Spork on Penn Ave has been a favorite for many years, the kind of place where we celebrated anniversaries and proudly brought out-of-town guests. We were truly stunned by the quality of their new dinner concept, launched less than a month ago. Through a series of carefully orchestrated appetizer bites, multiple small entrées, and desserts, each paired with your choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, the entire Spork team delivered a unique, elegant and immersive dinner experience. We can hardly wait to see how the chef's tasting menu evolves, especially during the Spork garden season! 
How many restaurants serve not only perfectly executed favorites, often with a creative twist, but also inspire you to fall in love with something new? Spork has done all of that. We discovered this chef-owned restaurant, tucked on the corner of Penn Ave. and S. Graham St., in 2018. We happily followed the evolution of the Spork menu, initially focused on charcuterie and shared large and small plates, to a more traditional appetizer, salad, entrée format -- punctuated with small complimentary bites to amuse the mouth (amuse-bouche).
Mosaic Stairway to Dish Osteria: A T&M Pittsburgh Steps & Dine Hike
February 28, 2024
Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, but it also qualifies as the Steps Capital of North America with more than 800 public staircases. Over the past decade, Pittsburgh has become a foodie destination, with its many restaurants and pop-ups. My husband and dog (T&M) have been exploring and mapping out loop hikes of all different lengths and elevations, often walking past fantastic restaurants such as Dish Osteria. One sunny, winter afternoon, it all came together in a 3.3 mile Pittsburgh steps hike ending with amazing pasta, drinks and conversation.
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| Melia leading the way up the Mosaic portion of Oakley on our summer explorations of South Side steps |
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| Continuing up Oakley St. Steps on our winter Steps & Dine hike |
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| Dish Osteria - Rigatoni alla Scamorza |
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| Summer View from St. Thomas Steps |
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| St. Josephat Church on Mission |
Discovering the joys of urban hikes
After we moved from the suburbs into the city of Pittsburgh, we were happy to ditch the car on a more regular basis due to our new proximity to walking, biking, shopping and kayaking routes. My husband and chow chow spent countless hours exploring new urban hikes to replace their forays through the mountains and woods around Seven Springs, and gradually I started to join them. He became especially fond of seeking out Pittsburgh City Steps, recognizable by their characteristic painted metal railings.
The Farm & Forage Dinners at Lost Creek Farm are truly an unforgettable experience. After bumping and jostling down a narrow gravel road, you emerge into another world -- a gracious warm-white farmhouse, lit by the angled rays of the setting sun that transform into strings of fairy lights. Chef Mike Costello and Chef Amy Dawson and staff work their magic for a seamlessly perfect evening filled with easy-going camaraderie, cultural education, and a series of creatively interpreted dishes based in local traditions and heritage flavors. Not only is each dish delicious, but also each story and each bite form interwoven connections that build in a culinary crescendo before descending gently for a perfect, lightly sweet landing. We are already strategizing our return next year...
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| 1880's farmhouse with cider making to the left |
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| Lou's ravioli : roasted chicken : turnips several ways : brown butter |
We discovered Lost Creek Farm through happy serendipity. We happen to be good friends with a couple whose daughter moved to West Virginia. She discovered Lost Creek Farm after conversations with her patients often involved reminiscing about treasured culinary traditions and worrying about their loss. While exploring this topic further by googling West Virginia heritage foods, she came across Lost Creek Farm.
Harvest, est. 1975
Cambridge, MA USA.
Harvest is the perfect place to meet for a great meal, classy and quiet enough for conversation. This 44-year old restaurant prides itself on serving contemporary, seasonal dishes. We thoroughly enjoyed the beautifully plated and creative flavors melding fresh fruits and vegetables to enhance perfectly cooked, locally sourced meats.
After a delayed flight to Boston on a rainy, blustery New England halloween evening, we headed straight to Harvest to meet up with our daughter. What a treat! From the very first section of the menu to the end, it was difficult to decide what to order. Everything was delicious.
We were able to try three of the four Autumn Salads. The preserved plum, apple and lime added bright sweet-tart flavors to the rich spices of the roasted, caramelized cauliflower on its own bed of smooth tangy hummus. Indeed, I was so enthralled with my selection, that I forgot to request a taste of the other distinctive dishes on the table.
After a delayed flight to Boston on a rainy, blustery New England halloween evening, we headed straight to Harvest to meet up with our daughter. What a treat! From the very first section of the menu to the end, it was difficult to decide what to order. Everything was delicious.
We were able to try three of the four Autumn Salads. The preserved plum, apple and lime added bright sweet-tart flavors to the rich spices of the roasted, caramelized cauliflower on its own bed of smooth tangy hummus. Indeed, I was so enthralled with my selection, that I forgot to request a taste of the other distinctive dishes on the table.
Since my husband had been bonding with my daughter's suitemate over summer jobs spent detasseling corn, it was not surprising that he enjoyed his chilled sweet corn panna cotta. Topped with red quinoa and cornbread crumbs, this savory custard was warmed by smoky-sweet hints of bacon, smoked gouda, cherry tomatoes, and sweet peppers.
Our daughter seemed to thoroughly enjoy her baby beets salad, served with gorgeous, huge peach slices over fresh stracciatella cheese. Stracciatella is a rich, slightly sweet, buffalo milk cheese that is best known as the creamy filling inside burrata. Smoked pecans, a bourbon gastrique (bourbon infused reduction of vinegar and sugar) and mint leaves rounded out this beautiful dish.
Our entrées were equally varied, both visually and flavorwise, disappearing rapidly to cleaned plates with every flavorful garnish and every drop of artistically arranged, colorful sauce consumed.
My dish of Arcadian redfish fillets and scallops (they were out of seafood sausage) was artfully plated with a delightful melange of sauces. The bold red-orange stripe of sweet pepper rouille and dots of raisin caper purée, perfectly complemented the seafood and eggplant caponata.
The Whittard of Chelsea Covent Garden Tea Bar
London, England, UK.
Afternoon Tea in London with all its accoutrements is truly a special treat! Whittard of Chelsea serves a delicious spread of finger foods accompanied by a truly excellent tea selection at their Covent Garden Tea Bar. Best of all, with all-day tea service from 10 to 10, you can enjoy tea with friends or family without the need for advance reservations.
First a note on terminology. There are several British tea traditions and high tea is not the same as afternoon tea. Furthermore, there are other lesser known tea times. You might have heard of elevenses, which was not invented by Tolkien for the Hobbits of Middle Earth, but consists of a late morning work break with baked goods and hot tea or coffee. According to historian Bruce Richardson as reported by NPR, the tradition of elevenses probably arose in the 20th century, but is now well engrained in British culture.
Afternoon tea for the upper classes became popular in the mid 19th century, when tea prices dropped after the introduction of 茶 (pronounced cha or tey)* from China in the 17th century. Also known as "low tea" because the crustless finger sandwiches, scones, macaroons and cakes were served around low tables surrounded by low armchairs or loveseats, it was reportedly popularized by Anna Russell, the duchess of Bedford and friend to Queen Victoria, as a fancy snack between meals. In contrast, high tea refers to a hearty early supper with tea that was enjoyed by the lower classes after work. These meals of kidney pie, potatoes or breaded fish with buttered toast and scones were served at a high dinner table or countertop with a pot of strong tea to nourish and revive body and spirits after a long hard day at work. Then there is cream tea, a variant of afternoon tea focused on scones with clotted cream and jam.
Irrespective of what time you wish to enjoy your tea with cakes and other food, the Whittard Tea Bar in the downstairs Whittard tea shop at Covent Garden is truly worth a visit. With a choice of over 100 loose leaf teas ranging from traditional to inventively spiced, the afternoon tea gives you a chance to sample new flavors with little risk. They will switch your pot to a different tea if you dislike your first selection. They also serve coffee, hot chocolate and cold beverages, as well as spirits and tea-infused cocktails. Plus it's fun to explore the shop and taste the samples of both hot and iced beverages. Notably, only the most popular teas come prepackaged. For the real selection of loose leaf teas, go to the back of the shop.
We asked our hotel to check on availability, and then set off for a lovely walk to the Covent Garden piazza. The first Whittard storefront we walked in directed us to their larger downstairs shop, where we were seated right away. Walk-ins are also available, and there was a small line forming by the time we got our tea. The three of us all opted for the full Whittard Tea experience at 30 pounds a person. This consisted of finger sandwiches filled with coronation chicken salad, egg salad, buttered cucumber or smoked salmon with lemon cheese. The type of chicken salad was originally prepared for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and consists of tender chunks of chicken breast in a curried mayonnaise dressing. This was our favorite of the sandwiches.
Afternoon tea for the upper classes became popular in the mid 19th century, when tea prices dropped after the introduction of 茶 (pronounced cha or tey)* from China in the 17th century. Also known as "low tea" because the crustless finger sandwiches, scones, macaroons and cakes were served around low tables surrounded by low armchairs or loveseats, it was reportedly popularized by Anna Russell, the duchess of Bedford and friend to Queen Victoria, as a fancy snack between meals. In contrast, high tea refers to a hearty early supper with tea that was enjoyed by the lower classes after work. These meals of kidney pie, potatoes or breaded fish with buttered toast and scones were served at a high dinner table or countertop with a pot of strong tea to nourish and revive body and spirits after a long hard day at work. Then there is cream tea, a variant of afternoon tea focused on scones with clotted cream and jam.
Bedford, PA USA.
We stumbled across a truly delightful lunch in a restored farmhouse built in the 1700s, minutes away from Old Bedford Village. A wood-fired oven serves as the centerpiece of an open kitchen in the back of this friendly seat-yourself restaurant. The creative, ever-changing menu features fresh, organically grown seasonal produce, meat and local artisanal cheeses.
Because the selections change depending on what fruits and produce are at their peak, the menu was once written on chalkboards, but is now presented on tablets. The candied jalapeños added just a tad of spice to the Peach Jalapeño Grilled Cheese, featuring peaches, bacon, and a blend of local artisanal cheeses between perfectly grilled sourdough. My daughter enjoyed the Grilled Peach and Ribeye Salad so quickly, I did not get a taste! I had trouble deciding between the 5 cheese pizza and burger, and was pleased to find that the mushroom added a great flavor to the cheeseburger, featuring Buttercup cheese to which I added their house made mustard.
For dessert, we enjoyed the artisanal bread pudding drenched in a light caramel sauce and the lemon glazed pound cake with sour cherry compote. Although the caramel and cherry compote were delicious, the bread/cake part did not stand out as much as the other items on the lunch menu.
“Freshtaurant” and Deli, est. 2015
220 Wolfsburg Road, Bedford, PA USA 15522
814-623-0522
814-623-0522
Open M 8-3; T-Th11-9; F-Sa 8-10; Su 10-2.
Tip:
🐾 Each dessert was easily large enough for 2-3 to share!
DID YOU TRY EATING AT HORN O PLENTY?
Tag @love2chowblog and hashtag it #love2chow
🐾 Each dessert was easily large enough for 2-3 to share!
All photos and content © 2019. All Rights Reserved. Contact admin@love2chow.com for permissions.
DID YOU TRY EATING AT HORN O PLENTY?
Tag @love2chowblog and hashtag it #love2chow
Horn O Plenty Restaurant
Reviewed by Love2Chow on July 19, 2019
A few minutes later, a glorious wreath of fragrant dough arrived at our table. Cutting its crispy crust revealed fluffy layers of bread cradling thin slices of tender beef. I suggested that they should give that scrumptious bread another name, or simply use the Uzbek words for meat-bread. Although food is a universal language, that delightful wreath deserves something more poetic. For example, the name Kavsar refers to a crystal clear, paradise river. According to their website, "Everyone who plunges into this river, will never thirst and will always be healthy."
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| Chuchvara dumplings |
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| Spicy cucumber salad and Beef borsch soup |
If you are unsure of which items to select, or are deciding between options, it is easy to get enthusiastic advice from Lana. It was clear that she loves the food. Each dish came out piping hot and freshly prepared. According to their website and a Pittsburgh Magazine interview, the dishes are made from scratch when ordered, using ingredients garnered from daily shopping trips. While most items included Halal beef from Salem's Market and Grill in the Strip District, there were also many chicken and vegetarian dishes, including a new mushroom version of the traditional slow-cooked Uzbek Plov served over rice pilaf with carrots, cumin and chickpeas.
We sampled Russian dishes such as borsch soup and beef stroganoff, served over mashed potatoes. The Kavsar versions feature a scrumptious slightly sour gravy unmuted by excesses of sour cream more commonly encountered. We also enjoyed homemade noodles in an Asian spice broth topped with beef and vegetables. This dish called lagman is a traditional Uzbek dish influenced by the Uyghur people of northwest China. Finally, at the recommendation of Lana, we had the Kavsar Special Chicken. This was an extremely flavorful dish, although some of the breast pieces were a tad dry and it might be better with thighs. The chicken seems to have been marinated, stewed and cooked with paprika until the sauce was absorbed, and served with rice, pickled shredded carrots and a fresh garden salad.
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| Beef stroganoff over mashed potatoes |
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| Lagman - pulled noodles, beef (or chicken) and vegetables |
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| Kavsar special chicken |
The three of us thoroughly enjoyed our first tastes of Uzbekistan cuisine, touched by Russian, Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern influences. Although we each ordered an entree, the dishes are abundant enough to share family style. We ordered fried eggplant rolls stuffed with tomatoes and onions as takeout for my daughter with plans to bring friends and family back to experience the Uzbek tea service and more dishes, including Tahmina's own innovations.
16 Southern Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA USA 15211
412-488-9708
412-488-9708
Open Mon-Sun noon -10 pm.
🐾 Kavsar, on the corner of Southern Ave and Shiloh St, has its own parking lot one block down on Southern across from Natchez St.
🐾 Although not in the heart of the new Shiloh St shopping area off of Grandview Ave, it is definitely worth walking just one block farther down the street.
All photos and content © 2019. All Rights Reserved. Contact admin@love2chow.com for permissions.
DID YOU TRY EATING AT KAVSAR? Tag @love2chowblog and hashtag it #love2chow
Kavsar Uzbek Restaurant
Reviewed by Love2Chow on July 17, 2019
