Waiting for the thaw at Stagioni
Sure flowers are nice. Warm air and sunshine are ok too, but the best part about spring is by far the vegetables. Fava beans, asparagus, fresh herbs and greens are well worth the long winter. With the spring growing season in full force, I figured the best way to celebrate was with a local, seasonal dinner. Seasonal restaurants in Pittsburgh seem are available by the handful, so I made reservations at the most obvious choice: Stagioni, the Italian word for seasons.
Dining at Stagioni is more like eating at your great Aunt Martha’s than in a restaurant. The “cozy” Bloomfield restaurant is quite comparable in size to the dining room in my own home. Although it was quaint, the other rowdy diners we had the pleasure of being in close contact with for the evening made the experience more deafening than cozy.
In true Italian style, the meal started with fresh bread and an herb infused olive oil that was absolutely divine. I could have (and perhaps should have) sated myself on bread alone. Almost as pleasantly surprising as hints of rosemary in olive oil were the plentiful vegetarian options in the menu. On the entree section alone there were vegetarian dishes for each Italian specialty including risotto, ravioli, and three different pasta dishes. Narrowing down choices is much easier than choosing just one so my dining partner and I decided to split the risotto and orrecchiette pasta; both boasted an array of spring flavors on the menu– bring on the seasons!
Of all spring fare, mint is the flavor that truly defines the season on my palate. Basil-mint pesto was featured in the pasta dish along with peas, mushrooms, leeks, and parmesan cheese; it sounded like the perfect combination of fresh, seasonal flavors. It still sounds good, however fresh and seasonal were two notes that the dish did not hit in my mouth. The pesto was noticeable only by the green color of several small gobs atop the pasta. The peas were minimal and tasteless, the mushrooms were so few they added nothing to the dish. As a whole, olive oil and pasta was the majority of my dinner.
Unfortunately, the orrecchiette upgraded from bland to delightful in comparison to the “risotto.” It came with fava beans, artichokes, and goat cheese in a parmesan broth topped with bread crumbs. On the menu it made my mouth water. On the table it made my eyes water. We were charged $16 for what amounted to no more than overcooked brown rice. The fava beans were overcooked, the broth was tasteless, and the dish as a whole could have used at a minimum salt and pepper and substantially less time on the burner.
The saving grave of the evening was our delightful waitress who was both attentive and pleasant. As for the remainder of dining at Stagioni, I should have stayed in hibernation.
Juice Box Cafe: The best juice you’ll find in a box
School lunchtime there are the buyers and the bringers. My mother was known to pack a pretty mean lunchbox and so I was destined to be a bringer from Kindergarten on through graduation. Although I loved the sandwiches, cookies, and carrot sticks I would discover daily in the cafeteria, I always despised the juice box. Juice boxes are really poor concepts; they are hard to open, easy to spill, and never large enough to fully quench a kid’s thirst. Fastforward to adulthood: I’m still a bringer but have found a much more enjoyable Juice Box.
Last week Shadyside was granted a much needed addition to the eateries on Walnut Street. Juice Box Cafe serves a healthy array of wraps, panini, salads, small plates, and fresh smoothies and juices. To my delight the menu has an overwhelming amount of vegetarian options. The menu isn’t the only thing attractive about Juice Box; the new cafe was tastefully designed. Just being in a space with such bright colors and feel-good decor made me feel like a giddy third grader with a lunchpail.
As an avid vegetarian cook, I am well versed in turning classic dishes into meat-less dishes (think: black bean burgers, tempeh BLT’s, tofu steaks, etc). Although you can always cook your way around meat, there are some dishes which just don’t stand up to their carnivorous cousins. Of these two come to mind that Juice Box had attempted to free of meat and serve to their diners: mock tuna salad, and smoked tofu and spicy curry salad (spin on the classic chicken salad). I have yet to whip up an acceptable veggie version of either of these so I ordered the smoked tofu and spicy curry salad with high hopes and moderate expectations.
Since I was eating a cafe named for a beverage I also ordered a “Purple Rain” smoothie: Apple Juice, Mango, Blueberries, Pineapple, and Banana. Wow. I don’t know what purple rain is, but I can tell you that it is good. In addition to eating my way through Pittsburgh’s restaurants I am now also on a quest to drink my way through the Juice Box smoothie menu. Stay tuned.
My salad arrived in timely fashion and looked appealing although not exactly mouthwatering. The salad consisted of smoked tofu, onions, raisins, red pepper, almonds, and carrots in a curry dressing over romaine. It didn’t look like chicken salad, it didn’t smell like chicken salad, 
and it didn’t taste like chicken salad. It was amazing. Although the dressing could have leaned a little heavier on the curry, the chewy tofu was balanced by the crunch from the vegetables and the sweet raisins were a nice pair for the onions and curry. The salad was large enough to leave me satisfied, although the “hearty whole wheat bread” would have been better had it not come from a bag.
Capri Sun drinks may still be the most poorly designed food packaging in history, but I have found a Juice Box that is both well designed and a real tastebud pleaser.
Dinette: The simple pleasure of taste
There is no shortage of restaurants in Pittsburgh competing for a little quality time with my tastebuds. In an effort to try as many new eateries as I can, you will rarely find me “re-dining” at any particular restaurant. Of course there are always exceptions to my dining rules, and this one states that if the thought of a previous meal can make me physically salivate, the restaurant is a valid option to re-visit.
Several months ago, late on a Friday night, entertaining an out-of-towner, and reservationless I had the pleasure of stumbling upon Dinette in East Liberty. The wine list was extensive enough to cause a slight memory lapse when it comes to details of that evenings meal, but when a friend suggested we eat at Dinette, immediately and unconsciously my mouth began to water.
Onion, chevre, kalamata olive tapenade, and mozzarella
My palate was primed for a Dinette “re-dine,” and my taste buds would not be disappointed by the menu of small plates and thin crust pizzas “for one.” Although the only option for an entree is pizza, on this particular night there was an option to suit every craving, and more importantly the ratio of meat to meat-less options was tipped in favor of a hungry vegetarian.
Dinette is a small place, but has great bar seating in front of the kitchen. We were lucky enough to score a couple of the first come first serve seats and were treated to a visual of each menu option before we placed our order. Although the choice was hard, my dining companion and I decided to split two different pizzas: onion, chevre, Kalamata olive tapenade, and fresh mozzarella and wild ramps, parano, marjoram, pine nuts, and fresh mozzarella. Well one thing is sure, we weren’t at the Pizza Hut buffet.
Wild ramps, parano, marjoram, pine nuts, and mozzarella
Local, seasonal, and organic ingredients are the pride of Dinette, and I swear I could taste those adjectives with every bite. Of the two, the onion pizza was my favorite only because I was astounded by the simple genius of using tapenade as an alternative to pizza sauce. It was light enough to not overpower the pizza with a briny flavor, and was the perfect complement to sauteed onions. The standout on the wild ramps pizza were the toasted pine nuts. It is addition of these simple, yet unconventional, ingredients to pizzas that makes Dinette a stand out restaurant in my mind. The ability to combine great ingredients to make an amazing dish is why I can’t wait to re-dine once again. In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Red Oak Cafe: Getting my money’s worth
Walking through Oakland after a long day at the office, I was reminded of how great being a college student was; large chunks of free time during the day, no dress code, and the ability to skip class on days the sun decided to shine. Amidst throngs of care-free students on Forbes Avenue, I was becoming increasingly reminiscent when my stomach growled and reminded me of two things: I was in Oakland not to people watch but to dine with friends, and more importantly that college really meant being broke, not care free. Looking beyond the students, my eyes were entertained by a slew of colorful signs for coffee shops, bars, and endless fast food joints. Of all the things I miss about being a student, relying on food that was cheap and fast is not one of them.
Our group settled on the one restaurant that didn’t smell like “fried (insert food item here)” from the street: Red Oak Cafe. The award for best vegan restaurant in the window may have meant little to my dining party, but it made me giddy inside; I couldn’t wait to scope out the menu.
Red Oak Cafe is a casual establishment where diners order at the counter, pick up their own food, and seat themselves. As I said I am no longer a college student so these are all activities I am capable of. The menu, which is read from a blackboard, has a variety of salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, and a few “blue plate specials.” Tofu, beans, or grains can be substituted for meat in any meal, but I found there were plenty of vegetarian options already on the menu. I was in the mood for a sandwich (the organic 16 grain bread sounded too good to pass up). Although veggie and red pepper hummus is a favorite of mine, it was too safe of a bet for an award-winning vegan restaurant. I opted for the grilled onion veggie burger: tomato, lettuce, and avocado included, no cheese.
Just as a meat eater would not place a McDonald’s burger, a frozen beef patty, and a homemade burger on the same palatable level, Boca burgers, commercialized veggie burgers offered in most restaurants, and homemade all-natural meat-less burgers share only the noun in their names. If indeed the Red Oak Cafe was a great vegetarian cafe, I figured the veggie burger would be the determining dish.
Getting up to get my order was an acceptable request, especially when I paid $8 for a complete meal. Getting up three different times made me feel like I overpaid. The first time the burger had cheese on it; I politely pointed this out to the cook who sighed, rolled his eyes, and turned his back to make a new burger. Almost ten minutes later, my number was called again. No cheese, and no avocado. Needless to say I don’t think I made any friends in the kitchen on this particular day.
I finally sat down with my dinner, anxious (and a little worried that the cook added something more than avocado after sending the burger back twice) I took a big bite of the moist, thick, well-dressed burger. On the good side, the bread was fresh, the onions were well-cooked, and as veggie burgers are prone to dry-out this one held considerable moisture. As for flavor it was neither bland nor exceptionally tasty. Thirty minutes after arriving at Red Oak I walked out full without a sense of having overpaid and without much to say for the meal I had just consumed. Ahh, to be in college again.
Eleven: One is bad, but THIS one was so, so good
11 is close, 1 is quite a bit more accurate. The problem with numbers though is that they never quite tell the whole story. So when I say Eleven had one vegetarian option on their menu it tells you nothing about how absolutely delicious that one option was. So yes one is bad, but THIS one was so, so good.
The Big Burrito restaurants I have been to so far have gone above and beyond accompanying their vegetarian diners (see earlier posts for Soba and Mad Mex). I was therefore under the impression that the “flagship” restaurant of the group, Eleven in the Strip, would be kind to meat-free diners as well. Imagine my shock when a quick once-over of the menu produced the following results: one meat free appetizer, several salads, one seemingly meat free gnocchi entree, and a 4 course chef’s vegetarian menu for $45. I was not in the mood for gnocchi, but my stomach was growling in dissent to a salad, so it was with reluctance that I placed my order. with my usual caveat, “it is vegetarian, correct?”
Ok, so there’s one vegetarian option. It’s Italian. I’m disappointed, but certainly not surprised. Now that the night has downgraded in my eyes from fine to standard dining, I include my standard caveat “it is vegetarian correct?” This is the part of the scene that the server confirms and dinner resumes uneventfully. Except in this case our waitress just about sends me into a state of shock with a hesitant, “I’m actually not sure it is.” Scratch the gnocchi. My stomach continues to growl, about $45 worth, but I can’t get myself to commit to the tasting menu solely for lack of a more reasonable option. If I ate meat I could enjoy a $20 entree, but if I don’t I must eat 4 courses… and pay dearly for them all?
So I compromise with both my hunger and the waitress: an entree sized portion of the carrot risotto that is featured on the tasting menu along with an appetizer of roasted squash ravioli for the table.
In perfect harmony, the wine arrived along with the ravioli . The plump pasta arrived glistening in a walnut-ginger brown butter with apples and dry jack cheese. The ravioli was more filling than pasta which, along with the butter sauce, allowed the sweet and earthy tones of the roasted squash to stand out. The cheese and apples were perfect contrasts in taste and texture respectively. Overall the appetizer was balanced, complete, and brilliantly executed.
After a rocky start to the evening, my entree arrived with both my stomach and I in a more agreeable state. A state which would not last long; one look at my risotto and I was no longer agreeable, I was elated. As one would imagine, the carrot risotto had a pleasant pale orange color. The generous portion was topped with sauteed celery stalks, a pairing that seemed odd at first but one which I will never question again. The risotto itself, which was cookedperfectly, included a mix of turnips, endive, and “butternut squash caponata.” The risotto was creamy, but not heavy, with underlying sweet tones. Celery can sometimes be quite harsh in texture and flavor if not cooked well, but in this instance it lent just enough bitterness to counter the sweet flavors of carrot and vin cotto (sweet cooked wine). Next time I may treat my stomach to the whole chef’s menu; if the risotto was this good, the rest must be amazing.
Some people say that numbers don’t lie. After my experience at Eleven, I might argue; yes there are very few vegetarian options, but what is available is out of this world. And a final note to the chefs: stop being bashful, your meat-free dishes are pure artistry, let it out.
Yo Rita: A taco only by name
When someone mentions tacos, unfortunately I always imagine the nacho cheese and sour cream laden beef-like creations featured in Taco Bell spots. You can imagine my skepticism when I heard rave reviews of Yo Rita‘s, a taco joint in the South Side. I was assured by several Yo Rita’s fanatics that I would not be served a chalupa ala Taco Bell, and so I, hesitantly, agreed to try it with hopes of adding another Pittsburgh restaurant to my list of go-to Mexican options (along with Mad Mex).
In this instance, “taco joint” is deceiving. Actually, it is quite false. I would not classify Yo Rita’s as a joint in any respect. The restaurant is small, but there was a sizable and seemingly refined crowd even for a Tuesday night. We sat at the bar to avoid waiting for a table where we were able to watch the bartender mix one elegant cocktail after another. Although the drinks were poured non-stop, our service was never compromised.
“Joint” might have been deceiving, but “taco” was dead on. Yo Rita has a small offering of starters and the remainder of the menu is individually ordered tacos. Offering one type of food sounds simple, and perhaps boring, but I soon realized that the only similarities of any of the dishes was the noun in its name and the flour tortilla in which it was served. To put off having to choose just a few of what seemed like an endless list of tempting tacos, I opted to start with jicama chop salad.
In addition to the jicama, the salad included papya, roasted fall vegetables, pomegranate, and fennel all tossed in a lovely vinaigrette. The combination is daring, unconventional, and completely ingenious. It is the best salad I have ever had from a taco joint, or any joint for that matter. If you are unconvinced by my recommendation, vegetarian empanadas were also available as a meat-free starter.
With the bowl licked clean it was on to the main event! Five of the 16 different tacos on the menu are vegetarian, I’ll take those odds any day. Tacos range in price from $4-7 and are all ordered separately, both of which are great excuses to try more than one. After asking the waitress for a few recommendations I ended up settling on one beet and one mushroom taco. Try asking for those at a Taco Bell drive-thru.
When the plate arrived, I was surprised by the size of the tacos; for around $5 I was expecting something quite small. Not only were the tacos themselves of fair size, the fillings were pouring out the sides of the tortilla. Oozing mushrooms and beets are always a promising sign for me. The beet taco was comprised of red and yellow beets, peanuts, spinach, and manchego cheese accompanied by the standard shredded cabbage that is served with all tacos. The cheese and vegetable combination was perfect, but although mint leaves were noticeable, I felt the taco lacked an overall flavor. I enjoyed the taco’s creativity and the the ingredients themselves were well-cooked; overall it was fair.
Perhaps I didn’t give the beets a fair chance as with each bite I was eyeing up the mushrooms peeking through the other tortilla on my plate. Perhaps the mushrooms were being pushed out by the red pepper, tomatillo pico de gallo, and huitlacoche (Mexican corn truffle) it was shacking up with. The flavors resonated much more than in the beet taco and the textures melded together seamlessly. I desperately wanted to try some of the other tacos on the menu, but I had surpassed full about halfway through the mushroom taco. Needless to say I will be back to Yo Rita’s soon to check out some more of the tacos, after a jicama chop salad of course.
Avenue B is a one way street
Short menus are generally applauded as being well thought out and boasting seasonal, local ingredients. Small menus make me nervous. Although past experiences have all been true to the fresh, inspired connotation that “seasonal menu” possesses, less options for all diners typically means one option for vegetarians; size of menu aside, being at the mercy of a chef is always a nerve-wracking situation.
Phew! No need to worry, I was assured when making reservations at Avenue B that there would be at least two meat free options. One glance of the menu proved that I had not been led astray, there were indeed two entrees as well as several “beginnings” sans meat on Friday night’s menu.
There were tempting starters to suit every mood: local greens salad with caramelized cippolini onions, and crispy sweet potatoes; cauliflower soup; beans and greens flat bread; or piquillo pepper lasagna. Pure curiosity prompted me to order the lasagna. The dish was almost pleasantly unrecognizable as “lasagna.” Thin, fresh pasta was layered with just the right amounts of arugula pesto, portabello, and pepper so that each bite stimulated different tastebuds without overwhelming the mouth as a whole. This “beginning” was a great start to the night.
Unfortunately, the two meat-free entree choices were much less inspired and creative than both the starters and the remainder of the entree selections. The seasonal menu featured a glorified eggplant parmasean described as, “crispy eggplant, tagalini pomodoro, and grilled bread.” The pasta dish sounded good enough, although conventional, and I was disappointed that the daily menu’s vegetarian option was also an eggplant pasta dish: “eggplant and rabini manicotti.” Avenue B was a one way street: eggplant and pasta.
Although I am critical of the lack of creativity on the meat free portion of the menu, coincidentally I was in the mood for pasta and am a true lover of eggplant.– I cannot say that I was exactly displeased to place an order for the eggplant and tagalini pomodoro. The dish was indeed a glorified eggplant parm; a dish which in its original state can be both mushy or tasteless. True to the menu, the eggplant was crispy, the pasta was fresh, and the
tomato sauce was fresh and light so as to not overpower the eggplant. The grilled bread it is self-explanatory; it made for a nice plating, but wasn’t essential to the dish.
Avenue B had taken me on quite an emotional roller coaster ride: from nervous to expectant to disappointed to well satisfied. Overall the dining experience was quite pleasurable and the service was terrific. As for heeding the hostess’ request to come back again? Next time I crave great eggplant parm I’ll be sure to call ahead.
Tamari: Diving into fish-free Sushi
“Don’t you miss meat?” I have been asked this question in earnest more times than I have cared to respond to. But, to clarify, no I do not. That response has always been issued with the following condition, “but I do miss sushi.” There is something about a well-rolled, fresh Rainbow roll that stimulated my culinary senses in just the right ways. The conflicting yet complementing textures of creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, and meaty tuna always surprised my palate; it was this unexpected freshness I had come to expect, and crave, from sushi.
Like getting over a bad breakup, I had found that I missed sushi less if I did not put myself in situations where it was around. My cravings eventually began to subside, and just as I was developing a deep fondness for other, meat-less, meals my sister proposed we dine at Tamari. The new Lawrenceville restaurant considers its cuisine to be pan-Asian, a term that has become increasingly less telling with each use, but which undoubtedly always includes sushi.
The view from the sushi bar was is always great entertainment, but the longer I watched the sushi mats roll the more intense my cravings became for something fresh from the sea. Then I opened the menu. I had dabbled in the world of vegetarian sushi before, but there are only so many cucumber and avocado rolls one can eat before boredom sets in. “Boring” was the last word that came to mind as I tried to decide what to order.
Tamari offers an extensive combination of small plates, sushi, and entrees which are quite conducive to sharing. Starting at the top of the menu, we ordered grilled zucchini and asparagus skewers which were served with ponzu butter, ginger, and chimichurri sauces. The vegetables, although perfectly grilled, were nothing to rave about, but all three sauces were of perfect consistency and design; each was distinctly true to its name in a quite subtle way. Making our way through the small plate side of the menu, next came an order of tomato with toasted chulpe corn ceviche. Toasted corn and the sweetest cherry tomatoes I have ever had in winter arrived topped with red onion, cilantro, and a pepper mix. The ceviche was the perfect combination of sweet and hot.
I’m not one to ordinarily order a dish from every section of the menu, but I was pleased to find a vegetarian offering (typically quite a few) that I couldn’t pass up throughout the Tamari offerings. Next, grilled romaine salad with mi casa vinaigrette, chicharrones, serraño pepper and asiago cheese. Many adjectives would suffice to describe the complexity of this seemingly simple salad; a few that immediately come to mind are crisp, hot, and smokey.
I was enjoying my dining experience quite thoroughly when I flipped to the next page of offerings and was immediately confronted with sushi followed by the old tag-alongs: maki, nigri, and sashimi. Like ripping off a band-aid, I decided to try and ease the pain and just dive in head first. I knew I found something special when I first laid eyes on the spicy vegan roll. Consisting of avocado, cucumber, jalapeno, and pickled squash topped with seaweed salad, the roll sounded promising. After one bite, I swore that I would never crave a Rainbow roll again. Fish or no-fish it may have been the best sushi roll I have ever had. The jalapenos were hot but the squash was sweet enough to make the heat not only bearable but enjoyable. The avocado and cucumber gave the roll both the creamy and crunchy textures I had come to expect from sushi.
Although the roll was more than plentiful, I had been dying to try tofu skin and was pleased to see them it was available as either nigiri or sashimi. I opted for the nigiri and was quite delighted by this as well; the tofu skin was anything but bland and quite elegantly plated.
Tamari was my rebound restaurant. Not only do I not miss raw fish, I experience intense cravings for a spicy vegan roll quite frequently these days.
Mad Mex: Burrito heaven, extra salsa on the side
Pre-vegetarianism, I had eaten the BEST carne asada at least a dozen times, prepared by just as many restaurants; the only way it ever differed was in degree of inauthenticity. Every Mexican-inspired restaurant claims to be the best. But I have yet to come across a taqueria that claims to have the best vegetarian burrito, fajita, tacos… anything other than tequila that is meatless. Don’t get me wrong, a well prepared bean burrito is not something I am ever inclined to pass up, but I am on a quest for meat-less Mexican food that is a little more inspired, a little less expected, and if the tequila just happens to be the best than so be it.
Pittsburgh has two restaurants that are known to do untraditional Mexican dishes well: MadMex and Yo Rita. One can never have too many free chips and salsa, so I decided to give both a try starting at Big Burrito’s Mad Mex in Oakland.
Don’t let the menu, tables, food, and waitresses fool you, Mad Mex in Oakland is a nightclub not a restaurant. I had heard that the place is generally frequented by college students, and that happy hour margaritas never make for a dull crowd, but I went for dinner at 6pm on a Tueday night and could barely have a conversation across the table. I was discourage, but the complaints stop there because the guacamole was out of this world.
Any vegetarian’s eyes will light up when they browse the Mad Mex menu; anything you can get with meat, you can get without– but better. “Burritos on steroids,” was how my friend summed up the options. Any of the offerings can be made with either Portobello or tofu, and the menu also features a section tastefully entitled: “Burritos Para Los Vegheads.” I had died and gone to burrito heaven, extra salsa on the side.
Enrico’s: The Unfriendly Italian
Michael Buble and Italian wine; the first twenty minutes in Enrico’s Ristorante in Shadyside were pure bliss. I should have left before the appetizers arrived.
Enrico’s menu changes daily, or so our waitress claims. On this particular Saturday night several vegetarian starters were available. I love beets, but do not particularly love the purple hands that always seem to be a lasting aftereffect of cooking them myself so I take full advantage of any opportunity to eat beets that have stained somebody else’s hands. That being said I started my foray into Enrico’s borderline Italian menu with a beet salad and a cup of roasted red pepper bisque.
Beet salads generally feature the beets rather than the salad. Enrico’s mistakenly altered this simple concept and featured the salad with a few pieces of juilienned roasted beets, and charged a hefty $8 for what I would consider a standard side salad.
The soup sounded delicious and I was eager to move beyond the disappointing greens. In what would become the first of a long list of service errs, the soup never did arrive.
My wine glass was slowly emptying and as my palate was waiting to be stimulated I moved on to the entree portion of the menu. Now, I generally tend to regard Italian restaurants as pretty safe vegetarian dining choices. Even the most meat-centric Italian chef can create a simple, tasty vegetarian dish and most will take the liberty of creating a few. For this reason I had not bothered to check the menu before joining my family for dinner at Enrico’s. As far as entrees went, there was one dish that was meat free. My decision-making skills aren’t the most refined and I generally welcome either/or situations, but I do not enjoy my dinner choice being dictated by the chef, especially when my meal is an afterthought.
The meat-free dish of the evening was a risotto with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. I was not entirely in the mood for risotto, but it sounded ok. It was not. The risotto was not thoroughly cooked, the artichoke hearts were quite vinegary which over powered the dish, and the few mushrooms on my plate were simple button mushrooms which added nothing by way of flavor. Crunching my way through the risotto, I was hoping to find some flavor to define the dish by, but that proved to be a fruitless effort.
Several members of my family ordered seafood dishes which they were pleased with, and the filet that came out was determined to be quite edible. So it may in fact be that the chefs at Enricos are quite good, but I can say with definity that their vegetarian dishes (or dish) is not.
Our service had been terrible (although quite friendly) all evening and in a last ditch effort to make it up we were offered free dessert from the “outstanding pastry chef.” I am not much of a dessert connisour, but I do love chocolate so when the table compromised on the flour-less chocolate cake with Frangelico whip cream I though my dinner might not have been a total loss (and to be honest I thought if we sat at the table a little longer my red pepper bisque might eventually arrive). The cake was a brownie, which I have made better out of a box. Meat-free, although not disappointment-free, dinner at Enrico’s was complete.
