Hit the Street: Lawrenceville

Explore quirky shops and enjoy some of the city’s best cuisine in this up-and-coming neighborhood.

Video by Kaitlin Zurawsky. Photos by John Altdorfer.
 

Start with pinball and breakfast; in Lawrenceville, it’s just crazy enough to work. Enjoy espresso and eggs benedict panini at a high-top table in Kickback Pinball Cafe [4326 Butler St]. Then move on to play one of about 15 vintage pinball machines.

For more food and fun, head over to 720 Music, Clothing & Café [4405 Butler St]. Where else can you get biscotti, vinyl albums and vintage clothing all in one place?

Shop for novelty items, clothing, jewelry, offbeat cards or books, many of them Pittsburgh-themed, at WildCard [4209 Butler St].

Not far down Butler Street, you may see Bernadette Gerbe, owner of Gerbe Glass, in the window with a glass torch creating the pieces you’ll find in her shop [4119 Butler St]. The store, which opened in August, carries plateware, jewelry and other items for the home, all created onsite.

If there’s a line to eat at Piccolo Forno [3801 Butler St] — and there probably will be — put your name on the wait-list and cross the street to grab a drink at Round Corner Cantina [3720 Butler St]. Try one of six margaritas on the menu, and then return to the restaurant for Italian cuisine. We recommend the filling panini, which come with a white bean salad.
 

While You’re There

• Make an appointment to tour the Clemente Museum [3339 Penn Ave]. This hidden gem is a must for anyone with an interest in Pittsburgh or history — not just baseball fans.

•  In other months, you may be able to tour the neighborhood with a focus on cookies or architecture, but this month you can experience the Blossom Tour. From May 9-11, stop by more than 30 businesses and restaurants to pick up seeds for your garden.