Earlier this month we took a long weekend in Pittsburgh. Gabriele’s new company is headquartered there and her job is full-time remote. But her boss wanted to bring the department together before the holidays. This was just before the Omicron variant started to dominate the headlines.
We had a fun visit to Pittsburgh two years ago. Neither of us had been there previously and it’s a manageable drive from the greater DC area. The foodie scene was impressive and so fine dining and some new wines were again on the agenda.
One of our 2019 spots, Spoon, unfortunately didn’t make it through COVID-19. However, renowned Spanish/Basque restaurant Morcilla was alive and well and again delivered a fun experience. The highlight course was chorizo with blue cheese and vanilla oil. It sounds like it would be too heavy. But it was the party your mouth didn’t know was coming.
We were also introduced to a good Spanish Tempranillo that Gabriele liked, not always the easiest sell. It was a 2016 Bodegas Felix Callejo-Flores de Callejo. We were eating at the bar and it was recommended by the bartender. It had enough bright fruit for flavor, slightly lower tannins than a typical Tempranillo and hints of oak and leather. The wine was from the Ribera del Duero region in Spain and would make a good introduction to the Tempranillo grape.
The best meal we had was at a restaurant called Spork. We went on the strong recommendation from a work colleague of Gabriele’s who lives in Pittsburgh and were very glad we did. The meal hit every right note, from the amuse-bouche and the palate cleanser to the relaxed yet excellent service. Spork is very expensive but worth it.
We had wagyu tartare and octopus to start, then fried chicken and lamb shank. The sommelier recommended the 2018 Keenan Zinfandel from California. The wine was predictably big and bold but with nice structure, not over the top. It had enough pepper and spice to match the black cherry fruit and complemented the food beautifully.
A happy customer
The food stood no chance
We also toured a local church that is famous for its murals. The St. Nicholas Church is located in Millvale, just outside of Pittsburgh. In the late 1930s the Croatian artist Max Vanka was invited to paint murals inside the church. The murals are huge and striking, reflecting Vanka’s passion for social justice and hatred of war. The mural below was inspired by a mine explosion in 1902 that killed 112 workers in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Immigrant Mother Raises Her Sons for Industry
We had beautiful weather, sunny and seasonably cold. The main post picture above is Gabriele at the Duquesne Incline at the top of Mt. Washington. The new Pittsburgh is all about education, technology and medicine. It makes for a fun getaway location – just keep quiet if you’re not a Steelers fan. Merry Christmas!