Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 40

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Friday, August 14, 1987 DINING OUT Vegetarian foods sprout from kosher restaurant menu 16 By Mike Kalina Post-Gazette Dining Critic here was a time when I was a bit cynical about vegetarians, but not I nearly as much as New York journal- LJ ist Harriet Van Home. She once wrote that "vegetarianism isn't simply a distaste for animal products. It's a way of life: faddish, cranky and holier-than-thou." Through the years, my opinion has mellowed considerably. I now count several vegetarians as friends. The way our relationship works is as follows: I don't try to talk them into joining me in my life of meat and sin; they don't try to seduce me into the bean-sprout camp.

Although I've not yet invited them to a dinner party at my home, I occasionally take them to restaurants offering vegetarian fare as a complement to its regular menu but they're not exactly in profusion here. Recently, my meatless friends' normally pale cheeks turned the color of blush zinfan-del as they discovered a new vegetarian restaurant had opened in Pittsburgh. Not an authentic vegetarian restaurant, mind you, but the closest thing to the real thing as we have in town. To be specific, the Dairy Planet, corner of Seventh Avenue and Smithfield Street, is a kosher restaurant with a meatless bill of fare. You might expect such an establishment to put out some pretty bland stuff, but, surprisingly, the food is pretty good.

There are some problems here and there, but they're minor, considering the place is just a month or so old. The Dairy Planet has a diverse menu from potato pancakes (good) to trout almon-dine (also good). Other dishes include an admirable rendition of eggplant parmigiana featuring a tangy, pert tomato sauce crowning a perfectly cooked eggplant "filet," which was not a bit acidic. There's also baked bluefish broiled halibut baked (or cold) gefilte fish broiled salmon steak blintzes kasha varnishkes and nine different kinds of omelets. Pasta-lovers have not been forgotten at the Dairy Planet.

It turns out a commendable vegetarian lasagna baked ziti pasta primavera and a sort of ersatz fettuccine Alfredo Other dishes include broccoli-and-cheese souffle vegetable goulash tuna casserole vegetable chili ($5.50) and an assortment of salads from fruit to spinach. No doubt about it, the Dairy Planet, which has a sister establishment in Manhattan, is off to an impressive start. A la carte Until recently, Pittsburgh had no Thai restaurant, either, but Mai Thai, 328 Atwood Oakland, has changed that. In fact, it's become one of the hottest spots in town (pun intended), which proves to me Pittsburghers have more adventurous palates than cynics maintain. Numerous taste tests have showed me that not only is the food delicious at Mai Thai and reasonably priced (entrees start at a modest $5.50 and go no higher than but remarkably consistent.

Oh, yes, you vegetarians out there will be pleased to learn that Mai Thai has a vegetarian selection. Among such dishes are coconut milk with vegetables in a red-curry pasta crispy rice noodles topped with stir-fried veggies stir-fried mixed vegetables stir-fried bean sprouts with tofu and hot-and-sour straw mushroom soup Best bet of the week is the Cape Cod Festival every Friday night in the Orchard Cafe of the Vista International Hotel. For 1 5.95 you can treat yourself to a hot or cold seafood buffet, which varies from week to week. Last Friday, when I partook of its joys, the all-you-can-eat cold appetizers included bay shrimp salad with brandy sauce; squid salad with cucumbers and fresh herbs; and oysters, clams and crab claws with tomato-horseradish sauce. Hot appetizers included fried sea scallops, steamed mussels, and linguine with clam sauce, the only thing I didn't like (pasta just doesn't work on a steam table).

Entrees included an exquisite blackened catfish fillet; poached red snapper with a delicate paprika and cream sauce; baked black sea bass; pan-fried trout with a lemon-butter sauce; and broiled New England scrod graced with lemon-parsley butter. For 1 9.95, you could treat yourself to the hot or cold appetizers and a choice of either surf and turf actually filet mignon and a plump lobster tail; a broiled whole Maine lobster, or pan-fried jumbo shrimp. Entrees come with choice of potato and dessert (if they have it, don't miss the raspberry cheesecake best cheesecake I've had in Pittsburgh in years). NIGHT LIFE GUIDE BOWMAN SOCIAL CLUB Bowman Avenue, McKeesport. 664-9567.

Howard Vokes and His Country Boys. BRENDAN'S 5505 Walnut St. 683-5656. John Puckett. 10.

CAHOOTS In the Pittsburgh Green Tree Marriott. 922-8400. Pentagon. 9:30. CENTURY LOUNGE 3675 Washington McMurray.

941-6570. S.J. Connection. 9. Jam Session.

9. BACK STAGE LOUNGE Market Square Theater, Downtown. 281-4349. 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. The Brazilian Connection.

BALCONY 5520 Walnut St. (in the Theater). 687-01 10. Janelle Burdelle Quartet. Brandy and Company.

Shows at 9. BLARNEY STONE 30 Grant Etna. 781-1666. Cotton Club Revisited with Al Dowe Quartet and Etta Cox. 9.

AL'S CAFE 445 McMurray Road, Bethel "Park. 833-4099. Haywire. G-Force. Shows at 10.

AMAZING GRACE Station Square. 765-2795. Jerry Betters. 9. H.B.

Bennett, Debbie Asbury and Max Leake. ANTHONY'S SOUTHSIDI 1306 E. Carson St. 431-8960. Nick Dialoisa and Right.

Dave Harger Group. 9:30. AURORA CLUB Fifth Avenue and Pride Street, Hill District. Leroy K. Woflbrd 0r Horn ol the Wmta Birn Theaief COLONIAL MANOR RESTAURANT LOUNGE COUNTRY CLUB ATMOSPHERE WITH FAMILY PRICES-CHILDREN WELCOME DANCING DINING BANQUET FACILITIES FOR UP TO 300 IN PRIVATE ROOM "ONLY RESTAURANT IN PGH.

AREA WITH AUTHENTIC HUNGARIAN ETHNIC FOODS AS WELL AS A LARGE VARIETY OF AMERICAN FAVORITES" iff THE SHOPS AT STATION SQUARE I 131 Colonial Manor Road MARGARET MORRISON HALL Carnegie Mellon University Campus. Thick Slimy Whisper, Sink Manhattan, Wintermute and Za Dharsh. 7. MYRON'S LOUNGE Airport Ramada Inn. 264-8950.

Aziz. 9. NAME OF THE GAME 4709 Centre Oakland. 682-8772. Richard Holmes.

Shows at 9. NICKELODEON LOUNGE Beaver Street, Sewickley. 741-1 133. John LoBello, solo guitar-singer, 9 to 1 0. Brian Song.

9. OLDIES 1 100 Washington Scott. 276-OLDI. Super Sport. 10.

PAPILLON 1910 Cochran Road, Scott. 343-1000. Modern Times. 9. PENN CAFE 4104 Penn Bloomficld.

621-9449. John Benedict (upstairs); Mary and Laura (downstairs). Cordell Dudley Band. Shows at 9. Blues Jam with Stackhouse.

8. PETER'S PLACE Washington Pike, Bridgeville. 221-5000. Adventure. 10.

PHYLLIS' NEW DOWNBEAT 204 Miller Rankin. Floyd King Trio. 6:30. PIER TEN 1 0 Washington Oakmont. 828-431 1.

Betty Holiday. 9:30. PIZZAZZ SALOON Route 19 South. McMurray. 941-7802.

8lh Street Rox. 10:30. THE POUR HOUSE 2 1 5 E. Main Carnegie. 279-0770.

John Benedict. 9. PRINCE VALIANT North Hills. 364-9907. Happenstance.

10. REDWOOD MOTOR INN Banksville Road at Potomac Avenue. 343-3000. Nile Line featuring Natalie. 8:30.

ROMA ITALIAN RESTAURANT Route 19, Cranberry. 776-6455. Jeannie Allen. 8. ROYAL TOO 2660 Library Road, South Hills.

882-8000. Design. 10. ROYCE HOTEL Thorn Run Road, Coraopolis. Chuck Corby and Quiet Storm.

7. SAN MARCO RESTAURANT 965 Liberty Ave. 765-2670. Piano bar sing-along with Mary Anne Ivan. SOMEPLACE ILSI Route SI, Baldwin.

884-8660. G-Force. 10. THIRSTY! Center Avenue, Oakland. 687-01 14.

Gary Vincent. John Puckett. Show at 9:30. TONY'S PLACI 7600 Hamilton Homewood. 241-9567.

Floyd King Trio with Gary Walker. 4-8. PROVIDERS FROM HUNGARY 200 Yds. Off Rt. 30, North Huntingdon, PA fOnly 40 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh) CHATS In the Pittsburgh Green Tree Marriott.

922-8400. Pianist Dave Crisci. 9 p.m.-l a.m. CHUKKER'S at Arthur's, 209 Fourth Downtown. 566-1836.

Flo Cassinelli Quartet. Fri. at Sat. at 9. CLASSY'S Route 5 1 Whitehall.

885-9000. Lucarelli Brothers. 9:30. COSTANZO'S 240 Fourth Downtown. 232-0706.

Exceptions. 9:30. CUNIMONDO'S KEYBOARD 739 E. Railroad Verona. 828-8662.

Frank Cunimondo Trio with Ron Bartol. 9:30. DECADE 223 Atwood Oakland. 687-7655. Joe Grushecky.

Norm Nardini. 10,000 Maniacs. Shows at 10. ELECTRIC BANANA 3887 Bigelow Blvd. 682-8296.

Lawndale and Swingin Teens. Little Wretches. Shows at 10:30. FREDERICK'S 925 Broadhead Road, Moon. 262-35 1 5.

Astra. Cities. 10 p.m. FUNNY BONE SOUTH 3002 Saw Mill Run Blvd. 881-5222.

Bill Masters, Michael Graham and Steve Killmeyer. 8:30, II. GRAFFITI 4615 Baum Oakland. 682-4210. The Bluesbusters.

8. Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band. 10. HEMINGWAY'S 391 1 Forbes Oakland. 621-4100.

RH Factor. 9:30. HOLIDAY HOUSE 3755 William Penn Highway. 856-1500. Sweetwater Lounge Rick Maroni.

9:30. Ed Driscoll and Chris Cipa in Funny Bone East. 8:30, 11. HOLIDAY INN Meadowlands, Washington. 222-6200.

Joe Barry. 5:30. Jerry Melega Trio with Opie Bellas. 9:30. HYEHOLDE CABARET 190 Hyeholde Drive, Coraopolis.

264-31 16. Walt Harper and All That Jazz. 8. JOHNNY'S 4220 William Penn Highway, Monroeville. 372-9620.

John Papi and Fair Change. 9:30. KARL'S KORK ft KEG 6840 Kelly Homewood. 362-9083. Mr.

D. Tony Campbell. 7:30. LAMPLIGHTER Route 22, Delmont. 468-4545.

Night Line. 9:30. II GROTTO 2 North Shore Center. Tim Stevens. 9:30.

UVINO ROOM 1 778 N. Highland Road, Bethel Park. 835-9771 Ray Crummie and his Trio. 9. LOWER UVfl Charieroi.

49-4670. Kardaz. 9:30. FOOD 1 RESTAURANT RESTAURANT mm Sunday Brunch ni.95 Join us from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

FRI. SAT. SPECIAL SURF TURF $14.95 includes salad, soup, rice or vegetable Si dessert OUTSIDE DINING As seen on Evening Magazine PRIVATE PARTY ROOMS GREAT FOR LUNCHEONS. DINNERS. COCKTAILS REHEARSAL DINNERS.

212 BLVD. OF ALLIES AT MARKET RES.26M990 Children under 12 mm One Station Square, 261-1717.