Pittsburgh (September 2019)

My spouse and I visited Pittsburgh for the weekend in late September 2019. We were meeting up with some friends who graduated from the University of Delaware for the Pitt - Delaware game. We stayed at the Hyatt Place North Shore, which was the first time that we stayed near the stadiums instead of Downtown (but not the last!). We left home around noon, which brought us into Pittsburgh around 5:00 pm, just in time to pick up one of our friends in the Pittsburgh suburb of Shadyside after his afternoon of sightseeing. After we checked into the hotel, we had drinks outside at Steel Cactus (at PNC Park), then walked across the Roberto Clemente Bridge for dinner at Pork ‘n Beans. The game was on Saturday, and Pitt won 17 - 14. That night, our generous friends treated us to an anniversary dinner at The Commoner (at the Kimpton Monaco). On our way out of the city on Sunday, we took the opportunity to enjoy an al fresco brunch at unique The Abbey on Butler Street.

Hotel:

• Hyatt Place North Shore Link to my review

Restaurants:

• Steel Cactus Mexican Cantina Link to my review
• Pork and Beans Link to my review
• The Commoner Link to my review
• The Abbey on Butler Street Link to my review

Activity:

• University of Pittsburgh vs. Delaware, Pitt wins 14:10!

Pittsburgh: Hyatt Place North Shore (September, November 2019)

Hyatt Place North Shore – Great Option for Attending a Football or Baseball Game

My spouse and I stayed at the Hyatt Place North Shore for two nights in late September 2019, then again for a 2-night stay in November 2019. We reserved our room many months in advance using the Hyatt website (we are World of Hyatt members). Sometimes this property requires a two-night minimum stay during certain events. 

The Hyatt Place North Shore is located between the Pittsburgh Pirate’s PNC Park and the Steeler’s Heinz Field. (We were attending a University of Pittsburgh college football game [played at Heinz Field] on the weekend that we visited.) The hotel is located approximately 0.1 mile from PNC Park and 0.4 miles from Heinz Field, making it the perfect place to stay to cheer on either team. It is also located a walkable 1.5 miles from PPG Paints Arena (to see the Penguins) and 1 mile from the Benedum Center (for live theatrical events). The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service within a 3-mile radius of the hotel.

The Hyatt Place property offers paid surface lot parking (one space per room) for a nightly fee that can be added to your hotel bill. The lobby area adjoins the breakfast (buffet) room and dining room. Next to the front desk is a bar (alcohol is served) as well as a grab-and-go coffee/bakery case. The hotel has a business center area, an indoor swimming pool, and several private meeting rooms.

We reserved a regular room (number 416 on our first stay, and number 419 on our second), which offered a studio-like atmosphere. Upon entry, a living room area offered a sectional sofa with ottoman/coffee table, desk and chair, and dresser/storage space that held a coffee maker atop and an empty mini-refrigerator below. A TV was positioned on top of an open shelving area and swiveled so that it could be viewed from both the living room and the bedroom areas. (A small wall divided the spaces.) Although the toilet and walk-in shower (no bathtub) were contained in its own room, the sink/vanity area (including some drawer storage space) was open to the rest of the unit. Barnet Kenet MD toiletries were provided (number 1 shampoo, number 2 conditioner, and number 4 body lotion; however, it was evident that number 3 (which was probably shower gel) was missing because of the numbering format).

We loved the proximity of the Hyatt Place North Shore to Heinz Field, and we will gladly stay there again.

Pittsburgh: The Abbey on Butler Street (September 2019)

The Abbey on Butler Street – Lovely Courtyard Space

My spouse and I dined at The Abbey on Butler Street on a Sunday afternoon in late September 2019. The Abbey is open daily for breakfast, lunch/brunch, dinner, drinks, late night, and everything in-between. Diners can reserve a spot using the online Open Table reservation system, although outdoor seating cannot be guaranteed. (In addition, because the outdoor space is so desirable, patio dining is sometimes limited to 90 minutes at busy times, and may require a $25 per person minimum.)

The Abbey on Butler Street opened in April 2016 in a repurposed church meeting hall/funeral home in Lawrenceville. Guests can choose to dine indoors in a multitude of rooms: in the bar area, with high-top tables adjacent, in the coffee bar area, in a rear dining room at tables or booths, outdoors on the porch under cover of an awning, truly al fresco (albeit under umbrellas) in the courtyard within view of the swan fountain, or outdoors on the opposite side of the building in the self-service area. The outdoor courtyard is surrounded by an attractive fence, part of which is incorporated into seating for the tables arranged around the perimeter. Indoors, décor features high wood-beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls, and large chandeliers. 

The Abbey serves upscale international fare including pub curry chips, burgers, and sandwiches, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, salads, macaroni and cheese, steak, seafood, and pasta. A full liquor license is available. We ordered the pub curry chips to start (fries covered in curry sauce and cheese and sprinkled with scallions), followed by the shrimp and grits (topped with a sunny side-up egg) and the smoked salmon hash (served with fingerling potatoes, feta, and spinach and served in a small cast-iron skillet). For dessert, the third time was a charm: the first two items we ordered were sold out, so the restaurant comped us a piece of their cheesecake instead. 

We enjoyed our al fresco brunch at The Abbey on Butler Street.