Pittsburgh Restaurants - Focus on the Strip District
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 Location: Pittsburgh, PA (well, nearby anyway)
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Hi, I'm a local Pittsburgh fan and I know downtown and the environs very well. If you were at Anthrocon last year, then you know the food at the convention center is pretty typical CC food - overpriced and mediocre. It's a little more varied than it was ten years ago, as they do serve more salads and more kinds of sandwiches. So if you don't want to live on pizza and hot dogs, you don't have to. Looking for good, cheap food? If the weather is good, walk up to the Strip District. It's less than a mile away (the hotels can point you in the right direction). It's a pretty cheap cab ride if you don't want to walk. Bus service is fairly frequent over there as well; just ask. The Strip District has cheap restaurants, bars, food carts and food stores, particularly oriental stores and fresh fruits and vegetables. http://pittsburgh.diningguide.com/dl1sd.htm Much as I am a fan of Whole Foods, you really don't need to go out there if you're looking for fresh stuff or cheese. PA Macaroni is about the best place to buy cheese and deli goodies in the region. http://www.pennmac.com/page/34 So while there's almost no place in downtown proper to buy party supplies (except for one of the many drug stores, which are good places to buy paper goods and two liter bottles of soda), the Strip District is close enough that it doesn't really matter. Places to eat in the Strip include: Kaya - Caribbean Eleven - Upscale (absolutely worth it - one of the few completely non-smoking restaurants in the area) Pamela's - The city's best breakfast. Primanti Brothers - Makes fan-sized sandwiches and puts fries and slaw on the sandwiches. But you can have that on the side if you ask nicely. Roland's Seafood Grille - Big menu featuring seafood and a great 2nd floor balcony overlooking the strip for people-watching. Mon Amiee Chocolat - Best chocolate in the city, a little pricey but worth it. There are many bakeries and coffee houses all over the strip, so if you want something other than Starbucks, you'll find it. Most of the stores/restaurants are between 16th and 22nd street on Penn Avenue. There are a few places on Smallman (also, nightclubs if you are so inclined). A note on costumes: If you go to the Strip, especially on Saturday, you might leave the fur in your hotel room (especially tails). I'm not just saying this to be bitchy, I'm saying this because the Strip is wall-to-wall people on Saturday. Imagine being crammed in the tightest elevator with many strangers, and that's the way many blocks of the strip are on Saturday, especially between about 9 and 3. At other times, it's not quite so much of an issue, but it would be on Saturday. So don't say you weren't warned! |
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Thanks Laurie!
We did find a couple of gems along Penn ave. What we're really looking for is some place that will deliver decent, non-pizza food to the hotel, Chinese would be GREAT (I've got a cadre of hungry and harried artists to feed).
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David M Stein, DI
"Not Unlike the Toaster, I Control the Darkness"
-- Abby Normal, "You Suck"
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There is pathetically little Chinese in downtown (at least that's any good). There's at least one Chinese restaurant in the Strip, but I don't know if it delivers. There are a few walk-up Chinese food booths in the Strip.
The best Chinese food in the area is up in Shadyside or Squirrel Hill, a fairly short drive from where you are. Sadly, there's no real dim sum anywhere around, though these two both have nice appetizers.
http://www.chinapalacepittsburgh.com/takeoutmenu.pdf
http://search.cityguide.aol.com/pittsburgh/restaurants/new-dumpling-house/v-107690075
As for downtown, I do recommend both Lemon Grass (a Thai Place down on Sixth, about a half mile from where you will be http://search.cityguide.aol.com/pittsburgh/restaurants/lemon-grass-cafe/v-107696354 ) and a Cambodian place on First except I've completely spaced on the name of it.
Wheel Deliver DOES deliver to downtown hotels!!
http://www.wheeldeliver.net/
This will give you more options.
I can recommend any of the following places that they deliver from:
Quaker Steak wings/burgers, great onion rings
Ali Baba excellent middle Eastern food
Fuel & Fuddle burgers, salads
Joe Mama's Italian Huge portions of Italian favorites
Kaya Caribbean
Mad Mex Tex-Mex
Napoli's Pizzeria Excellent pizza
Spice Island Tea House Interesting pan-Asian food
Uncle Sam's Big subs and fries
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permalinkLocation: Harrisonburg, VA 22802
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Oooo, cool! I work for a place similar to Wheel Deliver, I kinda wondered if there was something similar up there.
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permalinkLocation: Pilot, VA
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There's a Jimmy John's sandwich shop about 5 blocks away at 506 Liberty Ave.
I gave them a call, as I've got a crew to feed as well - they have delivery (and said the Westin is no problem), and party platters are available. No giant subs at their shop, just the pre-cut platters (includes sides and stuff too).
For platters, she asked for 1 day advance notice.
www.jimmyjohns.com (forgive their excessive use of Flash)
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permalinkLocation: Bay Shore, New York: USA
!? Caribbean food? I'm sold.
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permalinkLocation: FL bradenton
I LIKE FOOD
thxs 4 teh info.
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Dave reminded me of a good place that's towards the Strip District but is only about three blocks from the hotel - Sushi Kim. http://www.sushikim.com/
Sushi, Japanese and Korean food and a buffet on the weekends at dinner time.
Good Restaurants Back Towards Downtown
Pittsburgh has had a building boom in good restaurants over the last few years.
I like the fish place in the Westin, but it's a little pricey. Ditto the bar (thought the ambiance is excellent). The food down the street at the Omni William Penn (home of the 1960 Worldcon, by the way) is excellent, and there are two cheap places on the Grant Street side (Brueggers Bagels and Amazon Cafe, as well as a Starbucks on the lobby side).
If you can escape the hotel briefly, Tonic is only a block away at the corner of Liberty and 10th. It has upscale food and interesting drinks; not cheap but not overpriced either. I think the downstairs is completely non-smoking.
http://www.tonicpittsburgh.com/lunch.html
The Sonoma Grille, is in the Marriott Courtyard about two blocks towards downtown on Penn from the Westin (http://www.thesonomagrille.com/DinnerMenu1.php?SECT=3).
Excellent wine selection, gread food, somewhat expensive.
I've read rave reviews of a new place another block towards town and across the street from there called Serviche (http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A30974 - their Web site is basically non-existent). It's supposed to be international tapas.
A new bar, August Henry, is in that area and it's not a bad place for a sandwich and a beer.
There are a number of good restaurants down on Sixth. I'd particularly point out Six Penn. Believe it or not, it's owned by the same company that runs Eat and Park restaurants, but it's quite good. While a nice restaurant, they feature a number of dishes (and desserts) that appeal to kids.
The best Thai place in downtown is Lemon Grass, which is on Sixth. There's a pretty good Greek place on Sixth. The Rennaisance Hotel has a fine restaurant (Opus) and a wine bar.
If you care about non-smoking restaurants in downtown, here's the list: http://www.nosmokedining.org/pittsburgh.htm
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At least part of the upstairs at Tonic is non-smoking as well, we had a party of 8 or 10 there last year and we were seated upstairs.
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