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| - While staying at the Holiday Inn for a conference, I didn't have the time or the energy to explore Pittsburgh's culinary scene--especially not in the rain--so I decided to grab dinner at the hotel restaurant, Bridges.
Normally, I avoid hotel restaurants like the plague. With a couple notable exceptions, most serve up pretty boring food on par with what you'd get from a cafeteria lunch lady.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bridges is one of those exceptions. The food here is better than most hotel restaurants.
I started with the soup-tonight tomato watercress. The soup had rich flavor, but wasn't heavy. And I appreciated the kick of spice and the cooling hint of herby watercress. I was a little disappointed they forgot about the crostini and goat cheese on top. My server apologized and brought them out, and they did really help pull the dish together. There's just something classic about a rich tomato soup and creamy goat cheese.
I tried the eggplant "crepes," which were really more like eggplant cutlets rolled around spinach and cheese. I was impressed how flavorful the spinach was. The accompanying romesco sauce was a bit sweet for my tastes, but not terribly so.
I was pleasantly surprised by dinner at Bridges, so I decided to drop in again the next night since it was convenient and I had an early start ahead of me the next day.
This time, I tried the stuffed peppers. Man, these were spicy! Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food, but I wasn't expecting these to be *that* spicy.
I paired the peppers with an appetizer portion of pasta. I chose a fettuccine tossed with cream, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and other veggies. It was a filling portion of pasta, topped with grilled chicken. Was it the most creative dish? Not exactly, but it was a good way to take some of the heat away from those stuffed peppers.
The price tag was a little steep, I have to say, but I managed to stay on budget by ordering from the appetizers. And the appetizers were actually remarkably filling--a generous portion you could easily substitute for an entrée.
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