Like most posters to this group I am trying to suck the life out of the city Pittsburgh by living and dining in the suburbs. So I just tried the new Mad Mex (near the Northway Mall in North Hills). They have some really innovative dishes that are rapidly becoming my new favorite foods (even though you would never have been able to get them in Medieval times). The first item was "sushitos" (sp?) which were basicly sushi rice, raw tuna and salsa wrapped in a blue tortilla. This dish included a incredibly complex dipping sauce (I felt it in the back of my throat, on the left forward portion of my tongue and every third tooth). I told the staff I was ordering the sushitos because I am right handed (which I have been, for moral reasons, for some time) and they were very helpful (placing drinks to the right ... etc). A more challenging food was the Baja California Roll. This little gem is ground beef, refried beans and avocados wrapped in sushi nori and then covered in hand packed Spanish rice (tomato and saffron). These went swimmingly with the $20-a-pop beer. For dessert we (my two ravishing dates and I) had three bowls of lard whipped with sugar. These were great (and even larger than the same dish at Guilifty's!).
Pittsburgh, PA
Mad Mex II
Excerpts from netnews.pgh.food: 6-Dec-94 Mad Mex II John [email removed].= CS. (1468) A more challenging food was the Baja California Roll. This little gem is ground beef, refried beans and avocados wrapped in sushi nori and then covered in hand packed Spanish rice (tomato and saffron). If John had ever been to Mexico, he would know that a real Baja Californi= a roll *never* contains ground beef. The authentic recipe calls for the = filling to be ropa vieja (shredded pork). I also have found Mad Mex a l= ittle heavy on the mirin in the rice. While this does make the rice more = cohesive, when combined with the extra sweetness of saffron the effect ca= n be almost cloying. At my favourite SouthEastern restaurant, El Cerebro = Peque=F1o , in Belize City, the chef fries the tomatoes until they are a= lmost dry and slightly caramelised, before they are pureed and added to t= he rice. This gives a slightly darker flavour to the dish, while helping = the rice to adhere without sweetening. While the variety of beer at Gullifies is not quite as good as at Mad Me= x, it is usually at least 10c a bottle cheaper, so my trips to Mad mex ha= ve been more infrequent of late. Michael (escribendo en espa=F1ol, por estar mas descredible.) ------- Michael Witbrock. [email removed] <a href=3D"http://www.cs.cmu.edu:80= 01/Web/People/mjw/mjwhome.html">this is a NCSA mosaic hyper-document URL.= </a> From [email removed] Fri Dec 9 10:14:58 1994 To: [email removed] Subject: bagels Schwartz's bagels really are the best in Pittsburgh. My favorite for lunch is their hummous bagel sandwich with cucumber slices and bean sprouts. These are definately real NY style bagels. The next best would probably be Bageland. There is one on Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill - AND they have Bialys, which are delicious. Jay Cosentino
Sorry guys, don't really know what the food is like. We did not stay long enough to find out. The din of the place was just repulsive. After several attempts to ask the girl at the door, if the music could be turned down, we left. Had a dinner elsewhere, where we could hear each other and the waiter. Good beer can be had in other places. Disappointed, Rich Koziol
Excerpts from netnews.pgh.food: 24-Apr-96 Re: Mad Mex II by David F. [email removed] > If you haven't been to Mad Mex in a while though there have been some > changes: > > - - A new menu - with some nice additions > > - - Slightly smaller portions of some things - most notably nachos. > > - - No more half price food late at night. We were there last night and our food was half off. However, one complaint: quit nickel and diming folks. We had to pay extra for the celery and blue cheese that should accompany any wing order. We had a large and small order and still had to ask for it. That's just annoying! It costs more to have the waitress walk back into the kitchen and make another trip to our table than it does to just include it in the first place. The food quality was good (as usual). -ekl