Best place to stick it to the man: Quick! Free association exercise! Here's the phrase: The Waterfront. If your answer is "Hari-kari is underrated" because your trip to the altar of 21st century capitalism to buy cheaply made foreign goods on the former site of a glorious steel mill was further sullied by a meal at a corporate chain restaurant, then you should hit Blue Dust (601 Amity St., Homestead, 412-461-6220) a family-owned gastropub named after a steel byproduct (note to those born after 1983 -- they once made steel at the Waterfront). With good grub, great beer and some house vodkas seasoned by horseradish and Thai pepper chili -- it sounds like a dare, but one you'll be glad you took -- you can eat local and thumb your nose at the flair-wearers of the world.Best New Place to Eat Sushi 'Til You Burst: No joke. Munch was at Hokkaido a few weeks ago, and I saw this guy make about 17 trips to the all-you-can-eat sushi bar, like he was going for the world record for California roll consumption or something, and then he's in the middle of his 18th plate, and he's starting to slow down a little bit, and BLAM! he explodes right there in the dining room. Rice and fish bits everywhere. Unpleasant, yes, but not enough to stop Munch from sampling the Mongolian BBQ pit, the crab legs, and the fried pork buns at Hokkaido Seafood Buffet (612 Browns Hill Road, Squirrel Hill, 412-421-1422).
Munch wishes all the FOMs a Happy New Year! If you'd like to be an FOM, search Munch von Munchausen on Facebook.
