November in Pittsburgh?

I remember the first November, many years ago, that Craig and I spent in Pennsylvania.  It rained nearly every day and was so gray and depressing.  We have found that most Novembers in PA are like that but this November has been lovely!  We took Ruby on a walk to nearby Frick Park this afternoon. 

 Pittsburgh is home to such beautiful old homes.  Here are a few of the great houses and scenes from our neighborhood.

We dropped by a couple of really cute places yesterday afternoon.  Our first stop was The Farmer's Daughter Flower Shop.  

We stopped in for coffee at 4121 Main in Bloomfield.  The coffee was some of the best I've ever had.

Last week, my coworkers and I had lunch at a great Thai restaurant called Thai Me Up on the Southside.  We ventured out into the rain and had a very nice time.

Their lunch specials are only $7.95.  Very good and very quick!  I'm sure we'll be going back.

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away.  It's my favorite holiday and after the terrible tragedy in Paris on Friday I think I will be even more thankful to be with our family and friends.

The Pittsburgh adventure continues...

Halloween in the Pittsburgh Strip District

We spent Halloween afternoon in the Pittsburgh Strip District.  We weren't in costume but we had a good time!  We started off with brunch at Bar Marco. 

It's in a very cool building that once housed a fire department.  On Saturdays, there is a Farmer's Market in the lot right next to the building.  We did not have reservations but I would suggest them if you're planning on going during the traditionally busy meal times because it's pretty small and busy. 

 We each started off with a Bloody Mary.  It was spicy and delicious.  I have to say it was the best one I've ever had.

Craig decided he wanted to give a Mimosa a try too so he shared that with me.  I would pick the Bloody Mary over the Mimosa but it was good.

Craig ordered the corn pancakes with Concord grape sauce and I had the French Toast.  Both were amazing. 

We both enjoyed our meal and would make another visit.

After that, we walked down the Strip a bit then headed over to Wigle Whiskey. 

You can stop in and sample their award winning whiskey, order a drink and they also offer factory tours.  If you are interested in the tour, I suggest you go on-line and make a reservation for the tour.  They offer them approximately every 90 minutes and you can reserve your preferred time and pay on-line.  The tour is $20 each and includes your choice of cocktail before the tour begins, a tour of the factory, samples during the tour, lots of the history of whiskey and more samples at the conclusion of the tour.

Our tour guide was like a whiskey encyclopedia.  He made the history of American whiskey extremely interesting.  If you're looking for something different to do or have some friends who are into craft beer, this tour would be a great idea.  And of course you can buy all their wonderful whiskeys to take home and enjoy.

We stopped at our favorite bakery on the way home and ran into Mr. Pittsburgh, Rick Sebak.  He was kind enough to let me take his picture.  His Pittburgh specials on WQED are wonderful for newbies like us.

We love Five Points Artisan Bakeshop in Squirrel Hill/Point Breeze on Wilkins.  Everything there is just incredible; baguettes, breads, cookies, tarts, quiche, and pastries.  If you can't get there early I recommend you call ahead and reserve your baguette because they go quickly. 

It was Saturday afternoon by the time we got there and there wasn't much left!  The cookies are huge and amazing!

We ended our day handing out candy to the cute neighborhood kids and hanging out with friends and family and the cutest baby skeleton ever!

 The Pittsburgh adventure continues...


 

Happy Anniversary and more Pittsburgh firsts...

This month has been busy and it's not even over yet!  We've had a lot of Pittsburgh firsts this month.  Craig and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary on the 15th.  I know everybody says it, but I can't believe it's been that long.  We went up to the top of Mount Washington and had a fabulous dinner at Altius.  Here was the view from our table:

We started with delicious cocktails and their charcuterie.

 We each got to choose what type of bread we wanted and the assorted toppings were fantastic.  Craig had the Chanterelle Ravioli and I had the scallop special.  We finished with a beautiful dessert.  We had a great experience.  The server was wonderful and we would definitely recommend them for a special occasion. 

I'm so lucky that I've spent most of my life with this man.  We have been blessed with a wonderful family and wonderful friends.

We've also attended our first Pitt football game.  Our nephew, Steven, plays for the University of Virginia.  We had a great time with his parents, Curtis & Kim.  Kim's brothers and their families also came up for the game.   We had dinner at Jerome Bettis' Grille and Jerome was there hanging out in the back. 

UVA held their pregame tailgate party on a Gateway Clipper ship.  That was a first for us too.

Although UVA came up short, it was a good game and a fun time!

One of our favorite places in Pittsburgh is the Phipps Conservatory.  The fall flower show is now open and as always, the show is beautiful.  Here are a few shots from the show.

We have enjoyed breakfast at Bartram House Bakery.  They have great everyday items and daily specials along with beautiful bakery items.  We tried the cranberry walnuts pancakes and they were delicious.

Fall in Pittsburgh is at its peak and the leaves are gorgeous.  We are looking forward to seeing all the kids and their costumes on Halloween.  Have a fun and safe Halloween!