Two foodies and music fans moving from Chicago for about 3 years (Pittsburgh: condo, how much)

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by sskink

I tend to be in line with your recommendations in general. I haven't tried Sichuan Gardens since it was China Star (which moved up to McKnight) and How Lee used to suck *** gonads. Do either actually use Szechuan peppercorns in anything?

Both serve authentic Szechaun food - peppercorns and chili used with gay abandon. I eat hot food, and both can blow off my metaphorical socks. No taming down to local tastes in these establishments. I love them both.

And I'm going to Cure for dinner tonight - first time - excited

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by jay5835

When you say "Sichuan Gardens," do you mean Sichuan Gourmet at 1900 Murray Avenue? If so, I had two of the most mediocre Chinese meals of my life there recently. Extremely uninspired scallops one day (the cheap, probably chemicalized kind), and a chicken/broccoli/veg dish a week later that tasted like...nothing.

I am hoping you've found a place I don't know about called Sichuan Gardens, gortonator, but all I get is Sichuan Gourmet when I google "Sichuan Gardens 15217."

Doh - I do - braindead today reviewing work rubbish!! Sorry ...

They have a Chinese menu and a Szechuan menu. We've never ordered off the Chinese - I imagine that might be for the locals. The Szechuan food is fiery and dangerous and absolutely delicious. I nearly died in both pleasure and pain eating a seafood hot pot there.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by sskink

As Goodjules noted, ethnic is not a strong point. There are exceptions. But you're not gonna find Rick Bayless quality Mexican here nor much good mom & pop homestyle (IMO, Chicago is better for Mexican than LA, SF or NYC), nor great Chinese. There are decent taco joints, but only tacos. There are some good Sushi/Japanese and Thai places. We do have a Grant Achatz clone (Notion).

I consider the decent taco joints here to be meh to ok, but nothing like what I was used to when I lived in an area known as Little Michoacan in a Bay Area suburb. Maybe I just haven't tried the right ones yet. I have had some very good Vietnamese and Thai food here. Haven't tried any of the recommended Japanese or Chinese places yet. It is still hard for me to accept that I don't have four or five really good choices for Thai, Vietnamese, different Chinese cuisines, Korean, etc. within a few blocks of each other in more than one neighborhood like I did in SF. State liquor stores, humid summers, and much more limited dining options have been the most difficult adjustments I've had to make to life in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is doing fairly well economically. It's my hope that it attracts newcomers from other cultures and restaurants serving their cuisines will follow. The foodies thread has info on restaurants serving good ethnic food from around the world. There are many I'm planning to try.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, just pointing out what has been tough for me as it relates to the OP's questions.

[Frenemies]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

I consider the decent taco joints here to be meh to ok, but nothing like what I was used to when I lived in an area known as Little Michoacan in a Bay Area suburb. Maybe I just haven't tried the right ones yet. I have had some very good Vietnamese and Thai food here. Haven't tried any of the recommended Japanese or Chinese places yet. It is still hard for me to accept that I don't have four or five really good choices for Thai, Vietnamese, different Chinese cuisines, Korean, etc. within a few blocks of each other in more than one neighborhood like I did in SF. State liquor stores, humid summers, and much more limited dining options have been the most difficult adjustments I've had to make to life in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is doing fairly well economically. It's my hope that it attracts newcomers from other cultures and restaurants serving their cuisines will follow. The foodies thread has info on restaurants serving good ethnic food from around the world. There are many I'm planning to try.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, just pointing out what has been tough for me as it relates to the OP's questions.

Good input. I can see the lower quantity of places will be an adjustment. I don't have to walk more than a few blocks in my Chicago neighborhood to get some great food. That goes for other amenities like shopping, grocery, train access, etc. I doubt the weather will be much of an issue, since the two cities share a similar climate. State liquor stores will DEFINITELY be an adjustment though!

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Frenemies

Good input. I can see the lower quantity of places will be an adjustment. I don't have to walk more than a few blocks in my Chicago neighborhood to get some great food. That goes for other amenities like shopping, grocery, train access, etc. I doubt the weather will be much of an issue, since the two cities share a similar climate. State liquor stores will DEFINITELY be an adjustment though!

My best friend lives in Evanston and based on our conversations, Chicago seems to have a more extreme version of Pittsburgh weather. Similar patterns, but they seem to get more snow.

And much as I love Crafton, with a very few exceptions, the dining options here are pitiful. The surrounding communities are not much better. Other Pittsburgh neighborhoods have more and better choices. My town seems to be going through a phase where elderly homeowners have either passed away or have moved to assisted living and their houses are being bought by younger people. I'm hoping that will draw better dining options to the area. Mt. Lebanon and Brookline are not too far away and have more and better choices, but still nothing like you'd find in Chicago or SF. And, the idea of having to drive outside my neighborhood to find good restaurants is still pretty foreign to me. I did totally gut and remodel my kitchen when I moved in. That combined with the lack of options has gotten me to cook at home way more than I did when I lived in SF. I like to cook, but I had a monster commute that wore me out. 50+plus miles each way in Bay Area traffic (about 1.5 hours each way). With so many delicious cheap places to choose from it was easy to go out or get take out after a long day.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by Frenemies

State liquor stores will DEFINITELY be an adjustment though!

Stock up on the more obscure stuff you drink before you leave.

The vaunted PALCB "buying power" works well on low-end booze and wine. The "Chairman Selection" wines are OK for the most part (usually deals on overproduction from more obscure wineries) and good values. But if you like scotch or bourbon, be prepared to pay through the nose for anything top shelf.

If you're going to the Shadyside area, there's a PLCB Superstore nearby (only one of three in the region). The average state store (Fine Wines & Liquors) will have a miserable selection. Beer is historically bought only by the case from a distributor, but laws loosened up to allow six-pack shops with good selections, although there's a price premium (your typical microbrew IPA runs $11-$12 for a six, $32-$40 for a case, seasonals and special runs generally higher).

[Frenemies]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

My best friend lives in Evanston and based on our conversations, Chicago seems to have a more extreme version of Pittsburgh weather. Similar patterns, but they seem to get more snow.

And much as I love Crafton, with a very few exceptions, the dining options here are pitiful. The surrounding communities are not much better. Other Pittsburgh neighborhoods have more and better choices. My town seems to be going through a phase where elderly homeowners have either passed away or have moved to assisted living and their houses are being bought by younger people. I'm hoping that will draw better dining options to the area. Mt. Lebanon and Brookline are not too far away and have more and better choices, but still nothing like you'd find in Chicago or SF. And, the idea of having to drive outside my neighborhood to find good restaurants is still pretty foreign to me. I did totally gut and remodel my kitchen when I moved in. That combined with the lack of options has gotten me to cook at home way more than I did when I lived in SF. I like to cook, but I had a monster commute that wore me out. 50+plus miles each way in Bay Area traffic (about 1.5 hours each way). With so many delicious cheap places to choose from it was easy to go out or get take out after a long day.

Yea, I usually split cooking (which i greatly enjoy) and eating at/from restaurants about 50/50. Maybe I'll lean more towards cooking in Pittsburgh. It will be a hell of a day when we move back to Chicago after school and actually can PURCHASE a house/condo with a nice big kitchen conducive to cooking. Not that we haven't had nice apartments, but I want to be able to customize my kitchen when I actually own it. As far as the weather, I could be wrong but the data I looked up showed that Pittsburgh actually gets a little bit more snow. Not a big deal though. The roads are kept very clear in Chicago too when it snows, so I've kind of grown immune to worrying about weather. The winter lows at night are definitely colder in Chicago though more often, but you get used to it.

Originally Posted by sskink

Stock up on the more obscure stuff you drink before you leave.

The vaunted PALCB "buying power" works well on low-end booze and wine. The "Chairman Selection" wines are OK for the most part (usually deals on overproduction from more obscure wineries) and good values. But if you like scotch or bourbon, be prepared to pay through the nose for anything top shelf.

If you're going to the Shadyside area, there's a PLCB Superstore nearby (only one of three in the region). The average state store (Fine Wines & Liquors) will have a miserable selection. Beer is historically bought only by the case from a distributor, but laws loosened up to allow six-pack shops with good selections, although there's a price premium (you're typical microbrew IPA runs $11-$12 for a six, $32-$40 for a case, seasonals and special runs generally higher).

Damn. I'll be stocking up on six packs and cases of Three Floyd's, New Glarus and Goose Island.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by gortonator

And I'm going to Cure for dinner tonight - first time - excited

Be sure to try the duck speck, it's spectacular

[Goodjules]

The wine selection is better than I thought it would be, but then I imagined a soviet style store with weird off brands. The state stores near me look like nicer liquor stores you'd find in CA, but with higher prices and not nearly as good a selection. And they rarely have staff that know much about what they are selling. I generally drink wines with dinner in the $8-$12 a bottle range on a regular basis, with the occasional splurge for special occasions. I always buy the brands I like when they are on sale at $2-$3 off the regular price. The same wines in CA would cost $6-$10 a bottle, regular, not sale price. I realize that shipping would cause CA wine prices to be higher here, but not as high as they are at the regular prices in the state stores. The liquor prices are a lot higher than in CA. The brands I like are probably around 50% higher here. Honestly, between having to make a separate stop and the higher prices, I drink a lot less than I did in CA. I'm used to buying my alcohol with my groceries and getting great prices and a great and/or interesting selection at places like Costco and Trader Joe's. And in the Bay Area at least, most good stores or even grocery stores with good liquor departments have knowledgeable staff. One thing I like about the state stores here is that they frequently have manufacturer's reps giving samples. That was not allowed in CA.

[Goodjules]

After reviewing my posts on this thread I realize that Pittsburgh living has made me cook more at home and drink less. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining so much!