PA & NY 2023: Pittsburgh - Shadyside Mansions, Shops, Restaurants

After completing our three day exploration of Frank Lloyd Wright designed or inspired houses, my husband Rich and I were ready to head towards Pittsburgh where we would stay for five days.  Enroute, we stopped in Ohiopyle, PA for lunch. Located along the Youghiogheny River, this pretty little borough is a popular tourist recreational stop due to its proximity to the Ohiopyle State Park and Ohiopyle Falls, a 20-foot water fall that provides fast-moving rapids.  In fact, the name Ohiopyle is derived from a Native American Indian word meaning “white, frothy water”.  Water sports including whitewater rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding and recreational fishing are a major attraction here, as attested by the numerous establishments renting water sports equipment as well as bicycles.  This is because Ohiopyle is also a great area for cycling as the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) runs through the area.  The GAP is a 150-mile rail trail connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland that provides opportunities not only for cycling but also hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

For lunch, we selected a small complex that includes the Ohiopyle Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe, Paddler’s Pizza and a “famous” hot dog shack irreverently named “Bite My Wiener” which we decided we had to try, just to say that we ate there.  The hot dogs were actually quite good as Rich went for the traditional “2 Dogs” which gave him two all beef hot dogs on a brioche bun with mustard and relish.  I chose the “Beefmeister” consisting of ground beef mixed with cheddar cheese rolled up and served on a bun with tomato and mayo (hold the pickle!).  There were several equally cheeky “wiener” related t-shirts for sale as well as some quirky art pieces, making this a fun stop.

On the main drag, we found the picturesque United Methodist Church which was constructed in a “Folk-Victorian” style in 1893 and features irregular rooflines, gingerbread detailing and decorative trim around the stained glass windows.  Nearby is an old train station dating back to 1912 which has been revamped into a recreation hub with modern rest rooms, water fountains, benches and bike repair stations.  The Falls Market General Store includes a restaurant, deli, ice cream shop, general store and a provider of camping supplies.  If we had more time, we would have taken a short hike along the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, but we were in a rush to get to Pittsburgh, so we settled for just walking across the bridge that spanned the river.

It took another hour and a half to drive to Pittsburgh where we spotted a colourfully decorated plastic sculpture of a dinosaur while we were still in the outskirts of the city.  We would see other dinosaurs in the downtown core. Perhaps this animal was chosen as the symbol of Pittsburgh, just like Toronto adopted the moose for its outdoor art displays and other cities have positioned plastic whales, bears, cows and other animals in public areas to liven up public spaces, promote tourism and foster community engagement.  We would be staying in Shadyside, an upscale neighbourhood located in the East end of Pittsburgh, which is known for its historic Victorian mansions, boutiques, shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.

For our 5-night stay in Pittsburgh, we selected Mansions on Fifth, a boutique hotel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Amberson Avenue that consists of two side-by-side stately houses which are historically significant.  The larger Elizabethan Revivalist mansion was the home of Willis McCook, attorney to the steel magnate Henry Clay Frick (whose museum we would visit during this trip).  Constructed in the early 1900s, the 20,000 square foot mansion featured the finest ironwork, leaded and stained glass, ceramic tiles and carved wood.  Around the same time, McCook also commissioned the construction of an 8000 square foot Tudor-styled manor house, now called the Amberson House, for his daughter Bessie and her new husband.  The McCook Mansion (renamed Fifth Avenue House) and Amberson House changed hands several times over the decades until it eventually became a hotel that offers 13 guest rooms/suites and 9 guest rooms respectively.   When I booked our room at “Mansions on Fifth”, I did not realize that there were two houses to choose between and just selected the most economical one.  As it turned out, our assigned room was on the top floor of the Amberson House.

At first I was disappointed that we were not in the majestic main house.  But the Amberson House had its own quaint charm.  It had a lovely sitting area on the main floor with a gilded mosaic-covered fireplace, beautiful hardwood floors and woodwork throughout and gorgeous stained glass windows on the second floor landing.  Our room on the third floor was massive with a king-sized bed, a desk and sitting area for me to set up my laptop, and huge bathroom with a roomy walk-in shower.

It turned out to be the best of both worlds for us to stay in the Amberson House while still having access to look around the ground floor of main house.  Our room in the Amberson House was a bit less expensive and was quieter since it only had guest rooms while the Fifth Avenue House had a pub on the second floor and ballrooms that were rented for weddings and parties at night.  It was relatively quiet in the main house during the day, so we were able to spend some time admiring the gorgeous décor.  We sat in the armchairs by the fireplace and inspected all the intricate details, walked up the grand staircase to get a closer look at the stained glass window on the landing and wandered into the various ballrooms and dining rooms.  When we checked out in the morning five days later, the clerk let us sneak upstairs to peek into the guest rooms and suites whose doors were open while the maids cleaning them.   Other than the presidential suite which consisted of two separate bedrooms and a sitting room, the guest rooms in the main house were not that different from our room in the Amberson House.

One evening during our stay, we decided to have a light dinner in the hotel’s Oak Room pub which offered craft cocktails and bar snacks.  Perhaps because it was off season and later in the evening, there was not much choice on the menu.  We ordered an artichoke crab dip with crostini and a veggie/hummus plate with pita bread.  I had an “Autumn Sunset” cocktail made from herbal and peach liquors mixed with orange and cranberry juices while Rich had a Gary’s Nut Brown ale.  This was not our most memorable meal, but it did allow us to enjoy the ambience of an early 1900s pub including the elegant oak paneling, exposed wooden ceiling beams, stained glass windows and grand fireplace.

The Mansions on Fifth are not the only historic or impressive mansions in the area.  Directly across the street is the Negley-Gwinner-Hartner mansion, built in the “Second-Empire” style around 1871 for lawyer William Negley who was a major in the American Civil War.  The house has ornate dormer windows, decorative brackets under the eaves, grey-hexagonal shingles on the lower half of its mansard roof, stained glass windows on the side, a covered veranda held up by doric columns and a second floor open-air terrace.  But what really stands out from afar are the decorative attachments on top the four chimneys on each corner of the rooftop.  From afar, they look like giant birds perched on the chimneys.  The property changed hands to Edward Gwinner in 1910 and Dr. Leo Hartner in 1963, each of whom partook in major renovations.  Declared a Pittsburgh historical landmark in 2000, the house remains a private residence.  More beautiful homes can be found when strolling along Amberson Avenue including one that looks like a Hobbit’s home with a slooping roof and an eyebrow window, as well as many with castle-like turrets.

The Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh in Shadyside was originally the First Methodist Protestant Church, and then a church for the Seventh Day Adventists before becoming a nondenominational church for an English-speaking Korean congregation.  The impressive structure was designed in Romanesque style by Frederick Osterling who also designed the Heinz Company Factories and Clayton House, the home of Henry Clay Frick.  The historic Roslyn Place is the last remaining wooden street in Pittsburgh and one of the few remaining in the United States.  The 250-foot-long street was constructed in 1914 using a technique patented by Samuel Nicolson in 1859 that involves laying down oak logs soaked in creosote, a distillation of tar from wood or coal that is used to preserve wood.  The wood blocks were less expensive and quieter than cobblestones, also providing better traction for horses and carriages.  In 1985, a $75,000 restoration project rebuilt the street using new wooden blocks and now the site is a historical landmark.

Shadyside is a vibrant neighbourhood would a diverse array of shops and restaurants, especially along Walnut Street and Ellsworth Avenue.  Many of the stores were closed when we walked around the area so we mostly peered through the windows and saw pop part, glassworks, a game store with a Pittsburgh-themed monopoly board, arts supply store, gift shops, clothing and shoe stores.

Although Mansions on Fifth offered an ala carte breakfast, the options cost more than we wanted to spend, and we also preferred a quick meal before starting our day.  As always when arriving in a new town, we found a grocery store where we were able to buy some fruit and snacks to eat during our stay.  This along with the complementary coffee often served as our starting meal and allowed us to have a more substantial lunch and dinner.  One day for breakfast, we went to Bruegger’s Bagels in Shadyside to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches.  I selected a tomato, bacon, avocado and egg white sandwich on an everything bagel while Rich opted for egg, ham, bacon onion and peppered cream cheese on a cheese and onion bagel.  The seating area was closed at the bagel shop, so we brought everything back to the hotel and ate our sandwiches with some grapes.

The day that we initially planned to visit the Carnegie Art Museum, we had breakfast at Crêpes Parisienne, a very popular French crêperie that was quite busy by the time we arrived, and we barely snagged the last table. That day I had a crêpe with tomato, spinach, mushroom while Rich had one with egg, sausage and cheese.  Both of us chose bechamel sauce for our crepes and shared a “Paris Fog” tea, which was Earl Grey tea with steamed milk.  Belatedly we regretted not ordering a sweet waffle, but the lineups were too long at that point, so we headed for the museum, just to find that it was closed that day!  This is not what the website said but they had just changed to their fall schedule and had not yet updated it.  Quickly rearranging our plans to visit the art museum the next day instead, we decided to have a second breakfast at Crêpes Parisienne.  This time we arrived just as it opened, both ordered salmon crêpes with chives and crème fraîche, and a liege waffle w chocolate sauce, strawberry, whipped cream.

While in Pittsburgh, we did most of our dining in the Shadyside district where our hotel was located since there were so many good options.  The first night that we arrived, we dined at Toyoca, a trendy Mexican restaurant and bar that specializes in tacos and tequila.  To start off, I ordered the drink special which was a Cantaloupe Margarita consisting of white tequila, orange liquor, lime juice and a homemade cantaloupe mix.  Rich ordered a Paloma Negra which had tequila, grapefruit juice and soda.  For appetizer we choose a Queso Fundido cheese fondue with Queso Oaxaca cheese curd, chorizo sausage, roasted poblano peppers and salsa served with nacho chips.  Then it was time for our taco mains.  We each ordered the steak taco with arugula, red onion, cilantro and salsa.   For my second taco, I chose cauliflower and portobello with diced corn, zucchini, bell peppers, plantains, arugula and salsa my second while Rich picked chicken and chorizo with cheese, red onion, salsa Verde and citrus mix.  Finally for dessert, Rich chose a Leche Cake which was vanilla cake made with 3 types of milk, topped with a chocolate sauce and I went for the Churros con chocolate with fried pastry sticks filled with caramel sauce, dipped in chocolate and paired with Mexican chocolate ice cream.  This was quite the feast for our first meal in the city.   The vibe and décor of the restaurant was really fun as well, with colourful Mexican themed sculpture and lanterns all about.

Another restaurant that we went to in Shadyside was Pasha Café & Lounge, a casual Mediterranean restaurant with a large, semi-enclosed outdoor patio and some lovely décor.  I was especially enamoured by the gorgeous Moroccan or Turkish mosaic lamps with the incredibly ornate colours and patterns that hung from the ceiling grouped together to form chandeliers throughout the restaurant.  We selected a table that was just beside the outdoor patio so that we could get the breeze from the open windows without having to deal with the sun that was still shining on a warm sunny late afternoon.

Reviews online raved about the Middle Eastern food at Pasha, and we tended to agree.  We started with breaded zucchini sticks and falafels with hummus.  I liked that each dish came with cucumber and tomatoes so that we didn’t need to separately order salad.  For mains, we ordered the lamb shish kabob and lamb chop which both came with rice, grilled peppers and grilled zucchini.  The lamb was so tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked medium rare.  We finished the meal with some chocolate baklava.

The only restaurant we frequented that was outside of the Shadyside district was Butterjoint, a casual restaurant that was just a few blocks away from the western border of that area, so still within walking distance of our hotel.  The menu was fairly eclectic with large and small sharing plates, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches.  For appetizers we ordered a bluefish pate with crostini and cornichon pickles as well as the small plate size of pan-fried potato and cheddar perogies topped with caramelized onions and sour cream.  Our mains were a porkbelly Sammy for Rich which he had with a beer and a crispy chicken sandwich for me which I paired with a “shrub blackberry, raspberry soda” which was sweet and fizzy, just as I like my drinks.  Rich really wanted to try the vinegar pie since it is a Pennsylvania speciality. I had a small taste and thought it was as unappealing as it sounded but at least it came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Butterjoint has an adjoining bakery which we passed by the next day and stopped in for a treat.  Once again wanting to try local specialities, Rich selected the Shoo-fly pie which consists of a pie crust with a filling mixture of flour, brown sugar, molasses, butter, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Not having the same need to try local favourites, I chose a millionaire’s square consisting of a shortbread base with layers of caramel and chocolate fudge which was more to my taste.

Our final eating experience in Pittsburgh was an impromptu lunch at Fujiya Ramen in Shadyside.  This was not in our original plans but intrigued us because there was always such a large lineup waiting to get into the place each time we passed by.  So even though we had dinner reservations for Butterjoint that night, when we walked by mid afternoon and saw that the place was empty, we decided to drop in to share a bowl of pork belly ramen and a plate of “Karage” (breaded) chicken pieces.  Both were really tasty, and I liked that the ramen came with more vegetables like broccoli than we would usually get in Toronto.  While we did not go to any extremely high-end or pricey restaurants in Pittsburgh, we still enjoyed all the meals that we had there and were glad that we stayed in Shadyside where there were such eclectic choices to pick from.