Letter to the Editor 10/7

To the Editor:

I’m a little disappointed by the Oct. 1 issue of The Pitt News, which… To the Editor:

I’m a little disappointed by the Oct. 1 issue of The Pitt News, which featured the 2010 Dining Guide. As an explorer of Pittsburgh’s (especially Oakland’s) best dining options, I couldn’t wait to see what the staff at TPN had to say about various restaurants. Unfortunately, my expectations for nice reviews, unknown restaurants and cheap gems were let down and instead I was given completely ambiguous reviews (marked by a “price-per-pound” advantage), chain restaurants and two small articles highlighting new-to-the-area snack shops. Maybe my standards are a little high, but if I was interested in a list of Oakland dining, couldn’t I just type “Oakland Dining” into Google or even Yelp? Additionally, giving an advantage to a place like Szechuan Express because they give the customer more food per pound does nothing to comment on the food quality or atmosphere.

Instead of focusing on restaurants that every freshman knows by heart, I would have liked to see articles and reviews of the lesser-visited and tastier options for cheap college kids in Oakland — Spice Island, Vera Cruz, Papa Da Vinci’s, Kiva Han, Red Oak Cafe or even T-Rav’s late night burgers (with the tastiest meat provided by Saleem’s). I love this city, and the Dining Guide seemed to be, to me, a lost opportunity to highlight some of the best places that make living here unique.

Joseph Friedman

School of Arts & Sciences