Great Balls of Fire

When my sisters, cousins and I were younger, we used to play in my uncle's swimming pool and spent many a summer day floating on alligator-shaped rafts and becoming pruney in the sunshine.  In between games of chicken and Marco Polo, my Ginger Sister forced us to play The Little Mermaid and because she was the only red head among us, she was automatically granted the role of Ariel... Every single stinking time. 

The rest of us had to be crabs, eels, seas witches, or even worse, the lame mermaid sisters who were always so jealous of the perfect Ariel.  Ginger Sister got to splash around singing (in her mind) melodiously while her sisters and cousins asked for chances to be the star mermaid, but were only shut down with the same excuse: we didn't have red hair.

Though our days of swimming in my uncle's pool are long gone, Ginger Sister still holds a special place in her DVD collection and in her heart for The Little Mermaid and the film's scaley heroine. Needless to say, when Pittsburgh's Byham Theater announced its January production of The Little Mermaid, I ordered tickets to present to Ginger Sister and my Momma for Christmas, with an extra ticket for Aunt Jackie Number One.  Without any hesitation, we decided that a preshow dinner would be needed and I suggested Emporio, a Meatball Joint, first floor of the three story Sienna Mercato located on Penn Avenue.

Since I learned of the magical restaurant centered around meatballs, I had been dying to try it, but this was my first real opportunity.  Luckily, my fellow theatre-goers take meatballs just as seriously as I do, so the decision was unanimous. 

Sienna Mercato holds three separate dining locales within one restaurant, separated by floor.  Emporio is the first floor, then Mezzo Charcuterie on the second, topped by Il Tetto, a rooftop beer garden.  

We agreed to arrive at 5 p.m. and in typical fashion, I was freakishly early.  I ordered a glass of wine and reviewed the menu while I waited and observed the relaxed environment with a variety of patrons. 

Our server was attentive and friendly, despite my early arrival and seemingly lonely spirit.  She asked if I would like an appetizer to munch on before my family arrived and without much convincing, I ordered a bowl of poutine.  I love poutine, but it has to be done just right for it to be worthy of praise.  Emporio's poutine was not the best that I've ever had, but it was still pretty darn good.  The typical cheese "curds" were more saucy than I had anticipated, but I still enjoyed it a lot.  I tried not to devour the entire pile by myself, which proved easier said than done.

My Ginger Sister, Momma and AJNO arrived just as I was spreading the poutine around to make it seem as though I hadn't eaten as much as I did.  As they got themselves situated, our server asked for their drink orders.  As Ginger Sister said "I'll have..." our server darted away and said she'd be back with water.  It was loud in the restaurant, so it isn't difficult to see why she didn't hear Ginger Sister's request for a beverage, but her departure from the table did seem a bit hasty.

We then were tasked with the choice of choosing our meals.  Emporio's menu gives diners the option to choose from various types of meatballs (beef, turkey, veggie, pork) and a wide array of sauces, including classic marinara and the more daring Tzatziki.  My Momma ordered a panini with beef meatballs and marinara.  

AJNO ordered two sliders: one with a beef meatball and marinara and another with a turkey meatball and spinach-almond pesto.  

Ginger Sister and I decided to get a bowl of four "saucy balls" over creamy parmesan macaroni and cheese. I opted for original beef and marinara, while Ginger Sister got turkey and pesto, then we traded. 

    My saucy balls

Our faces were quickly buried into our meals as soon as the server departed.  I tend to be leery of restaurant marinara, as I don't like chunks, but I was not disappointed in Emporio's sauce.  It was smooth, mixed nicely with the parmesan macaroni and the meatballs were pretty massive.  The turkey meatballs were good and seasoned with tasty herbs, but I was not overly thrilled with the pesto.  I make homemade pesto fairly often and, not to toot my own horn, but I prefer my version to what Emporio served.  

My Momma and AJNO enjoyed their sandwiches and did not seem to have much trouble finishing them.  Ginger Sister and I were a bit overzealous in thinking we could eat four meatballs, plus macaroni and cheese, but we fought a good battle.  

Part way through my meal, I realized that the spoonful of macaroni in my mouth was also featuring something hard and foreign.  Channeling Miss Manners, I did not make a spectacle of spitting the object onto the table, but discreetly removed it from my mouth for examination.  We all decided that it was a sliver of wood, likely from a wooden spoon.  

We alerted our server who quickly blamed a toothpick, until I assured her that the toothpick stuck into my meatball was 100 percent in tact.  She took the wooden piece to the kitchen where the cook concurred that it was part of a spoon.  Our server assured us that my part of the bill would be removed and we happily placed an order of warm ricotta donuts with hot fudge for dessert.  

I wish that I can say that there was time to photograph the donuts... But alas.  We tore into those suckers so fast that only traces of powdered sugar remained.  None of us had ever eaten ricotta donuts and we were not disappointed. The donuts were more like donut holes, but similar to Emporio's meatballs, the donuts were pretty large...  And delicious.  

With bellies full of balls and donuts, we asked for our separate bills and our server quickly delivered.  Expecting to see a minimal charge on my sales slip, I instead saw an almost $30 charge and realized that my dinner had not been removed. We questioned our server who said that the macaroni portion of the meal ($4) HAD been removed... But I still had to pay for my meatballs and sauce ($11).  It seemed a little off-putting, considering my dinner had a chunk of wood in it, but it wasn't worth becoming too agitated.  We paid and departed.  

The Little Mermaid was a great show with a talented cast, crew and orchestra.  We had a great time and Ginger Sister greatly enjoyed seeing her Disney likeness on stage.  Hunk of wood aside, both the show and the evening's dinner were excellent and I will think of Emporio's meatballs fondly.  Eventually, I'd like to explore Sienna Mercato's other floors, but for now, I'll have to reminisce about poutine, mermaids, and eating my saucy balls with a dingle hopper. 

On a Roll

Small town innovation is inspiring.  Though I've lived in Carnegie only a short while, I can see that the city is improving and taking steps to become not just a place to reside, but a place to live.  A place to build a home and a place to instill a sense of community.  

As someone who grew up in a small rural town, I have always appreciated the community feel; however, my hometown does not have a lot to offer in terms of social activities, unique eateries, and proximity to anything.  It is 30 minutes to the nearest Starbucks and I still remember the town's hype during the construction of a new Arby's.  

While I would not consider Carnegie's changes as urban gentrification, the area is certainly receiving a make-over worthy of Clinton Kelly's praise.  You can read more about the updates in NEXT Pittsburgh's article: 

http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/neighborhoods/carnegie/carnegie-roll/?utm_source=NEXTpittsburgh&utm_campaign=44ea306305-111811_18_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_aadbffa18f-44ea306305-170638781

I frequent a few of the gems nestled along Carnegie's Main Street, including Carnegie Coffee Company and Slice on Broadway, but last night, Boyfriend and I were invited by his sister, Joanna the Fierce, to eat at Kasai, a newly opened Japanese and sushi restaurant.  Kasai opened in August and since its opening, I have often thought "I should try that place," but had not done so until last night.  Joanna has ordered take-out and was eager to enjoy a sit-in meal.  

Armed with our trusty six pack carrier (Kasai is BYOB), Boyfriend, Joanna, their friend Meena and I walked into the empty restaurant and were greeted by our friendly server and the chef.  Kasai has a narrow layout, but the staff is more than welcoming and we were given menus immediately.

I am allergic to shellfish, don't like seafood, and am afraid of vegetables.  Needless to say, I'm not a sushi fan, but I was planning to order a teriyaki dish with rice; however, entree meals come with rice, soup, salad, and mixed vegetables.  That was a quantity of food that I was not prepared to tackle.  After questioning our server, I learned that Kasai's avocado roll is exactly the type of sushi that I would enjoy: avocado and seaweed wrapped in rice. It was very basic, but sounded right up my alley.  I ordered a cup of miso soup and an avocado roll. 

We waited a short time until our soup arrived, steaming and hot.  The tofu pieces were small, which I appreciated after having bad experiences with huge tofu chunks in the past.  We all slurped down our soup and Boyfriend and Company enjoyed an appetizer of edamame while we waited for our sushi.

My avocado roll, while rather basic, was delicious.  The seaweed added a bit of chewy texture, but the rice was perfect and the avocado fresh,  I ended up ordering another roll before my plate was empty.

Boyfriend ordered the Philadelphia and Chicago rolls, both involving cream cheese and fish.  He preferred the Philadelphia roll, but said that he greatly enjoyed both types.  

Joanna ordered two types of rolls, which I do not recall the names of, but do remember hat one type featured "five fishes," per the menu.  The presentation was pretty and Joanna offered no complaints about her meal.  

Meena was also presented with an aesthetically pleasing platter offering three types of vegetable rolls.  We devoured our sushi and began eyeing up the dessert menu, featuring mocci, a bizarre dessert that was similar to ice cream, but that was enclosed in a chewy shell.  It is difficult to describe, but we all had mango and strawberry flavors and we all ended up scraping the ice cream out of the casing.  Mocci is not a dessert that I'll try again, but I appreciated trying something new.  With our checks, we were presented with small Hello Kitty shaped marshmallows filled with chocolate.  Joanna and I enjoyed these quite a bit, oddly enough, and ate them in one bite. 

With our bellies full of delicious sushi, we decided that the best way to end our night would be with a visit to Apis Meadery, which is also located along Main Street and a short distance from Kasai.  I had been to Apis on multiple occasions and gave several bottles of mead for Christmas, but this was Boyfriend's, Joanna's and Meena's first times.  

Apis brewmasters developed a honey house mead, Dorsata, and have used that base to create a variety of fruit or spice based flavors.  I ordered a glass of passion fruit mead, while Boyfriend opted for the sweet raspberry blackberry variety.  Meena ordered a glass of winter warmer (a limited time drink) and Joanna opted for a flight to sample several varieties.  In my experience with Apis, I've yet to taste a mead I didn't like. 

Apis has a low-key vibe, with shelves of board games and walls covered in original art by Joe Deck, who also designed the bottle labels.  Joanna and I selected a game, Fact or Crap, from the selection and we played a rousing game before Boyfriend was deemed the winner.  We followed up with more mead and a game of Cards Against Humanity before we realized that it was 11:20 p.m. and Apis closes at 11 p.m.  

We ventured off to our respective homes, feeling sleepy, but in a good way.  I intend on returning to Kasai and enjoying more avocado roll in the future.  I will definitely be returning to Apis to replenish my mead supply. I have lived in Carnegie for little more than three years and I look forward to fueling future growth by supporting local businesses, experiencing the community, and drinking more mead. Lots and lots of mead.