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Adventures in Uptown Sharpsburg
Out of sheer coincidence I found myself twice dining in uptown Sharpsburg last week. This is a notably rare occurrence, considering how much time I spend out and about in downtown Sharpsburg at such fine establishments as The Parlour, Café on Main, and the Guyasuta Lounge. But the appeal of Sharpsburg is not confined to those streets below fourteenth. The Crow's Nest and Jimmy G's offer ample motivation to venture further up Main street.
For those Pittsburgh city dwellers who may not be familiar with Sharpsburg, allow me to offer a few words of introduction. Sharpsburg a small borough just over the Pittsburgh city limits. You'll find it immediately across the Allegheny River from Lawrenceville and Morningside. Think part small town, part city neighborhood.
First off was an early dinner with my mother—known to many as Saundra—at Jimmy G's, a restaurant, bar and banquet facility on Main near 18th Street. The colonnaded dining room with its wall-sized, dark wood wine cubbies and viticultural upholstery provides a dose of wine cellar ambiance. Accordingly, Jimmy G's offers a number of wines by the bottle and the glass. But far be it for me to ante-up the cash or stick Saundra with the bill for any of those. Instead, I flipped to the house wines and found they had a cabernet. Decision made. On the downside, I found the house wines—at 6$ a glass—a trifle expensive for... well, house wines. On the upside, my cabernet was a generous pour—served, to boot, in a roomy Jimmy G's signature wine glass.
The menu at Jimmy G's is a diverse one, including Mediterranean and traditional American restaurant fare. Perhaps the best way to characterize the culinary offerings at Jimmy G's is to say that it's a great place to take your grandma; she'll find enough choices to suit her meat and potatoes tastes, and you won't have to forego a creative culinary experience. Jimmy G's offers seasonal items and nightly specials that aim to satisfy the fusion cuisine market. Saundra opted for an old favorite, shrimp scampi with a side of broccoli for low-ish carb supper. After considering the sesame-encrusted, seared Ahi tuna, I ultimately decided on the salmon filet in a pomegranate shiraz glaze, with a not so low-carb side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Our dinners came with salads, but I really ought to have asked for the soup. Like ninety percent of the restaurants I have ever been to, the salad had too much iceberg-ish lettuce. The salmon, though, was excellently done, tender and flaky, the sauce mildly tart and sweet. Saundra also enjoyed her scampi, and I will have to take her word for it because I can't stand shrimp.
The following evening I found myself, somewhat unexpectedly, at the Crow's Nest for drinks with my friend Davin. The Crow's Nest is a restaurant and bar built on a marina at the bank of the Allegheny River. I had only been to the Crow's Nest once before and had been disappointed in the lack of rareness in my tuna steak. However, since the present owners are the folks from Silky's bar in Squirrel Hill, a former semi-regular hang-out of mine, I was anxious to give them a second chance.
Halfway through our second round of drinks, we decided to order dinner. First, we split an order of provolone sticks. The breading was golden and crunchy; the cheese was warm and gooey and it was all served with a hearty marinara sauce. A wise decision, but unsurprising. Silky's knows bar food. For dinner, I got a crab cake sandwich with a side of potato salad. Both very tasty; the crab cake did not disappoint with generous pieces of sweet lump crab meat on an extraordinarily fluffy and possibly cumbersome bread roll. I wouldn't know. I ate the crab cake with my fork. Davin had the Philly cheese steak wrap and deemed it good wholesome bar food. From Silky's, would we expect less? The only disappointment of the evening was the rather dry and fibrous slices of lime served up with our tequila shots.
After the success of my recent uptown Sharpsburg evenings, who knows what's next... Etna, Millville, Blawnox... only time will tell.
 Gateway to Sharpsburg |
First off was an early dinner with my mother—known to many as Saundra—at Jimmy G's, a restaurant, bar and banquet facility on Main near 18th Street. The colonnaded dining room with its wall-sized, dark wood wine cubbies and viticultural upholstery provides a dose of wine cellar ambiance. Accordingly, Jimmy G's offers a number of wines by the bottle and the glass. But far be it for me to ante-up the cash or stick Saundra with the bill for any of those. Instead, I flipped to the house wines and found they had a cabernet. Decision made. On the downside, I found the house wines—at 6$ a glass—a trifle expensive for... well, house wines. On the upside, my cabernet was a generous pour—served, to boot, in a roomy Jimmy G's signature wine glass.
 Jimmy G's Signature |
The following evening I found myself, somewhat unexpectedly, at the Crow's Nest for drinks with my friend Davin. The Crow's Nest is a restaurant and bar built on a marina at the bank of the Allegheny River. I had only been to the Crow's Nest once before and had been disappointed in the lack of rareness in my tuna steak. However, since the present owners are the folks from Silky's bar in Squirrel Hill, a former semi-regular hang-out of mine, I was anxious to give them a second chance.
 A Tequila Shot |
After the success of my recent uptown Sharpsburg evenings, who knows what's next... Etna, Millville, Blawnox... only time will tell.
2007-04-25 00:20:21 GMT
Comments (2 total)
Author:sabrina_is_lekkers
My one excursion to Jimmy G's was to see a series of punk and metal bands duke it out in a "battle of the bands," and so I can only say that, as I recall, they have beer there. My one visit to The Crow's Nest, which was based, last summer, on the desire to eat outside and the ressurance that Silky's is pretty good, was unpleasant. Nothing to do with the food: it is, as you note, good, tasty bar food. The problem was the Allegheny River. Though picturesque, it, well ... it sort of stank. Like fish and chemicals, a little. And there were LOTS of mosquitoes, and boy, do mosquitoes love me. I am TASTY. I am LEKKERS. Now, perhaps a visit in the spring, as opposed to the heat of summer, would fix these problems; or, perhaps, a seat inside by the window would combine view and bar food in a way that omitted mosquitoes and the piquant odor of our fair city's industrial legacy.
As it happens, I've never actually eaten at Silky's in Squirrel Hill, but I am constantly fascinated and intrigued by their daily menu sign board, which seems to always include far classier and interesting-sounding fare than I would expect from a bar.
We should eat there sometime.
2007-04-25 20:00:20 GMT
As it happens, I've never actually eaten at Silky's in Squirrel Hill, but I am constantly fascinated and intrigued by their daily menu sign board, which seems to always include far classier and interesting-sounding fare than I would expect from a bar.
We should eat there sometime.
Author:Sarah
This most recent visit to the Crow's Nest was on a more or less rainy night, so the porch was not open. However, the view from the bar looks like it would be quite gorgeous in nice weather, what with the floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. I would recommend sitting inside at the bar and looking outside at the river.
It would be fun to go back to Silky's in Squirrel Hill sometime. As I recall, the atmosphere is pretty dive-y, but the food and drinks are good. Though, I can't say I've ever had a meal there classier than potato skins and a Long Island iced tea.
2007-04-25 20:41:53 GMT
It would be fun to go back to Silky's in Squirrel Hill sometime. As I recall, the atmosphere is pretty dive-y, but the food and drinks are good. Though, I can't say I've ever had a meal there classier than potato skins and a Long Island iced tea.
