Peter- I'm sorry to do this as I hate to receive sarcastic replies to innocent requests, but here goes- hot/spicy?!? in Pittsburgh?!? This is a city where a favorite sandwich is chicken on whitebread with mayonnaise. Now, let's see if I can give you a little help. You will find some nice little Jewish delis and bakeries on Murray Avenue (yes, all you New Yorkers, I *know* they're nowhere as good as yours :-) ) as well as a growing number of Asian places. Suzie's on Shady (in the same neighborhood) serves Greek food. Ali Baba's on Craig Street serves good, inexpensive middle-eastern food. There are Italian restuarants in Bloomfield, but someone more familiar then I am should recommend a specific one or two. Most of the Eastern European cooking I know about only surfaces at church and community food fairs. If you have transportation, you might spend Saturday morning exploring the Strip District. Start with Breakfast at the Smallman Diner or else sample from the dozens of vendors who set up along the streets. You can also buy a little bread, cheese and fruit for later. Have fun! -Mary Jensen
Pittsburgh, PA
Looking for ethnic in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Here's my summary from the net of Pittsburgh food.
p.s. on my last visit, I had good meals at Ali Baba
and Mallorca.
Ali Baba (Oakland) -- Middle Eastern
Craig St
(very good, with some unusual dishes like sleek,
tahini sauce, and a spicy walnut paste)
Allegheny Brewery (Northside) -- German
(German beer hall, w music, food, beer)
Bacchri's (Mt Lebanon) -- Indonesian
(very variable quality)
Balcony (Shadyside) -- Eclectic
(decent slamon)
Bravo France (?) -- French
Cafe Allegro (South Side) -- Eclectic
(very fresh food, elegant, great seafood & sauteed vegetables, awesome desserts)
Cafe Giovanni (Shadyside) -- Italian
Walnut St
(beautiful atmosphere, mixed reports, try the Chicken Saltimbocca)
Cafe Sam (South Side) -- ?
(very good seafood, but expensive)
Carlton (?) -- ?
China Palace (Shadyside) -- Chinese
Walnut St
(very good, esp Kung Pao Chicken)
Chinese on Carson (South Side) -- Chinese
(very good, but expensive; China Palace said to be better)
Common Plea (Downtown) -- Continental
Darbar (Oakland) -- Indian
Centre nr Craig
(good lamb dishes)
Fajita Grill (Pleasant Hills) -- Mexican
(very good authentic spicy Mexican)
General Tso's (Squirrel Hill) -- Chinese
Himalayan Tibetan Restaurant (Oakland) -- Tibetan
Forbes Ave
(authentic, but americanized)
India Garden (Oakland) -- Indian
Atwood St
(recently opened, good food)
Island Cove (?) -- Carribean
Forbes Ave
(good reviews)
Italian Oven (?) -- Pizza
(wood oven, semi-trendy, white pizzas better than red)
Jimmy Tsang's (Friendship) -- Chinese
Baum Blvd
La Foret (East End) -- French/California
(expensive, elegant, quiet, food varies from excellent to disappointing,
but desserts are uniformly excellent)
Le Pommier (South Side) -- Continental
Carson St
Mallorca (South Side) -- Spanish
Carson St
(Excellent garlic soup, Garlic Chicken, Mariscada in Salsa Verde
Some think Paella is excellent; other think it is too dry or masss produced.
Cozy interesting decor, though can be overcrowded, friendly service.
Very large portions, nice house wines)
Max's (North Side) -- German
(good German food, esp the schnitzels)
Me Lyng (Homestead) -- Vietnamese
(good quality and value, but boring -- too like Chinese)
Nico's Recovery Room (Friendship) -- Greek
Friendship nr West Penn Hospital
(decent greek food, cheap beer, good greek salad, potato salad & pizza)
Oakwood Inn (Oakland) -- Korean / Japanese
Craig St
(superb Sushi, but check what you'll get in advance,
also good Bibim Bap. A small simple place with low prices)
Pasta Piatto (Shadyside) -- Italian
(great food)
Per Favore (?) -- Italian
Poli's (Squirrel Hill) -- Seafood
Murray
(pricey, but worth it for what you get)
Primadonna (McKees Rocks) -- Italian
(good food, great staff, great prices)
Samreny's (Oakland) -- Middle Eastern
Santa Fe (south of city ?) -- Mexican
(supposed to be very good)
Star of India (Oakland) -- Indian
Craig St nr Carnegie Museum
(mixed reviews, some love it, some hate it)
Station Square (South Side) -- American
(Gandy Bar has good clams & oysters)
Sushi Kim (Downtown) -- Korean / Japanese
Penn Ave nr 14th
(exceptional Korean food & possibly best sushi in Pgh)
Susie's (Squirrel Hill) -- Greek
Forbes & Shady
Szechuan House (Fox Chapel/Squirrel Hill) -- Chinese
(excellent, but can tend towards the greasy side)
Tassaro's (Bloomfield) -- Grill
(wonderful steak & chicken sandwiches, fish & home fries)
Taste of India (Lawrenceville) -- Indian
Penn Ave across from St Francis Hospital
(good tandoori dishes)
Wholey's (Strip District) -- Seafood
(good & inexpensive for things like fried fish sandwiches)
Wright's Seafood Inn (Bridgeville) -- Seafood
Young Bin Kwan (Bloomfield) -- Korean / Japanese
nr Bloomfield Bridge
(ok, but they're overpriced and have gone downhill)There's a tiny Korean place underneath Sheetz on Forbes Ave in Oakland (one block east of Atwood) that serves some decent hot death and is pretty cheap. For non-deathly ethnic, I recommend the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern which is right on the corner of (the main drag in Bloomfield - there's only one - whose name I have forgotten despite that it's been only a year since I left) and the Bloomfield Bridge. Very easy to find. Really. Good bottled beer selection, excellent homemade pierogies and other Polish treats, very friendly blue-collar atmosphere. Pittsburgh's not a place for reasonable Chinese food but Jimmy Tsang's (on Baum Blvd near Negley Ave) is arguably an exception. I'm particularly fond of the tiger and phoenix. Fairly expensive, though. Another place to try for Chinese is Sichuan House on Murray Ave, deep in Squirrel Hill. They have very good General Tso's chicken. Have cash because they don't take plastic. For an ethnic experience that's Pittsburgh-ethnic (as opposed to foreign- ethnic), try Big Jim's in Greenfield. You're sure to get lost trying to find it, but there are those who think it's worth the effort. Bon appetit, - Jeff.