| rev:text
| - For the last seven years that I've lived here, Morningside has become a more and more desolate neighborhood for amenities, especially when it comes to food, and a pleasant atmosphere for eating it, other than your own home. The neighborhood was pretty much limited to a bank (closed in June of 2013) a Rite Aid, a third world mini-mart specializing in lottery tickets, sodas and smokes, as well as some dusty packaged goods, a yinzer pizza shop with a MAJOR trailer park attitude...and six beauty salons that apparently specialize in 'suburban haus frau'. We had a Stagnos that closed several years ago, and a coffee shop that was way to uppity for the neighborhood, which also closed.
Oh...and the nuisance bar. That haven for yinzer drunks and drug addicts that made 'working class' look like royalty.
Well, that nuisance bar was bought and renovated into a shiny and new Bulldog's Grille, and I have to say, although on opening, they were extremely limited in their offerings, it grew to become a terrific welcomed oasis in the neighborhood.
We decided to give it a try a Friday shortly after they'd opened, and were not disappointed on any real level, although once they got their chef up to speed it got even better.
On opening, aside from a full bar, they only had four items on their menu for opening week. A chicken salad, wings, a fish sandwich, and I can't remember the fourth. It wasn't a burger, which I'd wished it had been, but that would be coming soon, according to the waitress.
So my friend and I, in that never ending search for a fine fish sandwich, opted to try Bulldog's, and we were very pleasantly pleased. Although, in the typical style of da burgh, it came on a freakin' hamburger bun, the fish itself was very tasty, large, and the batter had a yummy zing to it. It was no frills though...just fish and a bun, with tartar sauce, and no inquiry if we'd maybe wanted cheese or lettuce and tomato. But, it was a very decent and filling flavorful sandwich, and the price was very reasonable. It came with fries, which were...well...fries. Nothing special, but not bad. Time went on, and Bulldog's found their chops, and now, a year or so later, that fish sandwich is something to seriously rival ANY of the so-called 'famous' fish sandwiches around town - YES, that means YOU Armand's and Neid's!
Once the burgers came into play - impressive again. Ok, they're never going to hit the level of Winghart's. BUT, for a bar burger? These are a step above the norm. Several varieties to choose from, cooked the way you like, and yum.
It's a very family owned business, with the owner, his wife, his in-laws, and even a mama running around helping out with the customers, and the place was FULL. At one point, mama even walked around with a tray of pepperoni rolls that she was handing out to anyone who wanted one. That was a very yummy homespun touch. The staff evolved into a knowing and helpful group of friendly faces that really do make you feel at home.
And the crowd definitely brought Morningside up a level from what used to spew out of that building on any given day. A lot of family types (of course, it is Morningside) but there were also a lot of young and frankly good looking guys there that never seem to be visible at any other time in the neighborhood. Do they live here? One Kinsey Six could only hope.
Terry Golden and his family have brought an oasis into the neighborhood. More upscale than one would expect for the neighborhood, yet, totally unpretentious. Excellent and consistent food, extremely reasonable prices, and just a generally VERY comfortable 'vibe'.
On the next visit, I tried the wings. Another winner. Plump, juicy, and creative sauces.
Kudos, Bulldog's, for bringing some modern style to an otherwise deprived neighborhood.
Addendum: Had to re-write a few things and up it to a full five stars - they've truly earned it.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)