Search Previous Happy Hours

Friday, May 27, 2016

Revel and Roost - Hilton Garden Inn (Market Square)



Royale Seafood Platter
My father is a real seafood man. I've seen the old-fatty order seafood platters at restaurants all over the country. I've witnessed him bask in delight while enjoying a $70 platter at an upscale restaurant in New York and wither in pain after consuming the $11 seafood platter from Eat n Park. I actually just had dinner with him this weekend and he was telling me about some seafood platter he ordered recently. The man is a machine.

It must be a Pittsburgh vernacular phenomenon. I'm accustomed to the phrase, "seafood platter" as well as the more formal, "plateaux de fruits de mer." However, I am not accustomed to the phrase, "seafood tower." It seems that in many parts of the country the dish is called a seafood tower. Revel and Roost offers three different sizes of towers, petite ($24), grande ($36) and royale ($55). Pictured above is the royale.

The shrimp and lobster were actually quite good, but the clams and oysters did not seem very fresh. Indeed, the quantity and quality of seafood was a bit disappointing for the price. Also noticeably missing were the uni (fish roe) that were promised by the menu.

My initial reaction was outrage, then I remembered that I ordered a seafood tower at a hotel bar with a poultry theme name that is over 350 miles from the ocean. Indeed, the poultry theme name is quite appropriate. (Albeit for no reason as the server told me the name had nothing to do with Pittsburgh history.)

Right next door to Revel and Roost was a restaurant called George Aiken's Chicken. Now, any old timey yinzer would know the place. But in this age of royale seafood towers, such treasures have been forgotten. The really interesting thing about George Aiken's Chicken is that they were the subject of a copyright lawsuit that went before the United States Supreme Court and forever changed the landscape of radio public broadcast royalties.

So when you dine at Revel and Roost, you are really participating in the great history of American jurisprudence. However, I recommend avoiding the seafood tower and enjoying some fried cheese curds.

Revel + Roost Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Muddy Waters Oyster Bar

Oysters
When I approach a new bar, I generally have three major concerns. Where will I sit, what shall I eat and what do I drink?

So here is the straight up dope on Muddy Waters Oyster Bar. For happy hour you can get $1 east coast oysters or $2 west coast oysters. The $2 oysters were noticeably better, however, they were not an entire $1 better. How would I quantify such a thing you might ask?

 It was easy, I simply made an off-the-cuff determination that I would rather have spent my $1 on an extra oyster as opposed to a marginally better oyster. The oysters were fresh, flavorful and presented in a lovely manner. A vast improvement over Revel and Roost. Keep in mind that the raw bar menu changes daily, but always come prepared with a solid game plan. Now that you have a dining strategy, let's talk drinks.

During happy hour, you can get $10 off any selection under "Bubbles" on the menu. Your selection is a no brainer. You're going to go with the Lamberti Prosecco which comes to roughly $18 a bottle after the happy hour discount. Not only is it entirely acceptable, it is also the cheapest bottle on the menu. Here's why you are better off ordering the cheapest bottle of wine on a menu as opposed to the second cheapest:

"Avoid the second cheapest bottle on a wine list as, in most restaurants, this is the one the restaurateur pays the least for. Safe in the knowledge that customers don’t want to appear tight, owners tend to put the cheapest wine at a price slightly higher than the house wine – thus making the most profit. In most cases, the house wine will be better and cheaper."

HOT CHICKEN
If you aren't the sea-faring type, go with the hot chicken. You will be treated to some delightfully succulent chicken served with collard greens, sweet pickles, dirty rice and white bread. It didn't pair particularly well with the prosecco, but who cares. Pictured above was my small taste of a happy hour guest's half chicken, it was remarkable. A perfect amount of heat and oh oh so moist.

So now we have just one last inquiry: where should you sit?

Outside Seating
You will, of course, be arriving early to snag the outside seating. In addition to the excellent service you will receive as the coveted face of the bar, you will be the talk of the town as you slam Prosecco and oysters with your friends. Happy hunting restaurant-goer! 

Muddy Waters Oyster Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

SCRATCH - Troy Hill

Mushroom Crostini
Scratch is one of the newer Pittsburgh restaurants that I've seen mentioned as an up and comer time and time again. I've probably dined with them about half a dozen times now and the most impressive aspect of the bar has to be the owner's commitment to using locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes routinely and I've even seen it change multiple times in the same week. 

On my last visit Scratch had decided to go vegetarian for Earth Day. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed as I had a craving for a greasy burger. (Earth day be damned. Sometimes I just want a burger.) The mushroom crostini was my consolation prize. I thought that the goat cheese and mushrooms were excellent, but I was a little surprised by the amount of parsley. (The easy fix was to throw that parsley in the garbage.)

Leek and Potato
 The leek and potato appetizer has a base of pureed purple potatoes and it is topped with sauteed leeks, crispy fingerling potatoes and a healthy serving of brie cheese. This was absolutely without a doubt one of the best dishes I've tried this year. The picture simply cannot do this creation justice. The combination of flavors and textures was simply outstanding.

Also, I should mention that Scratch has some great beer specials and a wonderful staff. Overall, I think it is one of the best bars to open in Pittsburgh in the last year.

Scratch Food & Beverage Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato