Pittsburgh: A Weekend Full of Surprises

Last year we went on a college visit with our son to Carnegie Mellon University. We had a great but quick weekend in Pittsburgh, and all three of us were surprised by how much we enjoyed our stay in Pittsburgh. Ultimately he decided to attend Johns Hopkins in Baltimore but he was honestly torn when making the decision, and it had a lot to do with how much he enjoyed Pittsburgh. In honor of that trip one year ago I decided to finally publish the post I wrote back in February 2018.

When our son told us that he wanted to visit Carnegie Mellon University I had very mixed feelings. Carnegie Mellon is a fantastic school with a great academic reputation. Attending school at Carnegie Mellon would be a fantastic opportunity for him, but if I’m being truly honest, my first thought was, “Pittsburgh in February…are you kidding?!?!?”.

In my mind Pittsburgh was an old Rust Belt city that was way past its prime and to top it off, the forecasted highs were around 18 degrees! I didn’t even own a jacket that would be useful in that kind of weather.

With the help of my trusty assistant Amazon Prime, I was able to get a serviceable jacket delivered in two days. Armed with winter weather gear and a sense of adventure the three of us set off to find out what Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon were all about.

From the first glimpses of the snow covered hills and rivers on Friday evening to our final visit with the football staff and coaches on Sunday morning, we were pleasantly surprised at every turn, and we quickly realized that we wanted to visit again and spend more time in Pittsburgh…although maybe not in February!

Surprise #1 Pittsburgh is Really Pretty!

I was raised in Texas, the land of extremes, extreme heat and extreme flatness. If you like flat stay in Texas if you need to see something pretty drive a full day to Colorado or New Mexico. Because of that, the concept of a landscape between prairie and mountains is completely lost on me, and it’s always somewhat of a surprise when I do see it. I wasn’t expecting much of Pittsburgh in the way of scenery, so I was pleasantly surprised by the hills, the rolling streets and how prominently the rivers were a part of the city. With a fresh layer of snow on the rivers, bridges, and hills, the views as we arrived were stunning.

Surprise #2 Pittsburgh’s Food Scene is Outstanding.

We stayed near Shadyside, about a mile from Carnegie Mellon University. It is a very walkable and energetic neighborhood filled with shops, bars/restaurants, and beautiful historic homes. We had some excellent food during our stay in Pittsburgh and wished we could have stayed longer and sampled more.

Where We Ate:

The Yard– A gastropub that offers, in addition to the typical dishes you would expect to find, a gourmet grilled cheese menu! Do I need to say more? If you fantasize about eating grilled cheese, then The Yard has you covered. They offer almost every combination of ingredients that can fit between two pieces of Texas Toast. I tried Frank the Tank, which is a delicious and crazy combination of buffalo chicken dip, gorgonzola, cheddar cheese, and a ginormous onion ring. And if that isn’t enough food for sandwiches are served with house-made potato chips and tomato soup.

Frank the Tank Grilled Cheese at The Yard — Frank The Tank Grilled Cheese

Altius –This restaurant was a surprise for us that we just happened to stumble upon. We took the Duquesne Incline up Mount Washington arriving at the top just as the sun was setting. We thought we would grab a drink and maybe a snack while we waited a few minutes to see the city skyline completely lit up. We didn’t have a reservation but were able to grab two seats at the bar. The restaurant has an amazing view and a thoughtfully designed menu to go with it. We ordered a charcuterie board filled with local cheeses, which was delicious of course. The real surprise and treat for us were all of the little extras they served including the garlic and caramelized onion popcorn as an appetizer to our appetizer. We probably had enough food at this point to call it dinner, but we were on vacation and had to try more…

Garlic and Caramelized Onion Popcorn at Altius. — Garlic and Caramelized Onion Popcorn at Altius

Tipsy Cow – Always on the search for a good burger AND a good beer menu we couldn’t pass this restaurant up! Located in Shadyside, it was close to our hotel and packed with people enjoying the end of a busy week. The beer selection kept my husband happy and who wouldn’t want to create their own gourmet burger? The build-your-own burger menu has over 50 items on it allowing for almost an unlimited number of unique burgers.

Surprise #3: There is a Ton to See and Do in Pittsburgh.

We spent most of our trip touring the campus and learning about Carnegie Mellon University with our son. The campus is walkable, pretty and borders a beautiful park area. Fortunately, we were able to use a little bit of our time to see the city outside of the university scene.

What we Saw:

Duquesne Incline – I’m a sucker for an amazing view, so we decided to take the funicular at the Duquesne Incline to get a mountaintop view of the city. The view did not disappoint, and I am so glad that I took the time to see Pittsburgh from this vantage point. We arrived at the top just in time to watch the pretty twilight view transform into a shimmering night skyline

Pittsburgh at night from the Duquesne Incline Observation Deck — Pittsburgh from the Duquesne Incline Observation Deck.

After our weekend trip I was completely blown away by Pittsburgh. The energy of the city drew me in, and there is no doubt that that “rust belt” is part of its past. There were so many things that I would have loved to see, but on this trip, we just didn’t have the time. Even if my son doesn’t choose Carnegie Mellon University, I will definitely plan to visit Pittsburgh again.

Top items on my list for the next visit: