Author Archives: michael

Our Battle Royale Against An Angry Mob At Kings

Achievement: #72. Frownie Pile at Kings

Our regular readers know that we’re fans of the somewhat-extreme challenge. Like when we decided to try to eat at every Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh. Or when we tasted all 200+ tequilas at Verde Mexican Kitchen + Cantina. Or when, … Continue reading

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Filed under #72, #72-15, dessert, extreme eating, ice cream, north hills

A Locally Sourced Italian Dinner With Donatelli’s

Achievement: #61. Prepare Meals Sourced from 5 Local Ethnic Stores

Throughout the year, we’ll be doing more local shopping at various ethnic stores, and then making meals from what we gather. First up, we’re starting in the comfort zone with Italian cooking. We shopped at Donatelli’s in Bloomfield; check out what we made! Continue reading

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Filed under #61, #61-15, bloomfield, buy fresh buy local, cooking, CSA, italian food

Jelly Of The Month Club: Wholey’s Boysenberry Jam

Achievement: #42. Jelly of the Month Club

This March, we attempted to rebound from two straight letdowns for Jelly of the Month. Our rebound prospect? Wholey’s Boysenberry Jam. Did this jam turn the young year around, or will it, too, fall flat? Continue reading

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Filed under #42, #42-15, fruit, jelly, jelly of the month, strip district

Cheese Of The Month Club: Trying Our Luck With Some Irish

Achievement: #41. Cheese of the Month Club

For the (belated) March installment of Cheese of the Month Club, we sampled some Irish cheeses. Come have a look; maybe you’ll discover a new favorite! Continue reading

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Filed under #41, #41-15, charcuterie, cheese, cheese of the month club, irish

A Cocktail For Every Season: Back To The Earth

Achievement: #82. Invent One Cocktail Per Season

This year, we’re attempting to create one new cocktail for each season. First up is winter, and we’re coming at you with a beet-infused spin on the Blood and Sand that we call…Back to the Earth. Continue reading

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Filed under #82, #82-15, beets, cocktails, home bar, winter

The Baller Meatball Ball-Off: Lombardozzi’s Restaurant

Achievement: #22. Meatball Ball-Off

In this third installment of the Baller Meatball Ball-Off, we return to the site of one of our very first Achievements, Lombardozzi’s Restaurant. We remembered well the succulent balls of Lombardozzi’s; but were they truly baller enough for this ball-off? Read on to find out. Continue reading

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Filed under #22, #22-15, bloomfield, italian food, meat, meatballs

Jelly Of The Month Club: Strawberry Basil Jam

Achievement: #42. Jelly of the Month Club

Round two of 2015’s Jelly Of The Month Club brings us an intriguing local product — Basil Strawberry Jam from Ruk’s. What was the result? Stop in and evaluate along with us. Continue reading

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Filed under #42, #42-15, buy fresh buy local, jelly, jelly of the month

In Which Michael Loses An Oscars Bet And Humiliates Himself Publicly

Achievement: #85. Oscars Bet

Every year, Fox and I bet each other who will predict the most winners at the Academy Awards. The stakes this year: win, or be forced to read terrible teen poetry aloud in public. Have a look at the ugly results. Continue reading

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Filed under #85, #85-15, academy awards, bet, husband, oscars, wager

The Famous Fish Fracas: The Original Oyster House

Achievement: #13. Famous Fish Sandwich Tour

We surveyed another spot serving a Famous Fish Sandwich — this time, the historic Original Oyster House in downtown Pittsburgh. How’d their nearly-century-old breading recipe measure up? Come investigate with us. Continue reading

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Filed under #13, #13-15, downtown, fish sandwich, french fries, pittsburgh

The Commoner Is Anything But Common

Achievement: #21. Charcuterie Face-Off | #44. Kimpton Staycation

Rounding out our trio of Kimpton Staycation posts…on the night we stayed at the Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh, we had a pretty sweet board of cheese and charcuterie at the hotel’s restaurant, The Commoner. Check out the hit parade of cheeses and meats, plus our recommendations! Continue reading

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Filed under #21, #21-15, #44, #44-15, charcuterie, cheese, downtown, hotel, kimpton, restaurant, staycation, valentine's day