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:
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.
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