For upscale dining within walking distance of the theater district and Heinz Hall, try Opus, inside the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel at 107 6th St. (tel. 412/992-2005). The warm, intimate restaurant features a menu with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences and a very impressive wine list. On the Strip, Lidia's, 1400 Smallman St. (tel. 412/552-0150; www.lidiasitaly.com), serves homemade pasta and northern Italian specialties created by Lidia Bastianich, hostess of the PBS cooking show "Lidia's Italian Table." For excellent German beer and food, visit Deutschtown's Penn Brewery, 800 Vinial St. (tel. 412/237-9402; www.pennbrew.com). The Pastorius family, descendants of the oldest German family in America, brews award-winning beers and serves them alongside bratwurst and sauerbraten in a fun beer-hall atmosphere appropriate for the whole family.
Don't miss Pittsburgh's culinary gem, Primanti Brothers, a 70-year-old institution famous for putting the fries and coleslaw in their sandwiches along with the chopped meat, cheese, and sliced tomato. (It's a mess, but delicious.) The restaurant still churns out sandwiches in its original location in the Strip at 46 18th St. (tel. 412/263-2142; www.primantibros.com), but you'll also find Primanti's at 10 other locations across town, including PNC Park and Heinz Field.
