NoLibs afternoon

The weather is very strange here today! It isn't warm but it is humid so it isnt quite jacket weather but . . . I dont know. At least eh rain held off so we took a jaunt up to NoLibs for lunch. We decided to check out a new-ish place up on Girard that we have heard great things about - Paesano's, the sister to fellow-Girard restaurant Modo Mio. This is a little hole in the wall sandwich place right on Girard that is SO much more. There is one table outside on the sidewalk and 6 seats inside with a front row view of everything. The menu is small but packs a punch. We split a Diavlo (spicy chicken, fried salami, some of the sharpest provolone ever, some of the best broccoli rabe I have ever had [besides my mom's of course] and these awesome roasted tomatoes all on a toasted seeded roll) and an Arista (whole roasted suckling pig, those broccoli rabe again, that provolone again, long hots that just melt into the roll and jus, all on that roll again). Oh and a side of potatoes (home fry style that taste like roasted, with more of that sharp provolone again). The sandwiches were $7 and $8 respectively and the potatoes were $2. And it was probably the tastiest $17 ever. The whole menu looked awesome (it is available from that link, though they are tweaking it soon with the change in seasons) and we sat and watched them make everything, to order. Delicious! And there were people at the window or inside ordering, or calling for pick up the entire timew e were there. So check it out. Totally worth the hike.

After lunch we went to grab a drink at The Swift Half Pub at Piazza. The new sister to Good Dog looks the exact opposite. It is big and bright with high ceilings and big windows and big flat screen TVs. But the service is just as friendly, the beer list just as good and I am a huge fan of the "swift half" concept - a half pint meant as a last drink before heading home, or somewhere else, or just a quick drink. Matty had Troeg's Dead Reckoning Porter ("a welcome to fall" he says), Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout ("it doesnt taste as dark as it looks, a refreshing dark beer" he says) and Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Country Amber Ale (I think it was, he says it isn't, we will go with what I remember. He says about it "it was ok"). I had a Blue Point Toasted Lager (it was the closest to Lager I have had really. Still pretty beer-y.) and a Magner's (my new fave).

I told Matty I don't feel like I belong at Piazza. And I stand by that. I don't feel comfortable there really. I feel like I need to be a whole bunch more ironic, cynical and fashionable. But I like the Swift Half and I think I would like some of the other restaurants around there. We will see.