Spork on Penn Ave has been a favorite for many years, the kind of place where we celebrated anniversaries and proudly brought out-of-town guests. We were truly stunned by the quality of their new dinner concept, launched less than a month ago. Through a series of carefully orchestrated appetizer bites, multiple small entrées, and desserts, each paired with your choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, the entire Spork team delivered a unique, elegant and immersive dinner experience. We can hardly wait to see how the chef's tasting menu evolves, especially during the Spork garden season! 
How many restaurants serve not only perfectly executed favorites, often with a creative twist, but also inspire you to fall in love with something new? Spork has done all of that. We discovered this chef-owned restaurant, tucked on the corner of Penn Ave. and S. Graham St., in 2018. We happily followed the evolution of the Spork menu, initially focused on charcuterie and shared large and small plates, to a more traditional appetizer, salad, entrée format -- punctuated with small complimentary bites to amuse the mouth (amuse-bouche).
The first time I tasted this homemade flan, with its luscious, creamy custard and rich, amber caramel, I was blown away. Curiously, as I eagerly began ordering flan, I ended up disappointed by the more jello-like consistency of restaurant flan desserts. Fortunately, the recipe given to my husband by a friend from Puerto Rico is pretty simple, with only five ingredients.
 |
| Flan with fresh blueberries |
Years ago, at a potluck party, our friend Javier brought a pyrex glass baking dish containing an unassuming golden yellow dessert. I almost passed on the opportunity to taste it, as I had not yet discovered my sweet tooth. Upon spooning out the first piece, I realized that the soft creamy custard covered and hid a beautiful, clear amber-brown sauce. This was my first taste of pure homemade caramel. Once we had a bite of this flan, we were ruined for future restaurant-style flan desserts. They were all more beautifully presented, yet were disappointingly thinner in flavor and a bit too jello-ish.
One of the most popular Chinese-American dishes, General Tso's chicken with its spicy, sweet-tart umami-laden bites is in many ways emblematic of the American experience. Five years ago I started an empty-nester blog, so my adult kids could easily find beloved recipes when inspired into the future, working in chow-friendly hikes and travel tips along the way. After I had crossed the globe perfecting my son's favorite dish, my daughter initiated an annual Veguary challenge. While General Tso's tofu seemed a natural variation, it took a few years to develop a technique to create perfectly textured bites that maximize flavor and satisfaction. A multicultural fusion come back around, just in time for America's birthday. Happy 4th of July!
-fireworks.jpg)
-general%20tso%20tofu.jpg) |
| Love2Chow General Tso's Tofu |
-fireworks.jpg)
The initial version of General Tso's chicken, 左宗棠雞 (Zuǒ zōng táng jī) in Chinese was invented in Taiwan by a 20th century refugee chef, who had fled the totalitarian government born out of his province before the "bamboo curtain" fell. The bold, spicy and sour flavors characteristic of Hunan food was fused to an American love for boneless, sugar-glazed fried chicken nuggets by Chinese-American immigrant chefs in New York City, and General Tso's chicken was born.
 |
| Love2Chow General Tso's Chicken |
Adapting new ingredients and local tastes, while preserving elements of remembered traditions form an important part of the American immigration story.
From Meso-American tamales that might have substituted corn husks for bamboo leaves after the first humans crossed the land bridge, to the infinite variation of flatbreads and dumplings enveloping regional fillings, some similarities might be due to convergent evolution of independently developed food ideas, but more often than not reflect peaceful cultural exchanges over the millenia. No one can deny the impact of American plants -- chocolate, vanilla, chilies, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, beans, squash -- on global cuisines. While food origins become murky as introduced foods and ideas become part of national and cultural identities, we are all enriched by these culinary linkages.
This is the quintessential American experience: the opportunity and freedom to not just tolerate, but actively share cultural traditions and create something better in the tapestry of life.
Happy Fourth of July!
Click here for Love2Chow General Tso's Chicken recipe.
Click here for Love2Chow General Tso's cauliflower recipe.
Flavors and Textures
While it was straightforward to create the desired tangy-sweet sauce with a bit of heat, for each phase of my General Tso's exploration, the difficult part was getting the texture just right. This was true for General Tso's Chicken, General Tso's Cauliflower, and General Tso's Tofu.
Fuchsia Dunlop's recipe in Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook offered the perfectly textured chicken, but I found that both versions of her sauce lacked brightness. After my daughter's first Veguary challenge (which we failed pretty quickly by forgetting that oyster sauce was not vegetarian -- we got better the second year), I thought it would be straightforward to substitute fried cauliflower or tofu for the fried chicken chunks. But this was not the case.
Inspired by Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, a beloved Indo-Chinese fusion dish, I was able to develop a highly satisfying vegan General Tso's cauliflower with a texture and flavor that rivaled the original.
 |
| Love2Chow General Tso's Cauliflower |
But the tofu version eluded me.
Get your Pittsburgh city steps workout on this 2.8 mile urban hike up and down Troy Hill! You'll hit four of the ~800 public steps in the region, and walk past four delicious opportunities for food and beverage refreshment. Scratch & Co with its seasonal take on comfort foods appears early in the hike. You will arrive at Threadbare Cider House near the half-way point, and then traverse Penn Brewery for the final descent. When the weather warms up, take an optional 1/2 mile detour onto Herr's Island for waterfront dining at Red Fin Blues, and bring the dog! Read on to learn more about this dog-friendly loop hike with plenty of outdoor dining options.
.jpg) |
| Viewpoint in the middle of the Basin St steps going down from Goettmann St to Province St |
 |
| Welcome to Troy Hill sign by James Simon, on Troy Hill Rd at Vinial St. |
 |
| Pickle Platter at Threadbare Cider House |
 |
| Smokey pineapple and bbq braised pork pizza at Threadbare Cider House |
In a quest to hike all of the public Pittsburgh staircases, recognized by their painted metal railings, my husband and dog (T&M) have explored many staircases in Troy Hill and neighboring Spring Hill. See my Southside Steps blog post for more background on the Pittsburgh City Steps.
Focusing solely on steps that go up and down Troy Hill, T&M have mapped out options for traversing 1, 2, 4, 6 or 7 sets of stairs for a loop hike finishing along the River Ave segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. This allows us to adjust the intensity of our steps hike workout, and provides convenient bailing out points for Pittsburgh steps newbies.
Our favorite loop involves 4 sets of city steps, two up and two down, as this can be completed in a bit over an hour, proceeding at a comfortable rate for a middle-aged woman of moderate fitness. I have always been a slow hiker when it comes to hills.
.jpg) |
| Looking down Basin St steps from Goettmann St |
The pleasures of walking Pittsburgh come from discovering little pockets of art: the creative ways that people decorate their homes and yards, churches and cathedrals of all sizes, unexpected new vistas of Pittsburgh skyline, hills and river... And of course, strolling past interesting small, local businesses.
Walking up and down hills also builds up thirst and appetite. Fortunately, our routes frequently pass restaurants, diners and pubs. The first time we introduced friends to this T&M Troy Hill 4 Steps hike, we included a stop at Threadbare Cider House for brunch!
Click here to read about our Southside Pittsburgh Steps & Dine Hike complete with a restaurant review of Dish Osteria. Stay tuned for a future post on the Troy Hill Art Houses with two nearby lunch spots.
Steps & Sights
From the gravel Riverfront Trail parking lot (see below for logistics), walk across River Ave and head left along the Three Rivers Heritage hiking and biking trail.
Keep an eye out for the painted crosswalk that will take you across the street to the start of a sidewalk that heads uphill. Follow this up to the level of the 31st St. bridge.
.jpg) |
| Cross River Ave onto the sidewalk on the other side before it goes uphill to the 31st St bridge |
Or, from the alternative parking area on Herr's island (See logistics, below), head right to cross the 30th St. bridge, continue right as the walkway curves onto River Ave, and cross at the light to reach the median.
Crossing two more nearby stop lights will take you across the exit and entrance ramps for PA Route 28 to the base of the Rialto St. hill.
Hiking up and over Troy Hill to Spring Garden Ave
Rialto St. is a steep, narrow 2-way road that makes you wonder how cars can get past each other. A few years ago, they widened the steps and put up new green metal railings.
.jpg) |
| Looking up Rialto St from Route 28 |
Climb 180 steps and note the Troy Hill incline mural. After passing underneath Lowrie St and past the steps to the left that lead up to Lowrie St., you will reach the corner of Rialto and Ley St.
Mosaic Stairway to Dish Osteria: A T&M Pittsburgh Steps & Dine Hike
February 28, 2024
Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, but it also qualifies as the Steps Capital of North America with more than 800 public staircases. Over the past decade, Pittsburgh has become a foodie destination, with its many restaurants and pop-ups. My husband and dog (T&M) have been exploring and mapping out loop hikes of all different lengths and elevations, often walking past fantastic restaurants such as Dish Osteria. One sunny, winter afternoon, it all came together in a 3.3 mile Pittsburgh steps hike ending with amazing pasta, drinks and conversation.
 |
| Melia leading the way up the Mosaic portion of Oakley on our summer explorations of South Side steps |
 |
| Continuing up Oakley St. Steps on our winter Steps & Dine hike |
 |
| Dish Osteria - Rigatoni alla Scamorza |
 |
| Summer View from St. Thomas Steps |
 |
| St. Josephat Church on Mission |
Discovering the joys of urban hikes
After we moved from the suburbs into the city of Pittsburgh, we were happy to ditch the car on a more regular basis due to our new proximity to walking, biking, shopping and kayaking routes. My husband and chow chow spent countless hours exploring new urban hikes to replace their forays through the mountains and woods around Seven Springs, and gradually I started to join them. He became especially fond of seeking out Pittsburgh City Steps, recognizable by their characteristic painted metal railings.
-general%20tso%20tofu.jpg)
