Sometimes I peg a restaurant for one thing and never branch out. I made that mistake with Seviche, a tapas and happy hour restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh. I’d been there for happy hour numerous times, but never tried more than chips and salsa to eat.
So when Seviche asked me to come in for a tasting – and offered me a $50 gift card to give away! – I figured I should give the fish a chance. I’m so glad I did! (Details on the giveaway are below.)
On a Friday night, Scheidt and I were greeted by a totally packed restaurant. We sat at the kitchen bar, right next to a display of bright-pink sushi-grade fish on ice. Chef Jeff Caulkins explained that the restaurant is making great progress on serving locally-produced foods – something that isn’t always easy for a Latin-themed restaurant in Pittsburgh in the winter. While they’ll always have to bring in the seafood, this year the winter menu featured local squashes and mushrooms. Come spring, Jeff is looking forward to having fun with locally-grown fingerling potatoes – the thumb-sized spuds that are perfectly suited to Seviche’s bite-sized aesthetic – as well as regionally-sourced asparagus and haricots verts.
Fire and Ice Oyster Seviche
Speaking of bite-sized, of course we ordered seviche (which is also spelled ceviche or cebiche). I let Scheidt be in charge of ordering our platter of three preparations ($18). He chose Scottish salmon with avocado and corn; Island Creek oysters prepared “fire and ice” style with habanero pepper and prickly pear granita; and our favorite, ahi tuna quickly seared and topped with pickled ginger and shaved fennel with a roasted garlic ponzu sauce and a drizzle of wasabi mayonnaise.
Let me tell you: the ginger-fennel salad on top of that tuna was the highlight of the whole plate. I mean, the fish was luscious and I even liked the oysters, but the fennel was transcendent. I asked Chef Jeff about it – he probably got a little tired of the ponytailed girl at the bar raising her hand like she’s in the seventh grade – and he said that he is 100% against “non-functional garnishes.” He said he always feels sad when plates come back to the kitchen, fish demolished, untouched salad pushed to the side. That little salad on top of your seviche might be the most exciting part – so eat it if you get the chance!
Cuban Sushi Roll
Aside from the fennel salad, our favorite dish of the night was the Cuban Sushi Roll ($12). This was definitely different from your standard roll: salmon, calabaza, jicama and avocado rolled with nori and sticky rice, then topped with sushi-grade tuna, fried malanga shreds and a sriracha mayonnaise.
If someone in your group is squeamish about raw fish, there are also plenty of fully-cooked options. We tried the Bistec Bocadillo ($10), a quesadilla-like finger sandwich made on lavash stuffed with seared filet mignon, Jarlsberg and caramelized onions. It was served with French fries and would definitely please an American palate.
As for happy hour, Seviche has a great one: $5 signature cocktails (including my favorite mango mojito), $4 glasses of wine, $3 beers and $5 tapas, from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays. For bonus points, follow @sevichepgh on Twitter and you might get free tapas or free mojitos!
If you want to win that $50 gift card – and I promise, you do! – leave a comment about a restaurant you love that has more than meets the eye. Deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, March 26.
Giveaway rules:
- Leave a comment on the blog (not Twitter, not my personal Facebook page) about a restaurant you love that has more than meets the eye.
- Make sure to use your real email address, because otherwise I won’t be able to reach you if you win. (Email addresses are never, ever published on the site, so you are always safe from spammers.)
- You must leave your comment by 11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, March 26.
- Only one entry per commenter.
Le Fine Print
No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random by Burghilicious using Random.org. All entries received after the giveaway comment deadline will not be considered. Duplicate entries will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will not be considered. Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the email. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Giveaway has been sponsored by Seviche with the assistance of Nakturnal.
Welcome to Miami, downtown Pittsburgh
Seviche
930 Penn Avenue
Cultural District, Downtown
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
La Casa on Ellsworth! When I first went there, I was surprised at how tiny and cramped it seemed, though the food was great. Second time.. I realized there was a cute patio in the back with tons more seating!
the
The food I’ve had has always been great, and the desserts were awesome. Who knew that at the very end of Ellsworth, the side that no one really walks to, there was such a lovely restaurant?
Okay, take two.
Calli’s in Regent Square at the corner of Forbes and Braddock. Hands down the best blue cheese burger I’ve ever had. Funky little space with a bar in back that wraps around the ice cream parlor next store. We went expecting standard dinner options and instead got fabulous: lightly fried asparagus with a homemade sharp dipping sauce, sweet potato fries that managed to balance the line between crisp and rich without being floppy, the juiciest stuffed pork chop I’ve ever seen served in a restaurant and of course my burger. Oh, the burger. The also have an amazing brunch menu that I’ve been meaning to try…kinda salivating just thinking about it.
Too bad I can’t use Seviche which is essentially my favorite restaurant down in the Cultural District. I’ve tried many things on the menu and have yet to be disappointed.
Construction has probably kept everyone away from Market Square these days. I mean, really, who wants to walk into that mess? I will say you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t march on down and visit Las Velas, located above the Prantls/Mancini’s outlet. The food is fantastic with an authentic Mexican flair and the margaritas are strong (bonus!). I recommend the chips and salsa (hand cut, by the way) and fish tacos. With a vibrant upstairs dining area and downstairs taco and tequila bar, it’s the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat or a post-work drink. The view isn’t much right now, but the atmosphere is great and the every-so-often Mariachi Night is entertaining.
(Granted I may know the owner and his wife and want to shamelessly plug for them, but … you know). *s*
@Andrea – You’ve just mentioned about 17 of my favorite things at once: Blue cheese burger, sweet potato fries, brunch… Want to eat it!
LOVE Seviche! We wanted to have my friend Theresa’s wedding shower there (she lives in Miami now), but it was just a tad too small. Love the restaurant though, and you get to salsa!
I like Zenith in the South Side. Its an antique store/tea room/lunch spot with an ever changing menu. The atmosphere is great and the food is always fresh and seasonal.
The Point Brugge in Point Breeze – has some of the greatest food I’ve tasted in Pittsburgh (if you like Belgian food) and the cutest ambience (& outdoor seating in warmer weather!). Great beer selection, full bar, cozy atmosphere, and delicious food – a win all around!
My favorite place to go when I have tons of money to burn (rarely, these days!) is absolutely Bona Terra – I drool just thinking about it. And when I have to have macaroni and cheese (and booze), it’s Kelly’s for me.
@Courtney – I’ve heard Zenith has a fantastic vegetarian Sunday brunch. As brunch is my favorite meal, it’s definitely on my list to check out. Thanks for the reminder!
@Lindsay – I am really craving some Point Brugge fries these days. And when I crave something, I get it soon. The carbonade is also really good there.
@Cate – Kelly’s macaroni and cheese…. Ooooh…. have not had that for a while. Another thing on the list, along with Bona Terra, which has long resided on my list of restaurants that I must save money for.
This is great – it’s like my new list of restaurant must-do’s!
Lauren, have you been to Avenue B yet? Dana and Shelley Casto have tried it twice and really like it. It’s another East End place – corner of Center and Graham down the street from the Market District Giant Eagle. BYOB. It’s near the top of our list to check out now (after Paris 66).
Our weekend of taking guests to some fav eateries ended with Pusadee’s Garden (formerly Sweet Basil) in Lawrenceville tonight. Seriously excellent food. Even better now than when it was Sweet Basil. Garden rolls and pumpkin curry are particular standouts.
@Lauren, we totally need to do Zenith brunch sometime too. Perhaps we could coordinate!
And perhaps we need to do a sweet potato fry tour to determine the best in Pittsburgh!
I’m a big fan of the Sharp Edge. I used to only go there for beer and buffalo bites, but their regular dinner menu is great and there are various monthly specials that are always changing. Sadly, I don’t eat out in Pittsburgh much due to my job, but I’m well versed in Ohio and Michigan restaurants!
DiBlasio’s @ Virginia Manor.
Old World Italian with great prices.
Their veal is the best!
De Luca’s in the Strip. Maybe its because I’m not from here, but I really can’t stand Pamela’s. So if I want breakfast (and by breakfast I mean a meal before noon that will keep me full until dinner or beyond) I go to De Luca’s. It’s the only place I’d ever order 3 drinks at once without guilt (a bottomless mug of Fortunes coffee, a glass of OJ, and a water).
In college it was the hangover place, the place I curled up in a booth and rehashed break-ups, hook-ups, and everything in between with my roommate (who still comes from NYC to have breakfast with me there when we need it). As a less dramatic adult, it’s been the home base for a lot of good weekend mornings.
Sure, its kitschy. And yes, they have about 10 different signs out front that proclaim it’s the best breakfast in Pittsburgh. But the coffee’s good, the atmosphere is perfect, the people watching is choice. Oh, and the food? It’s really good.
Harris Grill has the most amazing brunch. People normally go there for drinks and lunch/dinner, but their Sunday brunch awesome. It involves frozen mimosas, a fruit bowl and all types of interesting breakfast foods, beside the normal bacon and eggs.
I was very pleasantly surprised the other night by Tamari in Lower Lawrenceville. They nailed what they’re calling Latin-Asian fusion. Fabulous atmosphere and delish eats. And from one mac n cheese lover to another, the lobster mac n cheese is delightful. Also, the view from the back balcony has me planning reservations for a fireworks night.
Tram’s Kitchen, a Vietamese place on Penn Ave, in Bloomfield. I tend to alway stick with my favorite dish when I find it at a restaurant, but at Tram’s I have been rewarded by breaking out of my old stand-bys. The split rice may just sound like rice, with meat and veggies, but it is much much more! Tasty pork, crunchy cabbage, and a perfectly fried egg that you break into and mix the yolk into the rice. There is a tangy, light sauce, you can pour over if you wish, or just dunk into…
Oh, and the soup… don’t even get me started! I may need to change my lunch plans.
You have to give Cafe Du Juor on the south side a try. Its a great little restuarant that pumps out some serious food. As soon as you walk in the front door you are smacked in the face by the smells coming out of the kitchen (this is because the kitchen is basically in the dining room.) The menu is limited but changes with whatever is in season. They make the best clams I have ever had in my entire life. Clams in a tomato basil broth with kalamata olives and aoili served with a loaf of crusty french bread to soak up all the amazing juices. Seating is limited but they also have a secret gardenesq patio out back that is open during the warmer months. Its a BYOB joint and after 9 all starters are $5.
The Cafe at the Frick is surprisingly good and feels like a throwback to a different era. A lot of their ingredients are locally sourced. The setting is gorgeous and the afternoon tea is an elegant treat.
My heart belongs to Pacific Ring on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Their tea is fantastic, their Pacific Chicken makes my taste buds dance, and their dinner portions are rather large. Plus they have a great Dim Sum.
There’s this Irish bar out in Moon Twp. called Patrick’s that I’ve been going to for years, mostly because it’s mostly filled with sad, depressing people whom I do not know, but also because hidden on their menu is a wonderful selection of bar food.
Best of all (and I say best with full knowledge of tasty burgers and delicious wings) are the Irish Cheese Fries, which are hand cut, then fried then baked with three cheeses and served with sour cream. Ugh, why did I not buy those tonight when I was there?
Some spots I like are Kassab’s in Southside (lebanese) and La Feria on Walnut in Shadyside (peruvian). Both very reasonably priced, different but not intimidating, and BYO. Yum. I am getting some great ideas from these comments.
i love piccolo forno-for their prosciutto/arugula pizza and they have a great polenta appetizer, i also love pusadee’s garden-for everything! lately i have been lucky to stay in my own neighborhood and have tremendous food: cassis is fun and freshly delicious, nicky’s has some of the best thai food in town. legends has incredible fresh fish dishes daily (say that fast 3 times!) and the monterey pub has me addicted to their shrimp and chips (they grill the shrimp so i feel less guilty eating the chips). all of these gems are in the sleepy northside area of the mexican war streets. come over, we won’t bite
Legends on the North Side!! I was very leery about going to eat there, but its got delicious food, cozy atomsphere and the surprise taste at the end of the meal is worth the entire visit!
I think I’d have to go with Zaw’s in Squirrel Hill. Such a hole in the wall, and not much to look at inside, but the food is amazing. Sweet and sour chicken, one of my tests of Asian restaurants, is fried to perfection (just a thin coating, lots of meat) and the sauce is full of veggies. Yum!
I’m a big fan of La Feria in Shadyside – it’s sort of hidden upstairs from Pamela’s. I generally order their vegetarian special, which has never disappointed. The ropa vieja is fantastic and their house salad is also delicious. Great place for a tasty and inexpensive meal.
My fav is Davio’s in Beechview for lunch. Included with lunch is a wonderful salad, sweet and tart, as well as a “to die for” fried bread with three different dips. The eggplant parm is wonderful, crispy and delicious. I also love the pasta puttanesca which is full of anchovies and capers – not a meal if you are going back to a meeting at work!
Mmm…can I pick two? Somebody already mentioned Legend of the North Side, which I tried for the first time just a couple weeks ago and instantly fell in love. Best pasta I’ve ever had, in an unassuming location. #2 is Thai Gourmet, in Bloomfield. Less popular than Thai Cuisine up the road, but the food is more flavorful, the portion are bigger (like two or three meals worth), and if you order takeout on the weekend you often get the most delicious tapioca-corn dessert — no idea what it’s called, but it’s amazing.
My constant go-to recommendation is Mojo Bistro in Bellevue. It seems unlikely way up there in those parts, but the food is seriously awesome. Plus the atmosphere is fun and comfortable, and it’s BYOB. It’s totally a “take friends to dinner and enjoy sitting, drinking, and existing” kind of place.
Have you tried Enrico Biscotti’s new place, E2 in Highland Park. Completely delish, great atmosphere and freshly made doughnuts. I think it’s open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. I left there nearly blinded by all the good eats. It’s my new favorite place.
Took my parents to Toast! on Baum and that was possibly one of the best decisions I made while they were visiting. The surrounding area is sketchy as heck but the food was spot-on delicious. Even got my dad to eat local & fancy food, which I’m having a hard time winning him over on. A bit pricey but definitely worth it!
@vingleburt – Cake or death?
@Barb – I did not know that Davio’s is open for lunch! I live in Beechview, and though I’m not frequently home for lunch… I’ll have to remember that!
@SK – La Feria has great black bean soup and delicious empanadas.
@Keri – I adore Piccolo Forno. I had that exact pizza for lunch yesterday!
Breakfast is my favorite meal, so my #1 choice is Coca Cafe. Always delicious, always perfect!
My “more than meets the eye” restaurant of choice is Figaretti’s. I just love this little Italian restaurant in Wheeling, WV (of all places). If you think it’s too far, it’s only about 25 minutes outside of Washington, PA. Not much to look at (inside or out) but the food is yummy. The sauce is my absolute favorite sauce in the world. Some good bread dipped in sausage, peppers and onions doused in Figs sauce topped off with a few glasses of wine = The perfect Italian evening.
So, in trying not to mention what others already have (Pussadee’s Garden, Piccolo Forno, Point Brugge, Tamari, Cafe du Jour are all on my list of awesome places in Pittsburgh), I’m going to say the monthly vegetarian night at Kaya. They have it the 3rd Wednesday of every month and offer a special multi-course menu that can be paired with a wine course. It’s affordable, and has offered some of the best meals (vegetarians & non-vegetarian) I’ve ever had. Make reservations early enough and you can get in while it’s still happy hour (half-off drinks). Just don’t take all of the reservations so that I can’t get one! Strangely, it’s become a recurring theme to celebrate my birthday with my mom’s birthday for the past few years, as they both fall in the 3rd week of June (so you can use your Big Burrito birthday postcard, too).
El Patron in Wexford, Pa, along McKnight Road. This place is wonderful Mexican, and everything is made fresh from scratch, including their salsas and tortillas. Can’t say enough about this place. Fun atmosphere, too, with lots of colorful Mexican tile work decorating everything from the booths to the chairs. Great place.
Hmmmm,the foods looks so yummy,no doubt.!!I am glad that you accept the invitation..!!I have been to Seviche already,I was with my friends at that time and I could say that the atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and cool..The foods tastes good..I am planning to go back soon.!!