Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
On the surface it seems like February is the month where things quiet down in Pittsburgh. Winter is at its coldest, the month is short, and overall life moves at a slower pace than months in the more vibrant seasons of the year.
That being said, there are a number of things to enjoy in Pittsburgh throughout the month, and whether you want to get outdoors or stay warm inside we've got you covered in this one!
Located inside the trendy Ace Hotel in East Liberty, Whitfield is more than just a hotel restaurant. With James Beard award-nominated chefs at the helm, an emphasis on farm to table cuisine, and a killer brunch, Whitfield is a dining destination.
We recently stayed at the Ace Hotel and of course had to check out Whitfield for both breakfast and dinner. As the restaurant and hotel are located in an old YMCA building, much of that character and vibe still remain. It gives the hotel an ultra-hip feeling but feels a little incongruent with a fine dining restaurant like Whitfield.
Tana is an Ethiopian restaurant in East Liberty serving up lots of delicious traditional vegetarian and meat stews piled on top of injera, an Ethiopian flatbread. It's a great restaurant for groups as you can basically order a little of everything on the menu and share it all for a traditional feast.
For many years we heard the renown of Pierogies Plus in McKees Rocks, and we were itching to get out there to enjoy some Eastern European cuisine that has become ingrained in the Pittsburgh diet.
While the food here is cheap and in impressive portion sizes as well, I have to say, something about my meal was a bit off.
We're always on the lookout for the best Pittsburgh food truck rallies, and we have to admit that our options for roundups of local food trucks are few and far between.
When they happen, they're often quite small. And when they're free, they often are too crowded or the trucks sell out of food in record time.
So it was with great excitement that we went out to the Monroeville Convention Center one Saturday in January in order to check out the annual Food Truck-a-Palooza event- the largest food truck rally we've been to yet!
In a way, The Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh's East Liberty is a reflection of the neighborhood itself. It is trendy, modern, and is located in a beautifully restored YMCA building (a mark of gentrification if there ever was one).
That being said, this hotel offers some pretty comfortable rooms, a good night's sleep, and one of the best restaurants you'll find in the entire neighborhood. To us, this is all we need for a great stay!
Generally when walking through the Strip District, if we pass by one of our favorite restaurants, odds are good we go inside and order something. Over the years, this has meant we missed a few hidden gems located right next door as our craving for something we knew overtook our desire to find something new.
Maiku Sushi is one of those places, as its location next to some of our favorite restaurants made it hard for us to go in. As it turns out, this was a mistake. After trying the Vietnamese food here we have to say it is pretty delicious and worth your visit!
Pittsburgh's First Night is an annual New Year's Eve celebration in the Cultural District that features late-night gallery hours, live music, performances at many venues, food trucks, and so much more.
While this one is a ticketed event for a nominal fee ($10 plus fees in 2019), there really is a lot to see and experience in this one.
Sly Fox Brewing is a popular craft brewery that has been making beer outside of Philadelphia since the mid-90s. But it wasn't until 2019 that this one expanded into Pittsburgh with a taproom just steps away from Point State Park.
As we believe that downtown is in need of more places for good, craft beer, we were eager to check this one out shortly after it opened to try their beer and housemade pizza. Sadly, we left this one fairly disappointed.