Top 10 places to experience in Pittsburgh!

1 Ride the Duquesne or Monongahela Incline

Also known as funiculars, these “inclined planes” were built in the late 1800′s to transport immigrant workers from work at plants along Pittsburgh’s rivers to their homes atop Mt. Washington. While they still serve as transportation for area residents, they are also a great way to enjoy the beautiful panoramic Pittsburgh skyline, a view ranked as the second most beautiful place in America by USA Today. The Duquesne Incline, still utilizing the two original 1877 wooden cable cars, is also a working museum.

2 Have Lunch at Primanti’s
Get your favorite sandwich served up complete with the coleslaw and fries rolled right in! Primanti’s offer a wide variety of delicious sandwiches, with the cheesesteak being their most popular. Several locations exist around the city, but the original 1933 location in the heart of Pittsburgh’s historic Strip district, open 24/7, is the best.

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First Night Pittsburgh 2012

NEW YEAR'S EVE!12/31/2011 @ 6pm The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents First Night 2012!

Hands-On Activities for All Ages

There is a little bit of everything at Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, from music, dance, live theater, games, puppets and fireworks!

Are you ready to get to work with some of these hands-on activities throughout the cultural district on New Year’s Eve?

Begin your creativity at Fifth Avenue Place, with free face painting with FX Studio and incredible balloon designs from Amber’s Amazing Animal Balloons. Say hello to Giggles the Clown and learn how to create your own balloon animals! With face painting, juggling, magic and balloons, you can’t miss Fifth Avenue Place activities!

After that, stop by the First National Bank Family Tent with activities for children of all ages! Make jewelry using special UV detecting beads that react to the ultraviolet light by changing colors, or design fun New Year’s hats to wear throughout the night!

Into technology? Join the fun throughout the night at the Penn Avenue Big Screen with Highmark First Night Bonanza, a mobile phone-driven interactive video game designed by local company Evil Genius!

Take a look at all of the Activities, and don’t forget about the magic, music,theater and dance throughout the district at Highmark First Night Pittsburgh!

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Best of the 'Burgh 2011: Readers' Poll!

Outdoor Dining
Double Wide Grill

Happy Hour
Mad Mex

Beer List
Sharp Edge

Bartender
Dash Kaplan at Bocktown Beer and Grill

Restaurant for a First Date
Dish Osteria and Bar

Local Coffee Shop
Big Dog Coffee

Takeout
Sesame Inn

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Vivo Revival

Owners Sam and Lori DiBattista opened Vivo Kitchen in Sewickley in August. Its interior has a style much different than their Bellevue restaurant.

After operating Vivo in Bellevue for more than a decade, Sam and Lori DiBattista closed it earlier this year, and at the end of August opened a reimagined restaurant, Vivo Kitchen, in Sewickley.

The name is almost the same, some furniture has been repurposed, Mr. DiBattista still runs the kitchen, but otherwise it's a whole new show.

Where Vivo was shabby chic, Vivo Kitchen is sleek and modern. The marble tables from Bellevue have been fused into a long, elegant bar. There's a nod to the incandescent lighting that was a signature of the old establishment -- two lines hang down the center of the long restaurant, with a few dozen more clustered into a free-form chandelier in the front window, like cascading bubbles. A clever art installation fashioned from thin pieces of old record albums adds a splash of color, and a cork floor dampens noise.

·         Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.; Sunday-Monday, closed.

·         Basics: An elegant neighborhood restaurant with an eclectic, frequently changing menu, striving to suit both casual and formal meals.

·         Recommended dishes: Grilled figs with prosciutto, crispy polenta with ratatouille, pickled white asparagus with green salad, rabbit cacciatore, lamb chops with Dijon mustard sauce, red snapper with wild rice-couscous pilaf, whipped mascarpone with nutella, pumpkin spice creme brulee.

·         Prices: Starters, $7-$10; mains, $20-$34.

·         Drink: Full bar including an evolving drink list; wine list offers detailed tasting notes, with a minor focus on white wines from California and red wines from California and Italy. One sparkling, six white, six reds and one port available by the glass, $8-$15; 13 white and sparkling wines, eight for $40 or less; 25 red wines, 13 for $50 or less.

·         Summary: : Wheelchair accessible; credit cards accepted; reservations recommended for peak weekend times; corkage, $15.

·         Noise level: Low to medium loud.

In Bellevue, the partly verbal menu was creative Italian, portions were substantial and each entree was augmented by pasta and salad courses. In Sewickley, there's a printed menu of starters and mains, and the inspirations are more eclectic. There's also a full bar and wine list (the original Vivo was BYOB).

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