{"id":189,"date":"2016-01-29T21:10:34","date_gmt":"2016-01-29T21:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.josephbender.com\/blog\/?p=189"},"modified":"2016-08-31T18:58:01","modified_gmt":"2016-08-31T22:58:01","slug":"review-cafe-moulin-in-shadyside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.josephbender.com\/blog\/food\/review-cafe-moulin-in-shadyside\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Caf\u00e9 Moulin in Shadyside"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Feels<\/a><\/p>\n

As a little kid in Pittsburgh, the best adventures were\u00a0when my\u00a0parents dragged \u00a0me out of the suburbs to run errands around the city. Growing\u00a0up in Mt. Lebanon, I always looked forward to the ride into downtown Pittsburgh, and the thrill of staring out the window as the car exited the Liberty tunnels.<\/p>\n

Walnut Street in Shadyside is land of the hot moms and haute couture. Upscale shops like J. Crew, Victoria Secret,\u00a0L’Occitane, Shadyside Market, William Sonoma, numerous galleries, and a handful of jewelers cause this place to swarm with successful, middle-age women during lunchtime. \u00a0In the early 2000s,\u00a0it was my mom’s questionable, post-divorce, blonde hair needing redone which brought us\u00a0frequently to the area. Now I realize the lunches beforehand were probably\u00a0an attempt to\u00a0pacify her\u00a0rambunctious\u00a0gradeschooler for the long wait at the salon.<\/p>\n

Cr\u00eapes Parisiennes was a quaint, underground French caf\u00e9 in Shadyside tucked off the main drag that became our go-to spot. That is where I not only learned of cr\u00eapes, but fell in love with them. David Handler, once a fashion photographer in\u00a0Paris, brought his old daily lunch ritual to this Pittsburgh location in September of 2000. In the fall of 2013, David moved his cr\u00eapery to a larger location on Craig Street in Oakland, and the subterranean den became available. The space was acquired by new owners, and was transformed into the new Caf\u00e9 Moulin<\/strong>.\u00a0
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

I only mention the history of this cozy space because it is evident the new owners wanted to maintain the French atmosphere, but add some flavor of their own. Co-owners Beven Ozen and Evren Karabacak, both natives of Turkey, have obviously worked hard to create a diverse menu that represents not only France, but the entire\u00a0Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a>

Click on menu to browse in full resolution<\/p><\/div>\n

The names of the numerous dishes indicate a versatile European\u00a0palate.\u00a0The Bristol cr\u00eape reminds you of England with turkey and goat cheese. The Tivoli cr\u00eape takes you to Italy with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. The Greek\u00a0Mykonos french toast uses Sujuk, a Mediterranean spicy sausage, to shake up the selection. Don’t worry, because French classics like the Ottawa or Marseille still hold down the original Parisian ingredients.<\/p>\n

\"Cappuccino\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This was the first cappuccino<\/strong> I have had from a cafe since receiving my own machine for Christmas. Regardless of how much I believe I am the master barista after 3 weeks, this warm mug of brilliance made me realize how much I have to learn. Where the clouds of crema ended and the rich espresso sludge began, the world may never know…
\n<\/a> \"Underground<\/a><\/p>\n

Something about being underground surrounded by natural stone walls just takes the ambiance to a whole new level. The low ceilings and soft lighting create a cr\u00eape munching den that is comfortable and welcoming. There is even another step down after the bar-style seating which separates the space nicely. Where there isn’t stone, dark wooden paneling wraps around the room. All the colors are organic and earthy,\u00a0and the thoughtful decor contributes to the restaurant’s charming character. \u00a0\"Salt<\/a><\/p>\n

These are the big, bad, industrial cr\u00eape makers that do not mess around. With an experienced chef behind them, the possibilities are endless. You can see him placing white chocolate chips that will slowly melt for a sweet cr\u00eape. Behind it, slices of Swiss wait to conform to the chicken beneath.\u00a0\"Hard<\/a>Have you ever seen cr\u00eape batter spread that perfectly circular?! It reminds me of the Spongebob episode where Squidward can’t believe how Spongebob is sketching an immaculate circle in art class.\u00a0\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

I went with the Ottawa<\/strong> cr\u00eape. Three fluffy eggs, melted brie, and crispy bacon on top with a side of fresh fruit. I’ve always been a sucker for that creamy French cheese, and adding bacon? Game Over. The buckwheat flour used for the batter gives the cr\u00eape a nice texture. Perfect browning demonstrates the chef has his timing down to a science, which can be difficult when you need to melt cheese inside. The bacon on top adds an eccentric element to the presentation, but I might have\u00a0liked it chopped and mixed in the filling. The fruit was refreshing and a great, cold compliment to the hot meal. However, it was revealed to be nothing special when the waiter divulged they were in fact “Cuties” clementines. Also, they were possibly cut in the morning as the edges looked slightly dry.<\/p>\n

\"Bacon,<\/a>

Ottawa Cr\u00eape<\/p><\/div>\n

Regardless, the dish was killer. Two Turks took on the tall task of improving a Frenchman’s cr\u00eape recipe, and I think they may have succeeded. I finished every bite and am eager to return and venture into the more intriguing selections on the menu.<\/p>\n

My mom has been to Paris and eaten a crepe from a street cart\u00a0atop Sacre Coeur.\u00a0\u00a0Now I would expect this to possibly ruin all stateside crepes for the remainder of her eating career.\u00a0Surprisingly, the first words out of her mouth were,”Oh wow, is this ham flavorful!”. Cr\u00eapes are simple, and if the ingredients are subpar it will be noticeable in the end result. These are definitely high quality, and I even read that the buckwheat flour is from a local provider. All the food was delightful, and both of us found our choices\u00a0tr\u00e8s bien!<\/p>\n

\"Ham,<\/a>

Ham, swiss, and b\u00e9chamel cr\u00eape<\/p><\/div>\n

For some reason, my mom\u00a0chose a nice lunch as an opportunity to\u00a0shove a pamphlet of incomplete paperwork at me to fill out. Upon walking up, our waiter immediately asked me,”Is that a Bic V5″. Not being a pen aficionado, I gave him a weird look. He explained that the model of pen I was using (ironically the only pen my mom has bought for 20 years) was of a very high quality. After my mom bragged a bit about it being her preference, he explained he was a cartoonist and ran back to grab his favorite weapon for us to try. With this ridiculously good calligraphy pen, I began doodling awful Eiffel Towers on an index card and got into the most peculiar conversation on pen tips…<\/p>\n

With this meal, I expected to relive some nostalgia from an old French cafe. Instead, I got a damn good Turkish chef, an eclectic menu, and a super friendly cartoonist server. He returned the check with his own interpretation of the iconic Eiffel Tower. It was the cherry on top of a truly pleasant experience. From now on, when my cr\u00eape craving flares up, this will be my go to spot.<\/p>\n

\"three
\n\"That<\/a><\/p>\n

Cafe Moulin<\/strong><\/p>\n

732 Filbert St, Pittsburgh, PA 15232<\/p>\n

412-291-8119<\/p>\n

cafemoulin.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Monday – Sunday 9am – 5pm<\/p>\n