momar930 "I never met anything chocolate that I didn't like!"

I was recently meeting up with some friends for a quick breakfast before attending a cooking expo. Not knowing much in the area, I took the easy way out, and suggested Panera Bread. What I love about Panera is that it is ALWAYS consistent, and has such a wealth of breakfast offerings. I had to get the egg and cheese breakfast sandwich—this is SO GOOD. It’s got to be the cheese…or the bread…or the whole combo. YUM! I also tried the breakfast parfait of yogurt, maple pecan granola and strawberries—now, I know I’ll be hooked on that for a while as I am a true creature of habit. The combo of the three tastes together was wonderful. To too it off, I had a coffee, and for under $10 bucks, a great start to my day!

I had heard great things about Coca’s—both from print reviews and friends. So, on a cold, blustery fall afternoon I visited with a group of friends for an early lunch. We had quite a wait outside in the rain, as there really isn’t room inside to do so. Once seated, the service was quite spotty…several of my friends ordered juice that didn’t show up till near the end of the meal. As for the food…it was just okay, to me. I had the almond french toast, and it really wasn’t anything to write home about—the idea of it I created in my mind was much better than what I actually received. Two things I DID completely enjoy: the fresh squeezed oj, and the side of bacon—yum! Other than that, I really felt the price paid out did not equal what was received in either food or service. May give it another chance in the future, on a less busy day.

On a recent Sunday, I visited Casbah with friends for Sunday Brunch. This was my first visit, and I wasn’t sure what to expect—but the menu on line sounded wonderful. And, I can say that my expectations were exceeded! The service was simply outstanding…again, really not something that I expected: this was truly a “fine dining” experience. Every bite of food was wonderful, and I truly could not have asked for anything more. At $22 per person, the amount of food you receive is incredible, along with a cocktail to start off. Really a nice afternoon that will always hold nice memories!

Stopped for a quick lunch at the Five Guys in Oakland, and was happy to find the restaurant not crowded, and very clean! I’d been here on previous occasions after the busy lunch time and it looked very much the worse for wear. I had a the “regular” burger, which is actually two patties on top of each other. Next time, I’ll stick with the “Little” burger, as one patty is enough meat for me. It was quite good, really juicy and on a great, soft bun. But, my favorite thing there are the “Cajun Fries”. These are homestle fries with a kicky cajun seasoning. It would take 2-3 hungry people to finish an order, but they are yummy! Good place when you are craving the good old burger and fries!!

I recently tried the crepes for a late breakfast/early lunch. In the mood for sweet, I choose the Nutella/Banana combo, and was not disappointed. You are able to see the crepes made right in front of you. It’s a bit odd as it’s unclear what to do upon arrival, but you place/pay for your order, then choose seats and wait for the food to arrive at your table. The gooey filling of the chocolate and fruit melded well together, but wasn’t totally filling. I had a few bites of my friends savory chicken crepes as well, also quite tasty. Not sure I would go out of my way, but if you happen to find yourself in that section of Oakland, it’s certainly worth a visit.

A friend and I had high expectations of Lu Lu’s on a recent visit. Neither of us had been before, but both were in the mood to check it out. We placed our orders, but were both a bit disappointed when tasting our meals. The food was bland and not well seasoned, and just had an overall odd flavor. The noodles were not what I expected, and upon site knew my tummy was not going to be happy with my selection. My friend liked his Pad Tai a bit better than I, but neither of us plans to give this place another go!

The Marketplace Cafe inside Nordstrom’s is a wonderful escape from the food court, and a nice chance to relax and sit down to enjoy a bite. I tried the Pesto Chicken Panini on this visit. It was so delicious—the bread with a nice, crisp and crunchy finish paired with the nicely seasoned chicken and pesto filling. The clincher when reading the menu was the addition of sun dried tomatoes, a personal fav of mine. With an iced tea and some chips, this was just about a perfect lunch, clocking in right around $12. A bit pricey, yes, but the atmosphere is worth an extra buck or two! Oh, and don’t forget to grab a coconut macaroon to go—yum!

On a weekend visit to Shadyside for the Annual Arts Festival, my friends and I stopped for lunch at the Walnut Grill. Several variations of this restaurant have popped up in the area, but I’d yet to try it. The food did not disappoint! We were there during both lunch and brunch, but I chose to try the Grilled Portobello
with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta Cheese, on Ciabatta. It was seasoned perfectly, and the bread was the perfect choice to go with the meatiness of the mushrooms. It was served with seasoned waffle fries, which were also quite good. With a class of iced tea, my tab was just over $10, which I thought was quite reasonable for such a tasty meal! The only downside was that the restaurant was quite full, and there didn’t seem to be enough wait staff on hand. Our server did the best she could, but seemed a little overwhelmed with all of the folks she had to take care of at once. All in all, a great visit.

Some friends and I recently visited Tusca before attending a movie at the adjacent Southside Works Theater. We arrived around 6 pm, to a primarily empty restaurant, which was a bit surprising to me for a Friday. We had about 7 in our group, and a bevy of servers bringing out our food plates. I choose to try the Chopped Salad ($7: Field greens, feta, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber and red wine vinaigrette) and Eggs in Purgatory Pizza ($15: Hot Sausage, mozzarella, and eggs). The salad was beautifully presented, and tasted quite good. The pizza was a hit at the table, as it was the first time any of us had seen eggs on a pizza! I really enjoyed it, though, as did the others who tried it. The crust was thin and crispy, and it was in essence a margharita pizza with the addition of sausage chunks and four “over easy” eggs. The yolk + the pizza was a surprisingly good combo…my only fault with it was that it was heavy on the red pepper flakes (the “purgatory” part, maybe??) and it became the dominant taste. After the movie, we returned to try the desserts that we’d checked out earlier. I opted for the Chocolate Tapas
(Six miniature chocolate desserts served with Malted Hot Chocolate) My favorites were the “Smore” which was actually a toffee base, really yummy, and the shot glass sized portion of a very decadent hot chocolate. I really enjoyed everything that I tasted, and would go back again…but, only when my wallet allows. The prices were a bit steep in my opinion, but a nice treat for a special occasion or night out with the girls!

The only problem with Cafe Des Amis is finding it! Located on a very narrow street crowded with cars parked along the curb, you are likely to drive past this adorable little cafe, or not be able to locate it at all. But, make the extra effort, because you will be glad you did! I visited on Saturday morning with some friends for breakfast. it is difficult to choose what to have with so many wonderful choices in front of you. I decided on the Chocolate and Banana Crepes…yum! Filled with just enough Nutella and slices of ripe banana, this was a perfect weekend breakfast!! Along with a cup of coffee, it was all I could have wanted. Everyone that joined me enjoyed there selections, too…most notably the croissants received high reviews for their “authenticity”—like being back in Paris!! Make your way to Sewickley to visit this find, and if you too go on a Saturday, make a side trip to visit the Sewickley Farmer’s Market, open through November—worth a stop, too!