Problem: The Ale Asylum. Did the brewery tour last summer, it was really good! Very casual and laid back. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. The place is a little out of the way, which is a good thing in my opinion. If it were downtown, it would have a much different vibe. The food is not bad, but a little spendy for what it is. Service has always been good to me there. Not sure I'd call it a dinner destination, but it's awesome for lunch
How would this review be described?
OPTIONS:
- negative
- positive
++++++++++
A: positive

Problem: ***Some of the dishes I had at Salt of the Earth were a little underwhelming, but there were still good things on the plate and the ribeye and salmon (with the skin on) looked very good*** Salt of the Earth is a popular and relatively new restaurant in Pittsburgh. Salt of the Earth is in a great space. There are two floors of dining areas and this combined with the high ceiling really opens up the dining room. The downstairs dining area is very simple and comfortable, but it is also sleek and modern with a good use of blonde colored wood. There is a great chalkboard on one wall, which lists up the menu (the menu seems to be very spontaneous with frequent changes). I really like the upstairs dining area because you get a great view of the downstairs dining area as well as the kitchen as they both cook and plate. The menu features a lot of good ingredients with several interesting flavor combinations. I started with the octopus, which was served with white bean puree, chorizo, crisp radishes, crunchy almonds, a cilantro pesto, and oranges. The octopus was very nicely done. It was incredibly soft and had a very interesting texture. The octopus almost shredded like crab or braised meat. I did not like the chef's choice for the other ingredients on the plate though. Everything was fine, but I was just not sure if all the flavors went together that well. The white bean puree was also a little cold. Next came pork loin with a poached egg, farro and chorizo risotto, green tomato jam, pickled okra, and mustard seeds. Like the octopus, the cooking of the pork was very good. The pork was very tender and had a good amount of juiciness. Once again, I was not a huge fan of all of the garnishes, which kept this dish from from being exceptional. I also did not like the color of the dish. Still, the plate definitely showed the talent in the kitchen. I did happen to see their ribeye special and salmon special and both dishes looked excellent. The skin on the salmon looked crispy and flavorful while the ribeye had a great thickness and color. The garnishes there also looked more traditional so those two dishes might have been better representations of what the Salt of the Earth kitchen can put out. For dessert, I had zucchini bread, which came with crunchy sunflower seed brittle, rhubarb sauce, brown butter powder, and fennel ice cream. The zucchini bread was good--nothing exceptional but good. The brown butter powder was interesting and I really liked the fennel ice cream--good, unique flavor and very creamy. It was not my favorite dessert, but like a lot of the dishes at Salt of the Earth, it really shows the potential of this restaurant. Service was great--very personable and attentive. The food came out at a quick pace. Prices were very reasonable given the high quality ingredients used and the generous portions. Salt of the Earth shows real potential. There were definitely elements in each course that I really liked and I think if you order right here, you could probably have a very good meal. There is definitely good sourcing of quality ingredients, a seasonal approach, talent in the kitchen, and a contemporary approach to the menu. All of these pluses make Salt of the Earth one to consider for an upscale but still casual dinner in Pittsburgh (while I did not love Salt of the Earth, I would definitely give them another shot if I lived in Pittsburgh). You can find metered parking on the street.
How would this review be described?
OPTIONS:
- negative
- positive
++++++++++
A: positive

Problem: We tried the Porky, Caprese, Ya Ya, and Pep Pep with sweet potato fries. Location was awesome. They have a drive thru. Wait was a little long (20 min for 1st order, 10 min for 2nd) but thats cuz they hand press the patties as you order and they were packed. They have a smaller lobby so seating was limited. Food is good, bread could be better but all in all its a good place to eat.
How would this review be described?
OPTIONS:
- negative
- positive
++++++++++
A: positive

Problem: Wow.....Soba was recommended to me by a, lets say a hefty eater. Usually you would think, " well they know what there talking about". Boom, not so. This has to be one be one of the worst places for asian. Everything taste the same, and there veggies in the dishes come from a frozen bag in the freezer isle of IGA. Come on !!!!! I had hopes, gone..... Sushi, well, so so. Not impressed... Wait, almost forgot the delivery, like a slow COOKER. Order early and wait patiently. MoeFactor 4 on 10
How would this review be described?
OPTIONS:
- negative
- positive
++++++++++
A:
negative