Hunger pains are out of the question

If you live in the dorms, you’ll find you have very little in the way of cooking materials,… If you live in the dorms, you’ll find you have very little in the way of cooking materials, and Sodexho food will, at one point or another, get old. If you live in a place with a kitchen, then you will, at one point or another, not feel like using it. Either way, at one point or another, you’ll need to know something about eating out in Pittsburgh.

There are a ton of restaurants in the ‘Burgh, so it’s easier to handle them in categories.

Basic Oakland sustenance

These are places to go when you really don’t need anything special, just a good solid meal for little money and less travel time. The good news is that, starting at 7 p.m., food somewhere in Oakland is half price — beginning with Prince of India on Fifth Avenue and ending with Spice Cafe at 1:30 a.m. Between these, you’ve got Hemingway’s (9 p.m.-midnight), La Fiesta (10 p.m.-1 a.m.), and Joe Mama’s, Mad Mex, India Garden and Fuel and Fuddle (11 p.m.-1 a.m.).

For lunch cravings, there are more options, although you’ll need to pay full price (except at Hemingway’s, which is often crowded, for a tiny window of time: 11-11:45 a.m.). Sandwiched between Joe Mama’s and Fuel is Uncle Sam’s, which has some of the best outside-of-Philly cheese steaks.

Nearby is a plethora of Mexican eateries (most notably Qdoba and Veracruz, in addition to the slightly more fast-food-y Baja Fresh). If you’re in the mood for some Asian food, Oakland Avenue has, in one block, Korean (Winner’s), Chinese (Szechuan Express) and Japanese (Sushi Boat and newly opened Oishii Bento). You’ve also got the renowned Pittsburgh staples: Primanti Bros. and Essie’s Original Hot Dog Shop (The “O”), for your less healthy food needs at all hours.

Oakland date options

For a nice, pleasant dinner that won’t make you look cheap but also won’t kill your brand new PNC checking account, Oakland offers several surprisingly good ethnic restaurants (always a winner on dates).

Ginza, on Atwood Street, is a quiet Korean restaurant (one of three in Oakland), which also has some of the best sushi college money can buy. It’s got an extensive menu of flavorful and authentic Korean dishes. If you’re brave, try the spicy cuttlefish stir-fry. If you’re not, the Korean barbecue is delicious to all palates. Ginza also has tons of tofu options for the herbivorous. Spice Island Tea House (not to be confused with the aforementioned Spice Cafe) is almost right next door. Featuring pan-Asian dishes and a special hot and iced tea of the day, it’s a good bet for lunch dates.

On the other side of Oakland, Craig Street has a great selection of places to take that special someone. Lucca, an Italian place, is one of the nicest (read: most expensive) options there, but if you really want some authentic Italian cuisine (and therefore don’t care about being kissed that night), Il Valetto is nearby on Forbes and will knock your garlic-loving socks off.

If you and your date are still up for dessert, Oakland’s Dave ‘ Andy’s has the best homemade ice cream in town, with a list of creative and delicious flavors that changes daily. If you’re feeling adventurous, head to either Squirrel Hill’s Gullifty’s or to The Cheesecake Factory in South Side Works for a mouth-watering slice of cheesecake.

Getting adventurous

OK, you say, that’s all well and good, but I’ve got my Pitt ID with its free bus pass, and I want to go somewhere else.

Here’s a name for you: Big Burrito Company. They own Mad Mex and several other restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, none of which are less than great. In Shadyside, you’ve got Casbah and the Soba Lounge, and in the Strip District you’ve got Kaya and Eleven. Always reasonably priced and with terrific food, they’re worth putting on some decent clothes and hopping a bus.

Here’s another name: Bikki. The Indian restaurant mogul of Pittsburgh is responsible for India Garden and Spice Cafe in Oakland, but he’s also got Cozumel in Shadyside, with the eponymous Bikki Lounge right around the corner. Both are safe bets for any excursion.

Because, I am told, college students sometimes stay up late at night, there are three 24-hour eateries that one should know: Tom’s Diner on the South Side, Eat ‘n Park in Squirrel Hill and Ritter’s Diner in North Oakland/Shadyside are your closest late-night dining options.

Pulling out all the stops

Let’s say you’re rich. Or how about you just got a new credit card with a zillion dollar limit. Or maybe it’s your one-year anniversary and you want to show her how much you care. Regardless, for you, money is of almost no object.

Stop one is Baum Vivant, on Baum Boulevard, as the name implies. You’ll try things there that you won’t elsewhere, and some consider it the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. Palomino and the Steelhead Grill are two Downtown eateries that will test the limits of your humble budget, but provide high-class dining in return.

The Church Brew Works, in Lawrenceville, has converted a church into a brewery and gourmet-style restaurant. Shadyside’s Umi and Station Square’s Kiku offer amazing sushi at a slightly-higher-yet-affordable cost. However, if you really want to ritz it up, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse has the best carnivorous dining money can buy, and is the favorite destination of many Pittsburgh celebrities.

But my No. 1 pick for a date restaurant in Pittsburgh is the South Side’s Mallorca. This Spanish restaurant has everything you need for a successful date: familial atmosphere, attentive service, a killer wine list and off-the-charts great food, with portions so huge you’ll always take a doggy bag home. The seafood, especially, is always fresh enough to make you forget Pittsburgh is landlocked. Add to that the prices, which are well within this atmosphere, and there is just no going wrong with Mallorca.

These are only a few of the must-know restaurants in Pittsburgh. For more information on the Oakland dining options, check out The Pitt News Dining Guide, which we put out every year. Just remember that no guide, no matter how comprehensive, is a substitute for getting on the bus and tasting the city for yourself.