Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’d been several years since I visited Steel City and I must say, my recollections did not do it justice. Pittsburgh is a place where you can take in scenic views, tap into your inner art lover at the Andy Warhol Museum or the Mattress Factory Art Museum, or get your fandom on in a city with a rich sports history. A short weekend escape only allows for enough time to barely skim the surface of all Pittsburgh has to offer, but when it comes to this city, some time is better than none.
[Pro Tip: The Mattress Factory houses a permanent Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Room exhibit. If you weren’t able to snag a ticket during her wildly popular U.S. tour, here’s your chance to see where it all began.]
We arrived at the Westin Convention Center early Friday evening. The Westin is conveniently located within walking distance of numerous restaurants and bars in the downtown area, and quickly proved to be an excellent home base for the weekend. We roamed a few blocks to The Commoner, a chill gastropub located inside Hotel Monaco, where we shared the mouthwatering potato dauphinoise and feasted on rose fish and pork chops. The Biergarten on the ninth floor has all the makings of a perfect after dinner spot, but Mother Nature had other plans and it has closed for the season.
With the Biergarten inaccessible, we turned to plan B; an old church and a flight of beer. Church Brew Works, located about 10 minutes from downtown, resides in the restored St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. Their reuse of the original fixtures leaves you feeling like you’ve transported back in time as soon as you step through the doors. Despite the brewing equipment being on full display, the place still manages to maintain the original church ambiance. IPA lovers will enjoy the current beer rotation which had several hoppy options. There’s an extensive wine and cocktail list for those looking for additional selections.
The bartender at Church Brew Works recommended we swing by Sienna Mercato for a drink, which happened to be right across the street from the hotel. Sienna Mercato is an Italian joint that smelled so heavenly I contemplated eating a second dinner. With over 30 beers on tap, there’s a little something for everyone at this rustic, down home Italian eatery.
Late Saturday morning we made our way to the Duquesne Incline and rode it up to Mount Washington. A round trip incline ticket is $5 and exact change is required. [Note: There is a change machine, but it appeared to only spit out coins.] The ride to the top in the century-old cable car is slow but short, and reminded me of ridding an old wooden rollercoaster. At the top, relish the bird’s eye view of downtown Pittsburgh and the three rivers that run through it: the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio.
The Grandview Saloon, located a few doors down, is a great spot to grab lunch with a view. We arrived around 12:15 and were immediately seated along floor to ceiling windows with the view of Pittsburgh below us. Within twenty minutes, the place was buzzing and there were no window seats to be had. The Grandview BBQ wings were hands down the best wings I’ve had in a long time. The BBQ sauce had a slight kick that my spicy loving self and my zero-spice tolerance travel companion both found delectable. The short rib sandwich was a little dry for my taste, but the portions were hearty and everything coming out of the kitchen looked appetizing.
That afternoon we ventured to the North Shore Riverwalk near Heinz Field and stumbled upon the Monster Pumpkin Festival. Think all things giant pumpkin like pumpkin pinatas, monster pumpkin carvings, and monster pumpkin boat races, which is exactly as it sounds- people paddling carved out monster pumpkins through the river.
Our next stop was the USS Requin submarine. Requim, the Navy’s first Radar Picket submarine, was commissioned in 1945 and fulfilled numerous defense and scientific missions. Nowadays, Requin rests outside of the Carnegie Science Center and is used to educate visitors on mid-twentieth century life aboard a submarine. Submarine tours are $7, or free with entrance to the Carnegie Science Center.
We wrapped up our North Shore visit by testing our luck at Rivers Casino. If you stop here, be advised: the tables directly though the main entrance and everything to the left are smoking zones. For non-smokers, head to the right where you’ll find a large non-smoking zone that offers the same games as the smoking area.
Saturday evening we grabbed drinks at Ten Penny before our dinner reservation at Spork, a made from scratch tapas style American restaurant. The sea scallops with butternut squash ravioli and sage pesto was my food highlight of the trip. The scallops were perfectly cooked. I paired it with the goat cheese and eggplant marmalade spread and a drink off the specialty cocktail list. The building is small with an atmosphere that screams perfect date night spot with the service and cuisine to back it up. We were able to snag a same day reservation. When we arrived the place was rather busy, so I’d recommend a reservation if you’d like to dine here.
We spent the final hours of this Pittsburgh visit checking out the nightlife scene in downtown. The bar scenes were lively, yet not overcrowded. With so many good spots you really can’t go wrong, but if you need a direction to head in consider checking out Condado Tacos for tequila, mezcal, and some pretty cool street wall decor, Olive or Twist for specialty cocktails like a smores martini, and Meat and Potatoes which offers an extensive libations menu.
Pittsburgh’s budding culinary scene, alluring riverwalks, and overall charm stole my heart and landed this underrated city on my list of places that warrant a return visit.
