The Beer Snob Visits Mike & Tony's Gyros

I really can't even begin to count how many times I've walked down Carson Street and not even noticed Mike & Tony's Gyros. I think that's in part because the place doesn't exactly jump out from any other building that's down there.

According to the establishment's website, it features the best gyros in town. You get your first sense of truth for that statement as soon as you walk in the front door. I'm not exactly a connoisseur of gyros and other aspects of Greek cuisine by any means, but I know what sets apart the legitimate gyro places from the impostors. 

If the lamb meat for the gyros isn't on a rotating spit, then it probably isn't worth your time or money. The spits at Mike & Tony's are to the right of the door as soon as you walk in. The smell is heavenly and inviting.

The place isn't exactly huge, but it's pretty cozy. Signed jerseys from former Pittsburgh athletes such as Chris Kemoeatu and Max Talbot adorn the walls to let you know that word of the gyro's has been received by the masses.

The menu boards remind you of your local pizzeria, as they are old and beat up. Some call it dirty. I call it nostalgic as hell. Once you place your order you have a few minutes to wait. Your food is thankfully made as you order. It isn't made earlier and placed under a heat lamp. Take this time to stake out your table.

After a few minutes, nirvana awaits you. That's if you ordered the most important thing on the menu. That initial smell that greeted you when you walked in is now right under your nose, waiting to be consumed.

Inside of the loaded pita is a hefty helping of lamb meat shaved from the rotating spit. The meat is drenched in tzatziki sauce. lettuce and tomato top off this amazing creation.

Be prepared to clean about a third of this gyro off of your face as it is somewhat messy. You will be wishing you had a fork to assist you in this endeavor. 

Mike and Tony's isn't the prettiest place, but when you take a look at some of the premier eateries in the country not many are. If you're getting one of those cravings for something good after a few brews on the South Side make sure you don't walk past this place like I have in the past.

Recommended Beer Pairing: Marzen and Scottish Ale both go best with lamb meat.

The Beer Snob Visits Fat Head's Saloon

Other than The Library for the draft and wing specials, the other joint I've frequented the most on Carson Street is Fat Head's Saloon. This place has one of the more numerous and one of the most diverse beer selections (42 brews on-tap at a time) of any bar or pub in the South Side.

When you step up to the bar, you have to make your selection from one of the more creative tap lists in the Pittsburgh area. It's pretty unique and informative. Not only is each beer named on the board, it's style, alcohol-by-volume and its native state are right alongside it to clear up any questions you might have. Each time I've came into Fat Head's, I've also found the beer lists easily accessible. There are many at the bar and appear to be on each table. This comes in handy for people that want to know exactly what they're drinking.

The atmosphere is pretty relaxing. The outside is brick as well as the inside and this gives Fat Head's plenty of character. The brick walls inside have assorted artworks strewn about and make it seem that you're hanging out in a street alley.

If you decide to hang out in the bar area you can see the 42 beers on tap. The wall behind the tap handles appears to be stainless steel. As for the actual bar, its grey color compliments the metal behind the taps and blends the entire area together. One of the more relaxing and aesthetically-pleasing pubs I've come across.

Don't forget that Fat Head's also has a cask system, in which it usually features one beer at a time. From time to time there are assorted wines on the hand pumps as well. The beer selection is fantastic. I've never visited and not found something I didn't want to try. If you're curious as for what to look for, Fat Heads always has brewed some of their own beers and usually features some on tap.

Head Hunter IPA (7.4 percent ABV) and Caveman Keller Bier (5.7 percent ABV) were the only two tapped for this visit. Both were very good brews. I can honestly say that from all of the house brews I've tried, I haven't been disappointed a single time. Keep an eye out for what's on tap.

Fat Head's is arguably more famous for its food. The most notable thing on the menu is the South Side Slopes sandwich which features kielbasa, fried pierogies, onions and horseradish sauce. I didn't get a chance to try it during this trip, but its definitely something on my bucket list. I'm sure it's a lot better than the disappointing pulled pork and fried pierogie sandwich at PNC Park was.

Since Beer Snob Sr. made the trip too, we decided that we couldn't go wrong with the usual delicacy of a bar hopper: chicken wings. My aforementioned friend went with the homemade Fat Head's sauce, which is a regular hot sauce, but with some sweet undertones.

I chose an odd flavor for wing sauce: jalapeno cheddar. It just jumped out at me. I couldn't refuse it. It was one of the oddest, but most intriguing experiences I've had with a chicken wing. The jalapenos added a hot flavor that was pretty damn near perfect. It's not too often that you come across a texture in a wing sauce like this was.

As I said earlier, this place is one of my favorites on the South Side. Always a great brew selection, great and aesthetic atmosphere and some awesome grub. I was able to try four new beers while on this visit. I've mentioned two of them. I plan on reviewing those and the two others in good time.

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The Beer Snob Visits the Cambod-Ican Kitchen

Mine and Beer Snob Sr.'s adventure last Friday night didn't conclude after we left Piper's Pub. Even after all of that dark beer from across the pond and an order of sausage rolls we were still hungry. He knew of some place on the South Side that served chicken on a stick.

The bartender at Piper's overheard our discussion and said to go to the Cambod-Ican Kitchen just down Carson Street. Our hunger needs were definitely satisfied. Beer Snob Sr. posted an interesting description of these events on a social media account of his that went like this:

Oh yes. He enjoyed it.

"There were legs all over the South Side Friday night, but my interest was kept by the breasts. The grilled chicken variety that is, covered in moon sauce and paired with seafood wontons at the Cambo-Ican Kitchen. After a good night of drinking the dark beer (you know the one I mean) with Beer Snob Jr. at Piper's, we found this place down the street. It looked like a live version of Craig's List inside as they were looking to fireplace mantels and looking to buy your used iPhones and iPods. Despite this secondary effort to make an extra buck, the focus was on the food. If it's 1 a.m. and you still haven't found someone to go home with don't go to Jack's. Go here and go home with a full belly and a smile."

I couldn't have crafted this experience into words any more perfectly. I can confirm that there were signs asking for used iPhones and iPods. I felt like I was in Apocalypse Now for a few minutes, but that might have been due to the Guinness I consumed just minutes before.

We initially just wanted the chicken breast with the moon sauce, but the guy at the register insisted that we pay a few more bucks to get it with more moon sauce and with seafood wontons. We agreed to the addition of wonton and moon sauce.

Remember the old SNL skit called "Food, Sex or the Car?"

What we got in return was rocked worlds. If you're the type of person that likes grilled meat with that perfect amount of charring, this is the place to go. The chicken was grilled perfectly for my taste, the seafood wontons were a delicious adventure and the moon sauce was heavenly. It tasted like a perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness. My guess is that it's soy-based.

If you're ever around this place. Stop in and get the moon sauce. It tastes like it can go on pretty much any oriental cuisine out there.

The Beer Snob Visits Piper's Pub

Since I turned 21-years-old two years ago I don't think I've ever heard of a single watering hole that held as much prestige, at least according to fellow beer snobs, as much as Piper's Pub in Pittsburgh's South Side. From all of the speculation that I've heard, the thought of Piper's seemed to help it stick out in my mind from all of the other bars along Carson Street. I can finally say that I have been to and had a few great beers from this fabulous place.

The infamous Sausage Rolls.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I sat at home and drooled at what I saw on Piper's online menu. In the appetizer section I think everyone eyes up both the Scotch Eggs and the Ploughman's Platter. If you don't know what Scotch Eggs are, they're hard-boiled eggs that are wrapped in sausage and deep-fried. I'm sure most of you have heard of some form of a Ploughman, which includes meats, cheeses and breads on a platter. A friend of mine who refers to himself as Beer Snob Sr. joined me on this adventure and decided that we should have the sausage rolls, which were excellent with a nice tad of mustard.

Beer Snob Sr. enjoys his Guinness and Sausage Rolls.

The rest of the menu features many meals straight from England. Some items that stuck out to me were Bangers and Mash (sausage and potatoes), assorted Shepherd's Pies (lamb, beef and chicken) and corned beef and cabbage.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings Piper's has one of the most interesting breakfast/brunch specials I've ever come across. There are many types boxties to choose from (large potato pancakes), your traditional Irish and English breakfasts and Belgian French toast with batter made from Lindeman's famous Framboise. Unfortunately breakfast at this place is going to require another trip and another post.

There are also many brews from across the pond as well that include Guinness Draught, Murphy's Irish Stout and Bellhaven Scottish Ale. Piper's also features an extensive list of Pennsylvania breweries such as Weyerbacher and Troegs.

I ended up having a Black Chocolate Stout by Brooklyn Brewery, a Black Velvet (half Guinness and half Strongbow Cider) and a full Guinness. You'll have to wait until later in the week to read my thoughts on the chocolate stout, but I'll certainly let you in on my thoughts for the other two right now.

The lovely-looking Black Velvet.

The Black Velvet was sweet and heavenly. Surprisingly the cider overwhelmed the taste of the Guinness. As for the straight glass of Guinness, I was shocked that I enjoyed it. The only time I've ever had a Guinness before was out of a bottle. It tasted like burnt coffee and thus I didn't enjoy it, but I've always been able to enjoy gravies and stews made with the beer. Off of draft it tasted so much smoother and creamier. Yet another beer applies to my Yuengling bottle/draft theory (the same beer tastes different depending on the serving type).

Overall, Piper's Pub might be the best place I've checked out since I've started sharing my beer and food adventures on this blog. I was very impressed. The bar is a tidy and quaint place. It has a wide selection of local foods and both English and Irish foods. The same goes for the beer selection. It's the perfect place if you're willing to be adventurous when it comes to putting exotic beer on your taste buds. Oh, and since the place is so upscale the typical South Side douche bag  looking for chicks won't stumble in. Piper's is too upper echelon. It's a great place to relax and try some good beer.

The Library: Not Just for Reading

I've walked past The Library on the infamous South Side many times without noticing it or thinking about what it had to offer. I tend to make a bad habit out of doing that, but in cases such as this it seems to work out. Now, I have yet another wonderful place to go and enjoy an amazing craft brew.