When it comes to restaurants with multiple locations, it is fairly easy to write off other branches as duplicates of the same model with the same menu and offering. After all, this has been the model for chains and franchises for decades.
But for Park Bruges in Highland Park, sister restaurant of Point Brugge in Point Breeze, the subtle differences make this restaurant almost a unique entity in and of itself.
I'm going to guess that you've never had food from Uzbekistan. I know I hadn't until our visit to Kavsar on Mount Washington, and I consider myself to be quite well traveled.
In fact, if you would have asked me what Uzbeki food was prior to our visit, I probably would've fumbled in an attempt to make something up. Now that I have tried it for myself, I can try and give describing it a shot.
I am a staunch critic of the pizza scene in Pittsburgh.
It seems like there is a standard recipe that every pizzeria in the city uses when making their pies. The crusts are all the same, the sauce is the same, and the preparation style is virtually all the same.
The pizzas are all good enough when you want a quick meal, but when you go to different shops you really can't say much to distinguish them from each other.
Sure, there are places to get a good pizza at a restaurant that isn't a pizzeria (La Tavola, anyone?), but when it comes to takeaway from a dedicated pizza shop the options for something astounding are few and far between.
It is because of this reason that we don't write about most of the pizzas we order in Pittsburgh on this site as most all of them would have the same exact summary.
For us to talk about pizza it needs to be something special, and we thought Spak Brothers in Garfield would be just that.
After living in Pittsburgh for five years and eating our way through neighborhood after neighborhood, Kaya is definitively one of our favorite restaurants in the city.
The laid back yet classy Caribbean vibe, awesome bar and happy hour, one of the best burgers we've ever had (just about anywhere), and a creative menu with Latin American and Caribbean influences combine to make this an all-around standout restaurant.
But to truly get the best out of this great restaurant in the Strip District, you'll have to visit at least three times.
Tako in downtown Pittsburgh is a modern taco restaurant with elevated and unique takes on this classic food. We hadn't been to tako (Japanese for octopus) in several years, so we thought we were long overdue for another meal at this hot spot.
I have a serious frozen concoction problem. I think it all started when I first moved to Pittsburgh during a bloody hot summer and the apartment I was renting didn't have air conditioning. But what it did have was an ice cream store next door, and I ended up eating my fair share of ice cream during that time.
Ever since then, my quest to find the best ice cream in Pittsburgh was born, and in this one we share some of our favorites!
It only took one word to get me into Piccolo Forno's annexed bar, and that word is grappa.
For those who do not know this spirit, grappa is made by distilling the waste products from the wine-making process (think skins, pulp, seeds, etc). The result of the distillation process is an extremely concentrated, very flavorful, and incredibly high-proof alcohol that quickly became one of my favorites during our travels around Europe.
For reasons unknown to me, this spirit has not taken off as much in the USA, and grappa has been something I've only enjoyed while abroad- until now.
Congratulations Pittsburgh, you're now officially a European city.
I love coffee. And I don't mean sugar-laden, heart-attack-in-a-cup frappuccinos.
When I say I love coffee, I mean I love single origin coffee that actually tastes like something besides burnt beans (sorry Starbucks). Because I love experimenting with coffee brewing techniques at home, and have a good idea of how to brew a good cup, it takes a really excellent coffee to get me excited about visiting a coffee shop.
There is good reason for this. When I first moved to Pittsburgh I was pretty underwhelmed with the coffee scene. Luckily things have greatly improved over the past few years and they continue to get better all the time. Thanks to this new scene of coffee shops in Pittsburgh, I am on a quest to find the very best.
So which Pittsburgh coffee shops are worth your time? Our ever-expanding guide gets to the bottom of that question.
Tessaro's is old school.
Upon stepping inside, everything from the waitresses calling you sweetie to the 1980s computer behind the bar suggests you've entered some sort of time capsule. After checking out so many up-and-coming restaurants and attractions in the past few weeks, we thought it was time to visit a Pittsburgh institution.
Tessaro's has a pretty extensive menu with deli style sandwiches, salads, ribs, steaks, and chicken. But if you've never been here before, there's really only one thing you need to know: get the burger.
Having been on all sorts of “best-of” burger lists, and being in search of the best burger in Pittsburgh ourselves, there was no question that we had to order burgers.
A visit to Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze is like being transported to Europe.Â
Settled in an unsuspecting neighborhood, you'll find yourself surrounded by quaint houses, a small selection of local businesses, and this corner restaurant that resides in the first floor of a house.
After stepping through the doors you'll feel like you're in your favorite corner restaurant in Europe, about to order a meal you traveled thousands of miles to enjoy.Â