I have been sitting here watching Food Network all day and have been getting this HUGE hankering for some real honest BBQ.  Does anyone know of a good, no....great, local BBQ joint?  I am talking anywhere in the Pittsburgh area.  I just want some good BBQ.  I don't care if it is ribs, chicken thighs, biscuit,  or pulled pork.  I need a fix and don't know where to find it with out firing up the barbie myself! 

To go along with my post, The Hunt for Made in America,  in believing that we should doing more locally, I have decided to attempt to eat as much as possible from local restaurants.  What do I consider local restaurants?   I am talking your one-of-a-kind greasy spoon diner, the neighborhood pizzaria,  a local watering hole, even the fancy-schmancy places on Mt.

With a couple wives out of town, a few of my friends thought this would be a good weekend to try the 36 oz steak over at Jerome Bettis Grille 36.  I'm sure I don't need to explain this, but I'll do it anyways: Jerome Bettis was a running back for Pittsburgh Steelers who wore the number 36.  "The Bus", as he was known, retired in 2006 after the Steelers won the Superbowl.

The restaurants of the Big Burrito Group tend not to disappoint.  Last night, my wife and I went out for her birthday.  She loves sushi so we wanted to try Umi and the $75 "omakase," a multi-course chef's special.  Unfortunately, Umi shares a building with it's sister restaurant, Soba, and we ended up seated at the wrong establishment.  We already had drinks before we realized the mistake, so we decided to stay and try out the pan-Asian cuisine.

What is a "Week Night" restaurant?  It's the place you go on a Wednesday night when you and the wife get home late from work and don't have the energy to make dinner and don't want to break the bank while going out. (but still want great food and drink!)  It can also be the place you go on a Thursday night when you want to have a cold beer or a nice glass of wine and a bite to eat to unwind toward the end of the week.