Guide To A Taste Of Rome In Pittsburgh
La Prima Espresso Bar
205 21st Street
Strip District
(412) 281-1922
www.laprima.com
If you want to immerse yourself in Italian culture, you need to learn that "coffee to go" doesn't exist in that country. Europeans savor their espresso until the last drop. If you're looking for a place to linger and watch the world go by, visit La Prima. With locations in the Strip District and Oakland, you have plenty of options to find a corner to curl up in, cup of espresso in hand.
Pennsylvania Macaroni Company
2010-2012 Penn Ave.
Strip District
1-800-223-5928
www.pennmac.com
Making an authentic Italian dinner in your home is easy with a trip to Penn-Mac. They sell everything form fresh pasta to huge containers of imported olive oil. There's even a cheese monger inside to help you choose the best parmesan to top it all off. Visit one of the local markets in the Strip District to pick up some produce, and you'll be all set for Italian night.
Grasso Roberto
4709 Liberty Ave.
Bloomfield
(412) 687-2014
www.grassoroberto.com
What's a good meal without dessert? Italians love gelato, and Grasso Roberto is one of the best places in town to get some. The ice-cream/spaghetti dish is their signature treat. It may look like dinner; but it's really dessert! The "sauce" is really pureed strawberries, topped with grated white chocolate for the parmesan. To make it extra special, try it with brownies rolled up to look like meatballs.
St. Anthony's Chapel
1704 Harpster Street
Troy Hill
(412) 231-2994
www.saintanthonyschapel.org
When visiting Rome, you can't help but relish the ancient architecture. Here at home, Pittsburgh's St. Anthony's chapel in Troy Hill holds has the second largest collection of relics in the world. Father Mollinger brought his collection to the chapel in 1868. "We have over 5,000 relics in here," he says, "and this is the largest collection of relics in the United States!"
