Pittsburgh Food Finds (Featuring John)
It is really quite wonderful having one of my best friends living in Pittsburgh. John and I met way back in 9th grade, meaning we’ve been friends for 10 years! Definitely my longest tenured friendship to someone I talk with regularly. John moved out to Pittsburgh to go to grad school at the University of Pittsburgh and we live just a two minute drive from each other in the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill. It is a hilly walk between our apartments but it only takes about 15 minutes to accomplish.
Ramen Bar
I’ve lived in Squirrel Hill for a year but there are many restaurants I have yet to dine at. I have no qualms eating solo at restaurants but I do generally prefer to have someone dining with me. John and I went to Ramen Bar on Forbes Avenue and I was blown away by our food. Prior to the meal, my extent of ramen consumption had been the $0.10 packets from the grocery store that could be made in three minutes after middle school and then in between classes once I was a college student. I didn’t know that I was going to pick what type of broth I wanted and then also what I wanted in my ramen bowl. Thankfully, John is a pro and explained it to me.
Ramen Bar has a large menu but it isn’t overwhelming. The left side is composed of appetizers and side dishes. The center is where you can create your own bowl. And the right has premade bowls of varying complexity.
I opted for the spicy shoyu broth with ramen noodles, pork, bean sprouts and white onions. Shoyu broth is a soy based and has a clear, brown color. It is not at all an intimidating thing to eat. The spicy shoyu had the perfect bite that hit right in the back of the throat. It wasn’t overwhelming but it was certainly noticeable. The pork in my ramen was divine. I was confused at first because the chunks in my bowl were rather large and you clearly don’t cut your food as you eat a ramen bowl. It would essentially be the same as using a knife while eating soup. I was worried that I would look like a cavewoman eating large chunks of pork but wow, was I mistaken! The meat was incredibly tender and fell apart at the slightest touch of my fork (yes, I used a fork instead of chopsticks because I’ve never mastered the art of chopsticks). I highly recommend it. The bowl also had a very large serving of noodles and a lot of onion. I was so full before my bowl was empty but I had to finish. The flavors in my bowl were so wonderful. There was a great crunch from the white onion and bean sprouts which were the perfect complement to the tender pork and noodles.
A+ for Ramen Bar.
Gluuteny
Now, I love baked goods. I love baking and I love visiting bakeries. I’ve had a massive sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. I always get extra buttercream frosting on my birthday cakes and I usually bake over 20 dozen cookies at Christmastime. When I first moved to Pittsburgh for school in 2011, I quickly found Prantls Bakery in Shadyside and it’s been my favorite bakery ever since. I have often walked past Gluuteny on Murray Avenue but resisted the temptation to stop inside because the last thing I need in my life is another bakery. However, while walking past with John, we ventured inside because Gluuteny is not just another bakery. It is a gluten free bakery.
I am not at all gluten free but I know quite a few people that are either due to Celiac Disease or other health issues. John is gluten free and so the signs on the door finally piqued my interest enough to pop inside. I’ve got to say, I am very happy that we entered! Gluuteny was celebrating its 10th birthday and the interior of the store was decorated with balloons and crepe paper. There were cake-shaped sugar cookies with vibrant icing. Birthday cake flavored cookies and brownies with cake batter on one side.
While the store is small, it is well-lit and the rainbow birthday decorations immediately put a smile on my face. What helped even more with the ambiance of the store was the great customer service John and I received. We were warmly greeted by a lady named Stacy who told us about the products and about Gluuteny itself. Stacy told us that the sugar cookies would be a good decision as would brownies. John was excited by this news because he misses brownies most since going gluten free.
I will not even pretend to know the struggles of people that have gluten free diets. I would miss bread, pasta and cake like no other. I’ve been told that the consistency of gluten free items can be chewy or incredibly dry. It is also very hard to bake gluten free items because different kinds of flours need to be mixed at the perfect proportions to create a delicious texture and consistency. I must say, Gluuteny has gotten those proportions very right! The sugar cookie tasted like any normal sugar cookie I’ve eaten...but better. There seems to be less sugar in it than other similar cookies from normal bakeries. I’m not sure if that is true or if there is simply a different taste due to the lack or normal flour, but wow, was it delicious! Also, Gluuteny has a whole shelf filled with mixes to many of their most popular treats so gluten free customers can have the ease of making brownies and cakes at home without the fuss of mixing their own flours.
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All products and businesses mentioned are linked in the text because if I’ve a good experience, I’d like you to have it as well. And no, I am not getting paid for any of this.
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