Welcome to Pittsburgh, the city of bridges, and a never-ending list of restaurants to discover. We have all come to accrue our favorite food bloggers and eateries that we follow on Instagram, serving as constant reminders of what new spots we need to venture out to on any given day of the week. There are cafés and donut shops, taco joints and pizza places, all waiting for us to come in, take a seat, and go about our picture taking to post all over the socials. This all leaves us with one very important question: “What should I wear?”
Whether we like it or not, a good portion of life we are judged by how we look, what we wear, and how our Instagram is laid out. So why not acknowledge it, and go about your feasting in style?
When dressing to go out to eat, there are two important factors I personally consider:
1. Exactly how much food am I going to be consuming?
2. How good do I want to look?
Two of my favorite spots in Pittsburgh happen to be owned by the same group [Galley Group], Smallman Galley and Federal Galley. Both galleys boast two of the best pizza places I have had in my entire life; Ironborn Pizza at Smallman, and Michigan & Trumbull at Federal. Now if you’re going to one of the above spots to chow down on some Detroit-style goodness, you’re going to want to wear something with a little slack, dare I say “room to grow”. Luckily for us ladies, trousers are having a moment, which provide more comfort than say a pair of skinny jeans. Pair those with your favorite top and you’re set. Another comfortable option, though not for everyone, is a flirty flowing dress. Hear me out on this one: I’m not the girliest, but I do like to eat a lot of food. A dress allows room for my belly to expand, and I’m still looking pretty cute. Simple facts.
Not every time we go out to eat are we going to be consuming half our body weight in pizza, though. Sometimes we go out for a light salad at The Whitfield, or maybe a lovely charcuterie board and drinks at Floor 2. For those instances, I would break out something more flattering, bordering on the side of restricting. Whether it be date night, or on-the-prowl night, it’s fun to look good and appreciate these fab bodies we are in. LET THEM SHINE! Give me some tight Moto pants and a structured blazer. Boom.
Now let’s talk about the most important food outing of all of the outings: brunch. There is nothing better than going with a group of friends to sip a cute latte for strength regaining purposes, followed by mimosas and morning mules at one of the many brunch spots around town. If anyone knows me, they know that I love me some Whitfield Breakfast at The Ace Hotel. I aspire to live there one day (if I win the lottery). The Whitfield at The Ace offers lighter brunch options for you cute little pickers out there, and heavier options for those of us who treat brunch as a last-meal sort of deal. Luckily, at one point or another, sweatpants were in and I was able to pair them with a cute top to grab my Benny’s.
Another local eatery that boasts a bomb brunch is DiAnoia’s. As the name suggests, it is an Italian restaurant. Regardless of what you order here, you’ll probably want to wear something with a little wiggle room; their food is DECADENT. It’s rich. And it’s filling. Last time I went to Sunday brunch, I paired a high-waisted pair of jeans with a vintage crewneck sweatshirt. I inhaled my whole damn prosciutto eggs Benedict and no one was the wiser.
As a dedicated fashion and food lover, I have experience dressing and eating. Speaking from that experience, I say just go with the flow when it comes to getting ready to go out to eat. Wear what feels right, and what makes you look in the mirror and say, “damn I look good!" Love yourself, feed yourself, enjoy your nights out, and bon appetite!
For posterity, here is a small, albeit robust list of my current favorite restaurants:
Smallman Galley (Strip District)
Federal Galley (North Side)
Baby Loves Tacos (Bloomfield)
Condado (Cultural District, downtown)
The Whitfield at the Ace Hotel (East Liberty)
DiAnoia’s (Strip District)
Floor 2 at the Fairmont Hotel (Downtown)
Nicky’s Thai (Downtown has wine, North Side BYOB)
