PghJen's Profile
Date: Bar/restaurant with "get close" seating i.e. sofas, couches, benches?
Downstairs at Toast or the bar at Eleven.
Best Spanish and Vietnamese in Pittsburgh
There's also Pho Kim 88 in Castle Shannon - Vietnamese and Japanese.
I need to buy some CANE SYRUP in Pittsburgh--any help?
I'm pretty sure the GE Market District has it - look in the British section of the International aisle.
Sababa recs?
Stopped in for lunch and it was a terrible experience. I've never had such bland food in my life - no salt, no flavor. It must be what Israeli hospital food tastes like. I ordered the falafel sandwich and despite it being green with herbs, it had little flavor and was dry. My dining companion ordered a kebab which was also bland. The service was poor.
Pittsburgh - Oakland area - need recs
You could also try Crepes Parisiennes on S. Craig St. for breakfast. Nice walk from your hotel.
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Crepes Parisiennes
207 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Gourmet Food Stores in Pittsburgh
Here are a few:
Uncommon Market: http://pittsburgh.citysearch.com/profile/8633204/pittsburgh_pa/uncommon_market.html
McGinnis Sisters: http://www.mcginnis-sisters.com/
Shadyside Market: http://www.theshadysidemarket.com/
As far as chains go, there's a Whole Foods, a few Williams-Sonomas, and the local Giant Eagle Market Districts: http://www.marketdistrict.com/home
His/her best bet is probably the Strip District: http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/thestrip/businessescat.html#markets
Hanukkah jelly donuts in Pittsburgh?
I believe the Dozen in Squirrel Hill has them. Try calling first.
Pittsburgh Italian Susage Sandwiches
Oops, missed the tavern part. Still a great sandwich though!
Pittsburgh Italian Susage Sandwiches
Ditto Sunseri's.
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Sunseri's
3385 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
The Istanbul Grille on Centre across from the Market District Giant Eagle in Shadyside seems to be closed too. Not sure if they're just closed for renovations or if it's permanent. They didn't have a sign posted regarding the close.
Any cool spots to drink in Pittsburgh?
For r&r I'd try the 31st St. Pub - they have a skull collection: http://www.31stpub.com/
For a small maybe not so trendy joint, I'd hit up Embury: http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/firstbites/archive/2009/04/28/embury.aspx
can anyone comment on Legume,Dinette or Toast in pittsburgh?
That's odd because I've had beer there. I've also seen others drinking it at the bar because I thought to myself "Why would you come here and order a Miller Lite...?"
Pgh Restaurant Closings/Changes
PG, do you know where in Oakland the coffee shop will be? This is exciting news!
Pittsburgh - looking for advice from the foodies (possibly moving here)!
Squirrel Hill: About a 10 minute bus ride to CMU. Also walkable/bikeable. Like everyone said, an eclectic mix of people. Lots of students/young professionals, lots of families. Wikipedia says half of the population is Jewish, but I kind of doubt that. There are several Kosher restaurants, a Kosher bakery, and a Kosher market. There is a grocery store (Giant Eagle) that's easy to walk to, but it's pretty bad. Really bad. Soul suckingly bad. Drive to Shadyside instead. Lots of pizza places, lots of Asian places too. Aladdin's is a chain but it's consistently good middle eastern food. There are quite a few ice cream places too.
Regent Square: Slightly farther from CMU than Sq. Hill. The main street has a few nice places to eat (Green Mango, Legume) and a great place to get beer (D's 6-Packs). I'm no expert but I would assume the real estate is more affordable than in Sq. Hill.
Shadyside: A somewhat posher section of the city...much flatter than Squirrel Hill. Easy bus access to CMU. The Walnut St. corridor has a fair amount of restaurants. Lots of cute stores and a few chains (Gap, J. Crew, etc.) There is a very nice Giant Eagle in Shadyside too. Parts of East Liberty border Shadyside and a lot of development is going on there. It started with Whole Foods and took off from there. There is a Trader Joe's nearby and also a new shopping development.
Southside: Mostly a young bar scene, seems really chaotic and every time I go there I wonder how people deal with living there. Parking is at a premium at night! A fair amount of bar-food type restaurants, but a few gems here and there (Fat Heads for good beer selection, Kassab's middle eastern).
Pittsburgh Chowhounders get shout out in PG
Here's my old, short review of Toast! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/562950
Dinette, Pgh
Thought they had really good pizza. Better than il Pizzaiolo, not as good as the departed Roberto's in Bellevue. Had the sausage/escarole pizza which was good. Tried someone's proscuitto/arugula which was even better. Fritto misto was fantastic. The pizzas are smaller than Pizzaiolo's, but with a slightly thicker crust. As far as it being worth the price...I feel it's a little on the high side, $12-$14 would be fairer. Saw someone's salad which looked very small for the price. They tout their menu as being as sustainable, organic, and local as possible but there were no mentions on the menu of where anything came from. Certainly no local avocados or parm-reg.
Fine dining in Pittsburgh next weekend?
You could try Toast Kitchen and Wine bar - they have a four course tasting menu for $45
http://www.toastkitchen-winebar.com/Menu.html
Toast! Kitchen and Wine Bar - Pittsburgh
Sure - I've had their roasted chicken which was fantastic. Crispy skin, great flavor. Also had the duck confit salad which was great. They have an orange roughy on the menu which is also good. The lamb ribs as a first course are excellent. I tried someone else's hangar steak which was good too. Crab cakes were just OK. Their portion sizes are just right - not gutbusters but you don't leave feeling hungry either.
As for the wines - everything is available by the glass, which is served in an 8 oz. (I think) carafe. There were roughly 15-20 wines available at the time I went, ranging from $7-$12 a glass. Wasn't paying attention to bottle prices. Unfortunately I'm not a wine connoisseur so I can't give you much more info on the wines. However the staff there were very knowledgeable.
Here's their URL: http://www.toastkitchen-winebar.com/
Toast! Kitchen and Wine Bar - Pittsburgh
I've had now two great meals at Toast! which is located in Baum Vivant's former space. Prices are reasonable and the food has been great. The space is comfortable and not pretentious. It's new so there are a few service kinks to be worked out, but overall it's a great new addition to the area.
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Toast! kitchen and wine bar
5102 Baum Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Private dining room for ~20 in Pittsburgh
Haha, you're right. Unfortunately Mio can only seat 16 comfortably, 18 if you squeeze, and that would involve some aggressive guest list trimming. I have heard mixed reviews about Eleven, has anyone been there lately?
Thanks for the other suggestions too.
Private dining room for ~20 in Pittsburgh
Looking for some brainstorming from my fellow Pgh-hounders. I am looking for a private dining room that can seat roughly 20-24 people for a sit down dinner wedding reception on a Saturday. I know of Mio and the Big Burrito options, but I'm wondering if anyone has other ideas. In terms of cuisine, I would prefer something American/Italian/Mediterranean. Indian/Mexican/Asian are unfortunately not options for this crowd. I won't say that price is not an option, but something in the range of Mio/Eleven is about as high as I'd want to go. I'd also like to stick to a 30 minute drive from the city if possible. Thanks!
Reyna's Foods Taco Cart - Pittsburgh
They really need to close off Penn Ave. and make it a pedestrian zone on Saturdays. There are more and more sidewalk vendors, sometimes on both sides of the sidewalks. Add that to people with strollers, dogs, and bikes, and the sidewalks have become impassible. It's getting to the point where you have to do during the week or at 7AM on a Saturday for the trip to be enjoyable.
Reyna's Foods Taco Cart - Pittsburgh
Just wanted to drop a note that Reyna's Mexican in the Strip now has a taco cart outside on Saturdays. The chicken tacos are fantastic - 2 for $5. Not sure if it's there any other days.
Pittsburgh-want good local food
Taco Loco has moved once again. Now it's adjacent to a bar on E. Carson (Old Mill Tavern or something of the like) and unfortunately I think it's gone downhill. They changed their guacamole for the worse - possibly packaged. Also their prices have gone up (I guess that's everywhere though) but to pay $15 for enchiladas verdes...they better be perfect. I don't think they have their limeade anymore either. Their chorizo taco was waaaay overseasoned to the point of being inedible.
What are the best tapas dishes in Pittsburgh?
I like the artichoke fritters at Ibiza.
Indian Spices in Pittsburgh?
There is the Bombay Mart in Oakland (326 Atwood Street, Pittsburgh (Oakland), PA 15213
412-682-2616). They have tons of spices in varying quantities, and also some cute Indian serving dishes.
Penzey's definitely carries Garam Masala as I have some at home. Their curry is fantastic, and I've also heard that their more expensive maharaja curry is great.
