Pittsburgh may not have been your first thought at a weekend getaway location, but it should- and we’ll show you why. Pittsburgh is located at the Western edge of Pennsylvania, at the intersection of three rivers, nestled in a river valley. The topography alone is enough to make you want to explore. There are quaint houses lining the steep hillsides, beautiful bridges everywhere you look, and an amazing amount of green to make you wonder if you’ve mistakenly emerged in the Pacific Northwest. I’d actually like to say that Pittsburgh comes across as the “Portland of the East” with its mix of hipster hangouts, avid bike culture, artist shops, and access to nature. But you do get the sense that there is something truly authentic-ly “Pittsburgh” about the city. Its gritty past is not hidden but celebrated, not only in the re-use of many industrial buildings along the Strip District, but also in the pride of the people creating a city that they love.

The specifics: Pittsburgh is located just over 2 hours from Cleveland (our starting point). If you’re flying, the airport is only 15 minutes outside of the city. I know this because it happens to be next to IKEA, which is a must if you’re driving.

Friday 8 pm: Biking for some Tacos + Margaritas

Because we stayed downtown (totally a priceline steal) and wanted to bike somewhere for a quick dinner, we chose the South Side, which is just across the river, about 5 minutes by bike. The South Side contains more restaurants and, more importantly, bars than perhaps anywhere else in the city. We weren’t interested in bar-hopping, but we had a great time at Yo Rita, a modern Mexican joint. The serene interior is an oasis amidst the stumbling late night party kids of Carson Street, and the food is killer. We shared three tacos (chorizo, trout, rabbit) and the most amazing grits I have ever tasted. The cocktail menu is adventurous, but I stuck with the special margarita of the day- fresh watermelon. Besides the uncomfortable bar stools that left you feeling as if you were going to fall backwards (this was even before the first cocktail), the experience was a good one. Keep in mind, on weekend nights you might want to get into and out of South Side early. Things can get a little crazy on the street.

Yo Rita, 1120 East Carson St., South Side, (412) 904-3557

Saturday 9am: Coffee and Donuts in The Strip District

Saturday turned out to be one of the most beautiful days of spring/early summer. We took full advantage of the trail along the river and biked down to the Strip District. From our hotel downtown, it took us about 10 minutes. I suggest parking the bike and wandering among the crowded streets. First up, we grabbed a half dozen mini donuts from Peace, Love & Little Donuts and sat down with some Intelligentsia (super good coffee) at 21st Street Coffee.

Peace, Love and Little Donuts, 2018 Smallman Street, Strip District

21st Street Coffee, 50 21st Street, Strip District, (412) 281-0809

Saturday 10-12: Strip District Exploring

After downing some coconut, maple-bacon and salty chocolate donuts, we began exploring the rest of the Strip, starting with Penn Avenue. This street is lined with all sorts of international shops, restaurants and markets. I love the energy of the place, and you can tell that this district is not just for tourists- Burghers were hurriedly getting to their favorite Saturday spots, be that slowly puffing on a corn cob pipe (hipsterific!) at 21st Street, diving into a stack of pancakes at Pamela’s, waiting patiently to order authentic (and delish) street tacos, or just rubbing elbows with the crowd moving along the strip. It seems to get busy pretty quickly, so expect a good wait at most of the favorites.

We happened upon a local market, Farmers@Firehouse, with awnings fixed to the side of the Firehouse Lounge. It was a small selection, but extremely tasty (and healthy) cheeses, eggs, breads and pastries. And you can get a delicious-looking Bahn Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) in your hand quickly for while you’re perusing the Strip.

If we weren’t on the bikes, I would have definitely purchased one of Heritage Seed Company’s Beaver Dam Pepper plants. The local, organic farmers have started their own Seed Collective, a project designed to bring back the lost foods and flavors enjoyed by their Western Pennsylvania ancestors. It’s pretty simple. They give you a plant and an empty seed package (well-designed by the way!) with instructions on how to harvest the seeds from your plant to send back to them. The movement is meant to safeguard and strengthen local, heirloom produce and provide more access for the community. For more information, please visit heritageseeds.org.

Farmers@Firehouse Market, 2216 Penn Ave., Strip District. 9 a.m-1 p.m. Saturdays (seasonal)

If you’re in the mood for a pierogi or some stuffed cabbage, S&D Polish Deli and Food Store is the place for you. There’s a deli counter and restaurant window (complete with plastic trays). The ambiance isn’t romantic, but the food is authentic and delicious. In addition to the house-made specialties they also have a huge selection of Polish supermarket goods, even down to the candy bars.

If you’d rather have something a little lighter, stop by Penn Avenue Fish Company. You can watch them sling and cut fish for customers while you try different chowders from the “chowda bar”, or have some fresh-made sushi. It’s a lively atmosphere, yet not gimmicky-feeling.

One of the most inspiring (and surprising) stops was Roxanne’s Dried Flowers. We wandered in because they were having a garden party this weekend and I thought it might be interesting. It is a beautiful mix of real and dried plants, garden accessories, soaps, cards, and terrarium supplies. You’re not supposed to take photos, but I snuck a few to show how bright and bountiful it is inside.

Another shopper’s delight is Hot Haute Hot. The place is dripping with beautiful accessories, worldly patterns, and substantial furniture.

We could have easily spent all day walking up and down Penn Avenue, shopping and tasting, but we were getting thirsty and wanted to get back on the bikes. Our destination: a little Pittsburgh religion.

Roxanne’s Dried Flowers, 2115 Penn Avenue, Strip District, (412) 281-6950

Hot Haute Hot, 2124 Penn Ave at 22nd, Strip District,(412) 338-2323

Penn Avenue Fish Company, 2208 Penn Ave., Strip District,(412) 434-7200

S&D Polish Deli, 2204 Penn Ave, Strip District, (412) 281-2906

Saturday Noon: Church Brew Works, where beer is God.

Located in a converted church, brewing takes place on the altar, one indication of how seriously they take their beer. The scale felt like a big, German beer hall, and the oven-fired pizzas looked great zooming by. Diving into a sampler of beer at the bar was exactly what the doctor ordered to get us re-fueled for the rest of the ride to Lawrenceville. We like smaller, more cozy surroundings, and places where you can get a sense of brewing as a craft, but it was definitely worth a stop. Personally, I love East End Brewing Company and their hoppy concoctions, but I have to say, it was very interesting to see a fully operational brewery and restaurant inside a big, old church. It gets me to thinking about what will happen to all of the churches that have been and will be closing in Cleveland and throughout the country. What are your suggestions?

Church Brew Works, 3525 Liberty Ave, Lawrenceville, (412) 688-8200

(SIDENOTE) 12:30-1:00 pm: Handmade in Marriage Craft Show

The Handmade In Marriage Craft show is one of reasons I was in the Burgh this weekend. Another reason is that I just started by own business and was celebrating, and the other is that we were due for a trip to PGH. More on that later 😉

1:00 pm: Lawrenceville

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Pittsburgh is Lawrenceville. It is packed with originality, shopping, (mostly) old and (some) new architecture, winding streets, a beautiful cemetery, houses on hills, at least one bakery, and a good amount of restaurants and bars. I need dessert first (duh!) so we made a pit stop at Dozen before hitting up the wedding show.

P.S. I also saw our hipster pipe smoker (from 21st street coffee) noshing on a cupcake here, too!!!

After a lemonade and a cupcake (and a wedding craft fair snuck in) we continued exploring.

Dozen Bake Shop, 3511 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, (412) 621-4740

Not to be morbid or anything, but cemeteries can be really beautiful places to take a walk, have a picnic, or cruise through on a bike. The Alleghany Cemetery is an amazing example of this, and I was excited to find out that they recently opened the park up to bicycles. Seems oddly fitting to take a stroll through a cemetery after attending a wedding show, right? Just kidding.

Allegheny Cemetery, 4715 Penn Avenue, Lawrenceville, (412) 363-8639

3:00 Lunch/Early Dinner at The Round Corner Cantina

I know we got tacos last night BUT this place had a great look and since we were on our bikes we wanted a casual, bar-type vibe. And that’s just what we got. The building is interesting, too. Pretty good description, right? How about this: the corner of the building is rounded brick- and it looks awesome. What did we get? Oh, basically the same as last night. 2 chorizo tacos and 2 mahi-mahi tacos (they come in pairs) plus guacamole. To wet our whistles? Sangria and a grapefruit margarita. I like the chorizo taco better here because it was ground instead of in sausage form (like Yo Rita). But Yo Rita’s fish taco was much tastier than the fried mahi from Round Corner. Glad to report that the guac was stellar- not all pureed like most places. The sangria (and back patio vibe) reminded me of one of my favorite Ann Arbor institutions, Dominck’s. I do wish, however, that they had some local brews on tap or in the bottle.

Three notes about the tacos.

1. They come with a double layer of tortilla, most likely to keep the filling in check, but one shell was more than enough for us. 2. They are each wrapped in some wax paper, and that is super helpful in dividing the order amongst people (or stealing one from your neighbor) and also to help control the mess that tacos sometimes create. 3. The toppings are great- a nice mix of greens, veggies and authentic cheese.

4:00 Hard Cider Tasting: Arsenal Cider House

While we were at the wedding event earlier in the day, we ran into local cider-house owner, Michelle Larkin. She was giving away free tastes of their house-made sorbet. I had heard about them from the event’s website, and had marked them on our must-see list. So, back on our bikes, we traversed the imposing hill that is Arsenal Avenue. Once at the top, and totally breathless, we gladly stepped into their home to try some cider. Michelle and her husband, Bill, turned their living and dining rooms into a civil war inspired tasting room- complete with photos of dead generals (who happen to be their products’ mascots). The tap room had four apple ciders, two concord grape and a sour cherry ready to taste. I loved the concord grape, cherry and the semi-sweet apple cider.

Arsenal Cider House and Wine Cellar, 300 39th Street, Lawrencevile, (412) 260-6968

Round Corner Cantina, 3720 Butler St., Lawrenceville, (412) 904-2279

5:00 Shopping Lawrenceville

There are a lot of shops to wander into in this neighborhood, but I was in search of a dress for an upcoming wedding. I found that, and more, at Pavement. Pavement stocks a great selection of fashion-forward shoes, dresses, tops and jewelry.

Pavement, 3629 Butler Street, Lawrenceville (412) 621-6400

Hipster Happy Hour: Brillobox

After I was sufficiently shopped-out, we got back on the bikes and headed to Brillobox, a great hangout that feels like a dive bar with a dark interior, lots of eclectic decoration and a great beer selection. Since my visit last spring, I noticed they’ve turned their front window into an operable garage door, really opening up the space to Penn Avenue and the hipsters walking (and cycling) up and down the streets of Lawrenceville. We weren’t hungry, but I was tempted to order the mac & cheese, baked rigatoni in a cheese sauce combining gruyere, cotswald cheddar, gorgonzola & pecorino pepato cheeses. Instead, I had my dinner out of a glass, in the form of Michigan-brewed Bell’s Oberon- my summer go-to. I didn’t really want to “return to the scene of the crime” within only a few hours, mostly out of a desire to explore more of Pittsburgh, but it was pretty tempting considering Brillobox has a “Countrypolitan” brunch on Sundays that totally piqued my interest. By the time I realized I was hungry, the kitchen had just closed and we were off to the next spot. For the foodies out there, check out the Chef’s blog, FOOD and WhIskEy.

Brillobox, 4104 Penn Avenue, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, (412) 621-4900

Late Night Dining: Kelly’s Bar and Lounge

It was just past 10:00, and we were hungry. The perfect solution? Mac & Cheese and sweet potato fries at Kelly’s Bar and Lounge. Comfort classics are the staples at this dimly-lit bar. The vibe is lounge-y, with a vintage feel and a great jukebox. The tiki-themed patio reminded me of one of my favorite retro-inspired Cleveland establishments, Prosperity Social Club. After some really tasty late-night snacks we were back on the bikes cruising downtown so that I could start planning for Sunday’s excursions to the North Side.

Kelly’s Bar & Lounge, East Liberty/Lawrenceville, 6012 Penn Circle South, (412) 363-6012

Sunday 9:00 am: Pittsburgh Public Market and Brunch

We woke up bright and early in search of something slightly healthy for brunch. We settled on Kaya in the Strip District. Their self described cuisine is “inspired by the sea and sun, melding fresh, high quality ingredients with bold flavor and alluring preparation.” On our way there, we decided to stop in at the Pittsburgh Public Market. You can walk to the restaurant from the market, so we ditched the car (give me a break! it was raining) and continued on foot.





It’d be easy to grab a light breakfast or lunch there, with the plethora of homemade goodies like pastries, soups, sandwiches, breads, cheeses, honey and jams. To go with your breakfast or lunch, you can get coffee from the Italian cafe or fill a growler at East End Brewing’s stand.

I particularly liked the kitschy look of Soup Nancy’s stand. It felt like I was visiting her at home in her kitchen, and she generously offered a sample of some delicious shitake egg drop soup. After that, a few marshmallows and some gourmet olive oil sampling, we decided to head to brunch- but not before filling a growler of East End’s Big Hop IPA to take home to Cleveland.

Kaya’s brunch seems pretty popular, but there were still a few tables available inside, and outside and a couple of seats at the bar. We settled in with the NY Times and Pittsburgh Gazette, some coffee and a blood orange mimosa. We took the bartenders recommendation and ordered two of the place’s most popular dishes: Slow Roasted Pork Benedict served with crisp cornbread, two poached eggs, and smoked pepper hollandaise sauce and Chilaquiles with house made chorizo, Reyna’s corn tortilla chips, salsa verde, cotija cheese, and sunny side up eggs. The benny was really good- eggs poached to perfection with a slightly spicy, creamy sauce. The chilaquiles were ok, but my eggs weren’t cooked all the way through (ie there was a lot of clear egg whites). Maybe people are ok with that, but it kinda grosses me out. So I had to be all high maintenance and explain my situation, send my dish back, and wait for them to re-cook my eggs. While I was waiting I ate pretty much half of the benedict and then wasn’t crazy hungry when my dish finally got back (10 minutes or less). It definitely wouldn’t stop me from going back, because I loved the energy and style of cuisine. Next time, I would just specify how I want my eggs.

Pittsburgh Public Market, Smallman Street between 16th and 17th Streets, Strip District

Kaya, 2000 Smallman Street, Strip District, (412) 261-6565

Sunday Afternoon: Andy Warhol and The North Side

To get there from downtown, take the 7th Street Bridge, also known as The Andy Warhol, to Pittsburgh’s North Side. It’s not hard to find parking, even when there is a Pirates game, which there was. We paid $6 at a lot that was on the same block as the museum. Admission is $15 for adults, or $8 with a student ID. The artwork and story of Warhol’s life and career is raw and refreshing. The building is simple, and let’s Warhol’s character take center stage. The exhibit starts on the 6th floor, and you work your way back down to earth, slowly and with the anticipation of what you’ll see next. There were a good amount of children there who seemed to appreciate the bold, colorful canvases and seemed especially fond of the interactive furniture and giant helium “pillows” floating around in one of the exhibition rooms. We got through all 6 floors in about an hour, and by that time, we were ready to explore the rest of the North Side.

Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky Steet, North Side, (412) 237-8300

The Mexican War Streets: Urban Fabric & Beautiful Decay

The beauty of the Mexican War Streets neighborhood lies in the juxtaposition of the quaint, densely packed row houses and the beautiful decay and old world charm of now defunct theaters and shops. It’s a real neighborhood, where people walk the tree-lined streets to exquisite parklets (mini-parks) and sit on the stoops of their beautifully restored town homes. The residents seem genuinely surprised that their neighborhood may be a tourist destination, but nonetheless, helpful when looking for a good restaurant recommendation. We got strict orders to visit Max’s Allegheny Tavern, an old-school German bar and restaurant.

As we sat at the vinyl-covered booth waiting for our Kase Spatzles (can you tell I like Mac&Cheese?) and potato pancakes with gravy, we sipped on beer from mason jars and enjoyed the ambiance of a place that has built a reputation on good service, simple food and doing things the same way that they’ve always been done.

Max’s Allegheny Tavern, 537 Suismon Street, North Side, (412) 231-1899

There are so many more places to visit, especially on the North Side, where we barely scratched the surface. Pittsburgh is such a beautiful and diverse city, with much to offer visitors and residents alike. I can’t wait to visit again!