Verde has style to spare, great cocktails
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The smoked chicken flautas with their crispy tortillas and crunchy cabbage salad at Verde Mexican Kitchen. -
The bar at Verde.
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Verde Mexican Kitchen and Cantina opened in Garfield in mid-November. But thanks to owner Jeff Catalina's active presence on Twitter, Facebook and the restaurant blog, by the time Verde opened its doors, the upscale restaurant was already a well-known member of the Pittsburgh dining scene.
Other restaurateurs should take note -- Mr. Catalina created an impressive amount of buzz with relatively little effort, and that buzz has undoubtedly played a role in Verde's constantly crowded dining room.
The restaurant has other assets besides its social media presence. It's strong on style, with colorful lights gleaming through the all-glass facade, which is tucked beneath the angular Glass Lofts. Inside, the sprawling dining room is anchored by a curved bar and a striking display of the restaurant's impressive tequila collection (170 bottles and counting), as well as vibrant murals created by local artist Gabe Felice.
- Hours: Dinner: Mondays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 5-11 p.m.; Sundays, 5-9 p.m.; Cantina: Mondays-Thursdays, 5-11 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays, 5-midnight; Sundays, 5-10 p.m.
- Summary: Tasty Mexican cooking in a colorful, comfortable space with a fantastic, tequila-focused drink program.
- Recommended dishes: Flautas, queso fundido with house-made chorizo, pozole verde, enchiladas de verduras, carne asada, tres leches bread pudding.
- Prices: Appetizers, $4-$10; entrees, $11-$23; sides, $3-$4; desserts, $8.
- Drink: This tequila-focused bar offers more than 170 tequilas and mezcals to sample and explore as single pours (starting at $6) or flights (starting at $7); the cocktail list includes classic and creative margaritas, as well as other well-crafted drinks, $7-$14; there's also a small list of bottled beers and a rotating draft list; the focused wine list offers four whites and four reds by the glass (starting at $7) and bottle (starting at $27) and one sparkling wine by the bottle only.
First Published February 23, 2012 12:00 am
