There are some Pittsburgh restaurants that are straight-up classics. Places that execute their menus with a level of perfection where you want to go back over and over again while also having survived the test of time.
Girasole in Shadyside is one such restaurant.
While it took us many years to finally make our way into this Italian restaurant for a meal, we certainly won’t be waiting that long for our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th visit.
Mandy’s Pizza in West View is a popular pizza joint that has a robust menu of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and more.
But where most pizza shops would simply thrive on a vast menu alone, Mandy’s goes one step further with being incredibly flexible with customer requests- especially around dietary restrictions. Gluten-free? You got it. Allergies? They can handle it. Vegan? That too.
In fact, Mandy’s is probably the most vocal business we’ve seen in Pittsburgh when it comes to catering to dietary restrictions, so if you fall into this category but still crave pizza, this should be great news to you (but as always, pending the severity of restriction it is always best to call and talk with them about their practices).
But during our first visit, we stuck with a fairly traditional order of pizza and fries. So let’s share what it was like!
The Laurel Highlands in southwest PA is a hub of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, and Polymath Park in Acme, PA, takes things one step further with their on-site, Wright-inspired restaurant- Treetops.
As we are always down for fine dining in unusual locations and the Wright architecture experience in the region at large, you know we had to check this one out to see what it is all about.
MoonLit Burger is one of those restaurant concepts that has taken Pittsburgh by storm starting from their very first event. In just one year the concept went from having somewhat infrequent popups around the city to opening a dedicated restaurant to sling their popular LA-style smash burgers in Dormont.
While we, unfortunately, never made it to a pop-up event, we made sure to be one of the first people in the door when the restaurant opened in November 2021.
It was worth the wait, but admittedly with some kinks that we couldn’t completely overlook as well.
When we first heard about The Woods House restoration project, our ears perked up. As one of the oldest houses in Pittsburgh (constructed in 1792 by John Woods), we often remarked about how unfortunate it was such a beautiful and historic structure was in a state of disrepair every time we drove by.
When we found out that the restoration project involved turning it into a Scottish pub to honor the history of the early settlers of Hazelwood, we were in. Naturally, we visited The Woods House shortly after it opened to give it a try, and stuffed ourselves full of hearty and traditional pub fare.
Periodically we’ll lament about what Pittsburgh needs, and when it comes to the city’s dining scene, the answer is always the same- fewer gastropubs and more international restaurants.
Not just any international restaurants (although we’d certainly take whatever came out), but restaurants with cuisine from countries that are woefully underrepresented in the region. One such country whose cuisine was lacking in the city was Afghanistan, but we’re now happy to report that Carnegie is home to a wonderful spot right on Main Street- Afghan Kabab House.
While you may find the flavors of the kababs to be in line with other delicious Middle Eastern fare you’ve had in the city, you’ll do well to throw on several of the Afghan appetizers as these are true gems that are unlike just about anything we’ve had to date.
Ki Pollo and Ki Ramen were two staple restaurants in Lawrenceville for many years with the former serving up an interesting mix of fried chicken and empanadas and the latter serving Japanese and east Asian fare like ramen, gyoza, and more.
But in 2021, Ki Ramen closed for construction due to apparent water damage in the building, and it was announced that the menus of the two restaurants would be merging into one Asian soul food concept known as Nanban in the Ki Pollo space.
In a way, this one takes all of the best elements of the two restaurants in one combined space, but also comes with some of the same drawbacks- specifically when it comes to deciding what to order outright as the menu here can only be described as varied!
When Pusadee’s Garden closed in 2017 for renovations, we thought they’d be open the following year. 2018 came and went, so did 2019, and so did 2020 all without hearing a single update about the project. After enough time passed, we really thought this one was closed for good and were rather sad at the prospect of losing such a great restaurant in Lawrenceville.
Cut to early 2021 and the restaurant announced that they would finally be opening again, and we knew we had to visit as quickly as possible.
It only took about two steps after walking into the door for us to realize we should forget everything we remember about this one. To call the upgrade extensive would be an understatement- it was a complete transformation that was executed flawlessly. The restaurant went from being a good Thai spot to becoming one of the finest restaurants in Pittsburgh– Thai or otherwise.
Umi’s chef has retired and the restaurant is temporarily closed while looking for a replacement.
Umi is a Japanese restaurant located in Shadyside, and it is part of the Big Burrito restaurant group. Having been around since 2000, Umi has quite a long history of serving up some of the city’s best sushi and omakase (set menus determined by the chef each night).
Umi is located on the second story above Soba, and it has a pretty traditional Japanese feel with minimal decor, seating at the sushi bar, and tatami seating as well as regular tables.
Gi-Jin, a gin, sashimi, and handroll bar in downtown Pittsburgh, is the latest concept from Richard DeShantz. If you’ve been to any of his other restaurants, you know that they are borderline over-the-top in their theming and ambiance while also delivering consistently amazing food and service: Gi-Jin is no exception.
The striking dragon mural and wood decor, high quality and creative sushi, and impeccable service all combine for one of the best sushi-eating experiences we’ve had in Pittsburgh.