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| - Without a doubt, one of the best meals I've had in Pittsburgh. After planning to go here for about 3 months, my girlfriend surprised me with reservations last night (for our 3 month'aversary...yah, we're adorable...I know). And both of us were blown away. Let's start at the beginning.
The decor is just right. Small rooms on the second floor with dark wood and exposed brick. They even use dark red blinds to slightly lighten the room (with the sun coming through them) but not so much to spoil the mood. If you need a romantic spot, you've found it (as long as you don't mind schlepping up a steep set of stairs to get there).
On to the service. Our waiter was fantastic. Timely, knowledgeable and friendly. I asked him to write down the wines we were having (more on this below), and he was kind enough to give us a copy of the wine list and write in the wines that were off menu. Fantastic!
And most importantly, the delicious food. On Tuesdays, Toast offers a 4-course tasting menu (no dessert) that varies not just by the day, but by the person! My girlfriend and I both went this route and had 8 (actually 9 with the dessert) dishes to try between the two of us. And let me tell you, they were all fantastic. Unfortunately, because it was dark (this is not a bad thing), none of my photos came out (damn iPhone and it's lack of flash), but I'm happy to describe everything.
First Course: I had the beets, goat cheese (I think), and something else salad. FANTASTIC. My girlfriend had the spinach and egg salad. An interesting dish where 2 fried eggs sat atop a bed of spinach. I never would have guessed that that would be a good mix, but boy was it ever!
Second Course: I had the mac & cheese + bacon. I'm not a mac&cheese guy, but this was fantastic. The bacon flavor permeated throughout the dish and the pasta was cooked to perfection. My girlfriend had the shrimp and pasts (i think they were raviolis, but I forget) and it was also great. The shrimp (something I can only eat in small quantities due to an allergy) was perfectly cooks and she reported that it was a great dish.
Third Course: I had a fresh water fish from the great lakes (forget the name) on a bed of black beans and it was very tasty (probably the worst dish...but that's really not an insult). My girlfriend, however, had a trout (I think) that was exceptional. The skin was crunchy and the meat was soft and tender. It had a wonderful flavor to it and was probably my favorite dish of the night.
Fourth Course: On to meat! We both had beef, but with different sauces...her's sweater than mine. Mine was accented with green beans and potatoes. Sounds boring, right? Well that's what I thought, but boy was I wrong. The green beans were seasoned perfectly and I wish I had more! Overall, both dishes were perfectly cooked (I hope you like your beef medium-rare, with an emphasis on the rare) and the presentations was great.
Dessert: We were pretty full at this point so we split one dessert. We wanted the backed local peaches, but they were out, so we opted for the French Toast. It was good. Not great, but tasty. The problem is that the first 4 courses were so perfect, that the dessert feel a little flat.
As for the wine, the parings (for $15/person) were fantastic. Each wine was exceptional on its own and even better with it's accompanied dish. Unfortunately, that list I mentioned earlier is currently with my girlfriend! As soon as I get it back, I'll update this post.
If you are looking for a romantic, upscale, and yet reasonably priced (under $100 for the two of us), meal, look no further. Toast lives up the the expectations we put on it.
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