Weekend in Pittsburgh-draft

The beginning of summer has been a complete and total whirlwind. Can you believe it’s already July? Once upon a time I was excited for what the season held in the way of birthdays, beaches and barbecues. As temperatures rise, I find I’m no longer a fan of heat and look forward to brief trips to reset my focus and well-being.
Last weekend was a 48-hour getaway to Pittsburgh in order to spend time with family and enjoy local food.  

A few pieces of art from The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The gallery holds an extensive permanent collection of Warhol’s art and the archives are every artist dream. I completely enjoyed perusing the library [from a distance] that contained newspapers, magazines, catalogs from shows and the artwork from others.

There’s nothing like a popping into to the Oakmont Bakery for a loaves of “cranberry raisin bread,” and “chocolate cherry bread,” chocolate coconut cookies or a coffee cake for breakfast. It’s the perfect place to get ideas for parties, tea’s or for those private moments when you want a treat.

Lunch was on the Strip at Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grille for the most marvelous seafood and their Standard Bloody Mary. This drink was comprised of Skyy Vodka, a large Old Bay steamed shrimp, a thick slice of brown sugar candied thick bacon and are you ready for the pièce de resistance …… a softshell crab next to the pickle, olives and celery. It was a complete meal.

The Strip District is a vibrant mix of old-style grocers and gourmet food shops, street stands, classic Italian style eateries and Asian cuisine. This half mile area is between the Allegheny River and the hill of a mountain, creating a narrow strip of land for shopping and dining.

Travel stylishly,
Kathleen

Mama Chang

A few weeks ago, my brother recommended reviewing an upscale but casual Chinese restaurant. Mama Chang’s that recently opened in the DC metropolitan area off of Fairfax Circle.

My friend Quy and I welcomed the challenge of evaluating this establishment so, we popped in to partake in the culinary experience dealing in the Hunan, Szechuan, and Hubei style of cooking.  

Seated in a wood lined booth near the windows created a bit of privacy, while we shared several dishes starting with steamed shrimp dumplings and crispy duck spring rolls. Next, was the beef chow fun with wide flat rice noodles and thinly sliced sirloin, lots of onions and garlic. Our main meal was the seafood & tofu in a clay pot [hot pot] that had fish, scallops, shrimp and wood-ear mushrooms to be served over a bowl of white rice. All the dishes were phenomenal in flavor and taste.

On the weekends they do a dim sum brunch that we hope to try very soon!!!

Mama Chang
3251 Blenheim Blvd ste101
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-268-5556

Stay stylish,
Kathleen