TastyBurgher

Hello TastyBurgher readers!

Many of you have noticed that the site has been quiet for some time. This is the result of a combination of factors, including the usual “life got busy” kinds of reasons, but, perhaps more notably, because Erika and I were both dissatisfied with the software (Wordpress) that underpins the site itself.

I’ve begun development on a new, custom package that we hope will suit our needs better, and which will deliver more varieties of (and just plain more) content.

Stay tuned for the rollout of the update during the first half of this year!

With warm regards,
Reed

GET VEGGIES AND FRUITS FRESH FROM THE FARM DELIVERED TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! (It’s not too late to sign up!)

What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and it is a service where a local farm will deliver its fresh vegetables and fruits directly to your part of town just for you. This happens usually on a weekly basis, and the veggies are only those that are in season at that moment. The veggies are always freshly picked, and you get them for much cheaper than you would at the store. An additional benefit is that you are spending your money on your community by supporting the local farmers.
(more…)

Cuzamil
2109 Murray Ave
Squirrel Hill, 15217
M-F: 5pm-2am; Sat-Sun: Noon-2am
Cuzamil is a new Mexican restaurant that took over the space previously occupied by the incredibly authentic Mi Mexico in Squirrel Hill. Like Mi Mexico, it’s main draws are that it isn’t awful, and it is the only Mexican restaurant within walking distance to Squirrel Hill residents. Mi Mexico died perhaps because it was too authentic for traditional Tex Mex eating populations. Cuzamil is more of the chimichanga and enchilada type of Mexican, without a single tongue on the menu, so it may fare better simply due to the milder menu. But, the real reason Cuzamil might succeed is because they have a liquor license. We all know that a margarita goes a long way on a hot Pittsburgh summer day, and a boring taco will probably find its way into your belly along the way. (more…)

Tamarind: Flavor of India
257 N. Craig Street
North Oakland, 15213
412-605-0500
M-F: 11:30-2:30, 5-10; Sat-Sun: 12-3, 5-10

For our 10th Indian Food Club anniversary, we decided to go on a date to Tamarind: Flavor of India. This is the upscale sister restaurant to Tamarind: Savoring India out in the South Hills, which we reviewed way back when in Week 5. Savoring India was decent, but probably only worth going back to if it happened to be convenient to your neighborhood. Savoring’s sibling, however, is perhaps one of the finest Indian restaurants in Pittsburgh. It may be more expensive, but almost everything on the menu has a high probability of being delicious, and you eat your dins in a nice, though not very Indian, environment that could be perfect for a date, a work dinner, or a family celebration. Sure, there were a couple of slip-ups here and there, but overall we were all very happy with Tamarind: Flavor of India, and our rating shows it, at a whopping 4.5 average! (more…)

People’s Indian Restaurant
5147 Penn Ave
Garfield (East End), 15224
412-661-3160
M-Sun: 11am-10pm

Holy Cannoli! It is Week 9! Because it was the day of the Super-Snow, we decided to go local and pick People’s Indian, on Penn. People’s used to be the hipster-favorite about 5 years ago. Since then, the new hipster Indian scene is at Taste of India (also on Penn). I’ve been wondering about the reasons for this shift for a while. Is it because People’s went downhill? Is it just a manifestation of the hipster attention span? Maybe it is because Taste of India is that much closer to the BrilloBox, current hipster bar. We’ll eventually get to TOI to test it as well, but after eating at People’s this week I think we can safely knock out hypothesis #1. People’s was, in fact, better than I remembered it ever being before. It isn’t the best of the best in Pittsburgh, but it had a nice homey feel to it and certain dishes were really quite good. The service was top-notch, and the mood was just right. All in all, People’s surprised me, and it might you too. (more…)

Orchids
4519 Centre Ave
North Oakland, 15213
412-688-8383
M-F: 11-2:30, 5-10; Sat-Sun: 11:30-3, 5-10 (buffet only at lunchtime)

Just when I thought we had a long road of sub-genius restaurants ahead of us, in Week 8 we found a surprise in the relatively brand new restaurant, Orchids. Orchids moved into the old location of India Palace (which moved Downtown), and offers a bizarre set of dishes. The menu is entirely vegetarian, with entrées from around the world. Though it has Mexican, Chinese, and Italian dishes, the focus is primarily Indian. You can tell because the burritos have rajmah inside, and the spaghetti is topped with nut balls (a la Malai Kofta). Such an international menu makes one worry about the overall quality of a restaurant (especially after last week’s dinner at Namaste India), but the food here was surprisingly nice, with some dishes from the test list rivaling the best we’ve had yet. They had an extensive Southern Indian menu, with fairly decent dosai (better than others we have had so far) and fantastic upma. Will it beat Udipi? We won’t know for a couple weeks yet, but Orchids is definitely worth going back to again and again. (more…)

Taco Loco
2700 Jane St
South Side, PA 15203
(412) 488-8858
Tu-Th: 11-10; F&Sat: 11am-Midnight; Sun: 12-9

I think I may have mentioned Taco Loco in a previous review where I was raving about Mexico City (the restaurant), but I have been up late every night since worrying that it came off as if I didn’t think Taco Loco was worthwhile.  I hope no one got that impression, because Taco Loco is worth its weight in gold in the Pittsburgh Mexican restaurant scene.  Taco Loco and Mexico City are both taquerias, yes, but they are quite different from each other, and their hours and location make each ideal for separate reasons.  Taco Loco is a more-than-delicious alternative to the Crapcake Factories in the nearby South Side Works, and it maintains an authentic Mexican menu plus some meat alternatives for the vegetarians to enjoy.  Yep, Taco Loco has achieved ‘regular’ status in my book, and if you aren’t sure, the Enchiladas Suizas alone should convince you. (more…)

Namaste India
3101 Banksville Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
(412) 563-1901
M: 5-10; Tues-Fri: 11:30-2:30, 5-10; Sat-Sun: Noon-3, 5-10

As we get through Week 7 of the Indian Food-A-Thon, I’d like to reiterate how lucky I feel we are in Pittsburgh to have such a large number of Indian restaurants at our disposal. Unfortunately, not all of them are good, but characterizing restaurants as such is part of the purpose of our review. What we are finding so far is a three-tier split among the restaurants. It isn’t quite The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, but maybe more like The Shiznit, The Aight, and The Fugly. There are some that stand out, like Bombay Grill and Taj Mahal: they are The Shiznit. The Fugly are most definitely Prince and Star of India. They were just nasty almost across the entire list of test dishes. The rest – well, they are somewhere in the middle. The Aight category of restaurants is markedly inconsistent in the quality of their offerings, as we find that some dishes are especially good, while others are forgettable. Namaste India falls pretty squarely into this Aight category. Really, a couple of things were quite nice, but it just didn’t quite make it over the hump of mediocrity. (more…)

India Garden: Monroeville
3813 William Penn Hwy
Monroeville, 15146
412-372-0400
M: 12-10 ; Tues-Sat: 11:30-10; Sun: 5-10

As we hit our stride going into Week 6 of the Indian Food-A-Thon, we decided to go to the sister restaurant of a place most of the rating panel has been to many times, Indian Garden. The familiar India Garden, which is located in what we are now identifying as the Bad-Indian-Zone of Oakland, is loved by some and loathed by others, but we were wondering: is the Monroeville location any good, and is it any different from the Oakland restaurant? We can only answer part one at this time, but the answer surprised us all. It probably isn’t going to be the best overall, but almost all the test items met the minimum requirements specific to each dish. Additionally, India Garden: Monroeville put up the first real contenders in the Samosa, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Mango Chutney contests (though I still think that we will find much better out there). People also really liked the Saag Paneer and Channa Masala, but more on all this in the review below. For the intro paragraph, all you need to know is that this week’s adventure was surprisingly good, and fairly priced (~$17). If you need any other reasons to read on, then let me tell you that we had an honest-to-goodness Indian dude with us who shed light on such things as the subtleties of mango chutney, and the nasty digestive pills that gave Thiago H. Jal Jeera flashbacks last week, so check it out!
(more…)

Tamarind: Savoring India
2101 Greentree Rd
Greentree (South Hills), 15220
412-278-4848
Tues-Thurs & Sun: 11:30-2:30, 5-9:30; Fri-Sat: 12-3, 5-9:40

In Week 5 of the mad dash to find the best Indian restaurant in town, we decided to treat ourselves to something that would hopefully be a bazillion times better than the disappointing junk we had last week at Prince of India. I’ve heard from several people that Tamarind: Savoring India (the location in Greentree) was pretty much boss, plus at least one person from India that I talked to said that he thought that he heard it was alright, but he had never actually been there. So, we decided to give it a try. Results: good, but by far not the best. They do have a lot of Southern Indian dishes, which they prepare exceedingly better than the Northern recipes, and they use REAL spices (bonus!), but the overall experience left a little to be desired. Also in this issue: a special Finnish guest lends our rating panel an international edge, AND we solve the mystery of the Jal Jeera…Sweet! (more…)