Om Nom Nom: Pittsburgh Edition
April 20, 2018 7:57 AM Subscribe
I am a fairly recent transplant to Pittsburgh, and am in charge of planning a birthday celebration this Saturday night. For lack of better ideas, I'm thinking of doing a progressive style dinner, but am at a loss for where to go and what to order. So my new neighbors, what are your favorite nom noms and cocktails in this fabulous city?
Totally missed the boat on getting tickets to Matt & KIm at Mr. Smalls this Saturday, so I'm scrambling to plan a birthday celebration.
I'm open to all ideas, but currently thinking about doing a progressive style dinner around Pittsburgh. Looking for recommendations on favorite food and dranks around the city.
Thanks in Advance!
Totally missed the boat on getting tickets to Matt & KIm at Mr. Smalls this Saturday, so I'm scrambling to plan a birthday celebration.
I'm open to all ideas, but currently thinking about doing a progressive style dinner around Pittsburgh. Looking for recommendations on favorite food and dranks around the city.
Thanks in Advance!
Well hey there, new neighbor! Welcome to Pittsburgh!
I mostly know the East End, so that's where most of my recommendations are. I've tried to stick with places that are sufficiently "birthday fancy" but by no means is this a complete list of my favorite places. (I see you, Kelly's Lounge and Brillobox. Although now that I think of it, Kelly's DOES do great cocktails...)
-Mixtape in Garfield is AMAZING. They don't really do food beyond simple bar snacks, but their cocktails are excellent and also they have board games. Fun!
-If you're already on Penn Ave for Mixtape, Apteka is also worth a look. Their specialty is vegan Eastern European food (much better than it sounds--unless you're already a vegetarian, then it's EXACTLY as good as it sounds) and they also have great cocktail options.
-Spoon is kind of expensive for a full meal, but they make their own pasta and they do mostly small plates rather than huge courses, so it might be a good stop on the rotation, especially if you're already on Penn Avenue.
-Pizza Taglio does a mean oven fired pizza. They've got this spicy honey dipping sauce that is just perfect on everything.
-If you're cool with going a little spendier, the Whitfield at the Ace Hotel is pretty nice. They do some killer desserts, so this might be a nice place to sort of end up?
Also: this would be a little outside of the radius on the stuff I've already mentioned, and I normally wouldn't recommend trying to have a birthday night out in Lawrenceville on a Saturday BUT I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the late night happy hour at Dive Bar* in upper Lawrenceville. Half price apps and $2 off martinis (and drafts, I think?) between 9pm and 11pm and, for reasons I don't fully understand, I've never had to wait for a table.
*Note: NOT actually a dive bar. I have no idea why they picked this name. They are maybe the exact opposite of a dive bar. Anyway, have fun!
posted by helloimjennsco at 8:25 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
I mostly know the East End, so that's where most of my recommendations are. I've tried to stick with places that are sufficiently "birthday fancy" but by no means is this a complete list of my favorite places. (I see you, Kelly's Lounge and Brillobox. Although now that I think of it, Kelly's DOES do great cocktails...)
-Mixtape in Garfield is AMAZING. They don't really do food beyond simple bar snacks, but their cocktails are excellent and also they have board games. Fun!
-If you're already on Penn Ave for Mixtape, Apteka is also worth a look. Their specialty is vegan Eastern European food (much better than it sounds--unless you're already a vegetarian, then it's EXACTLY as good as it sounds) and they also have great cocktail options.
-Spoon is kind of expensive for a full meal, but they make their own pasta and they do mostly small plates rather than huge courses, so it might be a good stop on the rotation, especially if you're already on Penn Avenue.
-Pizza Taglio does a mean oven fired pizza. They've got this spicy honey dipping sauce that is just perfect on everything.
-If you're cool with going a little spendier, the Whitfield at the Ace Hotel is pretty nice. They do some killer desserts, so this might be a nice place to sort of end up?
Also: this would be a little outside of the radius on the stuff I've already mentioned, and I normally wouldn't recommend trying to have a birthday night out in Lawrenceville on a Saturday BUT I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the late night happy hour at Dive Bar* in upper Lawrenceville. Half price apps and $2 off martinis (and drafts, I think?) between 9pm and 11pm and, for reasons I don't fully understand, I've never had to wait for a table.
*Note: NOT actually a dive bar. I have no idea why they picked this name. They are maybe the exact opposite of a dive bar. Anyway, have fun!
posted by helloimjennsco at 8:25 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
A family friend runs owns this: http://www.gilliganssorbet.com/
I'm not from PGH (My parents are), but have visited many times. Get a couple pints of sorbet, find a park, enjoy.
posted by bonofasitch at 8:41 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm not from PGH (My parents are), but have visited many times. Get a couple pints of sorbet, find a park, enjoy.
posted by bonofasitch at 8:41 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
Mineo's Pizza in Squirrel Hill. Your taste buds will thank you.
posted by Fister Roboto at 8:50 AM on April 20, 2018
posted by Fister Roboto at 8:50 AM on April 20, 2018
Pittsburgh has an issue with fine dining being way overcrowded during peak times. You will wait for a table pretty much anywhere that is a "white tablecloth" typed restaurant. If I don't have reservations, I always have a back-up in mind for when I get there and they say "It'll be 45 minutes."
Jumping off from helloimjennsco above, here's some other Penn Ave. establishments that I'd think would be easier to get a table in than Apteka and Spoon (Mixtape gets my wholehearted endorsement and also they provide their staff a living wage and there's no tipping):
Appetizers: Spak Bros. vegan and regular wings. If you have vegetarians in your party, they need to have some of them vegan wings.
Main course: Tram's Kitchen is hole-in-the-wall pho and other Vietnamese food.
Dessert: Roll down the hill to Naturoll on Butler for rolled ice cream
After Dinner Drinks and munchies: Mixtape
Or here's a Highland Ave. version:
Appetizers: Mad Mex for chips, dips, drinks
Main course: Noodlehead
Dessert: Millie's
After Dinner Drinks: Kelly's Bar & Lounge (around the corner on Penn)
Butler Ave. version (again, thinking of places you might reasonably get a seat in in a non-ridiculous span of time):
Appetizers: Allegheny Wine Mixer
Main Course: Banh Mi and Ti
Dessert: Butterwood Bake Consortium
After Dinner Drinks: Like take your pick, man.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:22 PM on April 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
Jumping off from helloimjennsco above, here's some other Penn Ave. establishments that I'd think would be easier to get a table in than Apteka and Spoon (Mixtape gets my wholehearted endorsement and also they provide their staff a living wage and there's no tipping):
Appetizers: Spak Bros. vegan and regular wings. If you have vegetarians in your party, they need to have some of them vegan wings.
Main course: Tram's Kitchen is hole-in-the-wall pho and other Vietnamese food.
Dessert: Roll down the hill to Naturoll on Butler for rolled ice cream
After Dinner Drinks and munchies: Mixtape
Or here's a Highland Ave. version:
Appetizers: Mad Mex for chips, dips, drinks
Main course: Noodlehead
Dessert: Millie's
After Dinner Drinks: Kelly's Bar & Lounge (around the corner on Penn)
Butler Ave. version (again, thinking of places you might reasonably get a seat in in a non-ridiculous span of time):
Appetizers: Allegheny Wine Mixer
Main Course: Banh Mi and Ti
Dessert: Butterwood Bake Consortium
After Dinner Drinks: Like take your pick, man.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:22 PM on April 20, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for some great ideas!
Not really concerned about places being too full, we are laid back, in it for the adventure and have no problem enjoying some drinks or going somewhere different if the wait becomes a problem...but we have hours to complete this task.
posted by Hoosierbebe at 12:27 PM on April 20, 2018
Not really concerned about places being too full, we are laid back, in it for the adventure and have no problem enjoying some drinks or going somewhere different if the wait becomes a problem...but we have hours to complete this task.
posted by Hoosierbebe at 12:27 PM on April 20, 2018
OH JEEZ. Too late for the party, but I see now that I have said "Spoon" when I actually meant "Spork". (Spoon is fine, but Spork is what I actually wanted to promote.) The fact that there are two similarly named places within approximately a mile of each other melts my brain sometimes. Either way, I hope you had a good night out!
posted by helloimjennsco at 11:23 AM on April 30, 2018
posted by helloimjennsco at 11:23 AM on April 30, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
Do you have particular food preferences or restrictions? There are so many options.
Don't miss Apteka.
posted by jon1270 at 8:17 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]