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| - I've been an avid Yelp user in my current digs in Shadyside for a long time, and I also rely heavily on my fellow Yelpers when I'm traveling. Prior to my current visit back home to my parents in Carnegie (yes, that long arduous trek over the hills and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel), though, I hadn't done much Yelp-sploring in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh. My mom and I were at our usual crossroads in deciding where to have dinner, so I went to Yelp for a little assistance, and came across Bistro 19.
Nestled into a cute stretch of Washington Road bustling with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants, we were pleased to find a small, cozy, dimmed space and a table by the window (which was still very toasty despite the January temps outside!). As other reviewers have commented, one of the highlights of the meal was the bread basket: two different, warm varieties with some delicious whipped honey chive butter for good measure on the side. For our main courses, my mom got the lobster gnocchi, which came loaded with a whole king lobster tail perched on a bed of gnocchi swimming in a rich gouda leek sauce. I was lucky enough to sample a bite (or two), and it was absolutely delicious. My first generation Italian mama gave it her stamp of approval. As for me, I had the Bay of Fundy salmon, which came with sides of Basmati rice and asparagus, the latter of which was deliciously crunchy and fresh despite the time of year. The salmon itself was perfectly cooked with a sweet and savory maple Dijon glaze on top. The kicker, though, was the toasted pecans and goat cheese which sat atop the glaze. Some of my favorite salad accompaniments on top of salmon was definitely different, but absolutely delicious. He portion was generous (yay for leftovers!), so we were able to ration some room for dessert. We got the apple bread pudding (yum) and the popcorn sundae, which was like a grown-up bowl of Cracker Jacks with salted caramel ice cream and real whipped cream.
Overall, Bistro 19 was a delicious find in the South Hills. For the quality meal we had, I thought the prices were very reasonable: with salad/soup, main courses, and desserts (but no drinks), our bill came out to around $80. Hoping to be back soon for a special (or not-so-special) occasion!
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