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| - (11/11/2014) This one has got to go on your list, Butcher and the Rye was the star of our 2-day, 8-stop, self-guided restaurant crawl of dahntahn Pittsburgh. Its sister restaurant, Meat and Potatoes gets all the press play, but the older and more sophisticated Butcher and the Rye is better experience of the two. Both plates we tried had thoughtful, balanced flavors and contrast of textures. The Dry Aged Tartare had some wonderful garnishes to accentuate the marbled beef (diced a touch large, chewy at times). I appreciated the crunchy texture of radishes and mache, and brightness of parsley oil, and tart pickled mustard seed as foils to the richness of the slow cooked egg and black garlic aioli. PEI mussels were cooked until just done, plump and bursting, came with a totally addictive red curry (had some heat), coconut milk, tomato, lime and cilantro liqueur. The rest of the menu straddles upscale comfort food and creative palate adventures.
Service, at the bar at least, was spot on and friendly. Cocktails were very good (but can't remember what I had, something with Buffalo Trace). Decor is like being in an ersatz old timey Western movie hotel, check out the pistol and butcher's knives on the taps and wall of bourbon (bourbon lover's paradise) and blanched antler chandelier. I so loved everything about this place up until I had to go to the bathroom. A grown up place needs some real bathrooms, I will leave it at that. If you try this place (and you must), you'll know what I mean.
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