A guide to Pittsburgh, as told by the Pirates

The best pierogi is apparently in David Bednar's aunt's kitchen

August 21st, 2023

Along with having one of the prettiest ballparks in the country, Pittsburgh has revitalized itself over the last decade as a must-see travel destination. But once you're there -- where do you need to go? Which restaurants? What bar should you hit up after a Pirates game? Where can you find the best pierogi in a city boiling over with them?

Pirates All-Star closer David Bednar, reliever Colin Holderman and walk-off king Joshua Palacios gave us their go-to spots around town. All -- OK, most -- are great choices, so do yourself a favor and print this article out for your next trip to the Steel City.

If you have a friend coming to town, what restaurant are you taking them to?

Colin Holderman: Hmm, trying to think of the name of this spot.

Casey Holderman (Colin's wife), to Colin: What kind of food are you thinking about? Alla Famiglia is a good Italian spot.

Colin: Sheetz? It's a gas station.

Casey, laughing: It's a gas station that's open 24 hours. He may have been sponsored by them.

Colin: It's like Wawa. Great chicken wraps.

David Bednar (Pittsburgh native): Well, first off, if you haven't gotten a Primanti Brothers sandwich, you need to get that. Alla Famiglia -- great Italian joint.

Holderman: What's the steakhouse stone place?

Bednar: That's North Shore Tavern -- right next to the stadium.

Holderman: I like that.

Bednar: It's just kind of a bar tavern-ish pub food.

Holderman: Yeah, they're known for the steak on the stone and you can cook it yourself. On a hot stone.

Casey Bednar (David's wife): I like Monterey Bay; you can see the whole city.

David: Oh yeah, it's on Mt. Washington. You can see the whole city. It's great.

Joshua Palacios: No. 1: Alla Famiglia is fire. That's my favorite. DiAnoia's Eatery is another one that I've been to that I like a lot. And then I'm big on Gelato, there's a couple good Gelato spots over there.

Best place to go for a beer or cocktail?

Holderman: If you're around the ballpark, maybe Southern Tier is right there. What else? Tequila Cowboy if you're trying to get crazy.

Casey Holderman: For the college kids.

Holderman: They have a nice little bar area between Acrisure Stadium and PNC. Nice little strip to get a drink.

Bednar: Oh yeah, Tequila Cowboy.

Casey Bednar: They have karaoke, a bunch of different little rooms in there.

Any coffee shops or breakfast spots you recommend?

Bednar: Umm, there's a few. Commonplace is one. Kelly-O's for breakfast.

Holderman: Yeah, Kelly-O's is a classic diner. It's great. There's one that's kind of downtown on the strip.

Bednar: Also, De Fer coffee is a good one.

Things to do besides seeing/playing in a Pirates game?

Palacios: I took a trip up to Mt. Washington, that was pretty cool. Walked around there. One of my favorite things -- I think it's called Duquesne Point? Duquesne Point is really nice. Nice little vibe there. And then, most recently I went to the zoo.

Holderman: There's a lot of museums. A lot of historic stuff. There's the Clemente museum -- which a lot of people like to go to.

Bednar: Steeler game. Steeler game.

Any favorite late-night food spots?

Palacios: Late night? Pizza Palermo. Some regular pizzeria food makes it feel like I'm at home in New York City. They got some good pasta and meatballs. Any time it's like a late-night meal, we get in late, I look up Pizza Palermo and it's my go-to right there.

Finally, where do we get the best pierogis in Pittsburgh?

Casey Bednar: Mrs. T's -- you can't really grab a pierogi. You can get [Mrs. T's] at the stadium, but they're in grocery stores.

David Bednar: My aunt. My aunt's kitchen.