On June 9th of 2013, I called my boss to let him know I was not going to be able to make our quarterly meeting in downtown LA (where I was working at the time).
Gerrit had just received the call that we will never forget- he was about to make his MLB debut two days later in Pittsburgh. He would be pitching against, none other, than my brother, Brandon Crawford, and the SF Giants.
I booked a red-eye and landed in Pittsburgh. Once I saw Gerrit off to the the field, I immediately stopped for food at the first restaurant I could find. That restaurant was Meat and Potatoes.
I ordered their popular drink, “root to berry”, and a shrimp salad and fell in love with this gastropub whose ambience and friendly service felt like a modern-day speakeasy. It became a favorite from that day forward.
The central focal point of the restaurant is wrap-around, 30-seat bar, mindfully tended by Blake, one of the best bartenders in the business. Gerrit and I had many great meals and conversations with Blake during our time Pittsburgh. We even celebrated Gerrit’s last birthday at Meat and Potatoes, sharing the patio with 10 of our closest friends.
What To Order
Our Favorite Bites:
“Devils on horseback” – bacon wrapped dates with chorizo, manchego, and piquillo pepper
Bone marrow served with grilled bread, gremolata, picked red onions, and capers (I was able to get my non-adventurous eater, mom, to try this here for the first time and she loved it).
Salmon with black rice, Kim chi, cucumber, Chinese sausage, Korean hot sauce, ginger scallion relish, and topped with a fried egg (my personal favorite)
Duck breast with chimichurri, dill relish, and pastrami mustard
Pappardelle with bolognese sauce, short rib, pancetta, pork shoulder, and garlic bread (A favorite amongst many friends I have taken here)
Roasted chicken with fennel, roasted tomatoes, Yukon golds, pine nuts, olives, and saffron butter
Our Favorite Cocktails:
Sgt. Pepper’d Old Fashioned (bulleit bourbon, whiskey barrel bitters, lemon zest)
Mexican Honey Bee (espolon tequila, lemon, smoked local honey, orange bitters, lemon zest
Root to Berry (belvedere vodka, ginger, lime, strawberry-hibiscus syrup, seller, cucumber)
Spice Island Mule (sailor jerry spiced rum, ginger, lime, pimento dram, seltzer)
Meat and Potatoes also serves an incredible brunch on weekends (I’d reccomend making reservations in advance). Gerrit and I love making breakfast at home but when friends came into town and we wanted to mix it up, I’d take them here before walking across the Clemente bridge to PNC park to catch a game.
Meat and Potatoes has an extensive Bloody Mary bar with a large assortment of pickled vegetables, meat, cheese, seafood, olives, etc. They have a variety of house infused vodka including bacon, dill, jalapeño, cucumber, garlic, and so on.
Our Brunch Favorites:
Ricotta stuffed French toast (Decadent- usually got one for the table) with banana, ricotta, peanut butter, bacon, malted peanuts (I prefer without the peanuts)
Huevos rancheros (Tara’s favorite) smoked pork, spiced black beans, guajillo vinaigrette, pickled red onion, salsa verde, quest fresco, jalapeños, fried egg, cilantro
Mezcal cured salmon flatbread with avocado, chili, and cilantro
Brisket hash with poached eggs, horseradish hollandaise, Potatoes, cipollini onions, truffle oil, herbs
Omelette of the day (my usual go-to)
