"2015-11-12T00:00:00"^^ . . . "I really liked Spoon. I did. I liked it.\n\nBut here's the thing: I didn't *LOVE* it, and I really, really wanted to. I've been wanting to go for ages and it sounded like I would love it so much I wanted to marry it, but yeah ... it was more of just a one-date thing, I think.\n\nI went last Saturday when I was in town & staying in Shadyside. The dining room was lovely, albeit a bit stiff, but lovely. The waitstaff was also lovely, albeit a bit stiff. So ... it was nice.\n\nWe got a basket of freshly baked breads and such, in which were tucked these crazy amazing dill and cream cheese biscuits that were, clearly, sent from Heaven (I could've eaten about 73 of them). A good start.\n\nWe ordered starters--we'd asked the waiter for his picks and he recommended the Peking Duck with scallion pancakes and apple slaw, so we got that and the grilled avocado, which sounded ding-danged amazing. The avocado, super-simple with roasted tomato and a blob of burrata, was delicious; the duck, well, it was fine. Good, but not GREAT (I wanted it to be great).\n\nAt the table, we ordered Veal Shortrib Cassoulet, Pork Scallopini on Pumpkin Risotto, and the Spoon Burger. All was good. Quite good. But again, I wasn't blown away and no one's eyes rolled back into their heads, which I was kinda hoping for.\n\nDessert--which WAS amazing--was this apple creation with butternut squash custard, cinnamon arlette, 5 spice apple goodness, and apple butter. THAT was decadent and ridiculous and I want 6 more.\n\nBut yeah. It was good. Quite good. But there are so many amazing places in PGH, that I don't know that \"good\" is enough to bring me back."^^ . "3"^^ . "2"^^ . "1"^^ . . "1"^^ .