Share your local secrets... places to go, people to meet, and things to see. (Pittsburgh: home, neighborhood)

[Bizarbus]

So I've been living in Pittsburgh since August. I really enjoy the city so far but if there's one thing I learned while living in Baltimore for 4 years, the best part about a city are the amazing holes in the wall or other places you would normally overlook.

That's what I'm trying to discover now in the Burgh. Here are a few of my favorites in the area I've discovered in my short time here:

One of my absolute favorite things I've found at the moment is the East End Brewing Company ( East End Brewing Company - BUY A GOOD FRIEND A GOOD BEER (tm) ). I love this place. Super friendly guys and great, great beer.

Dependable Drive-in ( Dependable Drive In Theater - Home ) is great. Year round, double or triple features, cheap...

Most recently I discovered this little barbecue place on Babcock... The Flame Bar-B-Que ( Theflamebbq.com Home Page ). I love pulled pork and good barbecue, and this place definitely sated my hunger.

So share what you've discovered, where you like to go, and what you like to do around Pittsburgh!

[jay5835]

Favorite restaurants:
Lidia's (Italian). Strip District.
Piccolo Forno (Italian--best lasagne in town). Lawrenceville
Coriander (Indian). Squirrel Hill (where Kazansky's/Iz Cohen's used to be)
Dozen Bake Shop (sweets). Lawrenceville, S. Craig @ Forbes, and downtown.
Square Cafe (great brunch/lunch. Not open nights). Regent Square on S. Braddock.

combo food shopping/restaurant:
Penn Avenue Fish Market (Penn and 22nd, Strip District = restaurant & fish market; 308 Forbes, downtown = restaurant only, though if you call the fish market the day before, they can send fresh fish downtown for you to pick up). All the fish tacos you can eat, Tuesday, $8.99; all the sushi you can eat, Wednesday, $21.99.

Penn Mac (Penn between 21-22). Best cheese selection in town (though Whole Foods does not suck), and they have the lowest price in town for Parmigiano-Reggiano, $10.99 or $11.99.
Whole Foods(Centre Ave., E. Liberty) has a great cheese department, too. I'm afraid to post some of their lowest prices, because I'm afraid they'll raise them.

East Liberty has a lot of restaurants I have yet to try: Salt, Brgr, Spoon, more.

Squirrel Hill used to have good restaurants. Not so many I really like anymore.

I still want to try two bakeries whose names I don't remember, one in Lawrenceville, one in Millvale.

[Bizarbus]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Favorite restaurants:
Lidia's (Italian). Strip District.
Piccolo Forno (Italian--best lasagne in town). Lawrenceville
Coriander (Indian). Squirrel Hill (where Kazansky's/Iz Cohen's used to be)
Dozen Bake Shop (sweets). Lawrenceville, S. Craig @ Forbes, and downtown.
Square Cafe (great brunch/lunch. Not open nights). Regent Square on S. Braddock.

combo food shopping/restaurant:
Penn Avenue Fish Market (Penn and 22nd, Strip District = restaurant & fish market; 308 Forbes, downtown = restaurant only, though if you call the fish market the day before, they can send fresh fish downtown for you to pick up). All the fish tacos you can eat, Tuesday, $8.99; all the sushi you can eat, Wednesday, $21.99.

Penn Mac (Penn between 21-22). Best cheese selection in town (though Whole Foods does not suck), and they have the lowest price in town for Parmigiano-Reggiano, $10.99 or $11.99.
Whole Foods(Centre Ave., E. Liberty) has a great cheese department, too. I'm afraid to post some of their lowest prices, because I'm afraid they'll raise them.

East Liberty has a lot of restaurants I have yet to try: Salt, Brgr, Spoon, more.

Squirrel Hill used to have good restaurants. Not so many I really like anymore.

I still want to try two bakeries whose names I don't remember, one in Lawrenceville, one in Millvale.

Perhaps the bakery in Millvale is Jean-Marc? ( Jean-Marc Chatellier's French Bakery | Home ). My coworker was telling me about it just last week.

[BrianTH]

Hokkaido has a fairly decent all-you-can-eat mixed buffet, including passable sushi.

Duck Hollow is one of my favorite out-of-the-way places in Pittsburgh. There are trails along the river and up into Frick Park, a place people fish, an old railroad bridge, and a crazy little residential neighborhood that looks like it was transplanted out of Central PA.

[TelecasterBlues]

not really quite a secret, but the only truly good Mexican place around here is Mexico City over on Smithfield St. and Wood St. I think they also plan to open up a place on the South Side, it's completely worth a stop.

Mexico City Restaurant Downtown Pittsburgh on Smithfield St and Wood St

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Duck Hollow is one of my favorite out-of-the-way places in Pittsburgh. There are trails along the river and up into Frick Park, a place people fish, an old railroad bridge, and a crazy little residential neighborhood that looks like it was transplanted out of Central PA.

I googled Duck Hollow on a map and it took me to Glen Hazel, a bit away from Frick Park.

What would be some street names, intersections, etc., for checking Duck Hollow out on Google Maps?

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by Bizarbus

Perhaps the bakery in Millvale is Jean-Marc? ( Jean-Marc Chatellier's French Bakery | Home ). My coworker was telling me about it just last week.

Yes. That's it. h_curtis likes it a lot.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by TelecasterBlues

not really quite a secret, but the only truly good Mexican place around here is Mexico City over on Smithfield St. and Wood St. I think they also plan to open up a place on the South Side, it's completely worth a stop.

Mexico City Restaurant Downtown Pittsburgh on Smithfield St and Wood St

I like this, too. I prefer it to El Campesino foodwise, plus it's more convenient for me.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by jay5835

What would be some street names, intersections, etc., for checking Duck Hollow out on Google Maps?

McFarren, Ettwein, and Blackmore are the streets in Duck Hollow's residential part.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

McFarren, Ettwein, and Blackmore are the streets in Duck Hollow's residential part.

Thanks, Brian.