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Sonoma Grille

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MilwVon
MilwVon
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5 out of 5
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2
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Editor Pick

Sonoma Grill

  • November 10, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
Sonoma Grill

If you are walking in downtown Pittsburgh and are looking for somewhere to get an exceptional meal in a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere then the Sonoma Grill is definitely not your usual hotel restaurant. Located in the Courtyard by Marriott the chef owner is an award-winning chef with an extensive background in both French and nouveau California cuisine.

I began my lunch with the French onion soup. It was perfect, just the right amount of melted cheese and a wonderfully soggy crouton and one of the best broths I have ever tasted. I was impressed and I am not that easy to impress. The bread was also excellent served not with butter but with oil for dipping.

We were quite a large group and ordered a variety of items from the very extensive luncheon menu. If you are in the mood for a lighter offering, they have omelets, steak, and eggs. If you want an appetizer they offer sesame e fried calamari, which I have to, say sounds yummy. The other soup on the daily menu is the Fisherman’s Wharf Chowder, which is served in a rustic bread bowl and filled with scallops, shrimp and clams.

If you are a seafood lover, you will find much to please you here. They have mahi mahi Cuban sandwich, crabmeat and asparagus penne and a hearts of romaine and crabmeat salad. The carnivores haven’t been forgotten either with the Kobe beef hamburger, pulled pork sandwich and filet mignon and aloutte stroganoff.

They also offer a mixed grill, which runs from $12-$24. You can choose between 1-3 items for your grill and they included such luscious offers as minted crab cakes Bourbon Glazed Petite Pork Shank and a 5 oz. filet mignon and mushroom kabob. You then choose your dipping sauce and your side. You can really "have it your way" here.

I decided to have the Tandoori Satay Chicken Salad as my entrée. The chicken was served warm on a skewer atop the salad and had a nice spicy glaze. The salad was field greens with tomatoes, radishes and butternut squash. The dressing was a very interesting cinnamon vinaigrette. It was an excellent choice. I wish I had paid more attention to what everyone else was eating but I was too busy with my own food. I did notice that the gentleman across from me was devouring the pulled pork sandwich with gusto so I must assume it was excellent.

I didn’t have time for dessert but I was tempted by the crème brulee du jour, which will of course change daily as well as profiteroles and apple walnut bread pudding.

This is a lovely restaurant with walls the color of the sunset and wooden tables and banquettes along the walls. There are carriage lamps attached to the walls and hanging teardrop shaped lights. It has a decidedly Spanish feel. The quality of the food is excellent and the presentation exceptional.

They are open for lunch and dinner daily and valet parking is available.

From journal Culture and Lights in Pittsburgh

Editor Pick

The Sonoma Grille

  • February 12, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by MilwVon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Sonoma Grille

They consider themselves "novu" dining - California style. I wasn't really sure what to expect with that type of description but was very pleased with my dining experience. The meal, ambiance and service were very good. I especially enjoyed the open, high ceilings with the golden amber lighting. For dining alone, the atmosphere was really nice.

Sonoma Grille is a restaurant in a hotel . . . not your typical hotel restaurant. While a bit on the pricey side, you will find that moderation in portions is your friend in terms of keeping the prices down. Many of their offerings are "between appetizer and full dinner portions" which allows you to do a bit of an ala carte selection if you are adventurous and prefer to not go the traditional dinner route. I did the mix and match grille, with two choices: filet mignon with mushroom kabob and the jumbo shrimp tempura. The kabob had three tender filet medallions, plus two very large mushroom caps, plus slices of red and green pepper. "Jumbo" is an understatement on the shrimp. Conservatively, they were twice the size of my thumbs!!

Along with your many dinner choices, you can add dipping sauces to complement your meal plus a side dish. For me, the beef required no dipping but the tamarind ginger glaze was the perfect accompaniment for the shrimp. As a side, I added the Asian mixed stir fry featuring 14 delicious (and colorful) vegetables. The veggies were a bit on the biting side, with quite a kick from what may be best described as a “super” soy sauce. While almost overpowering the vegetables, I really found the flavor to be very good.

Their wine list was quite impressive as were the desserts. I however, passed on both being on a modest expense account. Dinner without the extras was right at $30 including tax and gratuities. A traditional filet mignon dinner, with an ala carte salad and an accompaniment, would run you roughly $40 plus tax. Their full menu (both lunch and dinner) may be found on their web site: www.thesonomagrille.com .

They do have a full service bar, with rail service if you prefer to sit and have a cocktail while watching your favorite sporting event or perhaps the election returns as was on the TV during my visit on Super Tuesday.

From journal Soccer in Pittsburgh

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