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Hello everyone!<\/p>\n
I recently went to Pittsburgh to visit my family, eat some good food, and play pinball! While I was there, we decided to get dinner at a brand new restaurant from\u00a0Pierogi Night<\/a> founders,\u00a0Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski. Last year, they launched\u00a0a Kickstarter campaign<\/a>\u00a0for a brick and mortar\u00a0restaurant named Apteka<\/a>. The restaurant recently had its “soft open” and is located between Bloomfield and Lawrenceville. Apteka<\/a>\u00a0serves up polish delicacies which are common in certain neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, but the difference is, their menu is 100% vegan. And boy, is it good!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Upon walking into Apteka, the first thing I noticed was the casual atmosphere, with low lighting, open brick walls, and tall ceilings. I also couldn’t ignore the music. It was a little odd\u2014a\u00a0cross between ambient sounds and animal noises that you might expect to hear at a meditation center or spa.<\/p>\n A\u00a0large handwritten menu hangs on the wall as soon as you walk through the door. While I found this aesthetically pleasing, it was dinner time, and there were three other\u00a0dinner parties standing in the small doorway trying to view the menu. Having a few small loose menus to pick up from the counter would be ideal. Then again. This place is pretty casual.<\/p>\n Once you are ready to order, you simply walk up to the counter and place your order. The server will give you a numbered card for your table, silverware, your glasses and water carafes to take back to your table.<\/p>\n While I went to Apteka to try the Pierogi, I knew as soon as I saw the Kanapki, I had to try that, too! The Kanapki is basically a set of three tartines. One with carrot pate + radish pickle; another with a leek + apple + mint puree; and the third with celeriac + pickle + apple + dill. The third tartine was the stand out for me. The “polish” salad mix was acidic and fresh, and kept me wanting more! I must admit, it was hard to choose. I liked all three! I sincerely hope this item becomes a menu staple!<\/p>\n