EYV (or Eat Your Vegetables) Restaurant, located in Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown neighborhood, is encouraging people to enjoy eating their vegetables. The restaurant, which celebrated its one-year anniversary this past December, features an array of vegetable forward dishes. EYV doesn’t claim to be a vegetarian or vegan restaurant. They incorporate meat and other animal products into some dishes, but those items aren’t the star of the plate. Many of their dishes can also be made without gluten or dairy products if the diner is gluten-free or vegan. I found this concept unique, because restaurants touting a vegetable-forward menu are typically fully vegetarian or vegan. While EYV’s menu will please these groups, it will make omnivores happy too.
I visited on the day of EYV’s one-year anniversary, and my dining partner and I were offered complimentary champagne when we sat down. This was just the beginning of the wonderful service we had. Both of our waiters were extremely attentive and willing to answer any questions. Every time our waiter dropped off a dish, he took the time to explain it. This took our dining experience to the next level.
EYV had an extensive cocktail menu with some seasonal specialties when I visited. I enjoyed a tequila cocktail made with cranberry juice and lime, while my dining partner enjoyed a mocktail made with beet juice, Ritual Zero Proof “gin”, pomegranate and lime. EYV has a variety of non-alcoholic beverages for those abstaining from alcohol.
My dining partner and I started with some snacks. We were very excited about the hummus fritters and heirloom radish stuffed bao buns. The hummus fritters looked exactly like thick-cut French fries. The outside was so crispy that it would’ve been perfect for a little ASMR. When you bit into the fritter, it was soft and tender, which contrasted perfectly with the exterior. The za’atar spice gave the snack some earthy flavors, while the harissa yogurt added a hint of spice. This item is a must order. The radish bao buns also had contrasting interior and exterior textures. The outside of the bao bun was fluffy, while the inside offered a nice crunch from the radish. There was nothing stand-out about the flavor, but the texture alone made these a satisfying snack with the chili oil dipping sauce.
We moved on to starters, which were a little more hearty than the snacks. We opted for the Yukon Gold potato pierogi (we are Pittsburghers after all) and the West African pumpkin soup. The pierogi was definitely one of the winning dishes of the evening. They were perfectly made with a chewy, yet tender outside and the creamiest potato filling inside. EYV made the dish stand out with its accompaniments—onion sour cream, melted leeks and crispy sauerkraut.
The onion sour cream and the melted leeks enhanced the luscious texture of the pierogi, but the crispy sauerkraut added both a unique texture and umami flavor to the dish. The West African pumpkin soup was the ideal dish for a chilly winter evening. It had warming, fragrant spices that gave the soup a depth of flavor. The shrimp chips and peanuts offered a welcome, crunchy texture. I could have done without the additional chunks of pumpkin garnishing the soup, as I didn’t feel they added anything to the dish.
After all of the snack and starters, we tried a main dish. I am a potato lover through and through, so we went for the potato “mille-feuille”. A mille-feuille is typically a French pastry layered with cream and flaky puff pastry. In the EYV version, they layer potatoes on potatoes with a warm bacon dressing, turnips,wilted Fiolaro leaf broccoli and roasted pork belly. This was the first time meat had made an appearance on our table all evening, and I couldn’t say I’d been really missing it at all. While the savory flavors in this dish were off the charts, it didn’t deliver the way I wanted it to. Maybe it was because we’d just had another spectacular potato dish before it, but the potato mille-feuille was a little disappointing. While the potatoes themselves were perfectly cooked and layered to perfection, the other elements in the dish didn’t help bring it the next level. The warm bacon dressing was too heavy for the potatoes, and the turnips didn’t offer any difference in flavor or texture. The crispy pork belly was the only accompaniment that gave the dish any oomph. I’d love to go back to EYV and try one of their other mains next time.
At the end of the meal I felt pleasantly full, even with the lack of meat. As both an avid vegetable and meat lover, I found EYV’s menu extremely satisfying. I’m curious to go back in the warmer months to see how they make that produce shine.