Leave the skinny jeans at home and wear comfortable shoes for your exploration of Pittsburgh’s unique culinary food scene. Begin with breakfast at DeLuca’s. The landmark restaurant, known for its vintage diner décor, huge portions and decadent hot cake sundaes, attracts a line-out-the-door crowd every weekend.
After polishing off a plate of eggs Benedict or an oversized burrito stuffed with real home fries and house-made sausage, walk off some calories wandering around the surrounding 22-block Strip District. This historic neighborhood — once the city’s wholesale meat and produce center — is a food lover’s playground. The 19th-century brick warehouses are now home to gourmet markets, ethnic groceries, coffeehouses, bistros and cool specialty stores that stock spices, stylish housewares and hand-dipped chocolates. Street vendors cooking salmon, tacos and egg rolls line the sidewalks.
When the clock strikes lunchtime, head for Enrico’s Biscotti Café. The former automotive repair shop offers a charming urban-chic ambience plus wood-fired pizzas. Most days the resident “wine fairy” pours free samples of the Carlos Garage Wines that owner Larry Lagattuta, who also operates the acclaimed Italian bakery next door, bottles in the basement.
Next stop — the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Schenley Park. The Tropical Fruit and Spice Room is a rare opportunity to see cinnamon, coffee, bananas, vanilla and other kitchen basics in their natural and unprocessed leafy beauty.
Do dinner at the lovely Sonoma Grille, conveniently connected to a Marriott hotel in Pittsburgh’s downtown cultural district. The menu features internationally inspired dishes in small portions perfect for grazing, sharing and pairing. Sipping a glass of good wine — there are 115 to choose from — is a delicious way to end the day.