Downtown

Alta Via Review – Big Burrito Goes Italian in Pittsburgh

Alta Via is the newest concept from the Big Burrito restaurant group that brings house-made pastas and other Italian fare to the Fox Chapel/Aspinwall area. As Big Burrito has been around Pittsburgh for decades and was part of the initial reawakening of the Pittsburgh restaurant scene, we are excited to see the introduction of a new concept from them.

As this one grew, they later expanded to open Alta Via Pizzeria in Bakery Square, and in 2023 added a Market Square location for Alta Via, too!

Italian in Pittsburgh gets better by the year.

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Celebrating All Things Pickle at the Picklesburgh Festival

If there should be an award for a festival that has come the furthest in recent years, it would most certainly be Picklesburgh.

When the event first started in 2015, we were underwhelmed. The Clemente Bridge was crowded shoulder-to-shoulder with patrons, and the number of vendors with pickle themed products was, well, few and far between. Apart from the gigantic pickle floating over the bridge, we did not get any pickle love at all.

Thankfully, after a while, this festival came around and became one of the premier pickle festivals out there. The crowds kept getting bigger and bigger (to a detriment, at times), and Picklesburgh became one of the top events in Pittsburgh each and every year.

Note: In 2023, Picklesburgh moved to PPG Place and Blvd of the Allies from its former location on the Roberto Clemente Bridge and along the highway on the riverfront. Pictures from both locations are included in this article.

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Bridges & Bourbon Review – Elevating Pittsburgh’s Craft Cocktail Scene

Bridges & Bourbon opened in Pittsburgh's Cultural District in June 2019 and was a much-awaited cocktail bar due to their strong lead-up on social media.

The bar focuses on high-end cocktails with some rather interesting flair and novelties thrown into the mix as well, making it rather unique in Pittsburgh's cocktail bar scene!

We were guests of Bridges & Bourbon for a media preview event and wanted to share some of the great cocktails we tried in this one!

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Exploring the Historical Jail Museum in Downtown Pittsburgh

If you've spent some time walking around downtown Pittsburgh, odds are good you've seen the old Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail. This historical building is one of the most stunning in the city and even includes its own Bridge of Sighs walkway that connected the two buildings.

Today the jail has been decommissioned and converted into a Common Pleas court, yet many artifacts from the era exist and are available on display in the Old Allegheny County Jail Museum.

But if you want to check this one out you'll have to plan accordingly- it is only open from 11:30am to 1pm on Mondays, February to October!

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Fogo de Chao Review – All You Can Eat Meats in Pittsburgh

It is a rare event on Discover the Burgh for us to feature a national chain, but every so often we will make an exception if it is interesting and somewhat unique among what is available in the area.

When I was invited into Fogo de Chao in downtown to try out their menu of all-you-can-eat meat as part of a local media event, it was one such exception. 

It is time for more churasscaria in Pittsburgh!

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Las Velas Review – A Surprising Find in Market Square

If you're like us, when you think of Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh odds are good you think of mostly mediocre restaurants that are overpriced. 

But there is one gem that is hiding on the second floor of a commercial space that you may otherwise overlook- Las Velas. 

Not only does this one have a great view of Market Square, it also has some rather decent food as well!

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Learning About the City With Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours

Whenever we travel (especially abroad), we always love finding free city tours as a means to get our bearings in a new location and to also learn more about the city/country's history.

While Pittsburgh does have periodic, free city tours run by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, they are often limited in frequency and location. We, as a city, simply needed more.

It wasn't until late 2018 that Pittsburgh finally got its own free walking tour, put on by the appropriately named Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours. Naturally, I jumped on this one in early 2019 to give it a try and really enjoyed the tour overall!

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Drury Plaza Pittsburgh Review – A Refreshing Stay Downtown

When it comes to downtown Pittsburgh hotels, we have quite a few with each having their own unique features.

We didn't know much about the Drury Plaza Hotel, located just a few blocks from the convention center, but when we were invited out for a review we were excited all the same.

As we quickly found out, this one has comfortable rooms and some pretty awesome on-site perks!

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