On a positive note, I have had a few good meals in Pittsburgh. 1. The Balcony. Okay, everyone knows about it, but I have had their Sunday brunch several times & it's yummy. A good deal (my major criterion for worthwhile-ness) -- about 10 bucks gets you an entree AND the fruit and pastry bar, plus all the ADDITIONAL entress you can stuff downb. 2. Mediterranean Grill. Except for the rock-hard pita, a good deal, though you may get tired of it quickly since it's pretty limited, in my opinion (me being vegetarian). 3. Cerulean Bistro. Nice brunch, pleasant atmosphere. Maybe expensive -- I forgot. 4. La Filipiana. Philipino food -- quite unique & not a bad deal. Crummy neighborhood though -- don't leave your car in front of the convenience store or a mean lady will bark at you. 5. Italian Oven. Contrary to what some have said derided the "Italian-ness" of this place, I've found that at least the food tastes fresh -- as long as you don't get one of the slowpoke servers. 6. Thai -- that Thai place that used to be the Oriental Balcony. I've actually been there a bunch of times but always forget what it's called. In another mood, I'd say it's not worth the price, but at least in the end it's good and the price isn't too bad. Take everything down about a buck & you'd have a 4-star medium-caliber Thai restaurant. 7. Himalayan Tibetan. Definitely one of the few places I actually like, though their butter/potato Indian-influenced "Chinese" food may not be to everyone's taste. I recommend the simplest thing: peas, carrots and cashews. They may open one up in Squirrel Hill. 8. Brunch at any of the hotels near the airport. Most of these brunches are pretty rockin -- but they're between 10 and 14 bucks a head. I use "Entertainment" booklet coupons, so I never notice. And a final note -- anyone contemplating eating out a lot should definitely get an "Entertainment" coupin book. It will cut the price of tons of places in half. - Jay
Pittsburgh, PA
On a positive note...
>1. The Balcony. Okay, everyone knows about it, but I have had their >2. Mediterranean Grill. Except for the rock-hard pita, a good deal, >3. Cerulean Bistro. Nice brunch, pleasant atmosphere. Maybe expensive >4. La Filipiana. Philipino food -- quite unique & not a bad deal. >5. Italian Oven. Contrary to what some have said derided the >6. Thai -- that Thai place that used to be the Oriental Balcony. I've >7. Himalayan Tibetan. Definitely one of the few places I actually >8. Brunch at any of the hotels near the airport. Most of these I have to agree that this is an odd list. You seem to be more concerned with quantity than quality. As a bonafide tight-wad I can respect that. However, some food is so horribly mediocre that it's not worth eating at any price. I don't go to the Balcony, even with a coupon. The Mediterranean Grill left us cold. (I do rather like Italian Oven, seemingly the most controversial restaurant in Pittsburgh. It's a chain, but it's a local chain. The food is inexpensive, tasty, plentiful and fresh. The service is always friendly, the atmosphere pleasant and smoke-free. If someone can tell me about another local Italian restaurant that meets these qualifications, I would be happy to patronize it. My experiences thus far, though limited, do not lead me to be hopeful on this front.) Back to mediocrity- Another good example is Bagel Nosh. We've never had a truly BAD meal there, but we've NEVER had a good one either. The service is particularly bad though it seems to improve for the regulars. Ditto for Armstrongs in the Galleria, another favorite of lots of folks. Want a good quality/quantity=value meal? We like Applebee's and Chili's for "American food." Red River BBQ is good, if uneven. Breakfast at DeLucca's is a Pittsburgh tradition, and we really like Drew's on Ardmore Blvd. (The last time I mentioned this place, I mistakenly called it Dave's) They serve a marvelous corned-beef hash, made fresh rather than from a can. They also make nutty pancakes that are light and tasty. Zaw's is great for Chinese. For special occasions, an E coupon has taken us to the Rodi Grille House (thanks to all who recommended it!) and Per Favore. Fajita Grille, is of course, marvelous if incredibly hard to get to. Tequilla Junction is okay, if very uneven (still better than Chi-Chi's!) I like the Cheese Cellar; my husband doesn't. Houlihans serves a nice early-bird special. For cheap, try the $4.95 buffet at IKEA, but I don't think the food is that good. MaxnErma's in Mt. Lebanon does a very very very nice Sunday brunch at a not unreasonable price ($10-12). These are just a few off-the-top-of-my-head places. We like to eat out but don't do it all that often because it's so much more expensive than buying really good quality ingredients and cooking for yourself.
Jay G. wrote: > >On a positive note, I have had a few good meals in Pittsburgh. >1. The Balcony. Okay, everyone knows about it, but I have had their >2. Mediterranean Grill. Except for the rock-hard pita, a good deal, >3. Cerulean Bistro. Nice brunch, pleasant atmosphere. Maybe expensive >4. La Filipiana. Philipino food -- quite unique & not a bad deal. >5. Italian Oven. Contrary to what some have said derided the >6. Thai -- that Thai place that used to be the Oriental Balcony. I've >7. Himalayan Tibetan. Definitely one of the few places I actually >8. Brunch at any of the hotels near the airport. Most of these For someone who claims to have elevated tastes, this sure is a bizarre list. Even by the standards of the city, (1), (2), (5), and (7) are, each taken as a whole, mediocre at best. However, I have not tried the brunch at (1) and so cannot comment there. You can easily do better than these places, even for the money, which appears to be a big criterion for you. I do agree that the brunch at (3) can be a pleasant experience and a good deal, but I've only been there once and so cannot comment on consistency. -chris