<p>Well I am finally getting organized for our Pitt trip. (Bad news - son wants to visit Carnegie Melon too -- completely unaffordable for us.)</p>
<p>I reserved two rooms on Priceline for $50 each at the Wyndham. (+ $16 for parking.) I was hoping for the Holiday Inn, but oh well.</p>
<p>Now I need some restaurant suggestions. This is my boring eater son. He likes hamburgers, Mexican, pizza. We'll need breakfast and lunch (is there anyplace good on campus???) and maybe a dinner.</p>
<p>You have to go to Primanti's! Purely Pittsburgh! It's good for lunch or a casual dinner. They have huge sandwiches with coleslaw and french fries right on the sandwich. </p>
<p>There's also a two Panera Bread Restaurants in Oakland, Joe Mamas and Hemmingways, which would be a decent casual meal. The "O", more correctly called the Original Hotdog Shop might be worth a stop, too, just because it has been there forever. Also, there are tons of university eateries that you can find from the Pitt website, from all-you-can-eat cafeterias to grab-and-go goodies.
<a href="http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/locations/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.pc.pitt.edu/dining/locations/index.html</a>
Shadyside and Mt. Washington offer more formal dinner venues.</p>
<p>I know you can find any kind of food you want in Oakland. Have a good trip!</p>
<p>PS - You can read our sad Carnegie Mellon saga on CC. My quick advice is to not let him fall in love with it. They are very stingy with aid and they don't really care about your student...there's always somebody waiting with ready cash who will be glad to pay.</p>
<p>lfk:
I am very hesitant to even visit Carnegie Mellon, but there are only two schools that he has wanted to add to his list - Carnegie and Cal Tech - because he has good friends at both. He probably doesn't have a prayer of getting into Cal Tech, but he just might get into CM. Oh well, he knows our $ limit though and we are dead serious about it -- and it is NOT $45000 a year! (I think he just wants to be able to say that he got in.)</p>
<p>Restaurant--Lulu's Noodles on Craig Street!</p>
<p>As to CMU. . . we were told on our Pitt tour that Pitt students can take up to 30 hours at CMU, paid for by their Pitt tuition. THAT is a deal! </p>
<p>I'd second ikf725's perception about CMU's attitude.</p>
<p>For mexican try out La Fiesta, it's on Atwood street (a bit north of Bates) in Oakland. It has the best Mexican food in the vicinity, stay away from Mad Mex, the food isn't as authetic and it's more for the margaritas (which your son won't be drinking on this trip for obvious reasons).</p>
<p>Another place I like is a little burrito place (I forget the name...but it looks like a hole in the wall) across the street from Qdoba on Forbes. It doesn't look like much, but they have great cheap burritos for lunch!</p>
<p>Edit: The place for breakfast is Pamelas. It is also on Forbes and is known as the best greasy spoon diner in town (very popular on the morning after)!</p>
<p>Edit 2: For a great hamburger try out Peter's Pub! I loved their burgers...its located on Oakland Ave (you can see it from the Towers).</p>
<p>I second the suggestion of Pamela's on Forbes. It is outstanding! Try their thin pancakes (like crepes, sort of). I had them filled with strawberries and cream two mornings in a row. Forced H to delay driving home so we could walk to Pamela's for one last breakfast.</p>
<p>As for burgers, be sure to try Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They are right behind the "O". They're new and they are soooo good! The fries are fried in peanut oil instead of the grease from the meat if that matters to you, and it appears to be quite poplular with the hospital crowd. We sat next to a table with four UPMC doctors, stethoscopes and all.</p>
<p>Also a second vote for Lulu's Noodles. Excellent and also cheap (or reasonable at least).</p>
<p>Actually, I thought the food at Mad Mex was pretty good, although H and I were probably the only people in there over 30. The margaritas are good though!</p>
<p>D went with her orientation group to a place called India Garden (on Atwood? I think it's the same street with Mad Mex) that they liked. They had asked their upperclassman to take them to some place good that they'd never go on their own 'cause it looked sketchy. In a way, Mad Mex kind of does the same thing.</p>
<p>Wow, Peter's Pub is still there! They used to make great homemade soups and had really good lunches. If it is the same, Peter's is worth a stop!</p>
<p>Breakfast choices: Pamela's is declicious and has a great menu. It's also good for lunch.
Panera is always a quick option, as well - for breakfast or lunch.</p>
<p>Craig Street has a few decent places to eat lunch and dinner. I like the Union Grille, it's fairly priced and pretty good.</p>
<p>The kids seem to like Joe Mama's and Fuel & Fuddle. F&F is fine- quick, lots of choices- but definitely NOT fine dining.</p>
<p>Southside Works offers Cheesecake Factory and a couple of other places- which the kids prefer.</p>
<p>Shadyside has many reasonable options and the places are trendy, clean, and some offer outside cafes.</p>
<p>The nicer restaurants are down by the river- I can't recall the name, but I did eat in a very very nice place with a magnificent view at night of the river- it's at the bottom of the incline.
Lots of places to eat there.
In the city, you have Morton's and many fine dining places- like any major city would offer.</p>
<p>Most of the hotels offer quick breakfasts. But I would recommend Pamela's as the best- there's also a Pamela's in Shadyside(good for lunch) and Strip dstrct. By Pitt I think there is also a Bruegger's bagel shop- close to Panera's. </p>
<p>Lots of choices and everything is very reasonably priced!! Enjoy- Pitt is a great little city!</p>