DumplinZ Cafe Offers Wide Variety Of Dumplings Downtown

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time in Pittsburgh, you probably know that this city has many Eastern European descendents, and an affinity for pierogies. That thought was on my mind when I was reviewing Pittsburgh’s only restaurant devoted to serving dumplings from around the world. Styrofoam plates, silverware and a menu of dumplings for every course -- including dessert -- signal just how quirky this restaurant is. The menu is geographically divided into sections including: “DumplinZ from Italy,” “DumplinZ from Russia,” “DumplinZ from Eastern Europe,” “DumplinZ from China” and “Dessert DumplinZ from Eastern Europe.” Another unusual trademark of the menu is the sizes and pricing of orders. You can choose from a sample size, “Try Me,” where you get a few dumplings (prices range from $3.99 to $4.49). We ordered only “Try Me” sizes to sample a variety without stuffing ourselves, although you could easily make a lunch out of a single “Try Me” dish. The next sizes up are “Like Me” (prices range from $4.29 to $7.19) and “Love Me” (prices range from $6.29 to $8.29). To start, we had Laila’s Hardy Siberian ($2.79 for a cup), a soup with beef broth, vegetables and beef pelmeni (a traditional Russian dish, usually meat wrapped in thin flour and egg dough). The soup was too salty. We chose:Ravioli con Queso Magnifico, five cheese ravioli with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. Ravioli Pomodora Basil, tomato, basil and mozzarella ravioli with marinara sauce. Beef/ pork Siberian Pelmeni, baked beef and pork pelmeni with sautéed mushrooms, onions, sour cream dressing and cheese on the top. Tato-Rogies, potato and onion pierogies with sautéed mushrooms, onions, sour cream dressing and cheese on the top. Room-O-Rogies, mushroom pierogies with sautéed mushrooms, onions, sour cream dressing and cheese on the top. ChickenplinZ, chicken and vegetable dumplings with choice of hot or mild sauce. Seasonal Pumpkin Ravioli, savory spiced pumpkin raviolis served plain. Bluereniki, blueberry pierogies served with a choice of sour cream, honey, apple sauce, strawberry or cherry sauce. The Beef/ pork Siberian Pelmeni featured on the left side of the picture was one of our favorites; it tasted and looked homemade. The pelmeni was warm, moist and tender, and complemented by a rich, warm sour cream sauce. Mushrooms and onions, sautéed to perfection, come with each of the “DumplinZ from Russia” and “Dumplinz from Eastern Europe,” which include our other favorites: Tato-Rogies and Room-O-Rogies. The ChickenplinZ, chicken dumplings, were savory and went well with the sauce. The Italian dishes served with marinara sauce tasted like they came from a can -- the cheese in both dishes tasted the same (even though one purportedly has five cheeses). The seasonal pumpkin ravioli was served plain, and the dough was undercooked and tough. For dessert, we had blueberry pierogies, bluereniki, with an elective cherry sauce (also featured in the picture, in the cup). The bluereniki was too sweet and only subtly tart. So, if you want a little fun during your lunch hour and an excuse to put down the brown paper bag for a day, you should stop by. The restaurant opened October 24. Overall Rating: 3 dots out of 5 dots. To check out the DumplinZ Café Web page, click here. 411 Seventh Avenue (facing Smithfield Street), Downtown