Where To Eat In Pittsburgh. January 2017 Edition.

Every holiday season I trek eastward to Pittsburgh to visit the in-laws. Usually for a week or so. However, due to a work trip scheduling snafu, this year I found myself in the belly of the beast for almost two whole weeks. Being the understanding wife figure that she is, my s.o. knows the only true way to keep me complacent for this period of time: LET ME EAT OUT EVERY DAY EVERY MEAL. Pittsburgh, the nouveau hip food city that it suddenly is, delivered. 

With this year's holiday trip in mind, here are my current Pittsburgh food recs...

NEWCOMER

Di Anoia's 

(Modern Italian, housemade everything "deli" in the Strip.)

Order: Meatball Sub (atop), this -->

(Cauliflower Gratin)

STANDBY

Meat & Potatoes.

(One of the city's first cool restaurants is still really cool - and delicious. Downtown.)

Order: Smoked Wings, seasonal cocktail.

"TACOS"

Smoke Taqueria.

(Not real tacos persay. Rather, BBQ stuffed in freshly-made flour tortillas, but still damn tasty. Lawrenceville.)

Order: The Gringo, Mac & Cheese.

BREAKFAST SANDWICH

Bluebird Kitchen.

(Why Western PA restaurants put lettuce in breakfast sandwiches I shall never know, but Bluebird's pretzel rolls can pretty much hold anything and still taste good. Downtown.)

Order: Local Fried Eggs on Pretzel.

LATE NIGHT

Streets On Carson.

(Open most nights until midnight, the funky bar/restaurant serves reinvented global street classics. Southside.)

Order: Pressed Filet Sammich, Jerk Chicken With Rice And Peas.

DESSERT

Butterwood Bake Consortium

(Pittsburgh's most innovative cake bakery does no wrong. Lawrenceville.)

Order: A slice of whatever looks good in the case that day, like this -->

(Chocolate Cookie Cake)

SPECIAL MEAL

Butcher & The Rye.

(Inside it's Manhattan-level raucous and the meal is Manhattan-level good. Downtown.)

Order: Strip Steak, Brussels.

FISH & CHIPS

The Pub Chip Shop.

(Cozy Southside shop with extensive, surpisingly inventive chip shop menu.) 

Order: Fish & Chips, Any Boxy Tot Box.

COFFEE 

Constellation Coffee.

(Really good coffee, chill AF vibe and plug-ins galore. Upper Lawrenceville.)

Order: Latte, baked goods (via beloved local Threefifty Bakery).

BURGER

Burgatory.

(Local self-construct burger chain offers higher quality ingredients than most make-your-owns. Multiple locations.)

Order: Make your own burger, seasonal local draft beer.

CHIPS & GUAC & MARGS

Roundcorner Cantina.

(Quite possibly the local hipster bar that started it all still one of its finest. Lawrenceville.)

Order: Chips and guacamole and margaritas.

ABSOLUTE MUST EVERY VISIT

Gaucho Parrilla Argentina.

(Line may sneak around corner out in the frigid cold, but this counter-service Argentinean meat specialist is quickly warming into a Steel City institution. The Strip.)

Order: Carne Sandwich, Provoletta.