Pittsburgh\u2019s light rail is a way of life for suburban commuters heading to and from Downtown for work. But each T stop is often the epicenter of a cluster of restaurants offering home cooking, ethnic treats and fast-casual meals to go.\u00a0Whether your home is in the \u2018burbs or you\u2019re a city resident looking to explore, $2.75 or a Port Authority Connect Card is all you need to find good things to eat in the South Hills.<\/p>\n
Our first stop, Stevenson on the Red Line, gets us to Pittsburgh\u2019s Brookline\u00a0neighborhood. It\u2019s a 20-minute walk from the T to\u00a0a Middle Eastern eater\u2019s icon:\u00a0Pitaland.<\/strong>\u00a0The Chahines started in Homestead and later moved to and expanded this former Foodland at 620 Brookline Boulevard.\u00a0Today, in addition to producing thousands of pitas a day, there\u2019s a retail store and cafe. For breakfast, try a toasted pita with yogurt, chickpeas, garlic and pine nuts, or farina cake and juices. For lunch and dinner, it\u2019s kibbeh and hummus, spinach pie and falafel sandwiches.<\/p>\n Two blocks down the boulevard is\u00a0Jolina\u2019s<\/strong>, a family-run, sit-down restaurant offering mezze platters, mujaddara, sleek, kebabs and platters \u2014 dishes that owners Randa and Antoine Ghassa used to make in their Syrian restaurant years ago. The 35-seat space at 1011 Brookline Boulevard is named for their daughter.<\/p>\n Still hungry? Walk back to the Stevenson stop, head south on the Red Line and get off at Dormont Junction. It\u2019s a 12-minute walk to\u00a0Taco<\/strong>\u00a0Diablo<\/strong>, a taqueria at 297 Beverly Road that is the latest from Jeff and Carol Iovino of Cafe Io. The 40-seat restaurant has craft beer and wine to go with a small-plate menu of tostadas, calamari and ceviche, and tacos filled with carnitas, brisket and cauliflower. Everything is below $11 and most dishes range between $4 and $7.<\/p>\n The next stop is Mt. Lebanon.\u00a0Climb the stairs to Washington Road, a suburban dining mecca.\u00a0In addition to old standbys like the original Il Pizzaiolo and Bistro 19, there\u2019s\u00a0Arancini House<\/strong>, named for its Sicilian-inspired rice balls. In addition to the softball-sized namesake dish, they offer wedding soup, pepperoni rolls and another Sicilian specialty, panelle sandwiches or chickpea fritters. Dressed with a squirt of lemon, they\u2019re a one-of-a-kind treat. For more substantive fare, there\u2019s Sicilian-style pizza. And don\u2019t forget cannoli for dessert. (615 Washington Road)<\/p>\n