Shadyside

When I first walked into Tocayo, it felt familiar- almost like I had been there before. This, in a way, makes a bit of sense as it is the second restaurant from the owners of Totopo in Mt Lebanon. So when I made that connection (a fact that I, honestly, completely overlooked until after visiting), things started to make more sense.

Tocayo feels like a worthy successor to the Mt Lebanon staple, and if you have ever enjoyed a meal there you would do well to run, not walk, to this one as the same great qualities and flavors can be found here!

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Fujiya Ramen in Shadyside is a Japanese restaurant serving up not only ramen but also other traditional dishes like rice bowls and yakitori. While we love sushi, we also love other Japanese foods and are happy that there are more and more restaurants in Pittsburgh showcasing the breadth of Japanese cuisine.

Naturally, we had to make our first visit a feast!

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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. 

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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.

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It is hard to beat a good Italian pizza made in a wood fired oven. For the longest time we had heard Mercurio's is the place to be to try out this particular pizza style, but never quite made it out to Shadyside or Fox Chapel to give them a try.

If this intro sounds familiar, you can imagine what comes next. We regret waiting this long.

Mercurio's checked a lot of boxes for us for a good wood fired pizza, namely being well cooked, well priced, and focusing on classic Italian toppings (over some of the more unique counterparts you see at other pizza shops in the city). If these are things you seek out when enjoying a pizza, you really need to check this one out. 

Just be sure to save room when you do visit, as the gelato bar is also a must-try as well!

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Noodlehead in Shadyside is a casual, affordable, and delicious Thai noodle joint.

While service tends to be lacking, we give it a pass because the food is just that good. From dumplings to noodle soups to curry noodles and pad Thai, you can't go wrong with any dish on the Noodlehead menu.

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Casbah is one of the more upscale restaurants of the Big Burrito group, billing itself as a Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar. Our overall impression from several visits is that the food is perfectly fine- if you're into straightforward meat, veggie, and starch dishes you'll fit right in here.

If you're looking for dishes that are a little more outside the box and have nontraditional flavor profiles, you might have a bit more trouble finding something here that tickles your fancy.

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