Brookline neighborhood's business district is just right for a food walk
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After work on the first Friday in March -- the first Friday night in forever that it wasn't snowing -- my cabin-feverish wife and toddler and I ventured out. We didn't care where we went. We just had to go out.
I wound up, on a restaurant tip from a reader, in Brookline. Just south of Downtown, it calls itself the second-biggest city neighborhood, but it's off the beaten track -- a pizza slice wedged between West Liberty Avenue and Saw Mill Run Boulevard/Route 51 -- and lots of Pittsburghers never have spent any time inside. It was so relatively nice out that I decided to park near one end of the uncommonly wide Brookline Boulevard business district and walk the six long blocks to the other end.
We started at Pitaland. the landmark Middle Eastern store, where we grabbed a few treats, including quince preserves and whole-wheat pita just baked in the store's Lebanese oven. My son couldn't wait, so I gave him a fluffy disc of bread to munch on as we headed up the boulevard.
Next stop: Las Palmas Carniceria, the Mexican butcher shop that had opened in late December. I'd been wanting to check it out, and loved how bright and well-stocked it was, not only with unusual cuts of meats but also exotic produce and groceries. The guy behind the meat counter told us that they sell hot tamales and carnitas (roast pork) on weekends. We said to the friendly family members hanging out, "We'll be back."
We passed the cutest Italian place, which I didn't know -- Mateo's Cucina Italiana. A sign on the door said it was closed for a private party. Through the big window, we saw tables pushed together to make a long one down the center of the room.
We were headed to Tong Garden, the old-school Chinese restaurant at the district's far end, at the cannon war memorial. I'd seen it for years and never went in, but a reader had e-mailed me to tell me it's an overlooked gem.
Only one other diner was there, and soon we were the only table. We hardly ever eat Chinese, but we enjoyed the three dishes we shared -- including Double Cooked Hot Pork -- and loved the vegetable egg rolls -- fat ones packed with crunchy cabbage and other veggies, and lip-smacking good with the nose-tickling hot mustard. Soon my son was playing with the manager's son's cars on the floor and cried when we had to leave.
On the way back, we passed several interesting places, including the new Cannon Coffee and Mateo's, where the happy crowd around the table, like a movie scene, had fogged up the windows -- and it struck me:
Brookline is a fantastic food walk.
We have gone back, and done several walks on this homey stretch, always coming away with some goodies.
Some nice night, or afternoon, you and your family or friends might want to try it.
Saturday, in fact, could be a nice day to check it out, as Cannon Coffee and other businesses are hosting their second gallery crawl and day of art from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (with an artists' reception starting at 6 p.m.).
First Published April 22, 2010 12:00 am
