We decided to return to our old stomping grounds for this Saturday Lunch outing. East Liberty and the surrounding areas are very different today from what they were in the 80s. Sears, the post office, and the McDonalds on Penn Circle drew us to that area when we were in grad school. Now, it’s new restaurants that beckon us, and, on this Saturday, returning an item at the Pitt Amazon Hub.

We landed at Larder of East End, located in East End Brewing. We missed out on going to Justin Severino’s former restaurant Cure before it closed, and were excited to try his new restaurant.

We can sum up lunch with one word: wow. The NC Pulled Pork Sandwich was perfect, with spicy pimento cheese, collard greens, and bread-and-butter pickles. The fries were a great accompaniment, cooked perfectly and nicely salted. The Czech beer from East End Brewing that we selected to accompany the meal was just right, with a light but complex flavor.

We also shared two smaller plates : beefsteak tomatoes with corn corn custard, chow chow, and sunflower seeds, and watermelon and cucumber salad with feta, olives, preserved lemon, and mint. Like the pulled pork sandwich, the flavor combinations in these dishes were beyond description.

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We had such an enjoyable lunch at Larder. The staff members were very helpful and they provided wonderful recommendations for dishes to order. Likewise, the staff members at East End Brewing gave us numerous samples to understand our preferred favor profile.

Without a doubt, we’ll return to Larder soon to try other dishes on the menu. What’s more, we can’t wait to bring our children as their varied and contradictory food preferences can all be met–a rarity in our family!