It’s that time of summer….RESTAURANT WEEK!! This is by far my favorite week of the year. If you’ve never heard of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week it’s the one week each summer and winter where the best of Pittsburgh’s restaurants offer Prix Fixe menus. The prices range between $20-$45 per meal, depending on the restaurant. I have been a fan of this for years and am so looking forward to this one. I’m recent years they have extended the window of time to two weeks instead of one because of the increased interest. Always be sure to make a reservation as some of the restaurants can book up fast. I want to share some of my favorite experiences and then some of the menus I’m looking most forward to this time around!
Eddie V’s
Eddie V’s is clearly a huge classic when it comes to fine dining in Pittsburgh. Being able to do seafood and steak well is a rarity and Eddie V’s crushes it every time! I always begin my restaurant week outings with a glass of wine or a cocktail and this was no different. We decided on red because we planned on getting steak. Their wine list here is lengthy and perfect for any wine lover. For the food menu, we started off with a Caesar salad and then chose the filet for the entree (phone DIDN’T eat first on this one). The dessert was a no brainer to choose the Bananas Foster Butter Cake. This dessert was a PRODUCTION. It was served to us on a plate with the butter pecan ice cream and flambéed table side. This was one of my favorite restaurant week reservations I’ve ever had hands down.
La Palapa
A more casual bite that was one of my restaurant week faves was La Palapa in Southside. You may be familiar with La Palapa from its food truck that often travels throughout the Burgh serving up its classic Mexican cuisine. My friends and I dined here on their covered patio and had an amazing 3 course meal. Our meal began with my drink choice of a house marg and a salad that included the most incredible housemade dressing. For the main event the choice was between chicken, ground beef, or poblano pepper/potato enchiladas and sides of beans, rice, or veggies. They were AMAZING. To top the meal off, the dessert was a delicious trio of churros and ice cream to accompany!
Revel
My restaurant week trip to Revel was to celebrate my sister’s birthday in the winter months and let me tell you about how Revel knocked it out of the park. Above you’ll see our appetizer and entree choices, as well as a fun, berry flavored cocktail. Revel’s menu allowed an appetizer and entree and although no dessert was included, you would leave full. Between my sister and I, the apps we ordered were the Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese, Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, candied cashews, blue cheese, and Yuzu Mayo. She decided on the brisket mac for her meal (which I snagged a couple bites from) and I decided on the mixed grill. The mixed grill offered a choice of protein (shrimp), choice of veggie (asparagus), and choice of carb (rice pilaf). We also splurged and ordered a cheese pizza to go after smelling one pass by our table while eating! It truly enchanted us.
Grand Concourse
Grand Concourse is a beautiful spot in the station square area of Pittsburgh. This historic train station turned restaurant is a must stop. The location offers a very unique view of the city. I started off with a glass of Chardonnay because I knew I was getting seafood pasta and always get white to pair with that. The restaurant week menu items I chose were the Caesar salad, shrimp and lobster carbonara, and then finished off with the bananas foster crème brûlée. Everything was absolutely incredible. The carbonara was one of my all time favorite restaurant week entrees. Seafood pasta can often be too garlicky or too oily but this was absolutely perfect. Be sure to get your parking validated before you leave if you parked in the garage.
LeMont
The LeMont is a stunning Mt. Washington restaurant that overlooks the entire city of Pittsburgh. To start, my friend and I ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon because we knew we were ordering steak! We started with the LeMont salad and decided on the same entree, the prime rib. This 14oz of meat was incredible. To finish, we went with the crème brûlée. The experience here is such a well rounded one. The views, staff, wine, and food are all top tier. This is a spot to consider if you’re celebrating something special.
What I’m Looking Forward To Summer Restaurant Week 2021:
Garbarino’s // Rigatoni Tomato Cream – marinara, cream, Parmesan & Romano
The Rebel Room // Short Rib Pierogi – House Made Pierogi, Truffled Mushroom, Demi
Big Spring Spirits // Grilled peach with burrata, greens & balsamic reduction
Be sure to follow along on my Instagram and Facebook to get the updates on which places I try this restaurant week and during future ones! Tag me when you go try some for yourself!
The 412 Franimal 