Before I get into the good eatin' in Pittsburgh, which is the subject of this diary, I wanted to point out an entry that I missed in Part Six, which was Museums & Cultural Activities.
August Wilson Center for African American Culture: This center, named after the two-time Pulitzer winning playwright & Pittsburgh native, was just recently finished & opened in Downtown's Cultural District. Its' two stories and green design houses multiple galleries, classrooms, community rooms, and a theater. I think their inaugural season commences in September, but swing by for a look around. There may also be some August performances taking place.
Thanks to Pandoras Box for reminding me about this!
Culinary Delights
Obviously there are hundreds of places to eat in Pittsburgh and this list is going to be far from comprehensive in that sense. What it will be is a list of my favorite places to dine in the ‘Burgh, 'cuz damn it, I have pretty good taste. (Plus I’ve taken plenty of friends and visitors to these restaurants and they enjoyed them as well).
A number of them lack websites that I can point you to, so for those, I’ve included their addresses as well. Bon appétit! (Oh, and let me say up front, by way of an UPDATE -- people are posting alternatives in the comments, so make sure you browse through those to hear about alternative opinions and places I've left out!).
Bloomfield
Tram’s Kitchen (4050 Penn Avenue – a real hole in the wall, easy to miss): This is a tiny Vietnamese restaurant, maybe 12 or 15 tables in total. But if you have to wait for a seat, trust me, it’s worth it. Whatever you choose for your entrée, I recommend starting with the Fresh Spring Rolls as an appetizer. They’re yummy!
Oh yeah, it’s cash only. So be prepared with some green.
Downtown
Christos Mediterranean Grill (130 6th Street – only a block or so from the 6th St./Roberto Clemente Bridge): This is probably my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. The owner was the personal chef of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The food is delicious. And Christos also serves the Jackie-O cake, which was apparently her personal favorite. I recommend the Athena Chicken, but everything on the menu is authentic Greek cuisine and food doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s a small place that can get a little cramped when busy. There is a small patio where you can eat outside as well. This is my MUST EAT HERE pick. Show Christos some love!
White House portrait of Jackie Kennedy
East Liberty
Abay Ethiopian Cuisine: Abay opened five years ago as the first Ethiopian restaurant in Pittsburgh. Your meal will come served on injera, which is Ethiopian flatbread. Instead of eating with utensils, you tear off a piece of the bread and scoop up a portion of your entrée with it. In addition to traditional Ethiopian fare, they offer some Pan-African fusion dishes unique to Abay.
Garfield
People’s Indian Restaurant (5147 Penn Avenue): There are at least three Hindu temples in the Pittsburgh Metro area, so it stands to reason that there are many Indian restaurants as well. Next to Greek/Mediterranean, Indian is probably my favorite cuisine and People’s is my favorite Indian restaurant in Pittsburgh. The fare is primarily northern Indian and delicious. Stop by for an all you can eat lunch buffet!
Oakland
Crepes Parisiennes (207 S. Craig St.): Another hole in the wall with limited seating. But if you like French crepes & breakfast food, squeeze in and pig out. They’re good.
Lu Lu Noodles (400 S. Craig St.): Think Globally. Act Locally. Eat Noodles. (As some of their T-shirts say). Fantastic noodle place. I regret not eating there more often than I did.
Union Grill (413 S. Craig St.): Upscale Americana. ‘Tis good.
Kiva Han (corner of Forbes & Craig): Great independent coffee shop & eatery. Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood and flip the Starbucks across the street the bird.
Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream (207 Atwood St): This store was listed by USA Today as one of the top 10 non-chain ice cream shops in 1998. It’s been a staple of Pittsburgh desserts since 1983.
Primanti Brothers: Primanti Brothers started out as a lunch stand during the Great Depression and today has restaurants all over the city. They are known for their sandwiches, which consist of the normal fare (meat, cheese, etc...) topped with cole slaw and French fries. Either you love it or you hate it, but if you’ve never had it, give it a try.
The Original Hot Dog Shop (or The O for short; 3901 Forbes Ave.): Very greasy, a little bit dirty, and 100% vintage Pittsburgh. Buy a basket of fries the size of your head for about $3 and wash them down with a 40oz. Hoo-rah!
The Original Hot Dog Shop (photo by HoboJones; CC license)
Regent Square
The Square Café: Independently-owned, community-active, fabulous little place for breakfast or lunch. Go there, or be square.
South Side
Kassab’s (1207 East Carson St.): Yummy and cheap, stop here for Lebanese if you’re hungry while strolling around Carson St.
Baba D’s (2126 East Carston St.): Haven’t eaten here myself, but a good friend swears by it. It’s Syrian cuisine. I think they may also have a store in Oakland, on Craig St.
El Taco Loco (2512 East Carston St.): This address is a new location for the restaurant and I haven’t been there. But their previous incarnation had wonderful Mexican – in my opinion the best in the city.
Zenith: I haven’t said much about vegetarian options, though they are available at many of the establishments mentioned above (though probably not the O). Zenith, however, is strictly vegetarian and pretty funky to boot. It’s housed inside an antique shop where the table you sit at is also for sale.
Piper’s Pub: Irish/British fare. They serve Guinness Stew. ‘Nuff said.
Squirrel Hill
Pamela’s: Home-grown, tasty breakfast food. They have restaurants all over the city. If you swing by the one in Squirrel Hill, get there early or you’ll be waiting in line.
Sree’s: Another fantastic Indian restaurant run by a great family. I believe it's a bit more Southern Indian in its cooking. They’ve got a few locations. Check out the link for hours, etc...
Napoli’s: In my opinion, best pizza in Pittsburgh. Hands down. I had the good fortune to live right around the corner from them. Not a lot of seating though, so you may need to get it to go.
Bangkok Balcony: I’m really not into Thai food much myself, but if you are, give Bangkok a shot. It’s got a nice second floor overlook of Forbes Ave and decent food. There are about five or six other Asian restaurants within 200 feet of here (really, it’s overkill) if this particular place is packed or doesn’t suit you.
Chaya: I’m not a big sushi guy either, but I’ve been told this is the best in Pittsburgh. They are only open from 5pm to 9:45pm Mon-Sat, so plan accordingly.
Aladdin’s: Somewhat of a regional chain, Aladdin’s is another good choice for vegetarians, though they have meat dishes too. Very tasty Middle-Eastern. I recommend the Falafel Pitza (falafel and hot peppers on a toasted pita drizzled with tahini sauce). Aladdin's also has a nice selection of desserts. Besides baklava and lady fingers (which are made fresh and very yummy/sticky from the honey), they have a great selection of cheese cakes. And since I've already breached the topic...
Now for Dessert! (Still in Squirrel Hill)
Gullifty’s (1922 Murray Ave.): Sort of a high-end diner. It’s a nice place, and good because it’s open pretty late, but I don’t recommend the food. It’s over-priced and under-portioned in my opinion. But PLEASE, go here for dessert. I recommend their Triple Chocolate Cake. Don’t leave Pittsburgh without trying it!
Dozen: Dozen opened their first store in Squirrel Hill about a year before I moved away and has since opened three or so more locations around the city (one of which is downtown). They serve some breakfast and brunch foods, but are primarily a bakery. You have never eaten a cupcake as good as one from Dozen. And if cupcakes aren’t your thing, try another pastry because their chef is awesome.
GET IN MY BELLY! (photo by Dozen)
If you’re looking for a good coffee house, you can try the 61C Café (named after the bus line that runs through Squirrel Hill) or Coffee Tree Roasters around the block on Forbes Ave.
61C at the Corner of Forbes & Murray, Squirrel Hill
COFFEE!
Waterfront (& Station Square)
Bar Louie: Another good place for Americana and it is also, well, a bar. There is one at the Waterfront, which is a huge shopping complex constructed on the site of abandoned steel mill lands along the Mon River. There are a zillion other restaurants down there, all the big names like P.F. Chang’s, Red Robin, TGIFriday’s, Uno Chicago Grill, etc... There is also a 20-something screen cinema and an Improv, in case you are looking for entertainment.
The second Bar Louie is at Station Square, just across the Mon from Downtown. I mention this because there are a few other restaurants in that complex (including a Hard Rock Café and the Melting Pot, which serves four-course fondu dinners). There is also a Funny Bone, and a number of night/dance clubs for those so inclined.
Inside the shopping complex of Station Square, at least last time I was there, was a store with lots of Steelers' memorabilia (and there is/was another of these Steeler-centric stores in the Strip District as well).
Okay, I’ve started drifting from the topic of food, so I guess this diary is done. Eat lots. Do it for me. I miss home!
P.S. ...
Strip District
I haven't eaten in the Strip often, although I've grabbed fudge and candy at a couple of the confectionaries. So I'll leave it to cmhmd who left this comment in a previous diary.
I know you have culinary delights coming out, but in case I don't get back here...
The strip District is the place to be. Ask the hotel people how to get there.
The Pennsylvania macaroni company has a tremendous selection of cheeses and Italian goodies.
Parma sausage company-only open until three-has tremendous sausages and hams made on the premises including prosciutto, soppresetta, and much more.
But the ultimate is Wholey's fishmarket. Walk through the door make a sharp left turn in order to get terrific fish and shrimp and clams. And get buttermilk to wash it down with-my personal preference.
Obama ate and loved the pancakes at Pamela's and DeLucas has out of this world omelets.
There's lots more, but it's a great way to spend a morning.
Past and Future Diaries (Posted Mondays and Wednesdays)
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2A: Pgh History through 1800
Part 2B: (Soon) Pgh History 1800 through 1900
Part 2C: (Soon) Pgh History 1900 through the Present Day
Part 3: If You Do Nothing Else, Do This ...
Part 4: Cool Things Close to Pittsburgh
Part 5: For Sports Fans
Part 6: Museums & Cultural Activities
Part 7: For the Kids (or the Kid Inside)
Part 8: ---Today's Diary---
Part 9: (Mon 8/10) Outdoor Activities
Part 10: (Optional) Anything forgotten or that doesn’t fit above
Pittsburgh Point of Interest #8: Speaking of desserts, the Clark Bar and the Klondike Bar both got their start in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And while it’s not a dessert (or a vegetable), Heinz Ketchup (and the Heinz Company itself) got their start in Pittsburgh (but you probably already knew that).
Inauguration Cupcake (photo by Dozen)