#113: The Pittsburgh Banjo Club - Bengay anyone?

Best Place to Hear a Banjo Jamboree

I like to consider myself a very open-minded individual who is willing to experience new things. From these new experiences I have learned a lot about what I like and what I don't like and I recently learned that I really really don't like Banjo music.

On Wednesday Emily and I went to Elks Lodge #339 where the Pittsburgh Banjo Club rehearses. When we entered the dining hall, I thought we had entered a retirement home with reserved tables. There were senior citizens EVERYWHERE. We immediately grabbed a table to absorb the sounds of the Banjo Club.

Sing-Along books were available for listeners to join in on the songs. In honor of the first day of summer, the club played "Roll Out Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole. Emily and I listened to a few songs until my ears began to bleed (not really) and we left. Never again.

-Michelle

56 down, 309 to go.

#208, #58, #174, #169, #20, #7, #34, & #76: A Sunday in the Strip

#208: 21st Street Coffee and Tea - The Best Coffee Shop to Disappear Into

#58: Peace, Love, and Little Donuts - The Best Place to Feed Donuts to Your Inner Hippie

#174: Pittsburgh Public Market - The Best Place for Locavores to Go Cuckoo for Local Stuff

#169: In the Kitchen - The Best Place for Cooks to Feel Like a Kid in a Candy Store

#20: Penzey's Spices -The Best (Foodie) Place to Spice Up Your Life

#7: Pennsylvania Macaroni Company - The Best Italian Grocery Store

#34: Art of Steel - A Make Up for a Skipped Number!

#76: Right By Nature - The Best Place for Organic Meat in the Strip

The Strip District is located between 11th and 33rd Streets and incorporates three main roads - Smallman Street, Penn Avenue, and Liberty Avenue. Formerly home to many mills and factories along the Allegheny River, Michelle, my friend Tom, and I spent this past Sunday exploring the shops, cafes, and stores in this fun neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

We started with 21st Street Coffee and Tea where Tom ordered a cup of coffee from Nicaragua. As the barista made his order, it appeared as though each cup is individually brewed and incredibly strong. As Tom said, if he was going to pay $4 for a cup of coffee, it better be the best cup of his life. And it was (according to him... neither Michelle nor I drink the icky stuff).

Our next stop was just next door - Peace, Love, and Little Donuts. Here, we put our dollars together and purchased a six pack of little donuts. Michelle and I both ordered a cinnamon and a glazed while Tom had two glazed. Branching out, obviously. Anyway, all donuts were good but I think that the most delicious was my cinnamon donut as it was still fresh out of the frier and therefore piping hot. Luckily for Michelle and I, a new Little Donuts just opened up down the street from work. Thank you!

After the donuts, we continued down Smallman Street to the Pittsburgh Public Market. Located indoors, this little market has all the free samples anyone could ask for just before payday. We tried soups, cheeses, crackers, jams and jellies, Jamaican food, Indian food... the list goes on. Michelle bought a hot raspberry jam while Tom opted for a delicious cup of lentil soup that he so kindly left in my refrigerator (thanks Tommy!). We all agreed we'd like to come check the market out on a Saturday to see if there are more vendors.

Our fourth stop was In the Kitchen, yet another kitchen store filled with overpriced supplies and bakeware. We spent about 20 minutes perusing the aisles and examining the goods. I was the only one to walk out with anything - a small plate decorated with various sights of Pittsburgh - and am looking forward to hanging it in my new apartment in two weeks.

A few shops down from In the Kitchen is Penzey's Spices. This store is a mini warehouse of spices. They have quite the selection. Michelle and I explored just a handful of the 250 different offerings with our noses - there was a mustard bratwurst spice, a lot of southwest/Mexican/Tex-Mex spices, and even more from Italy and Europe. We both felt a bit overwhelmed by the size of the selection and believe that we would first need to upgrade our cooking skills before adding to our collections of spices.


Leaving Penzey's Spices empty handed, we hopped across the street to my favorite store in the Strip - the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. They have olives, bread, pasta, spices, mustards, sausages, seafood, fruits, veggies... and the cheese selection is HUGE! I have never been by this place without seeing a long line for their selection of cheeses from around the world. While we didn't make any purchases on this visit, I will be going back very soon. I have decided that I could do all of my weekly grocery shopping in this store. It really is that awesome.


To make up for one of the "Things to Do" that LivingSocial skipped on its list, Michelle and I decided to recommend to you all Art of Steel which is located at 2125 Penn Avenue in the Strip. This art store was filled with unique finds. We easily spent a half-hour or so wandering the two rooms filled with pieces of art. Michelle was struck by the wine bottle holders pictured to the left, while I found a few paintings I am interested in. Again, with payday looming, I decided to hold off on making any purchases but I can't wait to go back, look around, and make a couple purchases.

Our final stop for the day was supposed to be at Right By Nature, a grocery store that focuses on providing as many natural and organic products as possible along with top selling supermarket/mainstream brands. LivingSocial called Right By Nature the best place for organic meat in the Strip. However, we found this to perhaps be less true than it seems as the store has suspended services as of Saturday, April 30, 2011. The signs in the window stated they hope to re-open their doors later this year in a new location. We shall see!

Overall, I felt like the four hours we spent exploring the Strip District were some of the most fun I've spent in Pittsburgh. I look forward to returning soon, this time with a bit more money to spend.

- Emily

47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 down, 311 to go.

#193: The Pittsburgh Scrabble Club - Not for the Faint of Heart

The Best Way to Mind Your Ps and Qs

I have always enjoyed a great game of Scrabble, especially when I frequently beat the likes of my parents and friends (i.e. Kellen, Ed). So when I heard about the Pittsburgh Scrabble Club, I was pretty excited.

Michelle and I arrived right at 7:00 and were quickly buzzed into the Imperial House in Squirrel Hill where the club meets every Wednesday night. We were greeted by Terry to whom we explained what we were doing with LivingSocial's list of things to do in Pittsburgh and our blog... she didn't seem to fully understand and asked us to talk to Stan. We again explained our challenge, to which we received a look of disappointment. This Scrabble Club wanted us to join pretty badly.

Rather than jump right in, Terry provided us a set of the Scrabble Club playing rules, a cheat sheet of 2 and 3 letter words, and a list of words that most people consider to be proper nouns but, in a certain form, are not. (I will not be sharing them here, for fear I will play one of our readers one day.)

Soon, Stan assigned that night's competitors. He invited us to watch how the play unfolds, including how challenges are made and determined with the help of a computer program. For an old game, the whole thing is pretty high tech.

I found myself to be fascinated by the style of play. Every player was focused and serious - there were no smiles or jokes, and certainly not any laughter. One women told us how joining the Scrabble club has completely ruined recreational play for her - she can't stand the conversation and lighthearted nature of it all. Those of you who know me will agree that this is not for me. While I enjoyed observing the Scrabble club, I think I'll stick to social Scrabble - I need to talk trash!

- Emily

55 down, 310 to go.

#217: Double Wide Grill - Carson Street Hot Spot

Best Place for a Night Out With Everything

On June 18th I participated in the South Side Summer Open and began my morning at the Double Wide Grill. At 10:30am there were already several diners enjoying meals and engaging in the active atmosphere of the miniature golf teams. Emily's friend Tom came to the city and the Double Wide Grill was somewhere she was very excited to take him to hangout, so we agreed to meet that evening back at the restaurant when the event was over.

I drank all afternoon, so when I met up with Emily and Tom the only thing I was concerned about was food. I asked the waitress what she recommended and she said that you could never go wrong with their burgers. I ordered a Black N' Blue burger which was a tad bit too salty for my tastes but satisfied my hunger. Emily and Tom ordered Rogue Dead Guy Ales.

The patrons ranged from miniature golfers that had been at the South Side for several hours to bars hoppers who were making their first stop of the night. At the Double Wide Grill, there never seemed to be a dull moment and definitely is a hot spot on the South Side.

-Michelle

46 down, 319 to go.

#190: Mattress World - Sneaking In, Stealth Mode

The Best Place to Find a Good Night's Sleep

Michelle and I are both fortunate enough to have our furniture supplied by our jobs. This means that we will have no need for a new bed or bed frame for at least another year. Rather than getting stuck talking to a salesman, we decided to operate in stealth mode while checking out Mattress World in Mt. Lebanon. We ran in and took a lap around the store while scoping out the products before I hopped in a child's bunk bed. While cozy, I'm not sure that this bed will fit either of our needs even if we are looking for a new bed this time next year. I might, however, find a use for that giant stuffed giraffe.

- Emily

45 down, 320 to go.