Latest Restaurant & Product Reviews

We had our annual open house from August 22nd – 26th.  This year was a little extra special, being that it’s our 60th year of being in business.  It seems mother nature even approved of us being in business this long.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our celebration!  We appreciate everyone who stopped by for food & refreshments.  Hopefully you were able to take advantage of our great deals.  If you missed it this year, you’re more than welcome to stop by anytime.  We have great deals everyday.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar has been a South Side hotspot since opening in 2003.  On any given night you will find Nakama packed full of people enjoying drinks and appetizers or sitting at one of the many hibachi tables watching the chefs create their dishes in real time.

View of the Entrance to Nakama from East Carson

When Nakama first opened, I ate their quiet frequently.  However, as its popularity grew exponentially, it became increasing difficult to get seating, so I reluctantly found myself eating elsewhere.   Needless to say I’ve missed the Nakama experience and with a friend visiting from Manhattan I figured it was time to return.

If first impressions are important, Nakama delivers immediately. The restaurant occupies the entire corner of South 17^th and East Carson Street.  The facade is almost completely comprised of glass floor to ceiling windows affording patrons the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Nakama’s layout is both stylish and tasteful.  Two bars flank your entrance while numerous hibachi tables encompass the back.  As to be expected, the restaurant was quite busy, full of patrons enjoying the food and atmosphere that has earned Nakama a reputation of style and sophistication.

Despite the crowd, we were able to find seats at the sushi bar providing us with an excellent view of the sushi preparation.  I started with the basics: sashimi and nigiri, convention wisdom being: without good fish the potential creativity and precision of the chefs will have little impact on the final result.  This fish was indeed very fresh, leading us to sample the many rolls that are exclusive to Nakama.

Nakama’s signature rolls have helped elevate Nakama above the average chain hibachi restaurant.  We began with the Rainbow Maki roll which is a mixture of tuna, salmon, snapper & yellow tail and continued with the Spider Roll, Nakama Maki & my personal favorite: the Hawaiian Style Roll.

Nakama’s signature rolls are good enough to win over even the most skeptical sushi enthusiast.  My friend, who frequents many of the Manhattan sushi spots, remarked how much she enjoyed the Red Dragon Maki roll.  As the evening progressed we enjoyed more sushi, Japanese beer and sampled the different types of sake.

Upon reflection, I was reminded of why I frequented Nakama so often when it initially opened.   Nakama is one of Pittsburgh’s few successful answers to the quandary of where to go for both dinner and drinks.  Pittsburgh has many nice restaurants as well as appealing bars but only a select few that provide both.

If you have not been in a while, or maybe not at all, I suggest that you “Eat at Nakama”. I can assure you will not be disappointed.

Nakama is located at 1611 East Carson Street in Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

When I came to Grille 36, I came to do what most people do at a sports bar: watch a game, have a beer, and maybe have a bite to eat.  This led me to ask, “Why should I come here instead of somewhere in my neighborhood?”  The main reason is location—this is a sports fan’s paradise!  Flanked by the river, the skyline, and two major league stadiums, this is as close to spectator paradise as you can get without a ticket.

View of Jerome Bettis Grille 36

Grille 36 boasts a striking profile with its direct view of the entire downtown skyline, including the point and Mt. Washington.  A multitude of expansive bay windows surrounding the restaurant gives almost every table an equally scenic view of the river and skyline.

The north shore of Pittsburgh has long been the city’s premiere destination for both sports fans and entertainment seekers.  With two stadiums, the Carnegie Museum of Science, and a brand new casino, it is no surprise that numerous restaurants and bars have opened around these venues to support the needs of the area’s patrons.  After stepping into Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, it was immediately apparent why it has become one of the area’s most popular.

The inside of Grille 36 is comparable to some of the nicer metropolitan sports bars that I’ve visited.  The focal point of Grille 36 is an immense, oval shaped bar surrounded by pub style tables.  This area is flanked on both sides by separate dining sections.  As in every sports bar, there are flat screen TVs mounted around the bar so that patrons can enjoy numerous games at the same time.

A second reason to come to Grille 36 is the way the creators have managed to strategically place large displays in almost every part of the bar without creating eye sores.  This within itself is a huge victory for the establishment.  With overwhelming sports memorabilia and product paraphernalia, I don’t know many women who honestly enjoy hanging out in sports bars, Grille 36 passes the test.

My food experience at Grille 36 was limited since I wasn’t particularly hungry.   I basically sampled what my friends ordered—nachos, wings, and spinach dip.  All basic pub style food, everything I tried was good.  The beer list is not overwhelmingly large, yet it better than what is offered at a restaurant chain.  Grille 36 is what its creators intended it to be:  a great sports bar with a tremendous view that will persuade even non-sports enthusiasts to give it a try.

Jerome Bettis Grille 36 is located at 375 N. Shore Dr, Pittsburgh PA 15222

A while ago a friend suggested I leave the east end to sample some of the great pizza the suburbs had to offer.  Although this seemed like blasphemy at the time, I agreed to give her the benefit of a doubt.

A few blocks away from Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon you will find Bado’s in a small plaza on Beverly Road.  This plaza is home to a few businesses including another restaurant, ice cream shop and café of some sort.  The location is pleasant because it is completely surrounded by quiet residential streets.

Bado’s is a quaint establishment consisting of a large oak bar area and separate dining room.  The beer selection is larger than I expected featuring some great English drought that is not served in many other similarly themed establishments in Pittsburgh.

Although Bado’s has a wide variety of items on their menu, I was most interested in two things: tasting their Pizza and chicken wings.  It is my belief that the strength of a “pizza Grill” is in their staples, which I believe to be pizza and chicken wings.  (You might disagree with this assessment, however you are not writing this blog.J)

I went with the thin crust pizza and the classic red hot buffalo wings.  At first inspection the wings looked good, much like the kind I grew up eating in Upstate, NY.  Bado’s makes good wings, holding just the right amount of heat to them without being so spicy that one has to struggle through the fire.

At first glance the pizza looked equally as appetizing.  The bare necessities of pizza were taken care of.  It wasn’t burnt, the toppings looked fresh, and there was plenty of cheese.  Bado’s Pizza is good, but what really separated it from other pies I’ve had was the crust.  This is some of the better crust I have tasted in the city of Pittsburgh. Bado’s crust is thin without being overly dry and crusty while possessing a doughy consistency that is not expected from a thin crust pizza.

I don’t claim to be an experienced food critic, but I know good pizza when I taste it and the crust makes Bado’s pizza shine.  The bottom line is that if you are looking for a nice change of pace from your favorite neighborhood pizzeria, Bado’s is an excellent choice.  They offer enough menu choices to accommodate a wide range of tastes while still providing top notch pizza and wings.

Bado’s is located at 307 Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon.

Occasionally my lovely wife Jackie agrees to grace me with her presence for lunch during the week. Time being a consideration; we always stay in the strip district so I can maximize my eating opportunity. This relegates us to the choices of Restaurants, cafes & bars that populate this neighborhood. This time my wife and I had trouble agreeing upon a lunch spot so I suggested the new grocery store that had recently opened on the bottom of the Cork Factory development.

Right by Nature is a new grocery store that specializes in organic foods for the health conscious consumer. I have never been known as someone who concerns themselves with the latest health food craze, organic food included, thus my wife was perplexed by this suggestion.

Upon arriving we discovered that customers of Right by Nature have access to a parking garage. Although the strip has been a favorite shopping destination for decades the area has struggled with providing enough parking to accommodate the large crowds; consequently, the parking garage was a pleasant surprise.

As we browsed the aisles we realized that Right by Nature is not only an upscale grocery store that specializes in organic foods, personal care & home products but also includes a sizable café offering an assortment of meal choices. These meal options constitute a nice selection of prepared foods partnered with a full deli, large sea food section & hot and cold bars.

After a good deal of deliberation I decided to go with the hot food bar while my wife ordered a personal pizza. For a place not necessarily expected to produce good pizza Right by Nature does a surprisingly good job. The dough was nice and soft & the sauce tasted like a good mix of oregano and garlic. The vegetables and rice medley I selected was delicious as well. Being a Pizza guy I usually don’t have high hopes for the more healthy dishes I try, but this was something I’d definitely order again.

The area we dined in was very pleasant, flaked with leather couches and nice tables. It appeared more like a trendy café than a section of a supermarket. Improving the outing even more was the fact that our parking stub was validated for shopping at Right by Nature.

Whenever you venture into the unknown it is admittedly a gamble, thankfully, this time we gambled and won. Right by Nature isn’t just a specialty grocer that caters to the health conscious shoppers of the strip district; in reality it’s much more. Right by Nature is grocery store that caters to people of all tastes and maybe most importantly, it’s a place where almost all of us can afford to shop, dine & relax.

Right by Nature is located at 2305 Smallman St. in Pittsburgh. It is open 7 days a week.