Pittsburgh best restaurant thread (White Oak, Lawrenceville: school, food, parking)

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Alla Famiglia's website is very impressive. Again I'm surprised that no one's mentioned this restaurant in the previous restaurant threads. Reminds me a little of the now 30 year closed Erculiani's Restaurant in Gallitzen.


Also no listing in the AAA tour guide.

I’ve mentioned this in other threads that discussed Allentown. Not specific foodie thread’s however.

Monterrey pub on the Northside used to be really good as well. They closed and are under new ownership since they’ve reopened. I haven’t been there with the new owners.

Pittsburgh city lacks the good coney type diners. Like the Central Diner out in Robinson on Rte 60.

[jea6321]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Pittsburgh city lacks the good coney type diners. Like the Central Diner out in Robinson on Rte 60.

you have Dons diner in woods run, Lindos and allegheny sandwich shop in east allegheny, J and J on mt washington and micro diner is supposed to be reopening soon, olearys in south side, Kelly O's and delucas the strip, Ritters in Bloomfield, Nancys in wilkinsburg, Johnnys in the west end, barbs in lawrenceville and im sure im missing a few others.

Most neighborhoods with a business district have a diner. I think south side could support 1-2 more.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by jea6321

you have Dons diner in woods run, Lindos and allegheny sandwich shop in east allegheny, J and J on mt washington and micro diner is supposed to be reopening soon, olearys in south side, Kelly O's and delucas the strip, Ritters in Bloomfield, Nancys in wilkinsburg, Johnnys in the west end, barbs in lawrenceville and im sure im missing a few others.

Most neighborhoods with a business district have a diner. I think south side could support 1-2 more.

Ritters is probably the closest to what I was thinking. Nothing wrong with the other places you mentioned. I really like the Allegheny Sandwich Shop is good for breakfast but it wasn’t really what I was thinking as a Coney Diner. Tom’s Diner and Ritters would be the closest. I agree the southside could use more of these places.

When I think of a coney diner it is pretty much 24 hours with three good American style meals a day. Extensive menu with Greek, Italian and polish foods offered. With alcohol served.

Have you ever been to the Peppermill in Las Vegas? Something like that.

[RetireinPA]

problem with this, there is no answer. and I do not believe that 'best' dovetails with 'priciest'. a lot of these avant guarde chefs have their heads so far up the patootie trying to out weird each other by putting jalapeno/strawberry jam chutney in the lasagna, its inedible.


that being said, I am not going to live long enough to try all the restaurants, and sometimes the reviews are not even close. couple years back I entered into google best mexican food in pittsburgh and got a place - heck I dont know where, somewhere up behind mt washington where the buses emerge from underground. we went in and were the only english speaking people in there. ok, I like a challenge and ordered - and it was authentic as hell - a lot like my mom was making her final years living in AZ/NM. she taught ESL to all the immigrants wanting to work casinos and they taught her to cook inside corn husks. it was good but reality is, americans eat tex mex. anyways the place was a total dump aesthetically and given the 'best' monikers by some traveling hikers who ate the same on their last cocaine run.


so here are my takes: doms pizza in trafford. for someone who lived in ct/ny it is the closest to nyc pie you will find here and we tried since we moved her. growing up here, I never ate much pizza cuz, it just wasnt good. You found some good places in sq hill (the trinity: napolis, aelios, mineos) but near irwin? marsala? grande? please.


johnnys in the 'ding for chicken parm. best chicken parm I have had to date, and that is after eating in little italy every time I went into the city


rodneys outside irwin..good all around but the fried zucchini is next level


acapulco in irwin for (tex)mexican. all around good plates and don patron in greensburg about the same (now owned by same people) El patron by the monroeville mall is good too but the chip sauce is too thin. plus, 'Rafe' at acapulcos is my spanish teacher to keep me current. he is actually colombian and when a baby his abuela took a pic of him next to the building where pablo escobars body lay on top of!


abruzzis near irwin is a good all around iti.


asian cuisine in monroeville/trafford plaza off mosside. 'Mei' and her husband make REAL good fried rice, the best S&S chicken I ever had, and her thai curry dishes and singapore mei fun rivals anything I have had yet - there is a thai restaurant in the strip, but closed most of 2020, aint been back and we found a good one near wexy, off 19. true good thai is hard in the burg.


hoagies/subs...they aint the biggest, but there is something about rudys. the monroeville one. I grew up eating at that one when the iti sub was $2.50...now its like $15 but still yummy and not a single worker in there was alive when I started eating there. the steeler game 2 fer special is gone due to plague.


burgers...aint found a place yet. ditto steaks. I got a gas grille and a blackstone so we roll our own...


where in the heck can I get jersey shore seafood around here? I like seared scallies and shrimp as much as the next guy..

[Reggiezz]

We're going to Amel's tomorrow. Best restaurant in the area, in my opinion. Since it's outside of Lawrenceville, 20 somethings never heard of it and it won't appear on their lists.

Diners? Bob's. He had more locations until the pandemic, but the Carnegie location is still open. But there are a million diners and you can't try them all.

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Have you ever been to the Peppermill in Las Vegas? Something like that.

many a time, the 6 egg omelettes are outstanding

[USC1986]

Originally Posted by Reggiezz

We're going to Amel's tomorrow. Best restaurant in the area, in my opinion. Since it's outside of Lawrenceville, 20 somethings never heard of it and it won't appear on their lists.

Diners? Bob's. He had more locations until the pandemic, but the Carnegie location is still open. But there are a million diners and you can't try them all.

Amel's is our favorite restaurant; my wife & I have been going there for over 20 years.
Just wish the parking situation was a bit better, but we manage.
Then again, I'm a parking nudge.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by RetireinPA

many a time, the 6 egg omelettes are outstanding

A restaurant like that is what I was referring to. Suburban Detroit has a lot of diners like what I speak of. They would be a hit here.

Here is a menu of the one place I ate in Hamtramck (Detroit suburb). Their food is excellent and their menu is huge. Open from 6 am to 4 pm Mon thru Saturday. A place like this in Pittsburgh would be a hit.

https://www.mainestreetrestaurant.com/menu

[RetireinPA]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

A restaurant like that is what I was referring to. Suburban Detroit has a lot of diners like what I speak of. They would be a hit here.

Here is a menu of the one place I ate in Hamtramck (Detroit suburb). Their food is excellent and their menu is huge. Open from 6 am to 4 pm Mon thru Saturday. A place like this in Pittsburgh would be a hit.

https://www.mainestreetrestaurant.com/menu

not anywhere near pitt, but the redline diner in fishkill NY, hagerstown diner off dual highway hagerstown md and fairgrounds diner just outside gate3 at the fairgrounds in carlisle...definitely dying breed

[gg]

Originally Posted by Copanut

My wife is more of a restaurant expert than I am. She finally took me to Alla Famiglia in Arlington. One of the best meals I've ever had. The place is kinda ritzy, but not to highfalutin n'at. And we weren't car jacked neither.

And it was packed on a Monday night, pretty good for this area.

Thanks. I hope to give it a try someday. Any recommendations on what to order?