The second week of my bacon-themed tour focuses on small plates, for those of you who are just looking for a little bit of bacon. I didn’t receive any suggestions on appetizers or starters to try, so I found a few on my own. Throughout the week, I sampled food from Chovy’s Italian Casual in Meadville, and Jekyll and Hyde’s, 1201 Kitchen, and the Summer House Café in Erie. Finding appetizers containing bacon was tough, but the ones I did find were great.

As you may remember from some of my previous reviews, Chovy’s Italian Casual serves fantastic food for every course of a meal, but this trip was dedicated to one particular dish- bacon wrapped scallops. The appetizer is simple, featuring four small sea scallops, lightly seared and wrapped with bacon. The bacon is fatty and crispy and melts into the scallops. Each scallop sits in a small pool of teriyaki sauce and is garnished with Mandarin oranges and a lemon wedge. I thought the buttery scallops were slightly overpowered by the salty bacon, so I found myself wishing that the scallops were larger in order to stand up to the bacon. The teriyaki sauce and oranges added some welcome sweetness to balance out the saltiness from the bacon. The appetizer was good, but for $10, I thought the portion size could have been bigger.

I have written about the next appetizer before, but Jekyll & Hyde’s deserves another look. For a while, their Devils on Horseback were only available for dinner. Now, you can get an order of six of them for lunch. This dish features dried, sweet dates that are stuffed with goat cheese and pickled pears. Then, they are then wrapped in Smith’s delicious bacon, and topped with balsamic vinaigrette on a bed of mixed greens. The dates are chewy and sweet, the goat cheese adds a level of creaminess and tang, and the bacon wraps it all in a crispy, salty, tasty hug. The sound of dates and goat cheese together might turn some away from trying this dish, but trust me, try it and you’ll be glad you did. I could eat them by the dozen, they really are that amazing.

Chef Dan Kern at 1201 Kitchen just released the restaurant’s new spring menu and it is full of phenomenal plates of food, including the dish I tried, the deviled egg appetizer. I assure you, this is nothing like the traditional, run-of-the-mill deviled eggs you find at picnic after picnic during the summer. This dish starts with three egg halves, filled with smoked blue crab and topped with caviar and micro arugula, served with slices of crispy, maple bacon. The entire plate is sprinkled with crumbled egg yolk, chives, and pickled corn kernels. Each bite of this dish is delicious and perfectly balanced. The flavors don’t overpower each other at all; everything from the saltiness of the bacon, to the light smoky flavor of the crab, has a chance to shine. The crab and caviar add just the right amount of seafood flavor without being too much. The pickled corn kernels add a wonderful, acidic bite that balances out the sweetness of the bacon. I highly recommend this appetizer if you’re looking for a fun twist on a classic favorite. Another dish on the menu at 1201 Kitchen, the pressed pork belly sushi roll, is one that could be eaten as an appetizer. Sushi rice is tightly rolled around hand cured, smoked pork belly, “smoked” pepper jam, bibb lettuce, and basil mayo. The orange-colored cream sauce that is served as an accompaniment to the roll is sriracha mayonnaise, and the other sauce is a white miso cream. The pork belly has amazing flavor and even better texture; it’s salty, rich, and wonderfully decadent. I enjoyed getting to play with different combinations of the sauces and wasabi to make a few great combinations that bring out the flavors of the roll in different ways. I should also mention that this sushi roll not only makes a fantastic appetizer, it can easily be eaten as a meal.

My next stop, The Summer House Café, serves dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. One of the appetizers served as part of the dinner menu are bacon macaroni and cheese fritters. Balls of a comfort food favorite, macaroni and cheese (theirs is made with six cheeses), are mixed with chunked bacon, and are then rolled in crunchy Panko breadcrumbs before heading to the fryer. The fritters are served with a Chilean sour cream salsa. Macaroni and cheese is something I already love, so when the large chunks of bacon were added, it got even better; the bacon gave the cheese blend a great smokiness. All too often, a great appetizer can be ruined by improper frying, leaving a greasy, drippy mess that isn’t appetizing at all. This is not the case at The Summer House Café! The outside of each fritter was perfectly crunchy and not greasy in the slightest. I did want to try the salsa dipping sauce, and it was fantastic, but the fritters are so incredible on their own, I found myself eating more of them without it.

Original appetizers that contain bacon were definitely tough to come by in this area, but the ones I sampled were all wonderful. I recommend any of these appetizers if you’ve got a craving for bacon! Thank you to all of the chefs and restaurants for the wonderful food and great service. I’m excited to see (and taste) what next week’s continuation of the bacon tour brings. Don’t forget to send me suggestions of some of your favorite bacon dishes!

Until next time,

Andrew – Beard vs. Food

I chose to approach the bacon tour of Erie a little differently than what I normally do with my reviews. I will be taking suggestions on locations as much as possible, but with limited choices, I will be choosing one food item involving bacon and sampling it from multiple locations in the area.

For this first week, I focused on BLTs. Last Friday, my coworkers, Amy Izbicki and Jenny Sholtis, helped me compare BLTs from Three B’s Saloon, The Whole Food Co-op, and The Summer House Café. With bacon being one of the B’s in Three B’s Saloon, we knew this sandwich was going to be good. It was served on buttery Texas toast with fresh mixed greens and thin slices of tomato. There were probably ten strips of bacon on the sandwich, and each one was perfectly smoky and salty. I was a little surprised the sandwich didn’t come with any kind of condiment on it. There was, instead, a side of mayonnaise to accompany it. The up side of the sandwich being served that way was that it allowed us to add as much or as little mayo as we wanted.

The next sandwich was the TLT from The Whole Foods Co-op, which is a bit of an “apples to oranges” comparison, but it received so many recommendations, I had to try it. The sandwich is made with Tempeh bacon, organic spring lettuce mix, and thick cut tomato on whole wheat bread. I did make one non-vegan substitution by opting for regular mayonnaise as opposed to the Vegenaise it is normally served with. You may be wondering what Tempeh bacon is. Tempeh is a soy product that is high in protein, fiber, and vitamins, and is therefore a favorite among many health conscious eaters. The greens and the tomato were fantastically fresh and had a ton of flavor. The only problem with using such high quality produce was that their flavor slightly overpowered the Tempeh. The sandwich also lacked the saltiness that a traditional BLT gets from pork bacon, and I did miss that extra layer of flavor. Don’t get me wrong, it really is a great sandwich, but for someone who enjoys bacon made from pork, it doesn’t quite compare to the traditional BLT that I love so much.

The final sandwich we tried on Friday was from The Summer House Café. I ordered the sandwich on sourdough bread and I was so glad I did. The bread was toasted to a perfect golden brown and gave the sandwich another crunchy texture in addition to the bacon. Speaking of which, the bacon was piled high and cooked to crispy perfection. The sweet and salty bacon sat on a bed of thin sliced tomatoes and fresh lettuce. This sandwich had just a light spread of mayonnaise, which helped keep the sandwich moist. I should also note that if you like the BLT on their lunch menu, try the breakfast option that is served with a fried egg atop the bacon; you won’t regret it.

On Monday, I split two more BLTs with my coworker, Karen Burchill. The first was from Gerry Urbaniak’s 8th Street Deli and the other came from The Plymouth Tavern. We started with the “Bacon Your Pardon” BLT from Gerry’s. I’ve reviewed Gerry’s incredible sandwiches before and this one was no exception to my previous experiences. This is a sandwich I could eat all the time and never get sick of. The bacon is sliced thick and is smoked perfectly. The fresh lettuce and tomato were great, but what really set this sandwich apart from all the others I tried was the horseradish mayonnaise (that was given on the side). The creamy texture of the spread mixed with the bite of the horseradish offset the saltiness of the bacon with the perfect amount of tang and heat. It took the sandwich to a whole new level that was totally unexpected.

The BLT from The Plymouth was good, but after the fantastic sample from Gerry’s, it seemed rather ordinary. My favorite part of the sandwich was the perfectly grilled French bread that was home to several slices of fatty, salty bacon, crisp lettuce, and thick sliced tomatoes. I found myself wanting just a little bit of mayonnaise to add some creaminess and moisture to the sandwich. It wasn’t a dry BLT, thanks to the juicy slices of tomato, but the extra level of flavor that mayonnaise provides would have been appreciated.

BLTs are a menu item that you’ll see just about anywhere you go, and Erie is no exception. I know that there are many more restaurants in the area that serve this classic sandwich, but these were the five that were recommended to me by my readers. I should mention that of the sandwiches I tried, my two favorites were from The Summer House Café and Gerry Urbaniak’s 8th Street Deli. If you like BLTs, definitely try the ones I reviewed, but sample some of the others in town as well. Thanks to Three B’s Saloon, The Whole Foods Co-op, The Summer House Café, Gerry Urbaniak’s 8th Street Deli, and The Plymouth Tavern for providing me with your best BLTs. I can’t wait to continue this tour of Erie’s best bacon dishes!

Until next time,

Andrew – Beard vs. Food

Just about everyone can cook a steak, but not all of them can cook it properly. I went into this local tour with some knowledge about steak, however, after talking with owners, chefs, and even local distributors, I was able to learn a lot more. From cuts of beef to quality grading to proper seasoning and methods of cooking, there are many factors that go into a great steak and you can find almost all of them in the Erie area.

Favorite Seasoned Steaks: Filet Mignon, Victor’s Restaurant & Cocktail; Baseball Cut Sirloin and Ribeye, Montana’s Rib and Chop House; New York Strip and Filet Mignon, Peppino’s Italian Chop House

Favorite Topped Steaks: Boursin and Shrimp NY Strip Steak, Victor’s Restaurant & Cocktail; Peter’s Steak Special, Ricardo’s; Delmonico Messina, Alto Cucina; Filet Mignon Au Poivre and Char-grilled Ribeye, Bistro 26

Favorite Sides: Wild mushroom stuffing, Montana’s Rib and Chop House; House Pasta, Ricardo’s Restaurant; Garlic smashed potatoes, Alto Cucina; Roasted broccolini, Peppino’s Italian Chop House; Gnocchi with garlic and herbs, Bistro 26

Thank you to all the servers, chefs, and owners who made these meals fantastic and memorable. Though some of the local prices were on the high side, I found most to be reasonable and fitting for the quality of food. I will be returning to most of the locations again for steaks as well as to try the rest of the menu.

I can’t wait to start eating dishes with bacon and learning about the more creative options that local restaurants have to offer. Keep sending your recommendations, suggestions, and comments to AKochirka@goerie.com.

Until next time,

Andrew – Beard vs. Food

After a week-long vacation, I am back to finish my eight week tour of steaks in Erie. Last night, Amanda and I were joined by her brother Mike for dinner at the Colony Pub & Grille. The restaurant is located at 2670 West 8th Street just east of Peninsula Drive. The parking lot was packed when we arrived, but the inside is large enough that it didn’t feel cramped. The three of us were seated with a server named Nick, who read through the featured dishes of the evening, left us to our menus, and went to fill our drink orders. The menu contains five steak dishes, as well as a few veal entrees, and there were two specials that featured steak as well, so we had a good variety of options. After a few minutes, we were all ready to order. Amanda and Mike both went with the 10oz. top sirloin and I decided to try a featured dish of Filet Mignon two ways.

All of the entrees are served with fresh bread and jalapeno/cheddar biscuits, soup or salad, and your choice of side dish. The bread was warm and fresh and the biscuits had just a little bit of bite from the jalapenos. Needless to say, we emptied the basket fairly quickly. Mike ordered chicken pesto soup while Amanda and I chose a salad to start our meals. The salad is served to the table family style, which is a nice touch as it gives guests the option of eating as much or as little as they like. A carousel of ranch, Italian, and French dressing mixed with chunks of bleu cheese was brought out with the salad. All three dressings were good, but the French/bleu combination was not only creative, it was really delicious. I could have eaten it on almost anything. Mike said the soup was good, but that it lacked the pesto flavor and tasted more like wedding soup.

Our entrees appeared from the kitchen shortly after we finished our starters. The top sirloins were thick cut and had beautiful grill marks. Mike ordered his medium and Amanda, medium-rare. Both were cooked perfectly. The meat had very little fat and marbling, but was still juicy. The steak itself was very lightly seasoned, if at all, and did require a little butter as well as salt and pepper to give the meat some flavor. For side dishes, Amanda ordered a baked potato, which came with butter and sour cream on the side. My favorite part was the potato skin, which I gladly accepted once she was done with the inside. Mike ordered the garlic rosemary mashed potatoes with a side of gravy. These were really delicious and had tons of flavor.

My dish was made up of two 4oz cuts of choice filet and a side of sautéed vegetables. One piece of filet was topped with a smoked paprika and red pepper butter while the other had garlic and leek butter. As far as temperature is concerned, the filets were both cooked to a perfect medium-rare. The color of the outside of the steaks, however, was oddly grey. The texture and the taste were good, but the color was a bit off-putting. Regardless, the steaks were both very juicy and incredibly tender. The leek butter was my personal favorite. It really got down into the meat and gave it a wonderful, rich flavor. I sopped up the rest of the butters with my side of vegetables and bread. The vegetables were a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, squash, and carrots.

The top sirloin was a choice cut and priced at $18.99. The filet cuts were also choice and priced at $29.99. I felt as though that price was high considering the portion size and cut of the filet. I was still hungry even after cleaning my plate.

Thank you to Kevin, the owner, for stopping by our table to make sure we were satisfied with everything, and to Nick for the attentive service. I would really love to come back try more from the rest of the menu. The address of the restaurant is 2670 West 8th St. and the phone number for information and reservations is 814-838-2162. They are open for lunch seven days a week opening at 11:30AM and for dinner Mon. – Thurs. 4PM – 10PM, Fri. – Sat. 4PM – 11PM, and Sun. 12PM – 9:30PM.

Make sure you come back to vote on my next food tour topic.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

Amanda and I arrived at Bistro 26 shortly after 6 pm. We were seated shortly before the dinner rush began and as table after table began filling up, we were glad we got there when we did. Our server, Paris, told us a bit about the menu, explained the feature for the evening, and served us our drinks. We then turned our attention to our dinner choices. The Chophouse section of the menu has three beef selections as well as lamb, pork, and chicken. The rest of the menu is filled with pastas, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and salads. Amanda opted to go with the Filet Mignon Au Poivre and I chose the Char-grilled Ribeye. We had several choices of sides that included mashed potatoes, seasoned rice pilaf, gnocchi with garlic and herbs, roasted vegetables, broccoli, seasoned French fries and, for a small up-charge, grilled asparagus.

We were definitely hungry, so when our salads and bread were served several minutes after ordering, we dug right in. We each chose a homemade vinaigrette for our salad (the house and the citrus) and both were delicious. The bread was buttered, grilled, crispy, and delicious.

Shortly after we finished the salads, our steaks arrived at the table. Both plates were presented nicely and made us even more ready to eat. Amanda’s steak was a 6 oz. center-cut filet that was dry rubbed with cracked pepper and pan seared to a medium-rare. It was then topped with a creamy red wine pepper sauce. The steak was tender and juicy and the sauce had wonderful depth of flavor. With her steak, Amanda ordered the mashed potatoes and broccoli. The broccoli was slightly under-seasoned and could have been drained a bit more, but when combined with everything else on the plate, it was good. The potatoes were extremely hot (temperature-wise), but very flavorful and creamy.

My steak was listed as a 12 oz. ribeye, but I would only guess it was closer to 14 oz. The steak was beautifully charred and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. On top of the steak were two pats of homemade chipotle compound butter. The butter slowly melted into the beef and mixed with the juices on my plate, which created a luxurious pool that was a delicious coating for my side dishes. The butter was rich and added a ton of flavor to the already delightful steak. The steak had fairly good marbling and was extremely moist. There were two small pieces of inedible fat that had to be cut off, but it was pretty flawless. For my side dishes, I chose the gnocchi with garlic and herbs and roasted vegetables. The gnocchi was pan cooked and had a slightly crispy exterior that was really amazing. The vegetables were a combination of squash and carrots that had been roasted in oil and lightly seasoned.

As with every stop on the steak tour so far, I had our waitress ask the chef about the grade of beef the restaurant serves. Owner and chef, George Gourlias took a break from cooking and came to the table to answer my question himself. The filet mignon was a select cut while the ribeye was a choice cut. Both were priced a little on the high side, considering the quality of meat, with the filet at $26 and the ribeye at $29, but given that they are served with two sides, salad, and bread, the price was well worth it.

Prices on the Bistro 26 menu range from $8 to $28 and include a wide variety of tasty options. Thank you to Paris for our great service and thank you to George and the rest of the kitchen staff for the delicious and satisfying meal. If these two steaks are a good representation of the rest of the restaurant’s entrees, you will see us back for sure.

The address of Bistro 26 is 3557 W 26th St. in Erie and the number for information and reservations is 814.835.3553. They are open daily from 10:30 am to 9pm Monday through Thursday and till 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is also BYOB.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

Just three miles west of the Erie International Airport at 6590 West Lake Road is Peppino’s Italian Chop House. This modern Italian restaurant is tastefully decorated and exudes a relaxed, friendly feel. While some other locations I have visited in the past were a bit on the stuffy side, Peppino’s was very welcoming. Amanda and I had six o’clock reservations on Monday night and our table was set and waiting when we arrived. There were a few other tables, as well as a full bar of patrons, but it wasn’t loud at all. Our server, Megan, knew her way around the menu and the specials and was very helpful with answering any questions we had. She also gave us some honest recommendations, which I always love to hear from the servers I encounter. With steaks being our main focus, there were six or so choices on the menu. Amanda started with a house salad followed by the 5 oz. filet mignon. I wanted to try the Caesar salad and for my entree, I chose the 14 oz. New York Strip. Each steak also comes with a choice of basil smashed potatoes or pasta with the house pomodoro sauce. Amanda chose pasta and I went with the potatoes.

Our salads, as well as warm bread and great dipping oil, arrived first. The bread had a fantastic, crispy crust on the outside and the oil was delicately flavored with herbs and dried tomatoes. The olive oil used as the base was of high quality, so I was glad they didn’t add much to it. The house salad was a simple bed of mixed greens and romaine hearts topped with an array of olives, garbanzo beans, tomato and onion, dressed in their house vinaigrette. The olives provided an exciting pop of salty brine and the beans gave a wonderful texture contrast to the greens. My Caesar salad was lightly dressed in thick, homemade dressing with fresh croutons and shaved parmigiano-reggiano. When presented with the choice, I opted to have white anchovy fillets placed on top of my salad, which ended up being my favorite part. Anchovies in Caesar dressing are good, but having the whole fillet on the salad took it to a completely new level.

Our main courses were out in good time after we finished our salads and bread. The steaks looked amazing. The outsides of both had beautiful, seared grill marks. After a quick sear to seal in the juices, they were put under the broiler and cooked to perfect medium-rare. Peppino’s steaks are USDA Angus Reserve beef which range anywhere from top 2/3 Choice to Prime. They are all hand selected and then aged another 30 days to develop even more flavor. The steaks were seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and nothing else. The taste of the beef itself was the star; delicious doesn’t even begin to describe the natural, meaty flavor of both cuts. Amanda’s filet was fork tender and particularly juicy, the steak knife that was provided was actually unnecessary. It was served with a side of simply seasoned broccolini in addition to the pasta. The broccolini, which is a fairly bitter green, was not bitter at all, but had an intoxicating smoky, buttery aroma and flavor. We both could have eaten an entire plate of just that and been satisfied. Amanda’s side of spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente and was mixed with just the right amount of pomodoro sauce, which was thick, chunky, full flavored, and wonderfully seasoned.

Like the filet, my New York Strip steak was incredible. The beef was beautifully marbled and had a bright red center. The seared outside locked in the juices and rendered the fat perfectly. My non-serrated knife cut through it like softened butter. Alongside my serving of broccolini sat a mountain of fresh, aromatic, basil smashed potatoes. The juices from the meat mixed with the potatoes and the broccolini made for an amazing meal.

Megan was a fantastic server and it was also a nice touch that owner/chef Joe Colao personally visited and talked with every patron in house. With entrees ranging from $8 to $32, it is very reasonable for the excellent quality of the food and service. Most menu items are à la carte with soups starting at $3, salads at $3, and appetizers between $8 and $18. Thank you again to the staff of Peppino’s for a perfect night out.

The address of Peppino’s is 6590 West Lake Road in Fairview and the number for information and reservations is 814.474.2016. They are open for dinner starting at 5 pm, Monday through Saturday.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

Alto Cucina is yet another restaurant that this blog has brought me to for the first time. Located at 3531 West Lake Rd , this old farmhouse is easily missed if you aren’t looking for it. The driveway is long and leads to two doors, one for the restaurant and one for the bar. Inside the restaurant, walls are lined with art and shelves stacked with books. Everything was surprisingly dust-free considering how many decorative items were on the shelves, quite refreshing to see a restaurant that takes care enough to keep more than just the tables clean. If you want to go for dinner, a reservation seems to be appreciated. Once we were seated, our server, Mitchell, was with us shortly to inform us of the nightly features and answer any questions we had. We wanted to stick with the steak theme so for an appetizer, we ordered the Carpaccio Celestine. On the menu, there are three choices for steaks. Amanda chose the Steak Adiutori and I decided on the Delmonico Messina.

There was bread, which was oddly a little cold, with dipping oil on the table when we sat down. While we were breaking into the bread, our appetizer was served. The Carpaccio Celestine was paper thin beef tenderloin slices with truffle oil, Gorgonzola, and whole grain mustard on a bed of greens with tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers. Instead of being served completely raw, the beef was very lightly seared and served rare. The beef by itself melted with each mouthful and had a very subtle, delicate flavor. With everything else on the plate together as one bite, the beef was strongly overpowered and hidden by all of the other bold flavors. I would have loved for the beef to be the shining star of the plate; all the “extras” seemed unnecessary because the meat was very good on its own.

Our soup and salad arrived shortly after we finished with the Carpaccio. I had the minestrone while Amanda started with the house salad. The minestrone was delicious. The beans and pasta had a great toothsome bite and the broth was well seasoned. Amanda’s salad was tossed with white balsamic vinaigrette that, like the beef, had very subtle flavors. It wasn’t nearly as strong as traditional balsamic and went well with the mixed greens.

With the rest of our meal coming to the table in such good time, we were confused when it took over thirty minutes for our steaks to be served after we finished with our starters. The Steak Adiutori was a 12 oz New York strip steak topped with a garlic, parsley and shallot gremolata. On the side were a few potatoes that had seemingly been soaked in some sort of brown sauce, and a salad of chopped tomatoes, mixed greens, mushrooms and Gorgonzola cheese. It was close to what was served with the Carpaccio. Her steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, was well seasoned, and the gremolata was delicious and very flavorful. The steak, however, had a lot of hard, inedible fat on the outside with very little marbling throughout.

My Delmonico Messina was an 18 oz bone-in beef rib steak topped with a mushroom ragout, a tomato/corn salsa, and a side of garlic smashed potatoes. My steak was cooked beyond the medium-rare temperature that I ordered and was almost medium-well, though it was extremely tender, juicy and packed with flavor. I could have eaten a bowl of the mushroom ragout by itself, it was that good. The corn salsa was a little odd and didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the plate. My steak had beautiful marbling with delicious fat throughout and even more flavor was added simply by cooking the steak with the bone in. The smashed potatoes were amazing. The texture and taste were proof that the potatoes had been made from scratch with real potatoes, not boxed flakes. They were some of the best I’ve ever had. I used the bread to clean my plate when I was done.

Besides the slight wait for our entrees, which I would assume wasn’t his fault, the service from Mitchell was really great. Thank you to him and to the kitchen for an enjoyable meal. After using our Erie Fine Dining card, our meal was only $60 and that was including tip which was well worth it. The phone number for reservations and information is 814.835.3900 and is located at 3531 West Lake Road . The restaurant is open from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm Tuesday – Saturday.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

For the fourth stop on my steak tour of Erie, Amanda and I were joined by Brandon Sease and Katie Winterhoff at The Pufferbelly Restaurant. Brandon and Katie beat us to the restaurant and got a table. Once we arrived, we waited about ten minutes for our server to come to take our drink orders. Once our drinks were served, we had about a 20 minute wait before we placed our food order. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all, so I’m not sure why service was slow. The menu regularly has two choices as far as steak entrees, so our dinner decision was rather easy. Brandon and Katie decided they were going to split an entree because they had a late lunch. They ordered the Southwestern Rubbed Strip Steak. Amanda chose the Steak Madagascar. I was happy to learn that there was a Black and Bleu Strip Steak on special, so I ordered that.

Each of our meals included a small salad, as well as bread and butter. The bread was fresh and warm; I could have easily eaten loaves of it. I was glad to know that the lettuce for the salad was washed, however, it hadn’t been drained and our plates were completely full of water. The lettuce that I was able to eat with the house sweet and sour dressing was delicious.

Our steaks came to the table surprisingly quick. Amanda and I both ordered our steaks medium-rare and Brandon ordered his steak medium. All three steaks were cooked to perfection. Even though they were cooked to the correct temperature, the steaks were, for the most part, under seasoned and fatty. My strip steak had a slight amount of marbling throughout, but the outer edge of the steak was pure fat. My steak was rubbed with a blackened Cajun rub and topped with Bleu cheese chunks. The seasoning was okay, but biting into large sections of fat was unappetizing. Amanda’s eight ounce filet was said to be smothered in mushrooms and peppercorn sauce. Maybe to the kitchen it was a peppercorn sauce, but to Amanda, it was just mushrooms in thin, bland, brown gravy. Her filet was cooked beautifully, but the lack of seasoning and the abundance of gravy was disappointing. I’m sure a peppercorn sauce would have been delicious on the steak, but whatever the sauce was that she received, there was no peppercorn flavor whatsoever. Brandon and Katie’s strip steak was rubbed with cumin and a mixture of dried chipotle, ancho, chili, and cayenne peppers. All of these spices have loud, bold flavors. Considering the amount of seasoning that was visibly on the steak, it was also fairly bland.

The two strip steaks came with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Amanda’s Steak Madagascar was listed on the menu as being served atop spinach linguine, but she ordered it with the vegetables instead. The vegetables were fantastic. The mixture of carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and celery was a slightly odd combination, but they were steamed well and not drowning in butter. The potatoes, on the other hand, weren’t hot and were very plain. Everything else, including the plate, was hot when it arrived so I’m not sure what happened with the potatoes that resulted in them being cold.

It seemed as though every good thing in the meal was countered by something “not-so-good.” As with every other place I’ve visited so far, I asked the server if the steaks were select, choice, or prime cuts. After checking with the kitchen staff, she came back and informed me that they were choice cuts. For the $23.99 price of each steak, I think the two strip steaks were on the high side. The eight ounce filet was priced fairly, but the seasoning as well as the trimming on all three cuts could have been better. Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed with this experience since we’ve had such positive visits to this restaurant in the past.

The phone number for reservations and information is (814) 454-1557. The Pufferbelly Restaurant is located at 414 French Street . The restaurant is open Monday – Thursday from 11:30am – 9pm and Friday – Saturday from 11:30am – 11pm. They also serve a fantastic Sunday brunch from 11am – 3pm and dinner from 3pm – 8pm.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

This week, I got to try a restaurant in Erie that I’d never been to before. Ricardo’s Restaurant has been an eastside Erie favorite since 1943. The family-style dining, as well as the homecooked food, really hits a sweet spot for patrons. Amanda and I met up with our friend Joel Brennan around 7:30 last night, and we were all ready to eat. When we arrived, a few big families were seated throughout, along with some other, smaller parties. This really is a popular spot any night of the week. Our server, Vicky, got us our drinks and came back for our order. Joel went with Peter’s Special Steak, Amanda chose the filet mignon and butterflied shrimp combo, and I ordered the New York strip steak.

Every dinner comes with a good amount of food. With your entree, you get a sample of their pasta with the house red sauce, fried zucchini, and your choice of two of the following: salad, home fries, French fries, baked potato, or the daily vegetable. Our food came out in stages. First were the bread and our pasta samplers. The bowls are small and do a fantastic job of preparing your taste buds for the meal to come. The red sauce was obviously homemade and very flavorful. My bowl was clean after I used the rest of the sauce on my bread. The fried zucchini and our salads came out next. The zucchini had a light coating of breading and wasn’t greasy at all. The slices of zucchini tasted fresh and were delicious. We all ordered our salads with the house dressing, which is a homemade Italian with blue cheese crumbles. It was very tasty and complimented the fresh greens wonderfully.

Joel’s Peter’s Steak Special was a big bowl of deliciousness. The steak is sautéed with mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes in a sauce made with Worcestershire sauce, oregano, basil, and garlic. The steak was super tender and trimmed well. The only improvement that could have been made was if they’d added a bit more salt. The plate is filled with the sauce and vegetables so, by Joel’s suggestion, order it with a baked potato. When the steak is gone, open the potato on top of the sauce and let it absorb all the delicious juices. Joel topped the potato with some butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, and it really was amazing. His plate was completely clean when he was done.

Amanda’s filet mignon was a four -ounce cut, but paired with the shrimp, it was just the right size. The shrimp, unbeknownst to the table, was butterflied and fried. Though it wasn’t what Amanda was expecting, it was still very good. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and was so tender a knife was almost unnecessary. Amanda had the home fries as her side, and they were delicious.

My New York strip was just slightly overcooked from my medium-rare order, but it was still tasty. I topped my steak with some extra Worcestershire and a pinch of salt. The steak had some really nice marbling throughout and only one piece of external fat that I set aside. The meat was loaded with flavor from the simple seasoning. It was incredibly juicy and, as with my pasta, I used the rest of the bread to soak up the remaining juices on the plate. I didn’t want to waste any of that liquid gold.

Thank you to Vicky for the great service and hospitality. With Joel’s steak being the most expensive at $17.25, the prices are very affordable and worth it.  I am looking forward to coming back and trying some of the other food from the menu.

The phone number for reservations and information is 814-455-4947. Ricardo’s is located at 2112 East Lake Road, close to the GE building. The restaurant opens daily at 11 AM and closes at 9PM Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food

Last night, Amanda and I made our way to Meadville where we met up with Whitney and Justin Catalano at Montana’s Rib and Chop House for some steaks. This was not my first trip to this restaurant, but it was my first time trying their steaks. The Movies at Meadville theater is located across the parking lot from Montana ‘s and on Tuesday nights, they offer five dollar movies. A discounted movie makes for more money to spend on dinner, so needless to say, the restaurant was rather busy. Our server, Jess, was new and in training, but he was backed by veteran server, Jim. Jess got us a few drinks, told us about the nightly specials, and left us to our menus. We put in an appetizer order of their fried green tomatoes while we decided on dinner. For the time that Jess was our server, he was attentive and helpful. When the time came to order our entrées, Jim stepped in to take everything down. Within seconds of Amanda ordering, Jim had picked up on the dynamic of the table and played right to us, joking and laughing along while taking our orders. Amanda’s favorite menu item is the Baseball Cut top sirloin, so that was an easy choice. I was torn between their NY Strip, the hand-cut Ribeye, and the Famous Filet. Amanda got a filet last week and I had the NY Strip, so I decided to go with the Ribeye. Justin ordered the NY Strip and Whitney went off-theme and ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon.

Our appetizer came out first. Although fried green tomatoes are a southern food, the ones at Montana’s will give any of them a run for their money. These thick cut tomatoes are coated in a cornmeal breading and lightly fried. They are then layered on a plate with bleu cheese, large chunks of lump crab meat, and a thick, sweet balsamic reduction. The tomato and the powerful bleu cheese are accentuated by the sweetness of the crab and the balsamic vinegar. The balance of each bite is truly perfect; it is one of my favorite appetizers in the area.

Our steaks came out shortly after and were served and presented in a very simple fashion. The plates they were on were scorching hot and completely bare besides the cut of meat and the seasoning that might have come off of it. The sides are served in separate bowls as to not burn on the hot plate. The first thing I noticed on my steak were the gorgeous grill marks. The flawless diamond pattern gave the meat fantastic color and a great char. I cut into the steak to reveal a warm, bright red, medium-rare center. I spoke with kitchen manager Ryan and found that the steaks are all hand-cut (by him) and are Certified Angus Beef. My steak was juicy and tender with amazing marbling throughout. I had minimal excess external fat. The seasoning on the steak was a basic salt and pepper spice rub and was packed with flavor. For a side, I had sweet corn as well as sautéed garlic mushrooms for my steak. The mushrooms added a great layer of flavor to the beef and are good to eat just on their own.

Amanda’s Baseball Cut Sirloin was about three inches thick and was fantastic. With the meat being so thick, it is more difficult to cook it to temperature. Amanda ordered hers medium-rare as well. The outside had a great sear and everything but a small spot in the middle was more rare than medium-rare, but it was still delicious. She did comment that she’d rather have the steak done that way than have the chef wait longer and risk overcooking the rest of the meat. The steak had very little fat and was incredibly juicy and flavorful. Amanda’s side of wild mushroom stuffing was awesome as well. Fresh mushrooms are blended with toasted herbed bread and baked in its natural juices. I could eat an entire plate of just the stuffing.

Our total bill was just shy of $60. Between our incredible steaks and our awesome server, it really was a great meal. The 38 mile drive is more than worth it for a meal of this quality. Thank you to both Jess and Jim, as well as the kitchen manager Ryan. You will see us again for sure.

The phone number for reservations and information is 814-333-2000 and is located directly across from the movie theater at 11142 Perry Highway. The restaurant opens daily at 11 AM and closes at 11PM every day except for Friday and Saturday when they close at midnight.

Until next time,

Andrew — Beard vs. Food