#LovePGH — Visiting Pittsburgh (Day 3)

And now! The thrilling conclusion to our Pittsburgh weekend extravaganza! (For those of you following along at home here are Day One and Day Two.)

After the whirlwind of a day we had on Saturday, Tania and I knew that there was no way we’d be able to top that day’s list of activities. Among other things, we didn’t have nearly the same amount of time to spend in the city—we did after all have to go home. (And, I’m pretty sure that while Visit Pittsburgh was happy to pay for a couple of nights in the Renaissance, they weren’t going to pay for us to stay indefinitely.)

Just because we were short on time didn’t mean that we weren’t going to squeeze the most out of our last hours in Pittsburgh though. We had big things planned!

Meat and Potatoes

Over and over again, when we asked people for suggestions of what we should do and see while visiting Pittsburgh, one name kept coming up: Meat and Potatoes. Everyone who had been there sang its praises. Looking at the menu, I could see why. The other thing that kept coming up with respect to the restaurant however was its popularity, and the difficulty of securing a table. That’s why I found myself on the phone, over a month before our visit, making reservations for Sunday brunch.

As we waited for the restaurant to open (we opted for the earliest possible reservation of the day), we realized just how important those reservations were. Group after group of people came in and were told that yes they could be seated, but no until much much later. Some left. Some stayed. Based on our experience there, I’m sure those who stayed were happy they did.

I suppose it could be said that Tania and I weren’t adventurous with our meal selections. We opted for two of the most talked about dishes on the menu. (Or at least the things we had read or been told about most frequently.) I chose the huevo ranchero and she picked the French toast—with bananas and bacon brittle. Both were amazing. There is a reason people always talk about them. I really really really wanted to try the Old Fashion Breakfast, a drink with bacon bourbon, orange-vanilla infused maple syrup, and barrel aged bitters. I exercised an unusual degree of self-control in not doing so, and looking back still marvel at that. (And kind of wonder why!)

The National Aviary

Wanting to squeeze one last fun activity in before we left town, Tania and I decided to work off breakfast by walking over to the National Aviary. An easy walk from breakfast and our hotel, a visit to the Aviary was a perfect way to end our trip. Often described as a “bird zoo,” the Aviary was more than just a collection of birds. It was made up of several wide open rooms where birds could fly about uninhibited.

There was also a really great penguin exhibit, complete with tunnels allowing you to pop your head up amidst the penguins.

Tania and I spent about an hour at the Aviary, but it would be easy to spend more time there. We didn’t attend any of the shows or feedings. And I can definitely imagine that we would have been there MUCH longer had we taken the time to spot all (or even most) of the different types of birds in each room.

Wrap-up

All in all, our trip to Pittsburgh was great. We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to Visit Pittsburgh for inviting us and funding our trip. There was so much to do and see that we barely even scratched the city’s surface. The list of things we wanted to do is still longer than the list of things we did. I guess we’ll just have to go back.

For our benefit, as much as anyone else’s, I’m going to record below a list of just some of the things we wanted to do (and places we wanted to eat) but couldn’t:

Cure
Kaya
Everyday Noodles (Which we had actually visited when passing through once before. Read the write-up from Buffalo Eats who we met and who was also visiting for the weekend.)
The Franktuary
Soba
Salt of the Earth
Butcher and the Rye
A picnic from Hyehold
Wingharts Burger and Whiskey Bar
The Cathedral of Learning
Kayaking on the rivers
Renting bikes
Jerry’s Records
Isabela on Grandview
Mt. Washington and the incline
The Carnegie museums
The Heinz Museum
The Mattress Factory

And that’s a wrap! Don’t worry though, Tania and I love exploring new cities.  So you can count on new posts about our travels–sooner or later.

I told you Tania was really into selfies on this trip. Here we are outside of PNC Park.

Tags: bird zoo, LovePgh, Meat and Potatoes, National Aviary, Pittsburgh, Review, reviews, travel