Along with having one of the prettiest ballparks in the country, Pittsburgh has revitalized itself over the last decade as a must-see travel destination. But once you're there -- where do you need to go? Which restaurants? What bar should you hit up after a Pirates game? Where can you find the best pierogi in a city boiling over with them?
Pirates All-Star closer David Bednar, reliever Colin Holderman and walk-off king Joshua Palacios gave us their go-to spots around town. All -- OK, most -- are great choices, so do yourself a favor and print this article out for your next trip to the Steel City.
If you have a friend coming to town, what restaurant are you taking them to?
Colin Holderman: Hmm, trying to think of the name of this spot.
Casey Holderman (Colin's wife), to Colin: What kind of food are you thinking about? Alla Famiglia is a good Italian spot.
Colin: Sheetz? It's a gas station.
Casey, laughing: It's a gas station that's open 24 hours. He may have been sponsored by them.
Colin: It's like Wawa. Great chicken wraps.
David Bednar (Pittsburgh native): Well, first off, if you haven't gotten a Primanti Brothers sandwich, you need to get that. Alla Famiglia -- great Italian joint.
Holderman: What's the steakhouse stone place?
Bednar: That's North Shore Tavern -- right next to the stadium.
Holderman: I like that.
Bednar: It's just kind of a bar tavern-ish pub food.
Holderman: Yeah, they're known for the steak on the stone and you can cook it yourself. On a hot stone.
Casey Bednar (David's wife): I like Monterey Bay; you can see the whole city.
David: Oh yeah, it's on Mt. Washington. You can see the whole city. It's great.
Joshua Palacios: No. 1: Alla Famiglia is fire. That's my favorite. DiAnoia's Eatery is another one that I've been to that I like a lot. And then I'm big on Gelato, there's a couple good Gelato spots over there.
Best place to go for a beer or cocktail?
Holderman: If you're around the ballpark, maybe Southern Tier is right there. What else? Tequila Cowboy if you're trying to get crazy.
Casey Holderman: For the college kids.
Holderman: They have a nice little bar area between Acrisure Stadium and PNC. Nice little strip to get a drink.
Bednar: Oh yeah, Tequila Cowboy.
Casey Bednar: They have karaoke, a bunch of different little rooms in there.
Any coffee shops or breakfast spots you recommend?
Bednar: Umm, there's a few. Commonplace is one. Kelly-O's for breakfast.
Holderman: Yeah, Kelly-O's is a classic diner. It's great. There's one that's kind of downtown on the strip.
Bednar: Also, De Fer coffee is a good one.
Things to do besides seeing/playing in a Pirates game?
Palacios: I took a trip up to Mt. Washington, that was pretty cool. Walked around there. One of my favorite things -- I think it's called Duquesne Point? Duquesne Point is really nice. Nice little vibe there. And then, most recently I went to the zoo.
Holderman: There's a lot of museums. A lot of historic stuff. There's the Clemente museum -- which a lot of people like to go to.
Bednar: Steeler game. Steeler game.
Any favorite late-night food spots?
Palacios: Late night? Pizza Palermo. Some regular pizzeria food makes it feel like I'm at home in New York City. They got some good pasta and meatballs. Any time it's like a late-night meal, we get in late, I look up Pizza Palermo and it's my go-to right there.
Finally, where do we get the best pierogis in Pittsburgh?
Casey Bednar: Mrs. T's -- you can't really grab a pierogi. You can get [Mrs. T's] at the stadium, but they're in grocery stores.
David Bednar: My aunt. My aunt's kitchen.