FEW 2009 Pittsburgh Restaurant Guide

Quick Walk from CMU

• Phipps Conservatory Cafe,  Schenley Park Pittsburgh, PA 15213.  Very close to campus.  Pleasant alfresco dining.  Chef designer lunch dishes.  Visit conservatory's new rain forest exhibit after lunch!
• Schenley Park Visitor's Center Café,  Schenley Park Pittsburgh, PA 15213.  Very close.  Nice.  Canyon views from rear patio.  Designer sandwiches.  Do a little hiking on extensive trail network after lunch. 
  
• Carnegie Museum Cafe, 4400 Forbes Ave., PA 15213.  Close, stylish setting, catch the gallery, dinosaurs, or mineral hall after lunch.
• Union Grill 413 S Craig St Pittsburgh, PA 15213, good American comfort food made with good ingredients by a real chef.  Why not filet mignon and garlic butter mashed potatoes for lunch?  You deserve it.
  
• Lulu’s Noodles 400 S Craig St Pittsburgh, PA 15213, pan-asian, lively atmosphere.
  
• Star of India 412 S Craig St Pittsburgh, PA 15213.  Punjabi standards, close, peaceful atmosphere.
  
• Tamarind 257 N Craig St Pittsburgh, PA 15213.  Farther than the rest but nice.  Wider regional selections than Star of India.  They have Dosas.  In old victorian mansion.
  
• Ali Baba 404 S Craig St Pittsburgh, PA 15213.  Nice food, real sit-down service, great value.  Try Syrian sandwich and lemon lentil soup.  BYOB.
  
•  Il Valletto Cafe 4626 Forbes Avenue, Oakland.  Less expensive for lunch.
  
• Lucca 317 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Little Asia 301 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, PA

Oakland

• Joe Mama’s 3716 Forbes Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15213, corporate simulation of a 50's diner.
• Fuel and Fuddle 212 Oakland Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15213, American food, good beer, open late, half price after 11 pm, for the noisy Pitt grad student or someone looking for a good deal
• Spice Island Tea House 253 Atwood St Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4052, Asian fusion, BYOB, closes at about 9pm; nice atmosphere.
  
• Mad Mex 370 Atwood St, Pittsburgh, 15213, Burritos and Co, open late, half price after 11pm, designer burritos.
  
• Oishi Bento 119 Oakland Ave Pittsbugh, PA 15213 Korean take-away; quick, decent food.
• India Garden, 328 Atwood Street, Pittsbugh, PA 15213,   Indian.
  

Squirrel Hill

• Chaya 2104 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.  Real Japanese sushi bar in Pittsburgh.  Reality does not come cheap.
  
• Café Asia 5833 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh 15217;  good Thai food.
• Bangkok Balcony 5846 Forbes Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15217, good Thai food.
  
• Silk Elephant 1712 Murray Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Thai tapas.  Good.
  
• Mediterranean Grill 5824 Forbes Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Middle Eastern, in basement, but the food is good.
• Aladdin's Eatery - 5878 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Nice atmosphere, reasonably priced good food.
  
• Gullifty's Restaurant -1922 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA – Good jazz, good dessert. Microwave cookery.
  
• Mineo's Pizza House - 2128 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh favorite for pizza.
• Tango Café - 5806 Forward Ave, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Panera Bread, 1711 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217.  Nice decor, Sandwiches on fresh bread, soup, free broaband.
• Sweet Basil and La Filipiniana, 2022 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.  Philippine cuisine.  No corkage fee!
• Sun Penang, 5829 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, Malaysian and Singaporean food

Shadyside

• Clustered around Border's bookstore at Penn Circle and S. Highland.  The area is gentrifying at the bottom of an internatioal recession.  Who said Pittsburgh is not a trend setter?
  
• Abay - 130 S. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206.  Kevin's favorite. Arguably better than the best Ethiopian places in San Fran and DC.  Great inerja, friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, intense, harmonious flavors.  Good value. 
  
• Royal Caribbean, 128 S. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206.  Existence proof for akrasia.  Whenever I try to go there I end up going to Abay (next door) instead.  If only they were farther apart.
• Dinette, 6996 Penn Circle South, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.  New California Mediterranean bistro run by a sociologist.  Try out the Newcomb paradox when you order.
• The Red Room and 2 Red Lounge, 134 South Highland, Pittsburgh, PA 15206..
• Richard Chen's, 5996 Penn Circle South (downstairs from Dinnette), imaginary Chinese food, pricey but good.  Currently closed for renovations but may be open again by the workshop
•  Typhoon, 242 South Highland, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.upscale Thai
• Cappy's Cafe - 5431 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA – Outdoor seating, with standard American fare and standard Pittsburgh selection of beer.
• Sushi Too - 5432 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA – Good sushi and sashimi, not cheap.
  
• China Palace - 5440 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA .
  
• Girasole Restaurant - 733 Copeland St, Pittsburgh – Good Italian.
  
• Pittsburgh Deli Co - 728 Copeland St, Pittsburgh, PA – Quick, cheap sandwiches.
• Shady Grove - 5500 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA – Serves more reasonably priced and better food than its upstairs neighbor, the Walnut St. Grill.
• Pangea - 738 Bellefonte St, Pittsburgh, PA
• Flair - 736 Bellefonte St, Pittsburgh, PA
• Pizzutti's Italian Restaurant - 709 Bellefonte St, Pittsburgh, PA – One of the better Italian places in Pittsburgh, cash only, ATM in lobby, BYOB.
  
• Pamela's - 5527 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA – Famous for breakfast, and in particular, the fried hotcakes.
  
• La Feria - 5527 Walnut St # 2, Pittsburgh, PA – Restaurant is in a gift shop and has a rotating menu, which contains great food sometimes and abysmal food during others.
• Crepes Parisiennes - 732 Filbert St, Pittsburgh, PA
• Thai Place Restaurant - 5528 Walnut St, Pittsburgh, PA
• Village Pizza 810 Ivy St, Pittsburgh, PA – Dirt cheap, and sells beer.
• Harris Grill - 5747 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA – Good beer selection. Decent burger.
• Elbow Room - 5744 1/2 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA - Comfort food.
• Soba 5847 Ellsworth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15232 – Trendy, upscale, imaginary Asian. The upstairs neighbor Umi is an upscale sushi restaurant.
• Enrico Ristorante - 5863 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA - Good and excellent wine list.
  
• Fajita Grill 5865 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA.  Unusual regional Mexican dishes including Yucatan.  Nice atmosphere in old Victorian house.  BYOB.
  
• La Casa Inc - 5884 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA – good Moroccan-influenced tapas, interesting Spanish and Portuguese wines, friendly staff; especially nice when the patio is open.
  
• Cafe Zinho - 238 Spahr St, Pittsburgh, PA – Small with changing menu. Food is consistently good. Average entrée costs around $20.  BYOB.