New Wine List is Here

We've just unveiled our new wine list, featuring a wide variety of wines by the bottle and half-bottle at our Monks' Bar. We will also be featuring a rotating list of wines by the glass with different varietals at the Bar. Ask your mixologist for the new list!

Priory Banquet Staff Appearance on "Consumer Sense" Television Show

I had the privilege of appearing on the television show "Consumer $ense" recently with our Grand Hall general manager Walt Czapliewicz, wedding sales specialist Heather McDowell, and Gene Lucente, our corporate and group sales manager. The show, hosted by Audrey Guskey, Ph.D of Duquesne University, focused on wedding reception trends and helpful money saving tips for brides. Dr. Guskey is a professor of marketing at Duquesne, and, in addition to hosting her own show, is a frequent guest on many Pittsburgh talk and news shows on radio and television. Consumer $ense airs on WPXI, our local NBC affiliate, and PCNC, its cable news sister station.

My role was to give some background on our facility and our business philosophy, and Walt and Heather talked about industry trends (Hint: in are chair covers and specialty linens, as well as candy tables).

You can view the program here.

Dr. Guskey was a very gracious host, and make Walt, Heather and Gene feel right at home on camera. We're pleased to have had a chance to chat with her.

Aji Picante - Peruvian on Murray Street

Aji Picante is a new restaurant which recently opened in Squirrel Hill. It features Peruvian cuisine, and is truly a delight. Located in what had been a Panera Bread (is this a sign of a swing from national chains to locally owned restaurants), Aji Picante has a relatively small and tight menu, but it is very well executed. I recently stopped by with a group, and had a seared pork shank which was delicious; the menu also featured a variety of the Peruvian version of traditional seafood dishes such as paella and bouillabaise. One interesting dish is Lomo Saltado, which has strips of steak stir fried with onions and peppers Chinese style. There's also a number of vegetarian options.

The service was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Aji Picante is BYOB, but does not charge a corkage fee. It's well worth a try.

Read China Millman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's recent review of the Aji Picante here.