Yes. And we #diditfortheblog.
The secret is out and our episode of House Hunters aired! And we all know you guys really want to know… where we ate/ drank! We had five days of filming, and in those five days we managed to hit up quite a few prime spots. I’m going to take you on a trip down our House Hunter’s memory lane.
SPOILER: This will tell you where we ended up, so if you really care enough to not know, then hats off to you because I didn’t think anyone was actually that invested in the episode.
*To not get too into the details of production, these restaurants are in no particular order, but they are going to be grouped by where we went on and off camera.
ON CAMERA:
If you hang out around downtown, I bet the places we went look familiar.
Sienna Mercato felt like an obvious choice to really show off the city and the cultural district. That place is ALWAYS bumpin’ whether it’s 4 PM on a Monday or 1 AM on a Saturday (when everyone seems to be in suits and they definitely didn’t just come from work.. or a wedding). Luckily we beat the crowds got to have some beers in a more intimate setting. The reason is for that is because of filming we got there, like, right as the bar was open and most city dwellers were still at this thing called a job. Suckerzzzzzz. We sipped on beer and chatted with the awesome staff – this is a place we go often, so it felt right to highlight the rooftop bar. The crew loved it too, but if they didn’t I would have fought them.
We also went to
Bakersfield, another place that always seems to have happy customers inside. We lived downtown before moving, so staying on Penn Ave and in the cultural district was both convenient and very relevant to our lives during filming. We also frequented Bakersfield often, mainly heading downstairs to end the night with beers in boots, so being able to eat and drink felt like a real luxury. The food is pretty fan-freaking-tastic, and that is coming from a girl who thinks selling individual tacos is a scam. (Although, I’ve also come to love Condado, but that’s already been established in this
post).
OFF CAMERA:
When we weren’t galavanting downtown, we were all over Pittsburgh finding fun places to explore. When we went to Belle Vernon, we ended up eating lunch at the house so I can’t say much about the atmosphere, but the food from Redd Dawg’s All Star Clubhouse was pretty darn good for take out! I would venture there for an in-house meal for sure.
In the Mexican War Streets, we ventured to Max’s Allegheny Tavern, a cozy German restaurant in the heart of the North Side. As a girl who doesn’t love German food, this place definitely opened my mind. We had bomb ass nachos with thick slabs of meet (obvi), I had a reuben and it was, as Jean Ralphio would say, dee-loy-cious.
Geoff and I had German beer to get the full experience, and it did not disappoint. We shot in April, and it really got me in the spirit for Oktoberfest… 5 months early. Either way, now is the perfect time so why not stop over there for a brat. There are also some breweries near by, peep our maps page Breweries.
Now for Brookline, that’s where we spent more time because *spoiler* that’s where we ended up! We went to two places that are very near and dear to my heart: Pitaland and Parker’s PGH. In my personal opinion, Pitaland is one of the coolest places in Pittsburgh. It’s a grocery store/deli-style restaurant where everything is Lebanese and super authentic. Their food is so good that I have to actively tell myself not to stop there when I get off of the bus. And their staff? SO FRIENDLY. Maybe I’m biased because I love Brookline, but the people there are amazing. (Also quick shout out to Las Palmas porque son gente linda y muy amable)! So remember to hit up Pitaland, and definitely try the chicken shawarma. Oooo it’s so good.
Continuing my Brookline love fest, Parker’s is by far one of my favorites, especially as a girl who could live of sandwiches. So many awesome sandwich/ sub combinations and they even have specials that aren’t on the menu. AMAZING. They also have bomb fries and breakfast potatoes which is just the cherry on top. And again, super friendly staff. A prime example is when I watched them deal with a no show Uber Eats driver; they drove to the customer’s house themselves! I mean,
The production crew loved all of the picks, and I’m happy to say none of us were disappointed. But then again, in a foodie city such as Pittsburgh, it’s hard to be let down by all of the amazing options! Overall, this was a truly one-of-a-kind experience. I didn’t love seeing myself on tv, but I loved the journey. Make sure to tune into HGTV for the rest of the season!
P.S. Geoff wanted me to make it more apparent that I, Devin, wrote this blog post. So just letting everyone know that I, Devin, wrote this post.
Have you been to any of the places mentioned in this article? Leave us a note in the comments and tell us where and how you liked it!
pizzeria. Not to mention they have a marvelous back patio where they host jazz nights in the summer. I’m not necessarily a jazz person, but you give me a glass of their wine and pizza, and I’ll skib-bidee-bop my way over there with the ghost of Duke Ellington any day. *Those of you who watch Big Mouth will get a much bigger kick out of that last sentence than those who do not.
