Best of 2011: Food and Drink

Best New Restaurant 

Meat & Potatoes, Downtown
2^nd: NOLA on the Square, Downtown
3^rd: Burgatory, Aspinwall

Best BYOB Dining

Piccolo Forno, Lawrenceville
2^nd: Root 174, Regent Square
3^rd: Pusadee's Garden, Lawrenceville

Best Outdoor Dining

Pusadee's Garden, Lawrenceville
2^nd: Round Corner Cantina, Lawrenceville
3^rd: Double Wide Grill, South Side

Best Chef

Kevin Sousa, Salt of the Earth
2^nd: Donato Coluccio, Donato's
3^rd: Keith Fuller, Root 174

Best Bakery

Oakmont Bakery, Oakmont
2^nd: Prantl's Bakery, Shadyside and Downtown
3^rd: Mancini's, McKees Rocks, Strip District and Downtown

Best Breakfast

Pamela's, multiple locations
2^nd: DeLuca's, Strip District
3^rd: Dor-Stop, Dormont

Best Brunch

Grand Concourse, Station Square
2^nd: Coca Café, Lawrenceville
3^rd: The Zenith, South Side

Best Business Lunch

The Capital Grille, Downtown
2^nd: Eleven, Strip District
3^rd: Six Penn Kitchen, Downtown

Best Romantic Restaurant

Dish, South Side
2^nd: Le Mont, Mount Washington
3^rd: Casbah, Shadyside

Best Indian Restaurant

India Garden, Oakland
2^nd: Tamarind, Oakland, Scott Township and Cranberry
3^rd: People's Indian, Garfield

Best Japanese Restaurant

Nakama, South Side
2^nd: Little Tokyo, Mount Lebanon and South Side
3^rd: Ichiban Hibachi Steakhouse, multiple locations

Best Italian Restaurant

Piccolo Forno, Lawrenceville
2^nd: Donato's, Fox Chapel
3^rd: Girasole, Shadyside

Best Thai Restaurant

Nicky's Thai Kitchen, North Side and Verona
2^nd: Thai Cuisine, Bloomfield
3^rd: Bangkok Balcony, Squirrel Hill

Best Chinese Restaurant

Sesame Inn, multiple locations
2^nd: China Palace, multiple locations
3^rd: PF Chang's, Homestead and Robinson

Best German Restaurant

Hofbrauhaus, South Side
2^nd: Max's Allegheny Tavern, North Side
3^rd: Penn Brewery, North Side

Best French Restaurant

Paris 66, East Liberty
2^nd: Brasserie 33, Shadyside
3^rd: Café du Jour, South Side

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

Aladdin's Eatery, multiple locations
2^nd: Kassab's, South Side
3^rd: Ali Baba, Oakland

Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant

Mad Mex, multiple locations
2^nd: Mexico City, Downtown and South Side
3^rd: El Campesino, multiple locations

Best Contemporary American Restaurant

Salt of the Earth, Garfield
2^nd: Eleven, Strip District
3^rd: BRGR, East Liberty and Cranberry

Best Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant

Quiet Storm, Friendship
2^nd: The Zenith, South Side
3^rd: Double Wide Grill, South Side

Best Restaurant to Take Out-of-Towners

Primanti's, multiple locations
2^nd: Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville
^3rd: Fat Heads Saloon, South Side

Best Place to Try Something New

Tamari, Lawrenceville
2^nd: Salt of the Earth, Garfield
3^rd: Kaya, Strip District

Best Cheap Eats

Eat'n Park, multiple locations
2^nd: Primanti's, multiple locations
3^rd (tie): LuLu's Noodles, Oakland / Tram's Kitchen, Bloomfield

Best Steakhouse

Ruth's Chris Steak House, Downtown
2^nd: The Capital Grille, Downtown
3^rd: Morton's The Steakhouse, Downtown

Best Seafood

Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, Mount Washington and Monroeville
2^nd: Penn Avenue Fish Co., Strip District and Downtown
3^rd: Mitchell's Fish Market, Mount Lebanon and Homestead

Best Sushi

Nakama, South Side
2^nd: Little Tokyo, Mount Lebanon and South Side
3^rd: Umi, Shadyside

Best Pierogies

Pierogies Plus, McKees Rocks
2^nd: Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, Bloomfield
3^rd: Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

Best Burger

Burgatory, Aspinwall
2^nd: Tessaro's, Bloomfield
3^rd: BRGR, East Liberty and Cranberry

Best Pizza

Mineo's, Squirrel Hill
2^nd: Pizza Sola, South Side, East Liberty and Oakland
3^rd: Fiori's Pizzeria, Beechview

Best Wings

Quaker Steak and Lube, multiple locations
2^nd: Fat Heads Saloon, South Side
3^rd: Buffalo Blues, Shadyside

Best Late-Night Menu

Mad Mex, multiple locations
2^nd: Primanti's, multiple locations
3^rd: Ritter's, Bloomfield

Best Coffeehouse

Beehive, South Side
2^nd: Crazy Mocha, multiple locations
3^rd: Espresso a Mano, Lawrenceville

Best Frozen Treats

Razzy Fresh, Oakland and Squirrel Hill
2^nd: Oh Yeah! Ice Cream and Coffee Co., East Liberty
3^rd: Rita's Italian Ice, multiple locations

Best Desserts

Gullifty's, Squirrel Hill
2^nd: Cheesecake Factory, South Side and Ross Park Mall
3^rd: Dozen Bake Shop, Lawrenceville and Oakland

Best Local Beer

East End Brewing, Homewood
2^nd: Penn Brewery, North Side
3^rd: Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant

Sharp Edge, multiple locations
2^nd: Fat Heads Saloon, South Side
3^rd: D's Six Pax & Dogz, Regent Square

Best Wine Selection in a Restaurant

Sonoma Grille, Downtown 
2^nd: Wine Loft, South Side
3^rd: Toast!, Shadyside

State of the Art

Are you one of those avant-garde types not content with majority rule? Check out these recommendations from our editorial staff. 

Best Meal-To-Go

The Franktuary Truck. franktuary.com/foodtruck/

Half the fun of going to the Franktuary truck is finding it. From its Downtown-based wiener shop, the truck ventures all over, setting up in church parking lots, outside concert venues and even at weddings. It's got an abbreviated menu, but diners can find plenty of creative fare, like the Canadian dish poutine, consisting of French fries topped with vegan gravy and cheese curds from Lawrenceville-based Arsenal Cheese. You can track the truck on Twitter @franktuary. 

Best example of Booze Making You Nostalgic

Duquesne Pilsener. www.duquesnebeer.com

It was fall of 2010 when Mark and Maria Dudash revived the Prince of Pilsener: long-defunct Duke beer. This year, the beer began showing up in bars all around town. The beerscape now is different from what it was when Duke's South Side brewery folded in 1972 — crafts are the rage — but there's a place in Pittsburgh's heart for a straightforward, refreshing pils without the bells and whistles.

 

Best Example of Booze Making You Charitable

Steel City Big Pour. Construction Junction, Point Breeze
412-243-5025 or www.constructionconjunction.org

We're sure folks already support all the great work mega-recycler Construction Junction does ... but staging an annual fundraiser with huge amounts of craft beer sure can't hurt. The Steel City Big Pour, now in its fifth year, sells out fast, but lucky funders get beer toys (growler, opener, taster glass and beer caddy), and three hours to sample brews from more than three dozen breweries, many of them local.

Best Proof That an Army Marches on Its Stomach

Occupy Pittsburgh. Mellon Green, Downtown.

In news coverage of the Occupy Pittsburgh movement, it's the sign-waving protesters who get the attention. But what keeps them fed are donated food and a cadre of volunteers who prepare and serve it. Occupiers may not succeed in reversing capitalism run amok ... but unsung volunteers prove — by example — that communities can run on something other than greed.   

Best Step Forward for Urban Agriculture

Market Square Farmers Market. marketsquarepgh.blogspot.com

We're agnostic on the recent rehab of Market Square, whose newly paved expanse often feels lifeless. But in warmer months, the Downtown space was invigorated each Thursday by its revitalized Farmers Market. This market wrapped up in November, so you missed organic produce, artisanal soaps and more from vendors like Harvest Valley Farms and Rise Above Bakery. But it will return next year, putting the "market" back in Market Square.