses are 9 short holes. The food looked good but we were definitely full.

Until next month, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • March 6, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! March Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-MARCH-

Last evening we went to our monthly dinner and it was my choice. I have had Olives & Peppers on my restaurant list for quite some time and this was it! Located in Trafford, it is an easy drive off of Route 30 once you navigate the Squirrel Hill tunnel out of the city. I was surprised with the size of the restaurant. It is located in a strip mall and is large, a great looking bar area and a large modern dining room, with my era music playing at a nice audible level to hear but easy enough to have a conversation.

They have an attentive wait staff and the artwork on the walls bring a smile to your face. They are classic pieces with added pasta overlays, see above our photo.

Nice, warm bread with whipped butter was brought to share.

The warm bake burrata cheese was scrumptious, circled with crispy focaccia, topped with fire roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil pesto and balsamic reduction. ($9) Delicious!!

The meatball parmesan—as Justin Lee would say, “the meatballs are the size of your head”. Seriously they were as big as a soft ball. Three of them. We split one and each took them home. ($16) We wanted some pasta with our meatballs so the waitress suggested a child size portion of Tortiglioni. ($9)

Piccata chicken included wedding soup (already pictured), very good, hot and loaded with chicken and meatballs. The piccata was light and lemony with capers served over a bed of parmesan risotto. ($22)

There was a nice multi generational family seated next to us and we all enjoyed talking about our food and chuckling about the portion size. Rachael and I both said we would definitely return. Their pizzas looked tempting, to be tried next time.

Off to Irwin to McFeely’s Gourmet Chocolate and Ice Cream. A cute little shop, they serve Perry’s ice cream and a nice variety of chocolates. Their sign said they offer cake decorating classes.

On March 1 we sat at a table on the sidewalk to eat our ice cream!! It was a lovely evening in the 60’s. Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • February 9, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! February Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-FEBRUARY-

We had an interesting beginning to our monthly dinner. It was Rachael’s month to pick the place. Online it listed Cadence Cellars on Smallman as open but when we arrived the door was locked! Now what? We decided that we had not been to PaPa J’s in such a long time and since it is a new location that it was a go. We had a nice, attentive server. The appetizer list looked good so we ordered three appetizers and shared an entree.

We started with their home baked bread, served with an olive oil/balsamic dipping sauce with olives, very good.

Our apps were greens & beans ($11.99), meatballs ($9.99), and a buffalo mozzarella with, once again, their warm crusty grilled bread. We shared mmmm’s many times enjoying each bite.

Then we shared the Napolitana pasta ($14.99), rigatoni with red sauce mixed with mozzarella and provolone with a side of sausage ($5). The sausage, rigatoni and hot gooey cheese hit the spot.

We topped it off with gelato. Rachael hazelnut/pistachio and me chocolate caramel coconut/blood orange. Not the tastiest gelato. ($5.50 each)

We really enjoyed our dinner and the portions were very generous that we both had leftovers to enjoy again.

As a side note, after dinner we went to the new Pins Mechanical Company in the South Side Works. What fun! Two floors of pinball, duckpin bowling, giant Jenga, bocce, a bar and adult size slides from the second to the first floor and more…. Give it a try! Fun for all ages.

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • January 17, 2023

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! January Issue!

by Suzanne Lorenzi Sala

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.

-JANUARY-

Happy New Year everyone! We hope all of you have a happy and healthy 2023.

Speaking of health, in case you missed us for our December blog, I was out of commission. I had pneumonia and was in the hospital! We’re back but we’re kind of lame for our New Year kick off dinner. It was my pick. I chose Blue Sky Kitchen and Bar in East Liberty. It was more casual than I expected. The food was decent but the service was really off.

Rachael started with a cute apple pie drink with a salted caramel rim. Unfortunately, she said it was mediocre. ($12)

For our appetizer we ordered burrata with a balsamic reduction over arugula and mixed greens served with nice grilled bread slices. Very tasty. ($13)

Rachael had the French dip and fries as her main course. She commented on the fresh roll and the great quality of beef. ($16)

I ordered a Caesar salad with salmon. It was a generous portion but nothing out of the ordinary. ($18)

We passed on dessert!?! We both laughed and said we need to step it up for next month.

Until then….cheers!

Coldwell Banker - South Regional

Accessibility Statement | Fair Housing Notice

© Coldwell Banker 2023 – 2025. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.