"5"^^ . "Plenty of seating and no wait makes Smallman Galley an ideal destination for Sunday brunch. I guess my SO and I were in a comfort food mood with the snow falling outside, as we shared the PORK BELLY RAMEN from Aubergine Bistro and LAMB STEW from Carota Cafe. The stew was brought to our table immediately, with the ramen following perhaps 15 minutes or so later. We also grabbed an Americano and a Gryphon's Masala Chai tea from the coffee bar.\n\nI'm generally a sucker for hole-in-the-wall type \"ethnic\" eateries, so it's been a while since I've treated myself to some upscale American bistro cooking, and the punch of flavors in the lamb stew fully reminded me of what I had been missing. The rich dill-scented broth reminded me of a lovely Eastern European shchi soup (an herby sauerkraut beef broth-based soup), so aromatic and just pungent enough without being overbearing. The lamb meat fell into toothsome strings in the soup, and the root vegetables were soft without being mushy. The bowl came topped with a piece of garlic bread that my SO used as a vehicle for the lamby goodness into his mouth as we shared the bowl in the center of the table. I can't muster up a single criticism for this dish. It was absolutely lovely.\n\nThen the ramen arrived, fragrantly wafting us with sesame oil and dressed to impress with no shortage of sliced fresh shiitake mushroom, scallions, shredded wakame, a soft-boiled egg (not too hard but not too liquidy to spill into the broth), and the sumptuous pork belly. While each component had clearly been carefully prepped, I wished that the ingredients and the broth had just a bit more seasoning--granted, though, I tend to be a fan of very big tastes. Mild is not my style, and that's what this broth was, as I tasted mostly the sesame and little of the pork and its fatty goodness. The abundant belly that we kept finding large chunks of in our bowl was a beautifully soft texture, though sadly wanted for a bit more salt as well. My fiance devoured the thin, curly noodles. While not the best ramen I've ever had, this bowl did not disappoint me, as the deliberation and care put into its composition clearly came through in taste and delivery.\n\nIt was obvious to me from my visit why Smallman Galley has been so popular in Pittsburgh--the dishes are prepared with the detail and skill of a fine dining establishment, while the vibes and prices are easy-going and non-committal. The cafeteria-style seating and the self-service utensils are the perfect complement to the progressive menus. These chefs deserve so much respect for growing and adapting their businesses in these tiny kitchens, but what a great opportunity it is for Pittsburgh to see and taste what they're made of. Don't miss this."^^ . "1"^^ . "0"^^ . "2016-12-12T00:00:00"^^ . . . "0"^^ . .