Steeling Away

Thursday, July 11, 2013 -- Some years ago, when Jake and Stone were anticipating the advantages of retirement, the ability to steal away for a short break on short notice was near the top of the list. So when they realized the Mets would be playing in Pittsburgh in a few days, they decided to go.

The drive to the Steel City via Interstates 287, 78, 81, 76 and 376 proved to be more pleasant than it sounds and better than they thought it would be. The Pennsylvania Pike had some lovely stretches through the Allegheny Mountains and the usual summer road construction was minimal. Jake and Stone knew Pittsburgh to be a city of rivers and bridges, but they were happily surprised by the city's terrain. The city proved to be quite hilly, with some semi-distant slopes being either forested in green or festooned with housing, often with apartment buildings or a church or two perched on the upper ridges.

Plaza-Side Dining in Pittsburgh

Enjoying perhaps one of the the best entrees into Pittsburgh, they first had lunch at the Porch at Schenley, a park-side neighborhood bistro which sits on the edge of the expansive green grass of Schenley Plaza. Jake's garden harvest salad/lemonade and Stone's veggie burger/glass of wine were all delicious, and the bistro vibe was friendly, cosmopolitan and quite "college town." From their al fresco table they could see across the grass -- upon which both small children and college students frolicked in the sunshine -- two of Pittsburgh's many impressive landmarks: the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (reputed to have a dinosaur collection to rival any) and the University of Pittsburgh's 42-story Cathedral of Learning (the name pretty much says it all).

In the Phipps Butterfly Room

Had the weather not been at least okay (and "okay" is a rare event in this Summer of Their Discontent, as Jake and Stone both lament the seemingly constant jungle-like heat and humidity), they would have gone to either the museum or the "cathedral," but since it was bearable walking weather they headed to the nearby Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden. Here they wandered among the world renowned collection of flora, set amidst various little ponds, statuary, art installations, small waterfalls, and -- a room full of butterflies! At Phipps everything is top-shelf, from the LEED-certified Welcome Center to the helpful staff and brochures. Even the shop has stuff that is interesting.

The weather was not so wonderful that they could also tour the extensive outside gardens, so Jake and Stone drove to their B&B, the oddly named Inn on the Mexican War Streets.  (Yes, they wondered also. It seems this neighborhood was established by General Robinson after the Mexican-American War (1846-48); several of the streets have names of battles or generals from the war.) Due to their last-minute decision to visit Pittsburgh, the only available room was the Red Room, which is the inn's smallest. This room is without a window, which must be why the owners term it "romantic." Still, the reduced space proved to be worth the reduced price.

Porch at the B&B

The inn's strong points include it overall "character," which is properly Victorian without being the least bit musty. The architecture is quite striking, and the large porch is delightful. Breakfast (continental, adequate) is available in a room too small to properly serve all the guests at once, but being originally "the gents' smoking room," and having been nicely restored, it is very cool nonetheless. In a city without a lot of B&B's, this one also enjoys a convenient location right on the Allegheny Commons, very near the National Aviary. The immediate neighborhood is at once a little bit sketchy, certainly historic and quit interesting. The award-winning Olde Allegheny Community Gardens are but a few minutes walk away from the the inn and are certainly worth a walk through.


Dinner on this Thursday night was in the seemingly upscale Pittsburgh neighborhood of Shadyside, at Soba, a certainly upscale Asian-fusion eatery with necessary valet parking. Here everything is what might be called Zen-spare. The wait staff are all in black. The furnishings and design look as much Scandinavian as they do Asian. On their table, beside the silverware carefully rolled into a gray cloth napkin, Jake and Stone each find a dark, small, smooth stone.... The Stoli martinis were very crisp and cold;  the appetizers, rock shrimp tempura and grilled baby octopus, simply fabulous; Stone's green bean & eggplant and Thai corn chowder, very nice. The only dinner misstep was Jake's Thai style pork & shrimp fired rice, and here it was Jake's fault. His tolerance for "spicy" is just too low to always allow him to appreciate this genre of food. BTW, the ice cream sandwich desert, good in any genre, was spot-on. $101 before tip.

Since it was early yet, and our couple was feeling somewhat frisky (must have been the Stoli), they headed for downtown Pittsburgh. Parking proved impossible, so they ponied up $8 for a lot spot and went is search of additional friskyness. Olive or Twist provided a good nightcap of  drinks and music. Especially the music, where someone named Tom Lagi held court with his guitar while someone named Katie Simone joined him for some grand vocals. Such talent going so unappreciated is sadly universal in the world of bar music, but Jake and Stone felt lucky to have been there for an hour or so. (Though their guitars were electric that night, here is a video of them doing some acoustic covers.)

Friday, July 12, 2013 -- In the Gilded Age Pittsburgh was just lousy with millionaires. And several of the very gilded millionaires built mansions in East Pittsburgh. Andrew Mellon, George Westinghouse, H. J. Heinz, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick all built their urban dream homes in what is now the Point Breeze neighborhood, but only Frick's "Clayton" still stands.

The relatively small mansion stands as the centerpiece of the expansive Frick Art & Historical Center. The docent-led tour ($10-$12) of the mansion takes about an hour, and is highly recommended. Clayton reminded our couple of Maymont, another Gilded Age mansion they toured while in Richmond, VA. Considering their cost and number of rooms, both homes are surprisingly homey. But Clayton, with its obvious attention to the needs of the Frick's children, is even more so.

The Frick Center also includes Frick's charming personal greenhouse and the imperial looking, somewhat imposing, art museum. But perhaps the most visited attraction at the Center is the Car and Carriage Museum. Jake and Stone only had time to breeze through the many turn-of-the-century carriages and cars, but were very impressed with the variety and accessibility of all the vehicles. Two favorites: the 1901 Knox Model A, which looks a little bit like a very tricked out tricycle. And  the  1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow,
which is how Jake would roll if given the chance to make a Rap video.

We interrupt this Blog to bring you this impossible video vision: Notorious B.I.G. driving the above 1914 Silver Shadow,  while rapping Emily Dickinson (she is so easily chanted!) as he slowly tours the West Cemetery in Amherst, Mass:
           Because I could not stop for Death,
           He kindly stopped for me;
          The carriage held but just ourselves

         And Immortality. 

Part of the reason Jake and Stone could give so little time to the classic cars and carriages was the need for lunch. And that need was more than satisfied at the nearby Belgian bistro, Point Brugge Cafe. A truly neighborhood place, Point Brugge boasted a grand selection of beers and, just as importantly, that Belgian gift to the world -- frites. Our duo split a side of frites. Stone had the PEI mussels and a glass of pino grigio while Jake munched on a tasty macaroni gratin, "helped" Stone with her pound of moules, and greatly enjoyed a draft Carlsberg. A wonderful repast, and proof positive that this stylish cafe is deserving of its TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013. And all for $40, before tip.

A Full PNC Park in Pittsburgh

The evening and this brief Pittsburgh trip were topped off that night by going to PNC Park (but a 20 minute walk from the inn) to see the Mets play the Pirates. StubHub proved to be a good source for "last minute" tickets and Jake and Stone had good seats. The stadium was rocking with a sold-out crowd on a tee-shirt giveaway night. PNC Park is comfortable and picturesque, with especially nice views of the bridges and the city's skyline. Even though the Mets lost in 11 innings, it was a wonderful night of American baseball in this most-American city.

Our traveling twosome drove home early Saturday morning knowing they had only just started to enjoy Pittsburgh, and knowing also that they would soon return.

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