Skip the meal and go to Rivers instead

So.. this may be the first time I am doing this- but I think I want to retract my previous post on Lidia's. Over the summer, Eric took me to Lidia's for the first time ever on my birthday. He was really excited to bring me to a place that isn't 'fancy' but had great food at a reasonable price- and I too, was excited to try it.

I liked Lidia's so much that past summer, Eric and I decided to go back to Lidia's for their brunch menu a few weeks ago (when I went back to the Burgh to pay him a visit) and I was a little disappointed by my meal. To top that off, the week after (I drove back to Pittsburgh to visit Eric again), Shaman, Sundar and Jess decided that we should have dinner together- and we all decided to go to Lidia's again for dinner.

And now, sadly, I think I have to retract my post.

Ok, well to start off- I would like to say that Lidia's isn't awful- it's just not as good as I was expecting it to be- maybe my expectations were a little too high, or I was just drunk the first time I went...

So brunch at Lidia's is unique in that there is a buffet style appetizer portion and then an a la carte main entree menu to choose from. The buffet was great in that it had a lot of different options as well as a variety of desserts- but in terms of quality and flavor, it wasn't very happening. I found that my salads were overly seasoned and the other dishes just.. didn't taste good. The best thing from that table was the soup (Eric's favorite being the argula salad)

The appetizer buffet table

The dessert table

For my main entree, I ordered the crispy chicken livers while Eric got his classic Wild Boar Ravioli. My livers were good but there was just way too much of it- and the seasoning and method of preparation really just became way too overwhelming. I would not recommend this dish- even for the liver lovers.

Eric's wild boar ravioli were good- but I seemed to remember it being a lot better over the summer...

Crispy Chicken Liver

Wild Boar Ravioli

I was a bit disappointed after this meal- and became terribly disappointed after having brunch at Eleven the next day. At a fixed $25 for the buffet and the entree- I would say that this meal was definitely not worth it and I would go to Eleven (right next door) in a heartbeat, which has the same priced brunch menu ($25).

As for dinner....

I got the Almond Pesto Spaghetti (the same thing I got last time on my birthday), Jess, being the vegetarian, got the Cannelloni (*thanks for the correction Sundar), while the majority of the table went with the pasta trio. The pasta trio is one of Lidia's staples - unlimited portions of pasta, with 3 different preparations.

My Almond Pesto Pasta

The Pasta Trio

Jessica's Cannelloni

The majority of the table agreed that the pasta trio was good (for the price) but that the flavors and quality of the dishes weren't very impressive and a bit lackluster in terms of creativity (ok, i added that last part in)- but after having a few bites off Eric's plate, I was happy that I didn't go with that option myself! My almond pesto dish was OK. The best part being that there are a bunch of fried calamari and shrimp on top- I felt like the flavor of the pesto was too nutty- it just didn't work for me... (strange because I loved it last time....). Oh well. Jess said that her cannelloni was great and very heavy- but then again, she's a Fringe so I don't really trust/care about her opinion as it is most likely wrong. (Haha, just kidding Jess- I love you!)

At the end of the day- I had a good time with my friends but really wasn't impressed by Lidia's. I would much rather go to Eleven or just skip the meal and go to Rivers instead...

Food: B+

Ambiance: B+

Service: B+

Price: $$$

Overwhelmingly welcoming!

So this past weekend I got to reunite with Eric! Eric was nice enough to come down for my birthday and we spent a great weekend together kayaking on the river, spending time with the pup, gambling and of course- enjoying good food!

This weekend, we went to dinner at Lidia's, located in the Strip on Smallman Street. I pass by Lidia's quite often and never thought that it would be as nice as it was! Eric has been there before and he thought it would be a nice place to take me for a casual (but nice) dinner- and boy am I happy he did!

Blending in with the neighboring warehouses, Lidia's from the outside does not look like anything special or unique. In fact, I was a bit skeptical when Eric said he was going to take me there for my birthday. Upon entering, my skepticism quickly disappeared as the warm decor and friendly staff was overwhelmingly welcoming!

The menu was filled with delicious options and Eric convinced me to get the almond pesto spaghetti with fried calamari and shrimp while he got the wild boar ravioli. Both dishes were delicious- and large.

I also had a bowl of their soup of the day (summer vegetable) and it was warm and hearty and perfectly seasoned. Eric got their Arugula salad which had crisp pears and we all know how much he likes pears!

The food was great and the portions were big and I really enjoyed spending time there. We saw a couple of people on dates but we also saw families enjoying a nice family dinner! Some were dressed up, and some were dressed casually and so you can enjoy Lidia's for basically any occasion!

What we liked best about Lidia's is their prices! We were quite surprised when we got the bill, and were pleasantly pleased by the quality of food/service we got for the very reasonable price. Lidia's is great for any occasion- casual meal or fancy date. I will definitely be returning when my pasta cravings return (which won't be very long at all) and hope to try more things on their menu (Lobster risotto?).