The Pittsburgh Strip

Wednesday is shopping day, and we shopped the Pittsburgh Strip to our hearts' content (that's Mum and Dad standing on the corner.)

Mum and Dad have never been to the Strip, and they delighted in the deli selection offered at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company (the best Italian market in Pittsburgh, in my opinion.) They purchased some antipasto salads, some excellent meats, a large bottle of olive oil, breads, Italian chocolate (with hazelnuts in it), and bought me a pizzelle iron for my upcoming birthday (thank you Mum and Dad!) I love Penco (as everyone around here calls it.) Just about every Italian delicacy you would want is neatly housed on their shelves. Rows of cookies and breads, shelves packed with canned goods, dried fishes in the cold cases, and olive oil (an aisle running over 20 feet in length!) Of course, I usually buy the house brand, which is kept in large glass jugs (bigger then my own body, and I'm not a tiny creature!) An entire large bottle will only set you back $20, and the extra virgin olive oil is light and smooth in flavor.

We ate at the Bella Notti, which has excellent wraps, sandwiches and pizza at an inexpensive rate. The waitress was very sweet, and even took a group picture off all of us, which I have not posted here yet.

We headed over to the Commissary afterwards (Facility 51 you know), and bought most of the things we need for Saturday.

Saturday - my birthday. I'm looking forward to it, as my parents are here. I'm cringing when I think of it, as the whole family will be here. We are expecting twenty-two for dinner on Saturday, and Mum and I (and Jeff helped) planned the menu out.