I will be attending the Pitt game with wife and kids (18 & 16). Any advice on where to stay and what to do in Pitt (in addition to visiting the Roberto Clemente Museum, which I will not miss)?
Thanks.
You should watch the Jack Reader movie before you go.
Eat at Primanti Brothers (the one in the strip district is the original). Check out the incline, great views of the city from there. If you're driving in from the East/airport, not a better entrance to any city than coming through the Fort Pitt tunnel.
Quote from: WarriorInDC on January 03, 2013, 05:33:01 PM
Eat at Primanti Brothers (the one in the strip district is the original). Check out the incline, great views of the city from there. If you're driving in from the East/airport, not a better entrance to any city than coming through the Fort Pitt tunnel.
Saw that restaurant desired in man v food. The grub looks awesome. Monster portions.
Quote from: WarriorInDC on January 03, 2013, 05:33:01 PM
Eat at Primanti Brothers (the one in the strip district is the original). Check out the incline, great views of the city from there. If you're driving in from the East/airport, not a better entrance to any city than coming through the Fort Pitt tunnel.
Visited Pittsburgh recently, coincidentally on my return drive home from my Marquette 25 yr reunion. I agree with the incline. You must ride to the top. It's a must do and view. (I saw part of the Pirate's game way in the far distance and there's an ice cream shop at top.) For geographic reference, the nearest incline is a block from The Hard Rock Cafe. I enjoyed dinner and micro brewed beer at The Church Brew Works. For dinner, in a little like Chicago & Milwaukee, a city favorite food seems to be pirogi. I visited the Andy Warhol Museum which is a block from the Pirate's stadium. (He's a Pittsburgh native and still has family there.) There's nice walkways on all the riversides and the bridges are pedestrian friendly.
Quote from: bilsu on January 03, 2013, 05:02:15 PM
You should watch the Jack Reader movie before you go.
Jack Reacher.....
I'm boycotting. I'm on book 7 right now of the Reacher series....Tom Cruise playing Reacher is such a bad casting job. Cruise is my size...crap, all these actors out here are 5'7 to 5'9. Reacher is 6'5", 225lbs and in his late 30's and they get Cruise to play that role...50 years old and 5'8". I guess it doesn't hurt that Cruise bought the rights to all 17 books (which I highly recommend) so he can cast himself.
BOO
On Pittsburgh, underrated town in my opinion. Good times. The rivers are cool, the food is good. Primanti's is fun just to say you did it. Quaker Steak and Lube. Burgatory. Zorba's. Ditka has a place there if you like steaks, plus there is a Morton's, etc.
Quote from: MU Fan in Connecticut on January 03, 2013, 06:29:07 PM
Visited Pittsburgh recently, coincidentally on my return drive home from my Marquette 25 yr reunion. I agree with the incline. You must ride to the top. It's a must do and view. (I saw part of the Pirate's game way in the far distance and there's an ice cream shop at top.) For geographic reference, the nearest incline is a block from The Hard Rock Cafe. I enjoyed dinner and micro brewed beer at The Church Brew Works. For dinner, in a little like Chicago & Milwaukee, a city favorite food seems to be pirogi. I visited the Andy Warhol Museum which is a block from the Pirate's stadium. (He's a Pittsburgh native and still has family there.) There's nice walkways on all the riversides and the bridges are pedestrian friendly.
Definitely second the Church Brew Works, was a cool experience. I really enjoyed the Warhol museum, very cool exhibits. I think the incline I rode was the Washington Incline (?). I seem to recall a strip of stores that was like an outdoor market, Italian stores, etc. Pittsburgh is a surprisingly cool city, very hilly, picturesque. Check out the University. Remember fries on your salad and people let you turn left first on a green light.
http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/Pittsburgh/Inclines/
Eat at primanti bros.
there is also a hot dog place right on campus called the original hot dog or the dirty o by students, I used it as a go to for out of towners. Agree with primanti and church. You may also want to check out Fatheads on the southside. You could also looking into visiting Fort Pitt.
Plus you could do some research on a new conference member: Duquesne University
I will be at the game as well. I went down two years ago and had a blast. You need to go to the Church Brewery. It is great. Primanti Brothers was ok, but not as good as it used to be. I would recommend it if you have never been before, as the experience is cool and the strip district is a unique place. One place I would recommend for breakfast is Pamela's Diner. That place is legit. Great pancakes. Pitt is def. a great city to visit for a road MU game. Go Warriors!
I also went two years ago, and was thoroughly disappointed with Primanti brothers. It just did not come anywhere near to living up to the hype. In my opinion, Fatheads is a much better option. I did the Dirty O as well, but its better as drunk food, which I doubt you will be having with the Wife and Kid.
If you weren't going with the wife and kids, I would also recommend Casey's. Its pretty much the coolest bar ever. One of the part owners is a midget, and he holds "Midget Madness". Basically he goes up into a Doll House, changes clothes, and runs down the bar pouring shots in people's mouths. It is spectacular.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 03, 2013, 06:38:18 PM
Jack Reacher.....
I'm boycotting. I'm on book 7 right now of the Reacher series....Tom Cruise playing Reacher is such a bad casting job. Cruise is my size...crap, all these actors out here are 5'7 to 5'9. Reacher is 6'5", 225lbs and in his late 30's and they get Cruise to play that role...50 years old and 5'8".
+1,000,000. I really like those books (and I am closer to Jack Reacher in size myself). One of the main things about Reacher is that he is very intimidating simply by appearance, which is a main part of his character and can't possibly be recreated with Tom Cruise.
As for Pittsburgh, go to Fathead's for awesome gigantic sandwiches. Do not go to the Andy Warhol museum. Falling Waters, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright above a waterfall is about an hour outside of Pittsburgh if memory serves and well worth the ride if you're so inclined.
More Pittsburgh coincidence, my wife was watching a movie last night, She's Out of Your League which was obviously filmed in Pittsburgh. Lot of views from the Steel City.
Fathead's is great, Carson St. was a good time. Smokin' Joe's has a great beer selection.
Echo what everyone else said about Primanti's and the Incline. Also, plan on a lot of time waiting for cabs. The cab situation in Pittsburgh is the worst.
I was born the exact same day Mazeroski hit his famous home run, so I always will have a soft spot in my heart for Pittsburgh!
Chico's, right on re: Reacher. I've read 'em all and Cruise is a joke of a pick for Reacher.
For hills, Pittsburg is the San Francisco of the East.
Quote from: mileskishnish72 on January 04, 2013, 08:26:42 AM
Chico's, right on re: Reacher. I've read 'em all and Cruise is a joke of a pick for Reacher.
Well dudes like Rob Gronkowski don't act. Who would you pick?
Quote from: mr.MUskie on January 03, 2013, 08:18:20 PM
http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/Pittsburgh/Inclines/
Thanks, MUskie--I was trying to figure out what the heck an incline was.
I recommend all of Pittsburgh's diners and fast food establishments, which helped turn my namesake into the player he ultimately became. :(
Quote from: mileskishnish72 on January 04, 2013, 08:26:42 AM
Chico's, right on re: Reacher. I've read 'em all and Cruise is a joke of a pick for Reacher.
I not a Tom Cruise fan, but I did see the movie and I thought he did an excellant job playing the part. I am hoping they do more Jack Reader movies. I have not read the books.
Quote from: LloydMooresLegs on January 04, 2013, 08:56:02 AM
Thanks, MUskie--I was trying to figure out what the heck an incline was.
I knew them as
Funicolares as that's what they called the ones I rode in Italy.
Took one in Orvieto - way better than walking up the hill / cliff.
Quote from: mileskishnish72 on January 04, 2013, 08:26:42 AM
Chico's, right on re: Reacher. I've read 'em all and Cruise is a joke of a pick for Reacher.
Yep, Crusie looks like the after pictures when Reacher is done...... ;)
Quote from: esotericmindguy on January 04, 2013, 08:55:03 AM
Well dudes like Rob Gronkowski don't act. Who would you pick?
Gronk would have brought some bro-ness and nailed that part!
Quote from: esotericmindguy on January 04, 2013, 08:55:03 AM
Well dudes like Rob Gronkowski don't act. Who would you pick?
The problem is not that there aren't actors that size (guys like Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, etc. fit the profile better), but there aren't marketable lead actors that size. You get an actor who is the right size and you end up with a movie like Timeline, which was a great book but a less than stellar movie due in large part to the uninteresting cast. If you cast it like that, the Lee Child book readers might like it better but it becomes a smaller movie and much less profit. Once I see a movie, it tends to define the character in my head and I won't enjoy the Reacher books I haven't read as much, so I am skipping it.
At any rate, the Reacher character would have been better served as a TV series than a movie.
Quote from: MU89PuertoRico on January 03, 2013, 04:41:29 PM
I will be attending the Pitt game with wife and kids (18 & 16). Any advice on where to stay and what to do in Pitt (in addition to visiting the Roberto Clemente Museum, which I will not miss)?
Thanks.
Agree with the comments on the Original Hot Dog and Primanti -- if you've never been you have to check them out--sort of like having to visit the original Billy Goat in Chicago. Order the Large fries at the O.
On the Pitt campus, you might want to check out:
--The Cathedral of Learning - great gothic architecture & Nationality rooms
--Heinz Chapel - larger non-denominational version of Joan of Arc
If you or the kids are baseball purists:
--Forbes Field outfield wall - outside next to Mervis Hall
--Original Forbes Field home plate - inside Posvar Hall
For the views, get to the top of Mt. Washington (either via the incline or drive) great overlook of downtown.
And for an MU-related option, Just east of campus see Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS--former school of Mark Marotta.
Thanks for all the suggestions. From your posts and a brief research it seems to me that Pitt is similar to MKE, a small city / big town kind of place. I had a blast while attending MU in the late 80's ;D (even with the BB team we had during those years :( - yes, still Warriors back then ::)). So, I guess I am going to like Pitt. Thanks again.
Note: I had to use another username because I am using my wife's laptop and was not able to access my account.
Quote from: CTWarrior on January 04, 2013, 11:02:25 AM
The problem is not that there aren't actors that size (guys like Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, etc. fit the profile better), but there aren't marketable lead actors that size. You get an actor who is the right size and you end up with a movie like Timeline, which was a great book but a less than stellar movie due in large part to the uninteresting cast. If you cast it like that, the Lee Child book readers might like it better but it becomes a smaller movie and much less profit. Once I see a movie, it tends to define the character in my head and I won't enjoy the Reacher books I haven't read as much, so I am skipping it.
Yeah, that's a good call. As a loyal Lee Child reader, it bums me out to see Cruise in that role but they want to sell tickets and make it a mega movie. I'm skipping it. Finished up another Reacher novel last night.