Living in New York (ok, who am I kidding, New Jersey-but we can pretend right?) and being a native New Yorker, I figure that my best meals would be in this great city- and surprisingly it's not. It's either because a) I started this blog before I got the chance to explore New York when it was warm (since I am a hermit during the cold seasons) or b) New York food doesn't hold a candle to Pittsburgh food.
Since we all know that option b) is absolutely false- I figure that I am going to be in heaven when spring (real spring) time comes and I get to explore New York a little bit more. I can't wait!
But for now, I would have to say that Eleven in Pittsburgh was the best brunch I can remember- and that's saying a lot!
As mentioned in my last post about Lidia's, Eleven is right next door (located on Smallman Street) in the Strip District. Eric and I decided to go there Valentine's Day weekend. It's actually easy to miss if it wasn't for the valet sign (oh yes, they have valet!) but thankfully we were able to stop by right before I had to leave for my flight!
I've been to Eleven before, with Eric of course, and had a great dinner there- and I was excited to try the Sunday brunch menu* after the poor experience at Lidia's the morning before. What a treasure!
*The menu listed online is a little different than what is offered- just by a few dishes
The menu was so overwhelming- with the abundant choices available, Eric and I really had a hard time choosing. The brunch pre-fixe menu ($25) comes with an appetizer and an entree and an alcoholic morning beverage/cocktail (mimosa, bloody mary, etc.) of your choice- absolutely worth it. You can also order things a la carte if you're not that hungry, but I would say that $25 goes a long way!
Eric and I finally decided on our meal choices and couldn't wait! Eric got a special granola with yogurt, with pears on top as an appetizer and decided on the Smoked Lamb Huevos Rancheros as his entree. I decided to get the Crab Cake to start and the Rock Shrimp Spaghetti as an entree *both are not listed on the menu provided above*
Eric's granola with yogurt and pears
Smoked Lamb Huevos Rancheros
Crab Cake
Rock Shrimp Spaghetti
Eric very much enjoyed his meal- his sweet, crisp pears paired great with his tart yogurt and crunchy granola- so light and refreshing! His Huevos Rancheros was amazing- they did not skimp on the lamb at all! Full of that smokey flavor- it was very Bobby Flay-esque, which made it even more appealing to Eric.
My dishes were amazing. The perfectly crisp crab cake was full of sweet jumbo lump crab meat. The best part about my crabcake? There was no breading! Usually, crab cakes have loads of breading (and/or other additions mixed in), which really just acts as a substitute so restaurants can skimp on the crab (yeah yeah, and for binding purposes, but who cares). But Eleven didn't have any- my crab cake was just pure crab meat that was perfectly seasoned! (and it didn't fall apart- which proves that breading isn't necessary to keep it together). Delicious!
The Rock Shrimp spaghetti cooked with leeks in a light broth sauce was also great- light and full of that delicate onion flavor the leeks provide definitely hit the spot. Not too overwhelming in flavor, or too heavy and rich, the dish was great! And it had lots of shrimp! Yum!
Something interesting to note- Eleven is fantastic with their vegetables! As mentioned before, I visited Eleven for dinner and marveled at their Chef's Tasting Menu (boy, do I love those) but what surprised me most is that they had a Chef's vegetarian Tasting Menu! I found it a bit strange and unusual, and really appreciated the fact that they were accomodating to those (weird) vegetarians! The menu looked amazing! I thought to myself that Eleven must also be amazing at their vegetable preparations/dishes to have a special menu in that manner, and my thoughts were confirmed when the amuse bouche was served- baked brussel sprouts (so much better than it sounds).
So there it is, you strange vegetarians! Looking for some fine dining in the 'Burgh and sick of having to settle for the generic vegetarian dishes on the menu? Eleven is the place to go for some contemporary vegetarian cuisine! Yum!
So there it is, you strange vegetarians! Looking for some fine dining in the 'Burgh and sick of having to settle for the generic vegetarian dishes on the menu? Eleven is the place to go for some contemporary vegetarian cuisine! Yum!
Another great restaurant, in Pittsburgh! What a delight- not having to worry about parking (thank you valet) and not having to ever return to Lidia's for brunch again, I would say that Eleven was the perfect ending to the weekend!
Price: $$$
Food: A+
Service: A-
Ambiance: A
*Dear blogger, I am very much sick of your spacing issues- please fix asap!!!
