Let's Brunch: Caffé Mona La Bistro

Brunch: It's not Breakfast, It's not Lunch, It's just Better!

It was a beautiful weekend in the burgh and what makes any weekend better is a good ole brunch! Buckle up your seat belts everybody because this weekend I experienced one of my favorite brunch places of all time in Caffé Mona. Over the past year, my fiancée has been telling me that Mona was the best brunch place she has been to in the city and I never knew whether to believe her or not because she's not "Big Brunch Girl" like I'm "Big Brunch Guy." It is hard to admit sometimes in a relationship that your significant other is right, but I learned very early on that she usually is, which led to me finally making it to Caffé Mona, and boy did it not disappoint! Let's Brunch!

Pittsburgh Locations: Lawrenceville- Penn Ave across from Children's Hospital 

Environment/Vibe: In short, the vibe here is ~cute~. It is a homey and intimate brunch spot with a small indoor area and beautiful patio area that is covered by umbrellas. It is a great place to enjoy some outdoor brunch with a great vibe. One of the best environments I have been to! Most brunch places are packed at noon on a Saturday, but we were seated right away on their patio. This is a hidden gem if I have ever seen one!

Alcohol/Bottomless Mimosas?: It is BYOB! Bring all the champagne and orange juice you want for Mimosas. Also, other people even brought their own bottles of water since they do charge you $1 per bottle of water they provide. 

What I ate: We make a lot of tough decisions in our life: where to go to college, where to get a job, where to live, and etc, but picking an item off of this menu was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life. Every single plate that came by our table looked delicious, which made my decision very difficult. After much thought, I went with the "Farmer," which is a "Gourmet Crepe" with grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, and fresh mozzarella with a side salad with balsamic dressing. I have never had a crepe before, so this dish was a little risky, but it did not disappoint! Have you ever gotten sad when you finished a really good dish? This is what happened with my meal as it was one of the best I ever had. 

It's so beautiful!

Menu Options: This place has it all, featuring American and French cuisine! From sweet crepes all the way to delicious looking omelets, I would have been satisfied with anything on the menu. They have a starter fruit bowl with almost any fruit you could imagine that would be great with larger tables. My fiancée had to calm me down as I would stare at every single dish that was brought by because they all looked so good. I really need to stop before I end up going there every day and spending all my money...

Price: $$ (Average of $10 a meal). 

Pro Tip: Enhance your experience here by going on a nice summer afternoon and sit on their patio, it is beautiful! Also, don't forget it is BYOB and bring your own water bottles! Also, invite me when you go because I need to go back. 

Overall Rating: 10/10.

My only complaint about Cafeé Mona is that I was tortured my entire time there by great looking food continuing to go by me (I wanted a little of everything). I have zero complaints about this brunch and it should move to the top of your list of places to try. I may have to take a couple weeks off from my "Let's Brunch" segments because I will definitely be back to Caffeé Mona to try more of their menu!!!

Have brunch spots you think we should try? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

-Aaron (AKA: Big Brunch Guy), TGYK