Lifestyle • November 11, 2022

Restaurant Roulette with Suzanne! November 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!

-NOVEMBER-

This month was Rachael’s pick and we decided to keep it light. Apps and drinks. We went to Ruby’s Wine House in Coraopolis, cute place with nice patio space and heaters. It was a warm fall evening so we chose to dine outside.

Rachael ordered a Malbec and I had a biscotti coffee that was very tasty.

We ordered bruschetta ($11.99), a goat cheese and onion tart ($10.99), meatballs with a dollop of ricotta ($13.99), greens and beans ($12.99) and arancini stuffed with prosciutto ($13.99). They were all very good, generous portions but could have been served a little hotter. We took plenty home! Attentive service. Nice place to dine and relax.

We shopped a bit and stopped at Remember When in Robinson for ice cream. They make their own and we enjoyed it. They offer a variety of soft serve and hard ice cream, fruit whip and coffee.

I had my normal hot fudge sundae and Rachael had a chocolate peanut brownie ice cream hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top. They were short staffed so the poor guy who was scooping all of that ice cream surely went home tired at the end of the night!

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • October 13, 2022

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.

-OCTOBER-

This month was my pick and this is a special one. Rachael and I are in the Big Apple. What fun! We are staying at the MSocial right off of Times Square.

When we arrived we were hungry; so we started at Angelia’s, an Italian bakery full of beautiful pastries, sandwiches, delicious pizza and gelato.

Then, we were off to see the city; walking on Fifth Avenue, making a stop at Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, window shopping on Madison Avenue, and indulging in luscious cocktails at Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel.

Dinner was at Gallagher’s Steak House, right next to our hotel. It is an old time, rich dark wood establishment with 100’s of photos of movie stars and sports figures hanging everywhere. The service is impeccable. Our starters were a beet and arugula salad, a little too light on flavor, and French onion soup that was delicious.

We both ordered a 10oz filet mignon, grilled perfectly with a side of onion rings.

And then off to see the Music Man at the Winter Garden Theatre, starring Hugh Jackman. And yes, he was fabulous!

We made our way through the crowds at Times Square to sit on the bleachers and listen to a band complete with flags and costumes with large feather headdresses to take in the sights. And oh the sights we did see!

We waited in line to go to the Stardust. It is not the most beautiful place but the waiters all take turns singing and do a great job.

We shared a very mediocre hot fudge sundae AND have been there before but it is always fun. Our waiter sang a tune from the Phantom of the Opera.

After a long, fun day we headed back to the hotel to take in a view from our rooftop deck and to rest our feet and get a good night’s sleep.

Back to normal next month and until then, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • September 13, 2022

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 a really nice Fall-like evening on the night of our monthly dinner and Pittsburgh was bustling with activity. Nice to see! We took a quick walk through the new Target Downtown. Certainly not Kaufmann’s, but it is a nice bright store and will serve residents and workers of the city well. It is small and they kept the old flooring that is really unattractive.

This month was Rachael’s choice of restaurants. We started our night at Sally Ann’s, one of the DeShantz group eateries located at the former site of Pork n Beans in the Cultural District. The restaurant has a really cute, open floor space with plenty of outdoor seating.

When you enter it says “Order Here”. They give you a number and serve your food at the table. They offer a cafe menu with a wide array of crafted coffees, a full bar, and self-serve soft drinks.

For starters, we shared the avocado hummus served with crunchy bread. ($11) Interesting flavor.

I ordered the pastrami reuben. ($16) It was delicious. Rachael ordered the Italian hero that she claimed was the best Italian-type sub that she had eaten in a long time. ($17) Very pleasant.

Then we headed to the North Side to Siempre Algo for dessert. We cracked up when we walked in and realized that we had been there before: a “No-No” with our monthly dinner rules. But, oh well. We indulged!!

They welcomed us by serving a complimentary glass of champagne and prosecco–nice touch.

Rachael ordered a chocolate hazelnut dessert served with strawberry sorbet and strawberries. ($11) Just OK. Left some on the plate–unusual not to finish dessert! I really had a treat, a pavlova, one of my favorites. It was HUGE! We did not finish that either. The meringue was plentiful, topped with fantastic tart lemon curd, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. ($12) I was in heaven and will return but will need help to finish it.

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Lifestyle • August 17, 2022

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-

It was my pick this month and we enjoyed a lovely evening for our monthly dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it was Restaurant Week! I decided on Revival on Lincoln in Bellevue. What a beautiful place to dine, and we lucked out with great weather. Our gracious waiter shared with us that this was originally a residence, then a funeral home, sat vacant for about 10 years and then underwent a huge renovation by the current owner. A photo collage hangs by the second story ladies room showing all of the stages of the remake. Wow! What a gorgeous, grand building with much of the original woodwork, fireplaces, coffered ceilings and lead and stained glass windows. Stunning!!

The dining was really nice but comfortable, not stuffy and there were various small dining areas, a nice outdoor patio and a private building to accommodate a small party that was built by the original owners as a ladies dress shop for their daughter’s first venture. A man played show tunes on the patio and it really added to the ambiance.

The 3 course Prix-Fixe Menu, for $40.22 included a choice of 3 courses. Rachael ordered the tomato mozzarella basil salad and I had the tenderloin of pork tonnato – a blended tuna sauce, olive oil, parsley and sweety drop peppers. It was plated well and was absolutely delicious.

As a second course I chose a breast of chicken and Rachael ordered the Chesapeake style crab cake, served on a bed of vegetable rice pilaf and creamed spinach. She said hers was all crab meat and was outstanding.

Dessert was pleasant, a lemon curd bar topped with fresh raspberries and a chocolate mousse. This was a nice find and we had a really nice visit to Revival on Lincoln. Check it out.

Until next time, stay safe and happy eating!

Uncategorized • July 11, 2022

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-

I can hardly believe I am writing the July blog. Where does the time go? This month was Rachael’s pick and she chose Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak and Crave Frozen Desserts in Dravosburg.

The Pizzeria is a pretty basic pizza shop with a friendly staff. We ordered the Italian hoagie, always on the quest for a good one! My all time favorite is Danny’s in South Park for means of comparison.

It was okay but nothing special. ($6 for 6 inches, $12 for 12)

We both thought the pizza was a great way to try a new pizza place. We ordered the Frankenstein, two cuts each of four different types. They were cheese, pepperoni, Greek, and white.

My favorite was the Greek and Rachael liked the white pizza best. The crust was thin and crispy, the pizza was huge. ($21)

The owner of Crave served us and was chatty about making the homemade ice cream. He had some different flavors but offered very little variety. No hot fudge or whipped cream, only cake or sugar cones, no waffle cones…very plain. The ice cream is good and the scoops are generous.

I had Dreamsicle and Rachael had Reese’s cup and Butterfinger. They all had great flavor with a lot of candy chunks.

Until next month, stay safe and happy eating!