Tag Archives: Pittsburgh City Paper

For the Love of Travel Guidebooks – Offline Guides to Pittsburgh and Beyond

Obviously we love blogs, and we like Pittsburgh, and we believe blogs can be a pretty good way to learn about a city.  But in this post we take a look at a non digital form of local information – the travel guide book.   Travel books are like blogs, but probably better because someone has taken the time to pick out the best bits of information and compile them into a handy little book that can be used in corners of the earth (or corners of Pittsburgh) that have no cell phone or internet reception (and yes there are still parts of this city that are off the cell phone grid).  We particularly like ones that have a lot of local information from local people.  First up a guidebook to Pittsburgh and then a look a some of our favorite guidebooks to other cities.

If you are a Pittsburgher and currently live here – this might not be so exciting for you.  But if you are new to town, or coming here for a visit – this is hopefully good news.  The 2nd Edition of Moon Pittsburgh, a travel guidebook has just been published.   And we are honored to report that IheartPGH is included in this book as a local blog.  The author of Moon Pittsburgh is Dan Eldridge, who does not currently live in Pittsburgh.  He did live here and was a writer for the Pittsburgh City Paper.  The first edition of Moon Pittsburgh was nominated for a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award.

Moon Pittsburgh, 2nd Ed. Powell’s Link | Amazon Link

Good guidebooks can be hard to find here are two that I have found helpful.  Thanks to the Access Las Vegas guidebook I have been to the first pawn shop in Las Vegas.  The Access Las Vegas book also led me to one of the most amazing off the strip dining establishments Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens at the Liberache Museum.  This place was frozen in time and also held Liberace‘s mirrored piano in the bar area.

For starters, the restaurant was designed and built by Liberace. That fact alone should put the place on the “Vegas locations that need to be preserved” list.

“Liberace bought the shopping complex in the late 1970s,” Hosier said. “First he put the museum in, then in 1983 the restaurant.”

Back then, it was called “Liberace’s Tivoli Gardens, he liked the word Tivoli because backwards it spells,” I-lov-iT”

I know the Liberache museum closed last year (more on the closing from NYTimes here) and it looks like Carluccios has closed this location but reopened in another location.  This is especially sad for Pittsburghers because both the Liberache Museum and Carluccios were located just down the street from Noreen’s Lounge.  Noreen’s is a Steelers bar with an authentic Pittsburgh feel and connection.  I think owner is the niece of the late Pittsburgh mayor Bob O’Connor. I have been to Noreen’s – this place is Pittsburgh – not just because it is painted black and gold but it was just like walking into a bar in Pittsburgh.

And another amazing travel book to check out if you find yourself in Hawaii is Hawaii The Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty (Powell’s Link | Amazon Link
).  I read this entire book cover to cover.  Not only was it very well researched but it was incredibly interesting with lots of history and we would have never found What’s Shakin’ and the best smoothie ever .  A good friend of IheartPGH has lived Hawaii for years and this book had plenty of places she had not explored yet as well.

What's Shakin'

What's Shakin' on Urbanspoon

Are there any guidebooks that made your trip a success? Any that should be avoided?

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Best of Pittsburgh 2010 – Who are You Voting for?

It’s time for the annual City Paper Best of Pittsburgh entries. September 30 is the deadline to vote for your favorite places and things in Pittsburgh.  There are lots of categories  for voting.  And submitting your favorites enters you to win an ipad from the folks at Mac Outfitters. Continue reading

Vegetarian in Pittsburgh

I was recently asked about good places for vegetarians to get their grub on in the ‘burgh. Full disclosure: I am not a vegetarian, but I thought this would be a good question to explore for the masses.

The Pittsburgh City Paper‘s 2009 reader’s poll named Quiet Storm the best vegetarian restaurant in their 2009 Best of the Burgh issue. Coming in second was South Side’s Zenith and third, Hoi Polloi on the North Side.

This past Sunday, I visited the Quiet Storm for brunch to see what the fuss was all about. I ordered the frittata, a generous square of eggs, spinach, tomatoes, onions and cheese in a potato crust served steaming hot with sun-dried tomato toast and a salad with dressing that was to die for. My dining partner ordered the apricot stuffed french toast which came with fakin’ bacon, fresh fruit and potatoes. Brunch entrees are $11 and come with coffee, soda, tea or juice. We were impressed by the great quality of the food and the friendly and attentive service on a blustery winter day when everything else felt miserable.

The Quiet Storm also offers wheat-free options and they are open to suggestions for future menu items.

Quiet Storm-8

A few people on the Never Tell Me The Odds board recommended some city favorites with many of vegetarian options: Spak Brothers, Sree’s, Pusadee’s Garden, Big Burrito restaurants, Over The Bar, Double Wide Grill, Green Mango, Tram’s, Aladdin’s, Abay, Paris 66, J’eet, Istanbul Grill and several others.

I found Spak Brother’s owner Ryan Spak on the board and he said: “We keep it local when possible and use a lot of organic ingredients. We offer carne, vegetarian, and vegan food so we get a lot of orders from offices where some of the people are veggies.” Continue reading

Help Get the Goodies on the Road: The Goodie Truck Holiday Party

goodietrucktow

The Goodie Truck? Yes Virginia, there is a mobile sweet shop in Pittsburgh that brings tasty treats and sweets to the streets of town! We first spotted this mobile sugar heaven  on Valentine’s day (a perfect day to find some a new thing to love about Pittsburgh <3 <3 <3).

Pittsburgh’s mobile sweet shop needs a few repairs – so the Goodie Truck folks are throwing a holiday celebration. Pittsburgh City Paper readers just named The Goodie Truck Best transient purveyor of pastries in their 2009 reader poll.

To celebrate the holiday join them for a sweet celebration this Saturday night in one of Pittsburgh less visited neighborhoods – The Run (aka the part of Greenfield that his kid of hidden). Continue reading

Following the G-20 Online

PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 23:  A group of protest...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I have been at the August Wilson Center yesterday and today.  Oxfam and USCAN (US Climate Action Network) have set up a media center set up here – they are doing press briefings hourly on different topics. They have done a great job of providing info and photos and wireless to bloggers – we are a block from the convention center.

Check out the coverage at http://g20voice.org/ and photos here – http://www.flickr.com/photos/g20voice/sets/72157622449588322/

Here are some resources for following G20 activity here in Pittsburgh online

Real time happenings around all things G20:

Pittsburgh Bloggers who are writing about the G20

We have been posting photos from downtown Pittsburgh on Twitpic – http://twitpic.com/photos/iheartpgh

iheartpghg20photos

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