Pittsburgh is easily one of my favorite cities. I remember my first trip to see a Pirates game with my family and taking the Gateway Clipper from Station Square to PNC Park. Then about a year later, I spent a week at Point Park University attending the Rockette Summer Intensive.
Needless to say, when I moved to Morgantown to attend West Virginia University, Pittsburgh was a regular destination for weekend trips. Over the years, the goal of those weekend trips has shifted from attending concerts to finding the best food and awesome local attractions. With Adam moving to Seattle within the month, I knew this trip wouldn't be any different.
One thing hasn't changed, though. The view from behind home plate at PNC Park is beautiful. I normally end up spending more time ogling this view than watching the game. Adam picked the perfect seats for me to do just that! Catching the game and taking in the skyline was a perfect welcome to the city on a warm Friday night.
The next day we got a different view of the city from the Duquesne Incline. The wait was worth it for the view of the city, Point State Park, PNC Park, and Heinz Field. Although there isn't much to do at the top of the ride (unless you have dinner plans), you need to ride the Incline at least once!
We had an afternoon to kill before our late dinner reservations at Butcher in the Rye, so we grabbed a quick lunch at San Mercado. If you're a fan of meatballs, you'll definitely want to check this place out! You can choose between a variety of meatballs, sauce, and sides to create the ultimate combination of deliciousness. While enjoying our lunch, we planned for the next part of our adventure.
Randyland topped the list of next stops. We walked across the Roberto Clemente bridge to the Mexican War Streets until we found a house surrounded by a brightly colored fence. After being welcomed by a hugging robot, we entered the fence to find a wonderful, colorful assortment of odds and ends. Randy even made an appearance where he spoke about his childhood, the creation of Randyland, and what the future holds for the public art display. He even took selfies with everyone that was willing!
Before we knew it, our dinner reservation was quickly approaching. We had a quick photo shoot on our walk back across the Roberto Clemente bridge before freshening up at our room in the Renaissance.
As this was our third (maybe fourth?) time grabbing dinner at the trendy, taxidermy covered Butcher in the Rye, we knew exactly what we were going to order. Their dirty pasta is easily one of the most amazing meals I've ever eaten, and this time wasn't any different. I didn't think to get any pictures of the ground duck covered noodles because I was too excited to eat it all!
Sunday morning, we headed to brunch at one of Butcher in the Rye's sister restaurants - Meat & Potatoes. I had heard so many good things about this place and had been disappointed we had never managed to fit it in our itinerary. Aside from the magnificent Bloody Mary bar, I was honestly disappointed with the food and service. Next trip, we'll stick to Pamela's for breakfast.
All in all, it was a great weekend and last trip to the 'Burgh for the foreseeable future.
What weekend spot never gets old for you?