North Side for Earth Day

Bistro To Go

Walked the River Trail today, then went to Bistro-To Go on East Ohio Street. This was my 3rd visit to the cafe. It is beautiful inside, big open kitchen and a cozy courtyard where you can people watch. Menu changes weekly. The food is fresh and fun, taste is excellent and I'll keep going back. I like it and I want to support businesses on the Northside.




What I have tried:

Hoho cake - Big piece for $3.50, so so so good. Nice overdose of chocolate.

Mr.Pepper Sandwich - turkey, greens, bacon, provolone, tomatoes, Ciabatta roll. Thought the roll could have been fresher otherwise it was good. Fairly priced.

Tuna Salad- Grilled Tuna, greens, tomatoes, parmesan- really good dressing!

Cranberry Autumn Chicken Salad - Chicken salad, grapes, greens - decent, I make the best Chicken Salad ever though so it is a bit hard to top.

Sugared Pecan Salad- Liked it, a little sweet for me but overall pretty good.

Thai pasta salad- good flavor, little spicy, whole wheat pasta, peanuts, little too much peanut oil for my liking.

Potatoe Pancakes- so good crisp outside soft inside, nice flavor. 

Celebrate

Our family doesn't really need a reason to celebrate but we pretend like we do and therefore appreciate the simple things in life. Like my niece turning 6 months old today. So we made chocolate lava cakes. She couldn't eat them but we sure enjoyed them.



Chocolate Lava Cakes

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
10 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup 10X sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 8 small ramekins with butter.
2. Melt chocolate, butter over a double boiler or microwave until melted and smooth. Next add flour and sugar. Then stir in eggs and yolks until smooth.
3. Pour evenly into ramekins and bake for 14 minutes. The inside will remain gooey like lava!

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Batter can be made in advance but they are best when served fresh out of the oven.



It was a good day, cold and rainy but being on vacation I had no reason to leave my parents' house. I will be happy to be back in Pittsburgh in a few days but in the mean time I'll enjoy the family. Mom and I are working on felting wool into purses and I am reading a few books, Overdo$ed America and Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green. I think I am mostly a creature of habit and enjoy my daily routine but time off is always good. I didn't even realize that today was Friday.

Make Lava Cakes before you make a New Year Resolution!!!!