17th Street Cafe Restaurant (Pittsburgh, Pa)

We have a great group of friends that have started to try different restaurants in the city. This week we went to the 17th Street Cafe in Southside. It was terrific. We walked in and were immediately welcomed by the owner. He made us feel like we had been going there for a long time. There were 6 in our group and we all loved our dinners....Maui Maui, veal and shrimp, white clam sauce penni. In my opinion :)... they have a terrific dirty martini.....the best I've ever had. They also have a to die for chocolate martini. If you are from Pittsburgh they have a coupon in the "Enjoy" coupon book and in the "Entertainment" coupon book. Try them out. Don't think you will be disappointed.

Wild Rosemary Restaurant - Bridgeville

Well it seems I was right about the Wild Rosemary in Bridgeville. I tried to get a reservation for a Christmas dinner for the women in my family and the best I could do was January 6, 2009. Of course it is the holiday season and I waited to long to call and our time need wasn't working. But I was happy to get January 6. I did get there for lunch yesterday with my husband and was ever so pleased again with the meal....especially my husbands. He had a flatbread with roasted chicken. It had such flavor it really impressed him. After our lunch, we were honored with the chef stopping by our table to say hello and chat. At which time, she mentioned that after the first of the year they may be changing their hours. She wanted feedback as to our reaction to the new hours. We were happy with them as long as they didn't move. SO.......be sure to make reservations. Did I mention....it's a BYOB spot.

White Wine - Chardonnay

The other night we enjoyed a dinner during "Restaurant Week" in Pittburgh and were introduced to a very nice chardonnay. Chardonnay is never my first choice and fortunately, because it was a "restaurant week" dinner, I did not have a choice of what wine I wanted with my dinner. The wine choice came with the meal and I'm very glad it did. I loved it. I had asked to the waiter for the name of the wine and he in turn sent the sommelier to our table. The sommelier was very gracious and so happy to tell us all about the wine and why it was different than most.

Once the grapes are soft-pressed, 40% of the juice is drawn off and fermented in oak wine barrells for 4-5 months then reunited with the stainless steel-fermented portion. The touch of oak created a smoother chardonnay. The price is reasonable.....approx. $12.00.

My dinner was an appetizer of squash ravioli and a main course of quail.

Favorite NEW Restaurant

The WILD ROSEMARY in Scott Twp., Pittsburgh, Pa. When I was raising my family the building was a ice cream shop that we would take the kids to after a T-Ball game. Now it has morphed into my perfect idea of a restaurant. Wear your favorite jeans and top, linen table clothes, silver sugar and creamer, bring your own wine, AND ABOVE ALL the most wonderful food. The available seating is for only about 16 people so reservations are important. The exterior draws you in with the wonderful Italian type urns of rosemary flanking both sides of the building and the 3 tall glass vases topped with clay crocks of ...what else but ....rosemary in the window. I'll be going tomorrow for lunch and hopefully will be able to take some pictures to show you what I'm babbling about. So check back tomorrow for the photos. If you happen to live in the 'BURG, look them up and tell them RoomThreads sent you. At which point, they will look at you like you had two, maybe, three heads. But do put it on your list of restaurants to visit when in Pittsburgh.