My husband and I are running the Cleveland marathon may 19 and looking for a place to have a quality pasta meal the night prior. We are staying downtown and will have a car, but will not want to travel too far. Made a reservation at Chinato, but i am not sure if this is the best pick. Does not need to be a fancy meal. Thanks for any recommendations you can provide

I think anywhere that is pretty lively will be fine with a seven month old. Of the top of my head -- thinking about Dinette, BRGR, and Verde. Lots of kiddos always at Point Brugge -- but either come early or late or there will be a wait.

monterey bay is now located at the Monroeville Mall

We were going to go to Bona Terra, but they are on vacation the weekend of our anniversary. Places we like -- Legume, dinette, point brugge, dish, cafe d'jour, toast, eleven -- but would like to go somewhere we either have not tried or have not been for a while (and on the "nicer" side preferred). Any thoughts on the Cross Keys Inn? Any other suggestions?

If you like Indian -- Tamarind in Oakland has a yummy lunch buffet with a number of veggie options (Indian in general is pretty good in Pittsburgh and always veg friendly). I also have been loving Dinette, which is near whole foods in East Liberty -- serves apps, salads, pizzas -- a bit pricey, but very, very good -- open for dinner only. Nearby are also two Ethiopian restaurants and the relatively new (and also pricey) Richard Chen. In squirrel hill, I always like Bangkok Balcony and the silk elephant (thai based with same owners). Toast is a newish restaurant on Centre ave with small menu but has veggie and fish options in all coursed -- need a reservation there. Restaurants are becoming more and more veggie friendly in the burgh -- you should have no problem.

I agree. The Point Breeze/Shadyside/Squirrel Hill areas are all very convenient to CMU and have walkable areas for shops and restaurants. We live in Point Breeze and I frequently walk to both Shadyside and Squirrel Hill when the weather is nice. An added bonus of these areas are that there are multiple city parks within walking distance -- Frick, Schenley, Mellon. The communities are a mix of different people -- sometimes even depends on the specific street -- some streets are more populated by college students, etc, and others are habited by long term residents, families, etc. My husband and I work at UPMC and although many of our colleagues commute in from the suburbs, we love living in the "city." And as the above responder mentioned -- Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's are all very close to these areas.

My husband and I ate there 9/12/08. We did not have any major services issues as others have noted -- in fact, they the servers may have been a bit TOO attentive at times. We enjoyed the food but were not "wowed" by anything. We thought the restaurant had a nice ambience and had a pleasant time overall -- though it won't be on the top of my list to run back. I think there are many other restaurants in Pittsburgh at that price point which are more impressive. We ordered spring rolls, a hot and sour soup, an asian pear salad, duck entree, steamed cod entree, green beans side, steamed brown rice, and a panna cotta for dessert. All the food plus two glasses of wine and one cocktail came to $135. I don't think the prices are that high (especially after living in San Francisco for two years), but I was hoping for a little more excitement.

The Sheraton does have a complimentary shuttle that runs every half hour or so and will take you to anywhere down Carson street -- so don't worry so much about keeping destinations within 1/2 mile -- they will also pick up. I had guests for my wedding stay at that hotel 9/05 and the shuttle took people to and from my rehearsal dinner. For nice restaurants in the area, I agree with Dish. Cafe Du Jour is also great in the summer,fall with a beautiful outdoor patio -- food is good, service laid back (BYOB though). The Southside has a plethora of bars of all types for late night -- depends on the atmosphere you prefer. For hipster dive, try Dee's, Fatheads has a good beer selection, but bar area can be pretty crowded. Lots of other options too -- just stroll down the street and check them out. Beware the smoking in bars, though, can be a bit off-putting after awhile. Have fun.

Coming into LA area from SF August 18-19 to visit my sister and brother-in-law. I would like to treat them to a nice dinner and get them out of Sherman Oaks for an evening -- but don't want to totally break the bank. Pricing of $20-$35 for entrees would be a good ballpark. After searching the boards, I was inclined to pick Opus or AOC, but my sis is not a very adventurous eater, so I don't think she would be game for tasting menus, etc. Is Opus as good off the menu? Other suggestions?

Planning to take two of my friends visiting from Durham, NC to a few Sonoma wineries on Sunday July 29. I have looked at the multitude of posts on CH recommending Sonoma wineries, and I decided to simplify our trip by sticking to one of the above two routes. I am still a bit overwhelmed with narrowing down the choices. Hoping to stop at 3 to 5 wineries. My friends are by no means wine experts, so I am looking more for friendly spots with nice scenery, etc. over award-winning wines (but tasty wine too would be a bonus). Not looking for a particular varietal. We plan to bring food and picnic at one place -- so at least one winery which allows guests to picnic is a must. Any suggestions on which of the above routes to take -- and which wineries you would choose. Thanks for your help.

Both times I have been to Pho Tu Do --on Clement and 12th or so-- it has been great. The Pho is very inexpensive and good. There are also many other options -- some more authentic than others. Was there with a group of 6 on last visit and everyone enjoyed the meal. The owner is always around and very enthusiastic

I live in San Francisco right now, but plan to be back in Pburgh in a year or so. While in Pittsburgh from 2000-2006 -- some places my husband and I liked ;

cafe du jour on the south side
La Filipiano in Lawerenceville
Kaya in strip (sometime hit or miss, but mostly good)
Lidia's
Indica (nicer scale Indian in Oakland)
Point Brugge in Point Breeze - a little trendy but good mussels, salads, frites
Bangkok Balcony - Thai in Squirrel Hill
Girasole in Shadyside
Agree with Bona Terra
Red Room in Easts LIberty -- also pricey but very good and nice bar
Zarra's -- old school Italian but pretty good

Actually, I think the "uncoolness" of Pittsburgh is what makes it great. There is plenty of art, food, music to be had, but you may have to put a bit more effort in to find it. Just moved from Pittsburgh to San Francisco about 8 months ago -- The plethora of excellent dining in SF is great, but sometimes overwhelming! Also, the "hip" places are always too crowded and you need to plan weeks in advance to get weekend reservations. We actually miss some of our regular spots in Pittsburgh -- and are probably moving back in a little over a year. Seems like lots of the responders to this post are ex-pittsburghers with nostalgia. Anyway, to respond to the question at hand -- one of the cooler spots for dinner and/or drinks (in my opinion) is Red Room on the corner of South Highland and Center. Always has been non-smoking, has nice lounge area and bar, and really good food. Ate there on a visit in December and the food was as good as anything I have had in SF. Prices are high for Pittsburgh, but on par with DC/NYC. Other places we always like are Cafe Du Jour on the South Side (better in warm weather on the patio) for more casual and BYOB, La Filipiano in Laweranceville for Filipino or Thai and the nicest servers ever, Point Brugge in Point Breeze for mussels and belgian beer. Many more too -- just off the top of my head.

Kaya in the strip district always has several veggie options in apps and entrees (caribbean influenced food), La Filipiano in Lawrenceville has a split filipino/thai menu with multiple veggie choices and a nice outdoor garden that is open in warm weather

Had brussels sprouts twice this week. Once at Luella -- agree that they were great --- but even better at Bella Trattoria on Geary -- fabulous -- prepared with garlic, pine nuts and pancetta. It was a special starter, so not sure if on the menu every night.