The Best Part About Changing Jobs

Today was the first day in about two weeks that I had to buy my own lunch.  Ever since I gave my notice, it’s been a whirlwind of happy hours, lunches, breakfasts, coffee breaks, etc.  First with the old job, and then this week with my new colleagues.

There was the Adele-planned happy hour at the Union Grill.  Complete with champagne (and a margarita for me!), great apps, and really nice and thoughtful gifts.  Then there was a delicious lunch at Eleven, where I had the best burger I’ve had in awhile.  Both of these excursions were PC…they included some people I am less than fond of, so it started another wave of events for just people we like

On one of my last days, two of my most important and favorite internal customers took me to Lucca.  I hadn’t been there in awhile and never for lunch, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I had the turkey club sandwich, and oh my God, was it good.  It was enormous and came with lots of chips and a really large side salad.  (Just a note, if you’re a club sandwich fan, check this cool new blog out:  http://clubsaretrump.blogspot.com/ – it’s really neat!)  I also had the tiramisu for desert, and well, that was just a disgrace to tiramisu everywhere.  Over all the lunch was excellent both in taste and company.

My very last day, two of my fav co-workers and I went to a restaurant off the beaten path so we could enjoy a few cocktails.  A couple of glasses of prosecco later, and I was feeling GREAT as I handed off my badge and everything to HR.

Then I started the new job.  Day one was a retreat, so even though it wasn’t all for me, I can pretend it was.  Breakfast, lunch, and ice cream sundaes!  Day two and three…more lunches with new, interesting and great people.  One place we went that I really liked was the cafe at Phipps.  I had a great chicken salad…it was a good size too.  Not overwhelmingly large, but I left full.

Today…a quick bagel at Einsteins.  Not that exciting, but filling.  It’s fun changing jobs

What’s your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant?

I love going out to eat.  And, I love trying new restaurants….and returning to old favorites.  Some of my favorite Pittsburgh restaurants are Soba (for the ambiance and pad thai…best pad thai in the ‘burgh!), Mallorca (for the service and the amazing food), 17th Street Cafe (good food, great neighborhood charm)and UUBU 6 (best duck I’ve ever had).

What are your favorites?

Surprise, Surprise

One of my best friends, Nur, turned 30 on Saturday.  She lives in New Jersey right outside of NYC, so I flew up for 24 hours to surprise her.  Turns out, her wonderful fiance also wanted to surprise her…he had a bunch of her good friends waiting at a bar to send her into her 30s with a bang

The best part was that Nur was so unsuspecting that she was literally in tears Saturday morning because no one was doing anything for her big day.  She was so happy and surprised, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it!

Before the surprise at Quay’s in Hoboken, Kelly (who graciously let me stay with her in her awesome apartment in midtown Manhattan!) and I had dinner at 3Forty Grill.  Awesome filet…and they barely cooked it just the way I liked.  The mashed potatoes were to die for, as well…slightly garlic-y, but still so yummy.  The best part?  The martini’s.  I had a raspberry and 3Forty…which tasted like rainbow sherbert!

Little did I know when I was planning my trip that Sunday was Easter.  Opps.  I had a nice Southwest Chicken Salad from McDonald’s on my way home from the airport.  Definitely worth it…it was a great weekend!

Restaurant Review – 17th Street Cafe

I haven’t blogged in awhile…and now two in one day?! Can you tell I just really don’t want to work???

Anyway, we went to 17th Street Cafe last night with my mom, who is visiting from Florida. I love that restaurant. The food is great, it’s really cute and cozy inside, the wine is good, and the prices are reasonable. Since we moved to the South Side, we’ve eaten there several times, have gotten take out and had them cater last year’s holiday party. They never disappoint.

We started with the hot banana peppers appetizer…very good, and not really that spicy.  They could actually be a little spicier.  Then, we had bread and salads. I don’t know if they bake their own bread or where they get it from, but it’s simple Italian bread that is so soft and yummy.

For dinner, I ordered the filet, extra extra rare. Normally, I don’t like when filet comes with a bunch of sauce and other things, but the sauce and the mushrooms were excellent. I did scrape the blue cheese off the top though because the meat was too tasty and didn’t need it. And, it was cooked, or under-cooked as my mom said, to perfection.

My mom really enjoyed her pasta dish, and Brad loved his spicy diavolo pasta. They also have Chateau St Michelle Reisling by the glass…which is my preferred Reisling. It was a really great dinner, and nice to spend some time with my mommy.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Allegro

There’s nothing better than Friday night date night.  Brad and I were starving after a long week and decided to go out to dinner. 

We had tried Cafe Allegro about a year ago after we first moved to the South Side.  The food was amazing but our server was terrible.  We sat there without wine from before our entrees were brought out until we finally flagged him down for the check.  Our appitizer and salad came out at the same time…very annoying especially at a nice restuarant.  But, the food was so delicious, we were willing to give it another try.

I started with their homemade white sangria.  It was fruity and refreshing…I just don’t think there was any alcohol it it.  After three glasses, I didn’t even feel a faint buzz.  Brad had the house cabernet and thought it was decent.

He tried the Allegro Salad and really liked it.  For dinner, he had the seafood stew dish and ate every bite of that.  Even the oysters, his least favorite type of seafood, were good…and gone.

I’m the type of person who finds a dish I like and then sticks with it.  The pasta I had previously was one of the best pasta dishes I’d ever had.  I immediately found it on the menu and couldn’t wait.  The second time around, the Pasta Del Sol didn’t dissappoint.  The sundried tomatoes had a really rich taste.  The cream sauce covered the penne noodles pefectly – I’m not a fan of tons of sauce.  It was a filling but very good meal.  Brad tried some and defintely agreed!

Our service this time was much better…exactly what you’d expect from a more upscale restaurant.  Our wine and water glasses were never empty, plates were promptly removed from the table and our server was friendly and helpful.

I’d give this experience four stars out of five.  We’ll definitely be back!

Update: Best Steak in Pittsburgh

About a month ago, I blogged about my favorite Pittsburgh steak restaurants. Well, I need to make some adjustments to that list. Two weekends ago, a bunch of us went to Ibiza to celebrate my birthday. I ordered the filet. I had this entree at least three other times and always loved it. In fact, every time I’ve ever been to Ibiza, I’ve loved it.

Except this time.

There have been warning signs that the restaurant was on a downward spiral. Gabby and her husband had a bad experience several weeks ago. And, it’s been increasingly easy to get a good reservation. But, like I said, I’ve always had great food and even better wine, so I chose it as my birthday celebration starting point.

I ordered my filet “extra rare. Cold in the center rare.” I don’t know how else to explain how I like it cooked. The waitress seemed to get it, and since I’ve had perfectly cooked (or undercooked) steak there before, I wasn’t that worried. My filet arrived – along with everyone else’s appetizers (I know it’s a tapas bar, but plan a little better, please! I sat there for a good two hours while everyone else finished their meals. Thank goodness there was good wine.) I cut into the center of the steak and was immediately disappointed. It looked almost medium. Not even medium rare. I forced myself to eat most of it though…and then started picking away at the table’s olive, cheese and meat platter.

Sometimes I will send back food when it’s not prepared correctly…but I feel really bad doing it. I shouldn’t…I’m the customer and should get what I ask for. But, our waitress seemed quite frazzled by our table – she could barely keep up with all of our various drink orders as it was.

So, I suffered in silence. And still had a great time anyway.

On a side note, Gabby’s pasta was mushy, and Brad’s meat platter was nothing special…very dry and bland. We won’t be going back there any time soon…unless it’s just for drinks because they do have fabulous wines.

My new and improved list of the favorite steak restaurants in Pittsburgh:

1. The Capital Grille – I had to send my first filet back because it came out more like medium well, but once they got it right, it was so worth the wait.
2. Mortons – Almost as good as the Capital Grille.
3. Mallorca – Even better when it’s with their Sangria.
4. Tie – Bruschetta’s and McCormick and Schmick’s
5. Mantini’s Wood-Fired Grill – I’ve only had it once, but they cooked it right, and their sides are amazing.

Restaurant Review: Cheesecake Factory

We found a way to get seated at the South Side Cheesecake Factory without waiting for two or three hours – show up right when they open.

After Friday night’s South Side bar tour, we were in the mood for lots of good food. So, Brad and I arrived to a mostly empty restaurant Saturday morning at around 11:15 am. I immediately ordered the factory nachos with spicy chicken when our waitress stopped by to get our drink orders. The diet cokes she brought had a strange taste to them, but I was on the dehydrated side, so I gulped mine down anyway.

The nachos came out rather quickly, which was nice, but I was very disappointed with them. There were tons of chips, but not nearly enough toppings for them. They need to double the amount of guacamole, sour cream and salsa that they give you…there were just too many plain chips left over at the end. The “spicy chicken” was a good addition, but its name is misleading – there was no spice to it whatsoever.

Brad went with the luau salad for his entree – mainly because it sounded somewhat healthy. He was not impressed with the salad though – it was drenched in way too much dressing , therefore defeating his healthy intentions.

I tried the new turkey pastrami reuben, and it was amazing! There was a ton of meat and the coleslaw was excellent. Brad tasted it and loved it, too. And, it came with french fries that were perfect – the were golden, cruncy on the outside, and soft on the inside and slightly salted.

The best part about our meal though was our server…I didn’t get her name, but she was nice, friendly and competent. My diet coke was refilled often, and she was really attentive. I tipped her 25% because that’s what you do when you have good service.

Overall, I’d give them 3.5 stars out of 5 – had we waited two hours for a table, I would have been really upset at the quality of the appetizer and Brad’s salad.

Back to Reality

Returning to work after a vacation is never fun. This blog pretty much sums up what happens when you return from a long weekend.

My work inbox had 236 unread messages this morning. I was actually surprised there weren’t more…I think a lot of people took time off over the 4th. I only have it down to 79 unread now – and it’s already 2pm. It’s hard to even start to figure out what needs to be accomplished to get your head above water when you spend all morning in meetings. Luckily, my meeting this afternoon was canceled, so perhaps I will be able to start sorting through the mess.

All of that said, I wouldn’t give up one second of my five day paradise vacation in Naples. It was amazing. I didn’t think about work once. There was really, really great food, lots of sun, fun times with family and friends and time to relax.

We found a new favorite restaurant, too – Trulucks, right off of 5th Ave, was good beyond words. My boyfriend can’t stop talking about the quality of the menu – he had a really tough time choosing, but loved his ahi tuna entree and some type of crab as an appetizer. (I don’t eat any type of seafood, so the different kinds of crab choices just flow right over my head.) I had a filet – prepared extra rare, and it is now my second favorite steak in Naples. It was wonderful. And the parmasean mashed potatoes were the best I’ve had in awhile.

I also read 2.5 books – Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger…one of my new romantic comedy favorites. I read Lauren’s first book, The Devil Wears Prada when it was released a few years ago, and liked it, but this one was better. The characters were more developed, the story flowed really well, and the different character perspectives kept me really interested. I am also now completely jealous of her career. The first book she wrote accomplished more than most authors or writers could hope to accomplish in an entire career! Now, she’s written a third, and in my opinion, even better book. Did I mention she’s only 31? Yeah, thinking about that over a birthday weekend marking the near-end of my 20s was not so fun. But it did make me really start thinking about writing a book. I’ve always wanted to be a published author, and there’s no time like the present, right?

The second book, The Last Time I Was Me by Cathy Lamb, was also good. It took a few chapters for me to really get into it, but I kept wanting to find more about the main character and her nervous breakdown, so I kept reading. Then once she was running along the river naked and ran – literally – into a new love interest, I was hooked. The writing was witty and honest, and although the story wrapped up a little too neatly for my tastes, it was a really great story about facing your fears, rediscovering your self and facing a tragic past.

I’m almost finished with Ellen Baker’s Keeping the House. I’ll let you know how I feel about it once I finish.

If only I was still at the pool or beach with a frozen raspberry margarita in hand…

Vacation Time

At this time tomorrow, I will be on a flight to Naples, Florida. I can hardly wait! I have so much to do between now and then….getting some work stuff finished, running some errands, most importantly to Sephora, and driving Bruin out to my sister’s so she can watch him.

Naples for the 4th (and my birthday) is going to be so much fun. Gabby and her husband will be there, along with her parents, my boyfriend’s family and friends of Gabby. This will be my third trip to Naples this year so far – fourth overall to Florida – I love the real sun, beaches and great shopping. Oh, and the amazing restaurants. So far, my favorite is Chops – best filet maybe ever!

I also hope the smell of smoke clears out of our house before we leave. Last night at 1030 pm, the boyfriend decided to make three pizza rolls. He stuck them in the microwave, accidentally turned it on for 10 minutes and went upstairs. I was on the computer and smelled smoke and screamed – the whole house filled with this awful smelling smoke. We opened all of the windows and lit candles, but I could still smell it this morning.

Right now, it looks like Angelina Jolie will be popping out her twins soon. First, the husband-stealing Jolie steals my name and now she’s trying to steal my birthday weekend thunder?! Whatever!

Nothing will ruin this vacation…I am so excited. Happy 4th of July!

My Book Club

Last night was book club night.  They are always pretty fun, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint.  This month’s book was Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea…if you need about a hundred good laughs, go out and buy this book right now!  My favorite chapter was Prison Break.

There were only four of us there last night.  Pammie, Ang, Gabs and myself.  We spent most of the time last night discussing Gabby’s awful new sister in law, piecing together the events from Saturday’s girls night out and figuring out how we can get Chelsea Handler to be our friend.

We meet at the Library on Carson Street.  It’s a really fun little bar and restaurant.  The food is great, and the wine is even better – although we were all taking it easy last night and ordered diet cokes!

Next month’s book, chosen by Gabby, is Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian…I’m going to pick it up before vacation Thursday…it sounds like it will be great!  Hopefully more of our book clubbers will be able to make it.  We’ve only been doing this since January, and I’m really glad we started it.  Not only does it get me to read things I might not otherwise pick up, but I know I’m going to see good friends once a month….and with our busy lives and schedules, that definitely helps.