Pittsburgh Please Don't Go

Nu, University of Pittsburgh

I was excited to return to Pittsburgh for recruitment again! I had such a great time getting to know the executive board (pictured below) by jumping right into formal recruitment over the weekend and staying in the suite with them. They are an amazing group of woman and I was so happy to see that they are all so close and work so well together.

There were some pretty late nights staying up to make lists but there were also late nights of just hanging out and being goofy. It felt so great to sit around with these women and laugh with all of them till our abs hurt, as they gave each other bangs or decided to paint a mural. Listening to them sing their old preference songs and going through ritual books from the 1920s was so cool, too. Being with the Nu chapter in the suite reminded me of camp more than any other chapter I have visited thus far. It really make me think about how special sorority bonds are and that the chapter is a really family away from home.

There was no recruitment on the week days, so I took some time to explore the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, right around campus. This mostly meant going to the famous restaurants and trying good food.

My first stop was Primanti Brothers, known for piling french fries into their sandwiches. I had heard about if from a few people and the idea intrigued me so I stopped in for lunch on Monday. My favorite part was obviously the fries and the sandwich was so big that eventually I started pulling out the fries and just dipping them in ketchup!

Pastrami sandwich (with fries, cole slaw, tomatoes & cheese)

When I was looking for places to try, Dave & Andy's Homemade Ice Cream came up. I probably would have gone for ice cream no matter what, but after reading all the raving reviews, I knew I definitely had to go! They had some really great flavor combinations and I had heard the waffle cones were a must. The shop was so cute inside, and smelled amazing too. The ice cream was fabulous and the flavors I got were delicious! If you like ice cream at all (I clearly love it), you must go to Dave & Andy's when in Pittsburgh!

Birthday cake & Caramel cookie marshmallow ice cream in a waffle cone

The last of my food adventures was to Pamela's Diner. I came across this place when I was searching Yelp for breakfast places near Pitt. Everyone raved about the hotcakes and I didn't even realize it was a full diner until I walked in. It is such a cute little place, with colorful decor and they only take cash. I went with the chocolate chip banana hotcakes and when I ordered the waitress was very excited for me to try them. Pamela's hotcakes are crepe-style pancakes and mine were wrapped up and stuffed with banana slices, chocolate chips and whipped cream. I usually go for eggs at breakfast but these were amazing and definitely worth every calorie!

Chocolate chip banana hotcakes

I had such a great time at Pitt!! After bonding with so many women, it was really hard to leave. But I've still got their cute songs stuck in my head and I'll be thinking of them as they finish up recruitment this weekend!

Sin City by The Essex Green