One of my favorite things about doing the Achievement list each year is that moment when we stumble upon something totally awesome we would likely have overlooked if we weren’t actively going out and making ourselves try new things. There’s nothing quite like a pleasant surprise at an unexpected time. This year, one of those moments was our trip to The Map Room in Regent Square for dinner.
I’m not quite sure what we expected from the Map Room, but I think it was something a lot more ‘bar food’ and a lot less ‘HOLY COW DOES THAT MENU SAY GOAT CHEESE AND PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS??’
(It does. I know the dramatic-camera-softness hides those words, but they’re on there.)
We popped in for dinner and a round of drinks before a movie at the Regent Square Theater, and we were just blown away with the high quality of food from what we thought was going to be ‘your average Pittsburgh bar.’
When you enter the Map Room, its namesake becomes apparent: there’s a giant, beautifully-detailed map on the back wall of the dining area. To the left is the bar space, and to the right are cozy booths and tables. We sat in one of the booths and were greeted almost immediately by our server.
And then we got down to the business of eating. First up: goat cheese bruschetta. This was an interesting take on the appetizer standard. I loved the crispy toast and the generous serving of goat cheese. There may have been a little bit of a fight over that fifth piece!
Michael got the BBQ bacon cheeseburger for his entree, piled high with bacon and covered in cheddar cheese. The burger was juicy and cooked to perfection, and really, REALLY cheap!
But for me, the highlight was the portabella sandwich. I’m a sucker for a good portabella sandwich, and they are very hard to come by, so I always jump on the opportunity to eat one when it’s available.
This one was immaculate. Thin strips of mushroom, gorgonzola cheese, roasted red peppers, carmelized onions, and a balsamic drizzle on top, all served on a toasted, crispy ciabatta bun. I was in Heaven!
Yeah, it’s okay. Take one more looooong look at that magnificent sandwich! (To say nothing of those awesome salty fries – and not just any salt, they’ve got ROSEMARY salt!)
We finished the meal up with dessert, which rotates daily, so ask your server for the present selection. When we visited, there were fudge-drizzled brownies a la mode. Sweet and chewy but gooey inside, which is exactly the way you want a brownie to be!
Drinks were cheap and promptly served, our service was excellent, and the meal was top-notch. This was the perfect pre-movie dinner spot, and we’re so glad we popped in to check it out!