These days, Pittsburgh hardly resembles its former self — at least when it comes to dining. Young chefs — many of whom ventured to NYC — are returning home, taking advantage of the low cost of living and opening high-quality restaurants and bars across the city’s 90 neighborhoods. Here’s where to find some of the best.
PAR EGGS-CELLENCE
Liz Passaro had a dream to go home (after more than a decade in NYC) and open up breakfast-minded Bluebird Kitchen (221 Forbes Ave.). Get to this coffee-to-lunch spot downtown in Market Square before 10:30 a.m. for the egg sandwich: two fried eggs over medium, cheddar and Swiss, on a pretzel roll, with house-made sausage, $6. There are just a handful of seats, but you won’t wait long as other customers devour their eats.
STRIP SEARCH
“One of my favorite weekend activities is waking up early and heading to the Strip District with my son,” says Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl. A former working warehouse area — truckers with one hand on the wheel inspired the iconic sandwiches topped with fries (from $5.49) at Primanti Brothers (46 18th St.) — the mile-long Strip is a fantastic all-in-one of street eats, markets, bakeries, restaurants and bars. The mayor’s a fan of the Famous Crepe Hotcakes, $5.25, at cash-only luncheonette Pamela’s Diner (60 21st St.). After, he explores. That’s what you should do, possibly more than once while in town, definitely when you’re hungry.
MEET LOAF
Almost every Sunday at Enrico Biscotti (2022 Penn Ave.) in the Strip there’s a bread-making class, $65, that includes a massive family-style breakfast (from smoked salmon to spaghetti and meatballs, plus wine and espresso), and a bit of history about the bread — typically rustic Italian — you’ll be making. Proprietor Larry Lagattuta calls the lesson “sex and death and empire” because, well, “It’s all about the bread, man. The whole world is about bread.” You’ll walk away armed with your own loaf and the confidence to repeat at home.
SAUSAGE PARTY
Just up the street you’ll find Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. (2010-2012 Penn Ave.) and Parma Sausage Co. (1734 Penn Ave.; parmasausage.com). If baking your own bread has inspired you, how about making your own lunch, too, with provisions between these two stores — one a complete market, one a purveyor of house-made sausages (fresh and dried). The coppa secca (aged pork shoulder, a k a capicola), $15/pound, is a real treat.
GET YOUR GOAT
If DIY doesn’t suit you, or if you’re feeling snacky again later, the sandwiches you want to try in the Strip are at Thin Man (50 21st St.). Jamaican jerk goat curry (coconut milk, habaneros, rice-n-beans on pita), $9.50, is a winner created by the co-chef-owners Dan and Sherri Leiphart. Closed Mondays.
RYE NOT?
Named for Philip Wigle, whom George Washington pardoned after he was sentenced to hang for his participation in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, the family-owned distillery Wigle Whiskey (2401 Smallman St.), opened March 2012 in the Strip, is the first to operate in Pittsburgh since Prohibition. Take the one-hour tour, $20, Saturdays, for whiskey history, how-to (on site milling, distilling, bottling) and tasting, including a walk-around cocktail. Tasting flights are $5. Closed Mondays.
DOUBLE DOWN
Bobby Fry spent three years in NYC where, he says, he “learned to love eating and drinking and dining properly.” Returning home, he and his partners opened trendy Bar Marco (2216 Penn Ave.) in the Strip to great success. Last month, they doubled their efforts with East Liberty’s The Livermore (124 South Highland Ave.), named for the Great Bear of Wall Street (Fry tried institutional equity trading before jumping into hospitality). Creative cocktails like Aquavito (aquavit, mint-lime-syrup, absinthe) are house specialties. And say “yes” to bar snacks.
FORK IT OVER
In Oakland, Chef Trevett Hooper’s daily-tweaked Legume menu is available at adjacent Butterjoint until 9 p.m. (214 N. Craig St.). One is about chairs and table service; the other is a disarmingly normal-looking bar where you can taste local beers (Full Pint) and cider (Arsenal) along with a range of delicious dishes like marinated bullhorn pepper salad with tomatoes, feta, green beans and white anchovy, $10, and ravioli with kale, tomatoes and parmesan, $18.
STAY
Neighboring Point State Park is one great reason to check in to the 712-room downtown Wyndham Grand (from $219). Here, the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge to form the Ohio (the Three Rivers). Paved waterside promenades line this 36-acre park, where a $40-million, six-year renovation was completed in June.