Lidia's
Beyond your Italian mother's kitchen
1400 Smallman St., Strip District;
412/552-0150.
“Taste everything you make,” says chef Craig Richards, who identifies the eponymous Lidia Bastianich as his mentor and tries to warns young chefs against the danger of overcomplicating: “Simple food is the most difficult to execute.” Richards cites New York’s Lupa as his favorite out-of-town restaurant and David Byrne as his favorite celebrity diner: “He ate here three times in two days and wore the same outfit every time.”

Lucca
Terrace terrific
317 S. Craig St., Oakland;
412/682-3310.

Sampler dessert platter and espresso from Lucca

If Lucca patrons feel as if they’re sitting in a bistro in Italy instead of in Oakland, maybe it’s because Lucca Enterprises president Joseph Jordan has brought back a little bit of his wanderlust: He’s also a Northwest Airlines flight attendant who travels all over the world. “I’m going to Rome, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Beijing, Osake, Seoul—I’m always on a quest to bring back restaurant ideas.”

The Original Fish Market
An ocean of fish
1001 Liberty Ave., downtown;
412/227-3657.
For his success today, chef William Stewart would like to thank “all the chefs who showed me what not to do.” The esteemed fishmonger, who says he eats grilled cheese and tomatoes at home and patronizes the Centro Grill and Wine Bar when he’s in Toronto, applauds Pittsburgh’s restaurants and diners, who “have become more educated and adventurous by trying our crazy dishes. Keep putting them out there!”

The Pines Tavern
More than a country tavern
5018 Bakerstown Road, Pine;
724/625-3257.
When the Pines found itself hosting Maureen Lolonis of Redwood Valley’s famous Lolonis Vineyards, chef Jason Culp was honored to hear the vintner’s reaction: “She said our hotbed-raised greens were better than those in California.” Culp, who likes to use ingredients from local, independent farmers, has a simple approach in the kitchen: “Taste, taste, taste. Reduction, reduction, reduction.”

Soba
South Beach on Ellsworth
5847 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside;
412/362-5656, www.bigburrito.com/soba.
Soba is cool, quirky, edgy—not just as a matter of fact, but practically as a definition. When Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, visited Pittsburgh, he ate at Soba. (Yet even chef Jamie Achmoody can’t get Pittsburghers to eat frog legs: “I’ve attempted several variations.”) At the root of it all lie quality ingredients, such as Spring Valley Farms’ produce, which Achmoody calls “the best greens I’ve ever seen.”

Sushi Kim
Real guys eat sushi here
1241 Penn Ave., Strip District;
412/281-9956.
Look up “The Sushi World Guide” online and you’ll find Sushi Kim reviewed in three simple words: “Awesome and affordable.” Thank owner Mr. Kim, who offers a top-notch variety of vegetarian and cooked dishes. Conveniently situated on the borderline of downtown and the Strip, Sushi Kim captures the VIP and nightclubbing crowds alike—the perfect example of the restaurant’s motto: “Be efficient.”