The Strip

Pennsylvania is one of my favorite states to drive through with multitudes of lush mountains resulting in quaint villages and a variety of bridges to cross through, over, and under.  Since we had a couple of places to go to in Pittsburgh and just half a day to accomplish this, we didn't have much time to smell the roses.

Somewhere along the PA turnpike

We weren't sure what to expect when we arrived at the Strip, a district of repurposed warehouses converted into clubs and shops in downtown Pittsburgh along two streets -- Smallman St and Penn Ave.

The Pittsburgh Public Market takes up several loading dock spaces. Brightly lit, the small market is a busy place, but not obnoxiously so. The walkways were clean and wide enough without having to rub shoulders walking along stalls of fruits, vegetables, soaps, prepared foods, and textiles.

A little further along were a couple of nifty looking buildings with clubs and a haunted house. It would have been interesting to walk into one to see how or if the upper floors are utilized.

Clubs along the Strip

Further along Smallman St, I noticed a crowd snaked into a small door leading into a hole in the wall and people trickling out of another door with containers of doughnuts. I stood in line and found out it was a line for doughnuts at Peace, Love, and Little Donuts.

The regular doughnuts were dry, so I ended up eating the toppings and leaving the a bit of topping and the rest for Bug. Maple bacon and Treehugger (granola) toppings were good - no surprise. After we got home, I was disappointed to find out this was a national chain and one in the west side of Cleveland had been open for several months.

Mini doughnuts

Grudgingly, Bug toted around the box of doughnuts as we came across the breakfast place he had heard about and wanted to try. Packed with people waiting to get in and being carbed out, he decided to pass it up.

Adjacent to a McDonald's along Penn Ave is a church converted into a nightclub. Bug and I have often joked about opening a club in a large old church. The older and more gothic, the better.

The Altar

It would have been great to catch Rammstein when they played there, or My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, scheduled to play on Monday, October 22nd!

- Cassaendra

The Strip
Smallman St
Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA

Ikea

We didn't hear the trumpets as we entered Ikea on our second visit like we...I...did on our first visit.  Because we don't have room in our postage stamp place to buy furniture, Ikea is a different store for us -- a place for contemporary, interesting, and/or inexpensive doodads and utensils, and, most importantly, a dining destination.

Ikea sits atop the highest hill in the ~100 acre Robinson Town Centre, a mega shopping mall. Their dining hall is a spacious cafeteria on the second floor, surrounded by two walls of glass and outdoor seating with a gorgeous view. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a picture.

At the front of the line are self-serve refrigerated cases with plates of desserts, salads, and appetizers, followed by warm items served upon request, then a self-serve salad bar. Cups are given for water and soda at the register.

Beckoning from behind the cold glass door was a beautifully dressed plate of Najad salmon ($4.99), cold smoked and cured with dill, served with lime-marinated root vegetables. Along with a small bowl of salad greens, the substantially thick slices were supple and filling; a perfect traveling lunch that did not weigh heavily in my belly. The vegetables were decorative and didn't add much flavor.

Najad salmon

Bug ordered the Swedish meatball meal ($3.99), which includes mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. For $1.00, he received another 5 meatballs. The meatballs are firm but not rubbery, evenly textured, and have a spiced and oniony flavor. Lingonberry jam augments the meat with a sweet and tartness that is akin to a bite of a Thanksgiving feast with dressing, gravy, and cranberries.

Swedish meatballs with lingonberry

Apple pie with vanilla sauce ($2.99) concluded our trip to Ikea. The vanilla sauce doesn't have very much flavor just sweetness so it is unnecessary to enjoy the spiced apple pie. On our first visit, the apple pie looked neater, but this was still quite presentable.

Apple pie

A nice incentive at the store is a free meal when $100 is spent. The price of the meal is taken out of the total purchases made.

I am not going to say that the food is "just like grandmother's," but the dishes are tasty and phenomenal for its price point. We don't normally purchase soda, but I had to try the lingonberry soda offered from their drink dispensers. I regret not buying lingonberry syrup so we could make the sweet-tart soda at home.

- Cassaendra

Ikea
2001 Park Manor Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Tel: (412) 747-0747