B52 Lawrenceville

Moussaka

I estimate that I probably eat a vegetarian diet about two times a week. Avoiding meat isn't just hypothetically better for your body, it's also better supposed to be better in terms of environmental sustainability. (There are great arguments on both sides of the fence. Vegetarians would probably like to crucify me for this statement but it would be counter-intuitive to their mission.)

That being said, I just can't get as excited to go out to vegetarian restaurants as I do for more specific dining experiences. If you tell me we are going for sushi, Tex-Mex, bbq or Thai, I begin to salivate. If you tell me we are going to a vegetarian restaurant, I lose my vigor.

The moussaka, pictured above, was absolutely beautiful, but underwhelming. The dish tasted as though it had been prepared well in advance of the evening and was likely re-heated. It was one of the few dishes I've seen returned in the history of happy hour. (The waitress asked, and the kind patron tried to refuse.)

Onion Flatbread

Some of our favorite dishes were the stewed tomatoes, the onion flatbread and the fried cauliflower. All were masterfully prepared with a fantastic array of middle-eastern spices. The flatbread came covered in sumac, pine nuts and caramelized onions. It is actually hard to imagine how they were able to sell if for $6 considering the amount of pine nuts heaped on the dang thing!   (At the time this article was published the average price of pine nuts was $18 per pound.)

One of the great options available at B52 is that they allow you to select a complimentary sauce with each order. Your choices include the harissa. which is a smoked hot pepper sauce,  the zhoug, which is a cilantro parsley hot sauce and of course, tahini. The harissa seemed to be the group favorite.

Baklava

The staff was very accommodating, especially for putting up with the nightmare known as the Pittsburgh Happy Hour. They helped us take over most of the restaurant without much resistance and even managed to muster a few smiles.

Some great perks to keep in mind, B52 is BYOB, the space is gorgeous and you may even run into local celebrity Rick Sebak! He just happened to be dining there during our little soiree.

RICK

.

Apteka

"Apteka" is polish for drug dispensary. I guess people must be running out of restaurant names, but the establishment itself does have a sort of pharmacy-esq je ne sais quoi. The white cement block walls are largely barren and the decor is simple. A true reminder of what it must have been like to live in Eastern Europe during the cold war. The food, however, is very exotic.

Pictured above are three separate vegetable tartines and an apple tart featuring some sour cherries. The tartines provided a great array of fresh and flavorful ingredients and they were easily the best dish I tried during my visit. They are somewhat difficult to describe as each had a different type of bean or pesto spread, a different vegetable topping and very unique flavors. The apple tart was also quite delightful. You really can't go wrong with sour cherries. Overall, I would say that the food at Apteka could be one of the best pure vegetarian options available in Pittsburgh.

I generally find it very difficult to get excited by restaurants that don't serve meat as it always seems that many of the offerings attempt to mimic the flavor and texture of meat. (IE tofu scramble, seitan chicken wings or bean burgers.) Apteka on the other hand offers authentic old-world style dishes that really don't lack in any way from the exclusion of meat products.

Do you spell it pirogi, perogie, pierogi, pyrogy or perogy?

They offer two types of pierogi, a saurkraut and mushroom and a smoked potato with parsnip and turnip greens. I honestly thought I would prefer the saurkraut pierogi, but the smoked potato was so unique that it was absolutely may favorite. Homemade pierogis are always a treat and these are some of the best in the city.

On a Thursday night the line for Apteka was out the door. Additionally, their staff is still working out the kinks and service was not great. Soon it looks like they will be opening an outdoor patio and I can only imagine that the quality of the service improves as the restaurant finds its bearings. Give it a month or so. Also, be sure to try the tequila drink with wildflower, lime and orange.