If you go down to Pittsburgh's South Side, turn off Carson onto 13th St., and turn again onto Bingham St., you will see City Theatre (also a good spot, but a topic for another post). Next door to City Theatre, you will see a quiet, unassuming restaurant called The Gypsy Cafe. Gypsy is owned by a former co-worker of mine, Melanie, and her husband. And if you are looking for a local place with good food and a great atmosphere, well, Gypsy is your place.
Gypsy advertises itself as "offering an eclectic selection of homestyle dishes" and "real food, real people, real entertainment, and real atmosphere." The menu is a selection of pan-European dishes, heavily influenced by the ethnic background of the owners and also a Mediterranean flavor. Sound off-putting to meat-and-potatoes American? Not hardly.
We first went to Gypsy several years ago because a) we had theater tickets and Gypsy was right next door, and b) to support my friend in her culinary career path. We have continued to go back multiple times over the years because yes, it's that good.
First, the atmosphere. I'm not sure what the space was used for before. I know Gypsy's website says it is a reclaimed church. There must have been something requiring glass cases at one point because next to the bar is a case that reminds me of a deli case, tastefully draped in a Mediterranean-style throw. The restaurant is not big; it holds maybe 30 tables that generally seat 2-4, although I have seen them pushed together to accommodate parties of 8-12 people. The decor is the colors of the Med, rich reds, golds, greens, very warm and inviting. There are a number of prints on the walls, including some that look like Greek-inspired icons. It's a very warm, cosy place to eat. Now that it is summer, I noticed one cafe-style table on the sidewalk, although nobody was seated there. They did have the door open, so we got a nice spring breeze, without the crushing cold of over-worked A/C like some places I've been, where you turn into a popsicle before your dinner even arrives.
The wait staff are, without fail, friendly and inviting, willing to share their opinions of the food and to help you select something you will truly enjoy. And if you happen to be there on a night when Melanie is out mingling with the dinner crowd, you get to enjoy her gregarious, friendly banter.
Entertainment varies, but if you like jazz, I highly recommend checking out nights when Don Aliquo and his jazz group are performing. Fantastic. They also have performances by The Gypsy Strings, another local group. I've never done Readings by Rebecca, but if you're into that sort of thing, give it a shot. Gypsy has also participated in the South Side Soup Walk, a tour of soup offerings by South Side restaurants - proceeds benefit charity. They've done special "ghost story" events involving local buildings, and host Dr. Sketchy art events. And if you just want to enjoy a good meal, hey, you can do that too. Something for everyone.
Speaking of the food, well, that's what you go to a restaurant for, right? I've had some great meals - in fact, I've never had a bad one. We went last Sunday with friends of ours, and they agreed the meal was all we promised it would be. My hubby had the Szekaly Gulyas, a Transylvanian stew with Hungarian spices, slow-cooked pork, in a cream sauce over buttered egg noodles. It's one of his favorites. One of our friends had the Spice-dusted Rack of lamb served with roasted red potatoes in a spring pesto sauce. I was torn between the Apricot-Glazed Pork Loin and the Scallion Gnocchi, and eventually settled on the pork. The glaze was perfect, sweet, but not too sweet. After I finished, I found the serrated knife they had given me, but I hadn't needed it; the pork was so tender I cut it with my butter knife.
Gypsy also offers a selection of appetizers. Someday, I swear I am going to try the Saganaki, which is Greek-cheese bread doused with Ouzo, flamed, and then extinguished with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. On Sunday, I went for the Roasted Garlic Hummus with triangles of fresh pita bread. One time, they had a trio of hummus, including one with smoked salmon, which I wasn't sure I'd really like. I would not have called myself a hummus fan, but I like the hummus at Gypsy - it must be prepared right. It actually has flavor, instead of being a bland mush of chickpeas. The smoked salmon hummus that night was my favorite; pity I haven't seen it on the menu since.
While you can order a la cart at Gypsy, my favorite way to order is from the "prix fixe" menu. For $20 you get one appetizer, a house or special salad selection (and the dressings are all lovely, I had the pomegranate vinaigrette on a house salad), and an entrée from the list. But whatever you choose, the menu is fresh and seasonal - and delicious.
So if you and your spouse/significant other/best friend are looking for a truly special, local dining experience, pop on over to the Gypsy Cafe:
1330 Bingham St.
412-381-GYPSY (4977)
And tell Melanie "hi."
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