Back home

So I am back home for the weekend, for a mere stint. I can't believe I"m done with Child Neurology, which I just finished this week. I know I like it, that's the truth. Do I know that I want to do it yet? I got a feeling that I wanted to do it. But I don't know how to characterize it. Is it because I'm working with kids? Is it purely because it involves neurology? Is it because the people at CHP are so damned good? That's what I've been talking to people about and grappling with. I have a feeling that I like the whole package, but certainty is a scary thought for me to grasp right now, especially considering how much my outlook changes each day.

. . .and now A trip to Peru

Can you tell I'm trying to catch up on all the restaurants I love?

Anyway . . on to

La Feria
5527 Walnut St. 2nd Floor
Shadyside
(412) 682-4501

Although I am a fan of making my own home-cooked food 80% of the time, I enjoy knowing the traditional food from lands abroad. Hence my persistent attraction to La Feria, a treasure of a restaurant seated above the popular Shadyside Pamela's diner, in my current home of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Upon first entering this place you're not sure if it's a 10,000 Villages or a restaurant, but make your way through the handcrafted Peruvian imports in the front area of La Feria. In the back, you will find your way to the 10-table dining area, sparsely decorated. Here, you will be presented with authentic Peruvian meals with a constantly changing menu. Try the empanadas: the beef empanadas are fantastic, as are the sweet potato chips served with a tangy mayonnaise sauce. And for the entree my biggest recommendation is the combo, which comes with your choice of two of the specials from a menu that changes daily, or even a few times during the day. It also includes a delicious salad with vinaigrette dressing and rice. Truly, you can't go wrong with whatever you pick. And there are usually two meat and one vegetarian dish to select from.

The food is simple, flavorful, and terrific. You will find yourself coming back again and again. I know I have!

Fresher than a Philadelphia prince

Fresca Superior Pizza
2005 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 557-0222

Over Christmas break I made some trips out to Philly to visit friends galore and to celebrate New Year's, and came upon this restaurant on a warm weekday afternoon after going to the Franklin Institute's Body Worlds exhibit.

Owned and operated by chef Scott McLeod, Fresca is a terrific little nook on Walnut Street, with a huge selection of delicious salads and pizzas to choose from, all made with inventive style and tons of flavor. The decor is modern and black, very swank. We ordered the Argentinian pizza, subsituting grilled chicken for the steak listed on the menu. The aroma of the pizza hit us as it was being brought to our table, and tasted absolutely wonderful, and was filled with flavor and a delicious, pastry-like crust. The pizzas scream gourmet in both style and price, and are well worth it. Baked square in large 20 x 20 pans, they hold their own as full meals. The day we were at the locale, service was shorthanded, and the handsome Chef McLeod was running back and forth, serving customers and preparing his creations; he did an admirable job and attended to us well. This is a place to which I plan to return.

Restaurant Reviews

I'm hoping to reinstate my presence on this blog from now on till eternity. With any luck this blog will soon come to document my experiences with new movies and new restaurants in addition to random tellings about my life. Stay tuned.