Exploring cuisine and culture in
Pittsburgh
Fun
activities all ages
by
Phyllis Steinberg
 The Duquesne Incline is an
interesting introduction to
Pittsburgh. I scaled the wooded slopes of
Mt.
Washington in a restored
cable car used by commuters in this city since 1877.
 And
when I got to the top I had a panoramic view of the Steel City.
The soot and the pollution of this former city are long gone, but the
history of the area is depicted at the top of the Incline. Steel mills have
been replaced by hi-tech industries, but the Duquesne Incline continues to
operate with its wooden wheels and is a top tourist attraction for families.
There
are many ways to see the city. You can board the Gateway Clipper Fleet, for
dining or sightseeing cruises that capture the spirit of the city of three
rivers, the Allegheny, Monongahela and
Ohio.
Or take the Just Ducky Tours for a land and water tour aboard the historic
Discovery vessel or take the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. The more
adventurous might want to hop on a Segway and visit the city led by a
trained Segway guide.
 But whatever method you
choose to see the city, there are plenty of interesting neighborhoods,
museums, sporting events and cultural activities for everyone in the family.
Being a foodie, I started my exploring in an area called the Strip District
with a food tasting tour, led by an experienced food lover like me. The
Strip District is the former area where the dock workers labored and it has
blocks of hearty food shops, restaurants, specialty stores, a fish market
and bars. Our first stop was Mancini’s for a taste of hot, out of the oven,
Italian bread.
 The
Strip tour included a visit to a cheese shop with dozens of varieties of
unusual cheeses for a tasting, bake shops, a fish market, gourmet kitchen
store and even a visit to a
Pittsburgh
popcorn store with freshly popped corn in dozens of tasty flavors. Our group
also made a pit stop at Primanti Brothers, famous for its hearty sandwich
that dock workers enjoyed years ago and one that people still enjoy that
want a big meal. But don’t ask them to put the French fries on the side of
your sandwich. They go right in the middle of the sandwich.
I walked
off some of my calories by taking a walking tour of the Lawrenceville
neighborhood. This funky district has antique shops, artist galleries,
boutiques and home accessories.
 Then it was dinner time and
Tamari Restaurant and Lounge, with its innovative menu with a mix of Asian
and Latin American was a feast for my taste buds after my day of sightseeing
along Pittsburgh
neighborhoods. Their appetizers laced with caviar were amazing.
One of
the most interesting museums in
Pittsburgh
is the Andy Warhol. Not your typical museum fare here. No, there are posters
of every subject Warhol was involved in from movie stars to presidents and
pornography. Some sections are not suitable for children, but there are
several floors of interesting items that merit a visit to this tribute to
the artist.
The
Frick Pittsburgh Art and Historical Center is a museum dedicated to Henry Clay Frick, a
young man who recognized the opportunity that coal could be baked slowly
into coal cakes, or coke, and shipped by rail to fuel the modern furnaces of Pittsburgh’s growing steel
industry in the 1870’s.
 Frick’s mansion, Clayton, has
been beautiful restored and maintained and is available for guided tours.
The tour gives guests glimpse of a late-Victorian mansion and how a wealthy
family in Pittsburgh
lived in the 1880’s and 1890’s. A $5.8 million restoration of the mansion
began in 1986 and took four years to complete.
The Frick also includes a collection of antique cars.
 A
visit to Pittsburgh wouldn’t be
complete without a visit to the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural history.
The galleries include 500 examples of American and European decorative arts
and design from the mid-18th century through present day. Plan to spend
several hours browsing this complex of museums founded by philanthropist
Andrew Carnegie in 1895.
Breakfast is a fun activity in
Pittsburgh. There are several neighborhood
restaurants that serve tasty homemade baked goods and delicious pancakes.
The Shadyside neighborhood, a trendy shopping district along
Walnut Street
and Ellsworth Avenue
is home to a variety of upscale boutiques, vintage shops and restaurants.
 Try Pamela’s, a popular
Pittsburgh
place for breakfast. They are known for their famous flapjacks.
Sports
also play an important role in
Pittsburgh. The Pittsburg Penguins National Hockey
League team, The Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Team and the Pittsburgh
Steelers football team all provide plenty of sports activities for fans and
tourists.
Whatever
your flavor, Pittsburgh
has something to suit everyone’s taste buds.
For
more information:
Visitpittsburgh.com
Strip Tours, Sylvia McCoy,
www.burghfoodtour.com
Lawrenceville city tours,
www.solecitytours.com
Carnegie
Museum of Art, www.cmoa.org
The
Frick Art and Historical Center, TheFrickPittsburgh.org
The
Duquesne Incline, www.incline.cc
Carnegie
Museum of Natural History,
www.carnegieMNH.org
Andy
Warhol
Museum,
www.warhol.org
Pittsburgh Penguins,
www.pittsburghpenguins.com
Pittsburgh Pirates, www.pirates.com
Pittsburgh Steelers, www.steelers.com
Photos
provided by Visit Pittsburgh
and Phyllis Steinberg
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