Leaping the Gaps in the City of Bridges

Yesterday was a day of contrasts and comparisons. Jim and I made a trip to Pittsburgh so that he could revisit his college the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He wanted to see how they are handling teaching art students to stay cutting edge at a time when digital and other technologies are advancing by leaps and bounds.

A huge storm blew through the morning of our visit. Although I had scoped out the riverside Eliza Furnace Trail for my 7 mile run, the rain was bad enough to force me into a first ever treadmill run. The hotel was dry and warm and I became terribly dehydrated for the rest of the day. It was a stark contrast to how my runs usually leave me feeling and I joked that maybe I would only ever run on a treadmill on Leap Day; once every 4 years is plenty for me.

While Jim toured the school and picked the brains of the instructors, department heads and directors, I took a little walking tour of the area. I soon didn’t need my umbrella and my hands were glad to take up my camera. The images that drew my attention became a theme of stark architectural contrasts. Old and new were side by side. Gothic spires, “no smoking” signs, modern busses and ancient massive chain link barriers all lived within this small section of Pittsburgh and I was charmed by their differences in such close visual proximity.

There were many fading ghost signs that Jim is fond of. I made sure to photograph them juxtaposed with the shining facades of Fifth Avenue and PPG Place. It was easy to get overwhelmed by all of the eye candy and I occasionally drew the attention of some locals who encouraged me to make sure to see some of their favorite buildings.

The time I had on my own just seemed to fly as I walked to different spots to align the gaps of the canyons of buildings so they would align just right for my photographs. I made my way back to the Art Institute to meet Jim for lunch at the restaurant run by the school’s culinary program, Pittsburgh Taste of Art.

Since the online menu was out of date, I called a few weeks ago to try to determine what we could look forward to as vegans. I was pretty excited to see how a culinary school would handle the challenge and received a message on our answering machine assuring me that their current menu had many items that could easily be made vegan. Jim also alerted his liason to our dietary limitations and was assured the kitchen would be able to accommodate us.

I was quite hungry when we met for lunch and was excited to see what the school would have to offer us. Jim introduced me to the staff at the school with whom he was meeting and I was glad to hear he was excited by all the Art Institute was offering the students. As they chatted about the programs, I took a peek at the menu. At first glance I couldn’t determine exactly what they could easily veganize. When our waitress came and shared the specials, I asked her for a bit of help in knowing what might be available.

Her look of surprise quickly clued me in to the fact that all of the assurances I had received on how simple it would be to accommodate us wasn’t going to be that easy. In spite of being told that if we gave advanced notice they could have something specially prepared, the heads-up seemed to have slipped through the cracks. None of the specials were vegan nor could be altered to be so. The salads could have things taken off of them to make them vegan but no protein was being offered to replace it and the one pasta dish could have to gnocchi taken out and made into a tomato based soup.

Honestly, nothing but the one salad sounded appealing with all of the cheeses, proteins and pastas taken out. I was really disappointed that a culinary school wouldn’t want to shine and please the palette of a vegan diner rather than just meet their needs. The Beet Salad was only going to be missing goat cheese and I was intrigued by how it would tasted with the thyme vinaigrette so I ordered that. Jim was thinking the same thing, we didn’t want to make trouble. It is why we had called ahead, and the visit wasn’t about the food.

The salad was presented in a fashionable way; a bed of mixed greens glistening with dressing and topped with wafer thin rounds of golden and red beets. It was garnished with a sprinkling of pistachio nuts. The colors and arrangement of the fresh elements were beautiful. The volume of what should have been and entreé was barely more than a side salad. No goat cheese had snuck onto the plate but there was also nothing added to bump up the meal and make it a little more rib sticking.

Despite knowing were were vegan, the waitress brought the table two plates of bread that was topped by the pattern of melted cheese that I recognized from many a focaccia. I asked about the cheese on the bread and the waitress agreed that it looked like cheese but then again offered no substitute. I was surprise to realize that they felt that serving a vegan diner seemed to mean more of what not to serve us rather than what we could eat. I had to offer the suggestion of serving any other bread and she brought out a nicely warmed ciababtta. It was very good but I don’t think it is the role of the customer to bridge the gap when the waitstaff has the knowledge of what the kitchen has to offer any dietary limitation.

The salad was fresh and fine but nothing special. I couldn’t taste any thyme in the vinaigrette and my serving was mostly oil so it might not have been well blended. Though the beets were pretty in an chef’s version of what could be overlapping magenta and yellow printer’s circles, they were barely substantial enough to taste. I was still intensely hungry at the end of lunch.

The company and conversation filled any void that would have made the lunch hour feel like a complete washout. My time at the school was quite enjoyable but I cannot recommend the restaurant for all of the extra work I went though to try to get more than part of a meal.

We drove across town to fill the big empty in our bellies somewhere along Penn Avenue. The place I was shooting for, Brillo Box, was closed so was glad to have a few back up plans. My navigation required me be careful not to take any bridges that would get us too far off track. In Pittsburgh, there are plenty of bridges that crossed rivers, railway lines and cavernous gaps that make the area beautiful but a challenge to navigate. Since we had come from a different direction than we ever had before, it sure was cute to see Jim’s excitment as he realized that we were pulling up in front of Quiet Storm.

Regardless of some of the reviews that have complained about the service or snobby waitstaff, we knew we could get plenty to eat at Quiet Storm. We had seen very little of anything less than professional attitude… until yesterday.

We entered and waited where the sign directed us to stand if waiting for a table. Some people came in as we stood there and I assumed it was to pick up take out. They were tended to first. Eventually the one of two waitresses said she would be right with us. We stood for almost another 5 minutes before another waitress, who looked like a young Samantha Morton, told us to sit at the table by the window. Another 2 minutes passed before she brought us menus and told us that our waitress would be with us soon.

The place wasn’t slow but still I noticed that our waitress was avoiding us at all costs, she would deal with anyone who seemed to be a regular even if they came in well after us. She would dwell, chatting with customers who came in for take out then spend time chit chatting with the kitchen staff rather than come out front. She never did come over to our table and another 5 minutes passed before young Samantha Morton returned to take our order.

By that time, we knew exactly what we wanted. I had warned Jim that I had read a review saying that the Green Chile Dip was not too different than the hummus so we started with the Vegan Queso and nachos Jim ordered the Albuquerque Jerky with a side of corn and bean salad and I ordered a the Banh Mi with a side of slaw. I had just made another of my own Dutchified Banh Mi Chay they day before but still in the mood for this kind of sandwich.

Our appetizer came our right away and was warm and satisfying. We realized that this dip too was something like hummus mixed about 50/50 with something much like Food for Lovers’ Queso. We really were starving but made a note to ourselves that we could made something like this very easily at home sometime.

The sandwiches came out before we had even eaten half of our appetizer. They were fine portions and were made with fresh ingredients but I ended up putting my slaw in the sandwich to fill it out a bit. Jim’s was more corn and beans and smoky Lightlife Fakin’ Bacon mortered together with more hummus and wrapped in a lightly grilled flour tortilla. We agreed that any Banh Mi I make at home is about 100% better; their tofu was flavorless and tough after having been frozen then no benefit of seasoning it. The meal was filling and good but not great.

We wanted to get back on the road and Jim took our check to the cash register. The waitress that had been avoiding us did so again by making a phone call and the younger of the two eventually came to tell Jim that he would have to wait until the phone line was free to use our check card. As I went to rummage up the right amount of cash, Jim could hear the other waitress on the phone trying to engage the person on the other end, “Talk to me,” she kept saying, “Talk to me.” She knew Jim was waiting to pay and was doing nothing to cut the call short and it seemed as if she was actually trying to prolong it. The moment I came over with cash, she got off the phone and went into the back. It made me wonder if she was talking to anyone at all or just getting perverse pleasure out of making us wait more.

I don’t know if I have spanned the gulf between finally making good vegan food at home rather than being inspired by getting it out or not. I do know I am so over Quiet Storm, they would have barely gotten a BiNaH Rating of 3 today. I was wrong to have rated them after just 2 visits and I think I need to amend their over all score. My original 4.5/5 was a leap of faith in the wrong direction and I need to think carefully to make sure I balance out each experience.

Leap Day in Pittsburgh was special because I was with Jim in what I consider to be his city. Next time we return, I look forward to exploring some new places to fill the gaps of disappointment some of the old ones have left in their place. It is a city of beautiful contrasts and investigating it with Jim always makes my heart leap with gladness.

Mad Mex

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From a very small chain based out of Pittsburgh, Mad Mex Happy Valley has been dedicated to vegetarian and vegan options since they came to the area. It’s more difficult to find the entrance in the winter since the interior is deep within the Days Inn on S. Pugh St. but you can see and enter the outdoor seating area in the summer, just off of Highland Alley. Parking on the street can be tricky but as a patron of the restaurant in Days Inn we have, probably wrongly, used their parking spaces too. If you don’t mind walking up from the Pugh St. parking garage, that is the most reliable.

Inside Mad Mex there is a lot of twisted (literally and figuratively) Mexican inspired artwork. It gives it a kind of creepy but entertaining feeling and it is one thing that puts the mad in Mad Mex. Another mad element is the crazy specials that they have. A good example is the drink specials on Groundhog Day are dependent on whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not. Once in the summer they had corn on the cob with a chipotle sauce as a special.

Inside can get ridiculously loud especially when college is in session during happy hours. The loud music and voices just bounce off the concrete floors as the metal legged chairs add their scraping screeches to the cacophony. Seating outdoors at this time is at a premium. Either choose a different time or be forewarned – Mad Mex is a mad house at these times.

The staff say you can get the password for Wi-Fi at the Days Inn check in desk but what a pain in the butt. If you need to get online that badly while you sip your margarita you will do it. It’s just not worth the trouble for me.

Lunch at Mad Mex is hit or miss. They just don’t seem to be staffed for it during the off-season when Penn State isn’t in session. Evenings are much more reliable, the staff is always hustling and thank goodness there are more of them after 4PM.

There are plenty of vegetarian options at Mad Mex. I highly recommend reading over the vast menu before you even go so you don’t overlook what might be your personal favorite.

Jim and I frequently get the Pick-a-Dippa and a bowl of the Chickpea Chili to share. With the Pick-a-Dippa you get a bottomless basket of tri-colored corn chips and you can choose any three of the…

Pineapple-Habenaro, Avocado-Tomatillo & Original Salsa

Mad Mex® salsas:
Original
Fire-roasted tomato-chipotle
Pico de gallo
Pineapple-habanero (HOT)
Avocado-tomatillo

Freshly-made dips:
XX Cheese Dip
Pepita Hummus
Guacamole
Kaya® Yucatan Black Bean Dip

Chickpea Chili with cheese and sour cream

The chips are “meh” but the dips are pretty good. Even the Avocado-tomatillo has a little peppery heat to it. We like using the chips to also eat the Chickpea Chili.

Vegan Chickpea Chili

If you don’t ask for the tofu cheese and or sour cream, the Chickpea Chili will come with dairy products. The cup and bowl sizes are what you would expect and the flavor of the vegan chili is quite good. The chickpeas are firm and surrounded by a thick green tomatillo chili soup with gently sautéed Spanish onions. It is probably a little spicy for a lot of the mainstream locals but I think it’s a mellow chili and isn’t the only vegetarian soup at Mad Mex but it’s our favorite.

So many of the burritos and enchiladas can be made vegetarian with tofu or portobello mushroom. All you have to do is looks for the little green cactus on the menu and you can see the items worth reading about.

Pennsyltucky Tofu

With so many choices, I will let the burritos and enchiladas to your explorations and focus on the Pennsyltucky Tofu appetizer. It came out in a huge bowl and (according to their nutritional datasheet) was only 2 servings! Six of us feasted happily on it and Pick-a-Dippa as we waited for our lunches and were pretty well filled up. It was a little party of 1/2″ cubes of deep-fried tofu! They were covered in a glaze of ponzu or lightly spiced General Tso’s sauce and sprinkled with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, whole mung bean sprouts and cilantro. Fun and tasty, everyone at the table enjoyed it. I plan on getting it sometime as an entrée.

Kids might like this place but both indoor and outdoor seating revolves around their 2 bars s I don’t think it’s for everyone, especially during happy hours September – May. Big kudos for the menu making the veggie options easy to find but stop advertising free Wi-Fi like it’s on the menu. The food is good, moderately priced and plenty to choose from for a vegan or vegetarian. The staff is fine but not always on top of things, I assume mostly due to the high turnover linked to hiring college students and always needing to retrain them. Above average for sure, vegetarians should know about Mad Mex in State College.

Double Wide Grill

There we were on South Side in Pittsburgh and Zenith was a washout for the second time. With tummies grumbling we headed just a couple of blocks away on Carson Street. The neighborhood has changed a lot since in the late 70′s when it was trying to recover from the post industrial era. That day we cruised by an interesting drag of hipster shops and our brunch blues were solved at Double Wide Grill!

Next time we take the parents to the ‘Burgh, I think Dad would love this place since it has food for every persuasion and a cool garage theme. Inside and out is decorated with vintage automotive signs like Champion Spark Plugs and Esso. Even the vast seating inside has the retro garage interior with muted lighting.

We didn’t have to go indoors to access the free Wi-Fi so we sat out on the sunny patio near some old gas pumps. There were probably 30 tables outside, many with umbrellas, but we were glad to get one under the roofed area with view of the big garage doors and people traffic on Carson St.

I had followed their FaceBook page for a while and knew Double Wide Grill has hosted some interesting events. Many have been dog themed like their Hot Dog & Tofu eating contests. Until about a month ago, the patio allowed folks to bring their dogs to dine with them. Board of health nixed that but the staff was handling uninformed people with pooches in a kind and matter of fact way.

With just a hint of the wood smoke from their grill in the air and surrounded by a bunch of mainstream 20- 30 somethings, we ordered some Junkyard Nachos to share. They had a Lunch and Brunch Menu and a separate Vegetarian and Vegan Menu so I ordered a cup of the Grilled Vegetable Chili and Jim ordered a Grilled Vegetable and Brie Salad.

Jim liked the nachos more than I did. I wasn’t really into the cheese sauce (which packed a little heat) nor brightly colored nacho chips that were piled under the melted cheese shreds. The black beans and grilled corn toppers were really nice but the pico de gallo, sour cream (we never eat it) and guac on the side were little better than average. We both thought they were appealing and generously portioned.

The cup of chili was really small and quite bland. Jim liked this better than I did too although he thought it was kind of sweet in flavor. I expected at least a little smokiness to it since it had grilled veggies in it. No heat, no smoke, little flavor other than mushy navy, black and kidney beans. The little golden brown topped wedge of cornbread (not vegan) was sweet like cake. No heat chili and sweet cornbread, we were definitely still in Pennsylvania.

I took a look at Jim’s salad and was turned off by what looked like a pile of iceberg lettuce. It turned out to have a nice mix with romaine and was a surprisingly vibrant salad to eat. Jim too felt it was a perfect summer mix of chilled out grilled onions, corn, portobello chunks and peppers tossed over the crunchy greens. Added to that was big wedges of avocado, little segments of brie (fun!!) and the Pittsburgh style hot french fries. The best part of the salad was the delicious Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette! Dipping hot fries into the dressing and sipping my Bellini with my best friend was the best part of the meal.

Even with the separate Veggie Menu, all of the menus at Double Wide Grill have clearly marked V = Vegetarian, Ve = Vegan, WF = Wheat Free. This helped us know what to order at a glance from any of the menus. The foods were served in a timely manner, hot foods were hot, cold foods were well chilled. The staff was friendly and made it clear to me that the cornbread was only vegetarian and not vegan. It’s a big place so they don’t make you feel rushed to leave, you will have to ask for your check as is appropriate in any restaurant. This is a place where, unless you come during the later night bar scene, every family member would feel comfortable.

Zenith Tea Room

How do you rate a restaurant in which you can’t even eat? This was my second attempt to eat at The Zenith in south side Pittsburgh, my first was a few years ago and at the time it was closed.

After my first try, I read reviews about The Zenith and people raved about the Sunday morning vegan buffet. I also read a lot of reviews saying the staff was rude and volatile. Opinions about the place were either hot or cold but a lone middle of the road review suggested going on a day other than Sunday. That way you could avoid waiting in a line that curved around the block, get seated with less than an hour wait and didn’t have to sit family style packed elbow to elbow with strangers.

In preparation to our second attempt to visit The Zenith, I started following them on their FaceBook page. I was glad to have checked because they were closed the week we were traveling to Pittsburgh. Then, needing to return the following week to pick up our repaired computer, it allowed for what looked to be a perfect day to visit. The Zenith was to re-open, back from their vacation and it wasn’t a buffet day.

When we walked up, there was no line at the door with the purple threshold and it was open! We walked in o the overwhelming experience of ceiling to floor stuff that reminded me of Harry Potter’s The Room of Hidden Objects! Antiques, vintage clothing and several creepy alcoves dedicated to Jesus/Elvis imagery were probably obscuring at least one vanishing cabinet and maybe the lost diadem of Ravenclaw.

We slowly walked back to what looked like it could be a dining area when, haunted mansion style, a woman burst out of a side room, “I hope you’re not here for lunch, we just got back!”

The Dining Room with no Diners.

“Oh, yes,” I replied in surprise, “I read you were on vacation. Welcome back! No, well, not lunch, maybe just some dessert.” It was a Tea Room after all and the folks reviewing the buffet bragged of so many different kinds of cakes to choose from that they could make a meal of the many desserts.

“We don’t really have desserts,” she informed me. Offering no hospitality, no suggestion of sweet tea, iced coffee or anything, we said that we would just look around and she disappeared back into the side room as quickly as she popped out. I took a few non-flash photos and we left.

If all The Zenith has to offer is shear volume of food one day a week, vegan or not I think I might have to pass. Like other vegetarian restaurants that have left me down, I like to give them 3 tries before deciding. Until then I can’t give a realreview but it’s not looking good.

Juice Box Café

UPDATED 01/27/2012
THE JUICE BOX CAFE HAS CLOSED
Since our visit and review. We have read that a new raw/vegan restaurant named Eden is opening in it’s space. We look forward to trying it.

Jim and I were enjoying a stroll through Shadyside, stopped in lululemon athletica shop, S.W. Randall Toys and Gifts and noticed that quite a few of the shops and restaurants we used to love were gone. Time to make some new friends and Juice Box Café stepped right up and introduced herself to us.

Tucked down on the lower level of 735 Copeland St. We walked through some of the already occupied metal outdoor café tables to the interior. I was betting they might have free Wi-Fi and I was right! The bright interior and local’s rotation of artwork on the walls gave us all of the indications that we would find a veggie snack and a nice place to rest our feet.

We found out on our second visit that it doesn’t open until 11:00AM but once it does a steady flow of health conscious patrons (many dressed in lululemon and carrying rolled yoga mats) wandered in to either sit down or go back to the take-out juice bar.

On both of our visits, we chose to take the advice of the sign on the wall and seated ourselves at one of the 10 wooden tables. Gentle folks tunes played and our friendly waiter took our order (same guy both times).

On the first visit, we couldn’t resist the appetizer of the Sampler Plate. We could pick 2 or 3 of the Hummus, Black Bean Dip or Mock Tuna with Tortilla Chips. We chose it all and enjoyed every bite thus took the edge off our appetites not realizing how close we were in proximity to our lunch destination, Quiet Storm.

Juice Box Cafe’s menu lists (V) Vegetarian, (Vegan) Vegan so it was easy to see which of the meated menu items to avoid. They added a vegan Black Bean Burger for the summer and regularly have some hearty salads including a vegan Smoked Tofu Curry Salad. There were some breakfast choices too like the vegan Breakfast Burrito.

It was difficult, but on our second visit we wanted to stay hungry so we only ordered Smoothies. We shared a Skinny Watermelon and a Skinny Apple-Ginger Smoothie. Both were fresh and perfect on a warm summer morning.

BiNaH Rating
4/5
I would highly recommend Juice Box Café to vegetarians and vegans alike. The food is fresh, the service friendly and fast and the location is a good spot for any age (nice kids menu too). As a café, the menu is a little limited, but it’s not as if they were pretending to be anything else. This place is just plain nice to know about. We will be back.

“Like” their FaceBook page.

Quiet Storm

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We had reason to make a couple of trips to Pittsburgh this summer and that gave us the chance to finally eat at Quiet Storm. Just North of Shadyside is an older, middle/lower-middle class residential area where you can find the vegan and vegetarian café at 5430 Penn Ave.

With kitchy table and hanging lamps, Quiet Storm generally has a diner feel to it with a hodge podge, artsy, retro twist. Not everyone’s gramma is going to feel comfortable the with tattooed and pierced staff but I assure you they are friendly, accurate and know their vast menu backward. They also know how to hustle! Both of our visits had a steady flow of customers, all were being served healthful amazing meals at lightning speed. Both days we visited were Saturdays and we ordered from the Brunch Menu.

The first time we visited we were already full from a snack at a Juice Box Café but couldn’t resist ordering the Cheesy Snake Sandwich and a cup of the Tomato Florentine Soup. It wasn’t until weeks after I ate my sandwich I realized it was a play on the name “Cheese Steak,” it was all vegan ad really tasty. The vegan pimento cheesy spread was nice and that is where I had the pickled onions last and couldn’t get them out of my head before I made them myself.

The portions are generous and prices are rock bottom for some of the fastest veggie food I have ever had served to me. The customers are mostly college age (students – profs) but some young families come in too. Kids are welcome and readily accommodated with high chairs and menu choices. The all vegetarian menu has icons to choose from, v= vegan and gf = gluten free. Ask for the password and you can hook up to some free Wi-Fi as you try some of their awesome coffee concoctions listed on the big board over the counter.

On our second visit we purposely went hungry and ordered a variety of good foods. We starting with the Chilled Orange Soup (pictured above in slideshow). I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe something with a weird orange juice concentrate flavor but this summery chilled soup was a delight! The fresh orange flavor brightened up the carrot puré just enough to keep us dipping our spoons in as we smacked our lips enjoying the subtle flavors. The little bit of salt and oil suggested a light vegetable broth but the flavors were so well balanced that it was a complete joy! The thinly grated carrot on top stated that it was simple elegance in a plastic bowl. THAT is what Quiet Storm is all about – no pretense, great vegetarian food! I so wish it wasn’t 3 hours from us.

We also split a Graham St. Tofu Sandwich on wheat with Spicy Mayo and a short order of the Buffalo Style Tofu Tenders with Vegan Ranch (both pictured above in slideshow). The acidic scent of spicy Buffalo Style sauce assaulted my nose as the Tofu Tenders made me start to lick my lips. The zippy sauce coated 3 super firm planks of tofu that were seasoned in a way I was glad for the ranch dip and cool veggies to balance it out. Take note that the tenders are oven “fried.” The mini portion was just right for us to split as a second appetizer.

The Graham St Tofu is Quiet Storm’s signature sandwich, named for the side street upon which we have always found free parking. Everything came together; from the pickled onions that teased me into making them to the wonderfully thyme seasoned roasted tofu cutlets and the fresh tomato and greens, they all danced on a pleasing wheat bread and dressed themselves in the spicy mayo. A side of corn chips and well balanced salsa made this enough of a meal by itself and we had a hard time finding room in our happy bellies to try it all.

Quiet Storm has plenty of seating at the counter, the dozen or so tables and the additional lounge area from which some happy new age music was being played. It can get a little noisy when full but the ceiling fans keep the temperature even and the whole place is clean. Without frying any of their foods this place has another one up on any diner without that stale grease smell.

Quiet Storm would be my choice of restaurant to frequent, hang out at and fuel myself, mind body and soul. I don’t have to worry about searching carefully through the menu, how long my meal will take nor acting like someone I am not to get better service. Even if I was paying a parking meter I wouldn’t have to be concerned about getting a ticket because Quiet Storm’s service is so prompt. As it is, I much prefer to sit and nibble and sip and enjoy the atmosphere before heading back into an unforgiving and omnivorous world. Quiet Storm let’s me have it all.

Here are a couple of related links for their Twitter and FaceBook page.