Pittsburgh

Altius, Pittsburgh, 5/3/23

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
exterior/day – 1230 Grandview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15211

Altius was a combination of fine dining and spectacular views.  Located next to the top spot for the Mt. Washington Incline, the 2-story restaurant makes the most of its views with windows on three sides and 2 levels on each floor, so everybody can look around.  The comfy seats have adequate-sized tables on carpet with only faint music in the background.  Most of the lighting was from the windows and that would have been an issue if we hadn’t been lucky to be located under one of the ceiling spots.  Some tables got quite dark as we watched the sun go down and the city’s lights go on.  Bridges, stadiums and buildings are all within view as was the Duquesne Indian station and its car.  A more casual crowd seemed to be celebrating special occasions among us regular diners.  Service was good as was the food but the view was exceptional. Continue reading →

Primanti Bros., Pittsburgh, 5/3/23

~ hsnixon ~ 4 Comments
exterior – 46 18th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222

Primanti Bros. started in 1933 during the Great Depression.  Joe Primanti had a sandwich cart that was successful enough to turn into a storefront feeding shift workers and truck drivers.  Their signature is potato fries on the sandwich.  The story is that someone came to the restaurant during the winter with a load of potatoes.  He was concerned if they were frozen but when cooked on the grill they were fine.  As other customers came in they wanted some so Joe put them on the sandwich and it was a hit.  It allowed the drivers to eat with one hand while they drove.   They now have 40 restaurants in over 6 states.  We tried to hit the original location of this Pittsburgh icon.  It is definitely worth trying and they are open daily 8 am – 10 pm and even later on Fri and Sat. The interesting thing was their menu had no prices and the drink menu on the table didn’t either.  You can order extra meat or cheese on your sandwich but then I heard another patron asking how much and the server had to go to the register to check.   On the website, most of the sandwiches are around $9 with $2 for extra meat/cheese.  Service was super friendly and the place has murals you could study while you wait a short time for your order.  They also had a full bar and several options for draft beer, which is what I tried. Continue reading →

Eleven Contemporary Kitchen, Pittsburgh, 5/2/23

~ hsnixon ~ Leave a comment
entrance – 150 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Eleven was in a renovated warehouse beside the rail lines and served a seasonal menu with an accompanying large wine list.  Opening in 2004 it was named because it was the 11th restaurant opened by the big Burrito Restaurant Group and it has been a launching spot for many of the best Pittsburgh chefs.  It’s a striking interior, with a two-story dining area where the second floor is glass-enclosed private rooms (and a patio) and downstairs is filled with curved booths opposite straight booths that are next to the wall separating the open kitchen.  The wine cellar is the glassed-in area on the second level above the middle of the space.  On the opposite end of the dining area/kitchen was the large bar area that had a separate menu.   Music was in the background with lighting lowered and curtains on the windows to the street.  The food was quite good but there were a few service glitches that showed a lack of communication among the staff.  It was a dressier crowd, many looked like expense account eaters.    I would recommend the place based on the food and the lovely setting but with some reservations. Continue reading →