There is so much about Pittsburgh that I love, but one of my favorite (non-music related) hot spots is definitely the Strip District. Aside from the original Primanti Bros., the Strip offers a collection of ethnic markets (Sunseri's meatball subs? Eccellente.) and the freshest foods in the city. Although I do like food a great deal, I find the most enjoyable thing about this area is the consistently genuine conversation. Apart from my experiences, just watch Penn Ave. on a Saturday morning and you will see a street full of complete strangers delightfully engaged with one another, behaving like old friends. I don't know why that is undervalued elsewhere, but I've had some of the best conversations with noodle-makers, florists, grocers and meat-packers - having never met any of them previously. Knowing why and how they do what they do is a passionate confirmation of dedication and loyalty that I don't come across often and seek out all too much. And yes, I'm sure it's not always easy, hell I know it isn't always easy, but they continue with it anyway. And that, my friends, is love, which sometimes seems like stupidity, though somewhere in me, I know it's far from it.

All this over a picture of corn.