Vacationed in Pittsburgh. My top 3 places - Chengdu Gourmet, Page’s Dairy Mart, La Gourmandine

Submitted by IMicrowaveSteak t3_1268ldi in pittsburgh

Chengdu Gourmet - How do they get the pork that tightly sticky to the dumpling itself? Why is the sauce on the DanDan Noodles so good? Amazing as only like $6.

Page’s Dairy Mart - Total random spot, but the ice cream (and curly fries) are delicious. Can someone tell me the secret of how they blend in butterfinger into my peanut butter soft serve?

La Gourmandine - the Gourmandise (basically a chocolate croissant + cream) was so soft and buttery with amazing chocolate and the cream is just for flavor but it doesn’t spill out or anything. Amazing!

Hope you enjoy my 3 top tourist takeaways!

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SparkNoJoyThrw01 t1_je8m3c5 wrote

Page's really is a town icon, a place where Pittsburghers from all sides of town cross rivers to enjoy. Everyone here shares a memory of that place, and it makes me happy to see them carry the torch into the next generation

From Robinson to Monroeville, from Cranberry to Washington, we all meet for ice cream. Lol

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uswforever t1_je98ltn wrote

The out of towners probably don't get how big a deal it is to get yinzers to cross a river. Lol

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uswforever t1_je9sbui wrote

I've always wished it would be possible to do a Lord of the Rings parody starring Billy Gardell, Michael Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, and other famous Pittsburgh actors. The plot of the movie is they have to take a ring (It's one of Brady's so yinz know it's pure evil) up to the top of Mt Washington, and throw it in a storm drain. The ordeal is that they have to cross all three rivers, and go through two tunnels because there's construction everywhere.

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PigDog4 t1_je9t54g wrote

Honestly, depending on when they shoot, they could just roll the whole thing in real time in one take and it would probably fill a full two hours.

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steelcity_ t1_jeb3fpd wrote

A three-hour epic, or as we like to call it, there was an accident on the parkway.

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Jef_Wheaton t1_jear8qv wrote

I have a copy of a book about a post-zombie world. Pittsburgh is one of the few surviving cities because they were protected by the rivers, making it easier to defend. It was a good concept. Too bad it was so poorly written, I couldn't get through it. (Tons of grammatical and spelling errors.)

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TSOD t1_je9egvh wrote

Went to Carrick High School just up the road and the first day Page’s was opened all the kids who had cars would drive the rest of us down and we’d just hang out in the gravel lot the rest of the day. Very fond memories.

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SamPost t1_je8ntx1 wrote

Congratulations, you did better than many native Yinzers posting on food threads around here! Your luck and taste are superlative.

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Riotgrrrlcheese t1_je8cqnc wrote

I vacationed in Pittsburgh and fell in love and had to move here! We went to la guarmandine and new dumpling house and I was sold. I legit go to la guarmandine two or three times a week

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ExtremelyHotCakes t1_je8bdx9 wrote

These are all great! I’m glad that you found them on your visit.

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JoeNoble1973 t1_je9nkrl wrote

‘Hey, don’t forget to try the random ice cream stand under a freeway overpass, it’s fantastic!’ 😄

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Jef_Wheaton t1_jearib7 wrote

While you're waiting, be sure to read the old newspaper in the window, about when their root beer barrel blew up and wrecked the place!

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katiuszka919 t1_je8ekud wrote

Chengdu is fire and Gourmandine has the best quiches and sandwiches ever

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CowboyNealCassady t1_je99ml3 wrote

The United Dairy Farmers (UDF) is wonderful ice cream. In my opinion, you’re discovery was fortunate, and the course of you life has now been altered. For those new to this: Caramel Cone Crunch might turn those gray skies blue.

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mexicocitibluez t1_je9ejod wrote

love the username

edit: also, did you know that apparently Neal's last words were something like "16,202" as he was apparently counting railroad ties when he was hammered and awoke during the coma

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CowboyNealCassady t1_je9ojcv wrote

Gracias! Since you may favor the Mexicali Blues and enjoy trivia, Neal (38 y.o) taught his teenaged roommate Bob Weir (18) how to drive. Drivers Ed ala Dean Moriarty.

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mexicocitibluez t1_je9p6fo wrote

wait, Bob Weir lived with Neal Cassady as a teenager? and learned how to drive from him? that's pretty sick.

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jnissa t1_je9g1o8 wrote

You did things right when you were here :)

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PeptoDysmal t1_je8m06u wrote

Gourmandine has great combo deals. Love the place, love the staff

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greatbeardedman t1_je9n8lf wrote

Thanks for coming to hang out! Yinz come back now!

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mistie_gish t1_je9nfmw wrote

Those are 3 of my faves as well!! Glad you had a good time!

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stadulevich t1_je9suxt wrote

Chengdus Dan Dan noddles are to live for!

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Sweet_District4439 t1_jeaazno wrote

I'm so embarassed as a native j haven't tried 2/3. Putting on my list immediately!

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HOTGRIZZY t1_jebc2ny wrote

Just wait till you try primanti bros 😎

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aesthetichovvell t1_je9ej87 wrote

Pages isn't really in a random spot I would say. The Page family built a gas station in that spot before turning it into the Dairy Mart

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rxjen t1_jeat08v wrote

Ah yes, a Pittsburgh classic. Expecting an out of towner to know what was there 50 years ago.

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aesthetichovvell t1_jeaum4c wrote

Just was letting them know why it was in the "random spot" thought it would be something cool to know. Also, what did I expect them to know? If I were expecting them to know I wouldn't have told them why it's in that spot.

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Ambitious-Show413 t1_jea3tko wrote

Hard disagree on Chengdu. Me and my family ordered there once and we all agreed the Dan Dan noodles were so sweet, they could have been a dessert. But since you put two other desserty places on your top 3, I’m not surprised you liked it.

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GordonsAlive5833 t1_je9tauv wrote

I've lived in Pittsburgh for 34 years and have never heard of any of those places.

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VulturE t1_je9v8w7 wrote

Chengdu Gourmet is a staple in squirrel hill. I order "Diced Chicken with Dried Pepper Chongqing Style" every time I want to eat tiny pieces of crispy chicken in dozens of tiny peppers, I love it for some reason like a guilty pleasure.

I need to try more of their traditional menu.

It's been nationally recognized a few times as one of the best Sichuan restaurants in the US, and makes almost every Pittsburgh top 25 list that there is since it opened.

Their general tso's sauce is correct, but the meat they use for it is a bit weird sometimes for me.

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esushi t1_jeaigwk wrote

Interesting! I have lived here for 34 years and just about everyone I've ever met is absolutely obsessed with all these places. Chengdu Gourmet was our only James Beard Award winner for a long time. Gourmandine is just about our only serious French bakery. Page's is why there's a permanent 30 person line dangerously dangling out into the fastest part of East Carson Street (maybe you pass it on the way to the Waterfront?) every summer. I've been to all 3 in the past month. Every spring all my friends and family are asking each other, "Did you go to Page's yet?! It's open!"

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