There are some restaurants that you know the meal is going to be good from the very beginning, and within moments of entering Bar Marco in the Strip District I knew that this would be one of them.
While I was right on my hunch that the food and drinks would be fantastic, the portion sizes gave us reason to pause.
Vietnamese cuisine is a culinary style that hasn't taken off in popularity yet in Pittsburgh, but is one of the best national cuisines in the world. During my travels in Vietnam I fell in love with the cuisine, but also came away with an understanding that it is also hard to do right as there is a fine line to make the sweet, spicy, and salty flavors work in many of the dishes.
There are several restaurants that do an incredible job at Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh, Tram's Kitchen and Lucy's Banh Mi cart being a few, and it was with great excitement that I visited Pho Van in the Strip District to try some more of one of my favorite cuisines.
Unfortunately, I left reminded why this cuisine is so hard to do right. Pho Van was a major let down.
Every city needs a great museum to let its history shine, and in Pittsburgh that museum is the Heinz History Center in the Strip District.
Our first observation after entering the Heinz History Center was that it was much like the popular Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC.  But instead of having separate buildings for each theme as in our nation's capital, the Heinz History Center has everything in one building.
Well, as it turns out the museum is in fact affiliated with the Smithsonian, and the legacy of the nation's most popular museum collection shines in every exhibit in this city gem.
Everyone in Pittsburgh likely knows Wigle, the city's flagship success story when it comes to high proof spirits. Â But did you know that the Strip District is also home to a multi-award winning rum distillery? Â If you were like us up until a few weeks ago, you probably did not.
Enter Maggie's Farm Rum, winner of numerous national awards including Pennsylvania Distillery of the Year at the NY International Spirits Competition and America's Best Rum by the American Craft Spirits Association.
Thirsty yet?
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.
When it comes to barbecued meat, the country of Argentina could really teach the world a thing or two.
During our travels in Argentina we devoured the country's famous barbecue and were so enamored with it that we frequently highlight the dish of Patagonian lamb as one of the best things we've ever eaten. (…and if you read our full travel destination list, you'll understand that this is truly saying something).
That being said, crafting an authentic Argentinian barbecue is not easy, and we can attest to being disappointed in most Argentinian restaurants that try to produce this country's iconic food outside of South America. As you can imagine, we had mixed emotions going into our visit to Gaucho Parrilla Argentina.
On one hand the reviews we've seen were all fantastic, but on the other hand we have a long history of being disappointed by restaurants in other parts of the country that simply do not stack up to the real thing.
Luckily for Gaucho Parrilla, they are absolutely spot on and routinely deliver what could be our favorite meals in all of Pittsburgh.
When it comes to great breakfasts in Pittsburgh, there is one restaurant that everyone talks about: Pamela's Diner. This restaurant chain is a Pittsburgh institution and has been feeding locals and visitors alike for well over thirty years.
Before getting into our review, we have to make a bit of a confession. We'd be lying if we didn't admit that Pamela's is our go-to breakfast spot anytime we have friends and family visiting. We'd also be lying if we didn't admit that we order the same thing every single time we go.
We suspect that you will, too.