#197: Freak Show Mikey - Tweet Tweet

Best Pittsburgh Personality on Twitter

Done.

21 down, 344 to go.

#93: Fat Head's - For When You're Really, Really Hungry

Best Place to Chill with a Brewski After Work

Last Friday, Michelle and I joined our friends Jason and Amanda to kick off the weekend with a post-work dinner and drinks at Fat Head's Saloon on Carson Street in the South Side. I was the only one who had been there before and was excited to see the others' reactions at the portion sizes.

We felt lucky to be seated quickly for a Friday afternoon Happy Hour. From my previous experience, I knew to check out the menu online a head of time (see it here). The other three needed a little extra time to figure out what they wanted to order from the six page menu. To no surprise, Jason ordered the Baco Jalapeno Burger (he's a burger cconnoisseur) with bacon, mozzarella, jalapenos, goat cheese, and chipotle mayo. Amanda ordered the Chick'N Little. Do not let the name deceive you - this thing is HUGE. It comes with chicken fingers, provolone cheese, two fried eggs, American cheese, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and hot pepper mayo. Whew! Michelle opted for the McMinn's Chicken Dance. A bit smaller than Amanda's sandwich, this one had chicken, a fried egg, sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, a pickle, and hot pepper mayo. My Divine Swine Headwich may have been the smallest in the group - it was a simple yet delicious pulled pork sandwich with bacon and BBQ sauce. All of our meals came with more than generous portions of chips or fries (don't ask for a substitution - they won't give it to you).

Michelle and I each also tried one of their many brews on tap. Michelle had the Paulaner Hefe-Weizen from Munich, Germany while I had Pittsburgh's own White Lightening Wit. Both were delicious and refreshing. Overall, I had a great time and a great meal and I am already looking forward to my next trip. Good work, LivingSocial.

- Emily

20 down, 345 to go.

#11: Aladdin's Eatery - Dessert Heaven

Best Place for Lebanese in Squirrel Hill

When we arrived at Aladdin's Eatery we were greeted by a display of delicatible treats. Cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, and white cakes starred at us from their glass prison begging for us to set them free. Our next stop was Razzy Fresh, so a slice of cake was out of the question. Disappointment set it.

Aladdin's was fairly crowded with a diverse group of patrons varying from families with children to couples on dates. We openly browsed neighboring diners' plates for ideas of what to order. The giant salad pockets grabbed Emily's attention and I was hoping to order mezze but neither were on our list.

LivingSocial recommended the Pita Pitza, so Emily ordered the Aladdin's Chicken Pitza and I ordered the Greek Pitza. We placed an order of hummos to start. Our waiter brought us a basket of pita bread and we immediately began tearing at the bread as if it were our last meal. Our waiter soon returned with hummos and with a surprised look on his face asked if we wanted more pita bread when he realized the basket was empty.

The neighboring couple had just finished their salads and the waiter asked if they would like to order dessert. They ordered a slice of cheesecake to share and I immediately realized that we were doomed. Emily asked the couple if the cheesecake was good and they responded with "Yes, we always order a lighter meal in order to have room for dessert." That was not what Emily wanted to hear. We agreed that we would split a slice of cake and go to Razzy Fresh another day.

Our food later arrived and Emily wasn't exactly impressed with the chicken pitza. She immediately remembered that she wasn't the biggest fan of honey mustard and prefered more honey than mustard. I enjoyed the Greek Pitza especially the feta cheese. I could have done without the olives though. Not really a big fan.

After we finished our meal our waiter asked if we wanted to order dessert and would like a tour of the cakes. Of course. The options seemed endless (ok, there were only three rows of cakes). Our waiter identified each of the cakes and asked if we had any questions. We asked what he would recommend and he suggested the Oreo cake with the white cream filling or the Oreo cheesecake with a layer of chocolate. We agreed on the Oreo cake.

We returned to our table and were served a slice of cake. Unfortunately the cake was dry and we tried to mask the texture with the cream filling. We agreed that we would order the Oreo cheesecake next time.

- Michelle

19 down, 346 to go.

#52, #70: La Feria - A Local Trip to Peru

Best Place for Peruvian Food AND Place for Peruvian Crafts


On Thursday Emily and I took an impromptu trip to La Feria for lunch. We had originally scheduled to go there on Sunday but it was closed (something to keep in mind when planning to dine or shop there). We caught the 71-A Negley to Shadyside with the hopes that it would head south toward Walnut. While on the bus we learned that it was actually headed north, so we hopped off at Centre and Graham. Emily and I wandered though a neighborhood and eventually found ourselves crossing a bridge over a highway. I was starving and not wearing appropriate walking shoes and Emily's optimism of "It's all part of the adventure" was not helping the situation. Two cell phones and two master's degrees later, we managed to find our way to La Feria. To our surprise, La Feria is located above Pamela's diner.

In La Feria we passed through the craft store which included a variety of clothing, rugs, and figurines. I took interest in the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) figurines and Emily looked at the jewelry.

Livingsocial's favorite pick is the sampler plate with two empandas and Peruvian dips served with bread and sweet potato chips for dipping. With our luck, the menu had recently changed and we had to order the empanadas and the sweet potato fries separately. The sweet potato fries were served with what tasted like a spicy french onion dip and was a great appetizer. Emily and I also shared a spinach and feta and spicy apple empanada. Both were delicious and we wished we had ordered more than two.

We would both go back again for a taste of Peru.

-Michelle

17 and 18 down, 348 to go.

#190: PNC Park - The Most Beautiful Ballpark in MLB

The Best Reason to Cross Roberto Clemente Bridge on Foot

One of the best deals in Pittsburgh is the Pirate's #ClubTicketTwosday (follow them on Twitter - @BucsInsider). On Tuesdays in which the Buccos have a home game, @BucsInsider tweets a location within the city and a time at which to show up. The first 15 people to that location receive two free club seats to that night's game. That's right - club seats... meaning three inches of padding for your tush! Last week, the #ClubTicketTwosday location was none other than the old Forbes Field Wall on Pitt's campus. Utilizing our lunch break, Michelle and I scooted over to the wall 45 minutes before the announced time and found ourselves to be the first fans in line. We watched as others arrived, some by foot, some by bike, some even ran.

My favorite part of waiting was an older couple who had traveled from out of town to see what remains of Forbes Field. I overheard the couple asking a construction worker about the wall and the location of home plate (known to some as the home of Mickey Mantle's tears) which is now inside Posvar Hall. As a friendly gesture, I informed the couple that if they moved to the other side of the wall and waited approximately 10 minutes, they would find themselves owners of free tickets to that night's game against the Dodgers. They seemed surprised, but chose to follow my suggestion. I don't think I've seen a happier couple of tourists in quite some time.

Someone once told me that PNC Park is the best ballpark in Major League Baseball. I told him I kindly disagreed. Now, having been to 18 of the 30 current stadiums, I have to say I have changed my mind.

There is no view better than that from the third baseline of the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. And there's no better deal. Parking a hop, skip, and a jump from the ballpark is just $5. As you walk across the Roberto Clemente bridge, you hear the pleasant sounds of the sax man jamming while you contemplate whether or not you would ever be adventurous enough to jump into the river... or maybe that's just what Michelle and I do. At any rate, you can get tickets to a game for as little as $9 - a steal for any professional sport. Don't forget to pack snacks - unlike many ballparks, you can bring your own food into PNC!

Last but certainly not least, don't forget to say hi to my good friend Jim, the usher for sections 117/119. He might be the best part of the PNC experience! Let's go Bucs!

- Emily

16 down, 349 to go.