FOOD VIGILANTE

Ah, Bloomfield in spring!

I can never say enough about the fantastic dining possibilities in Pittsburgh. As if it wasn’t enough that we have the Steelers, Penguins and even the lovable Buccos, we also have the three rivers, CMU, UPMC, all the culture anyone could want for a lifetime, AND a slew of the greatest restaurants a palate has ever sought!

I have written about this particular restaurant before, it’s one of my favorites. Pho Minh. Located on Penn Avenue in Bloomfield, it not so secret hot spot for townies in the know. The staple of the Vietnamese menu is Pho, a Vietnamese style soup. The soup is served in oversized bowls and one bowl is plenty for two people. The broth is always just perfect, full of flavor yet not too salty. There are a variety of hard to pronounce variations on the recipe. The springrolls are arguably some of the best in the city.

The Duchess and I found ourselves recently feeling hungry and frugal. We had had a long day of philanthropy, jousting and visiting local orphanages and we were just starved. She suggested roasting one of the hens that we raise in the back courtyard, but I was just too tired to chase one down so I mentioned a quick jaunt over to Pho Minh. The Duchess grinned excitedly over the prospect of gritty, authentic, ethnic dining and immediately put down the grant proposal she’d been working on for a Disadvantaged Libyan Immigrant (DLI) program she’s involved with and went to start the Toyota. We were so hungry and lucky for us the Toyota thrust us directly to Pho Minh without us even touching the gas pedal! Recall Schmee-call! (OK, this pot was boring me, I had to spice it up. Love it!)

We stuffed ourselves for only round 18$. Here’s what we had…

This soup is Pho good!

Spring Rolls have Sprung!

I'd tell you what this is but I can't pronounce it. Pasta, shrimp, pork, Vietnamese Magic!

Our tea leaves say we'll be back.

So there you have it. Don’t go to Eat n’ Park or Denny’s or any other family chain and certainly not to a fast food joint. You’ll just be wasting your money on processed food barely fit for a dog. Stuff twenty dollars in your pocket and run to the nearest privately owned ethnic chow hall and have some authentic, ridiculously nutritious grub that may be made out of dog! Holy crap, calm down, it was just a tasteless joke. What isn’t tasteless is the wonderful Pho at Food Minh, er, food at Pho Minh.

Go.

FV

Hey, humor me and leave some comments about YOUR favorite dining spot, or any other favorite thing about Pittsburgh. Thanks.