We hope to have a weekday in the city soon and are thinking of lunch or dinner in the Strip District. We're planning to stay at a hotel on the North Shore. How easy is it to get to the Strip District? Walk, drive, mass transit, etc?

We'll have our 3 teen sons with us. Where can we take them that won't break the bank but will be fun and have a variety of food for the picky and the curious eaters?

Here's a link to the Pittsburgh City Paper's guide for dining in the Strip District. I'm sorry I can help with personal recommendations since most of my time in Pittsburgh has been spent in/around Oakland (My DD was a student at Pitt.) However, Primanti Brothers is a Pittsburgh institution and your teen sons may enjoy their sandwiches.

Here's the link: http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gy...Phrase=Keyword

You might also check the website for the community group in the Strip, Neighbors in the Strip (http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com) that, as a community service, lists Strip restaurants and other businesses and provides links to them if you want to explore more/look at menus, etc. Primanti Brothers is certainly a Pgh institution and with teenage boys may appeal, but the Strip has every variety of food from street food to upscale dining, in all price ranges, with most being great, fun, novel, unique - so it depends on your family preferences. If you're staying on the North Shore walking to the Strip is certainly possible since many people park in the Strip and walk to sports events on the North Shore, but it is a hike. If you drive, on a weekday you will probably be able to find street parking (either free or metered) without much trouble. Weekends are more challenging, but there are a lot of inexpensive surface lots in the area. There is also bus service from the North Side that runs through the Strip - can't think of the route number, but you can check with Port Authority Transit (www.portauthority.org)

While this isn't in the Strip District, you should consider Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 on the North Shore. It's a sports bar, and I like the food. If you go there, be sure that the men in your group visit the men's room. There's a one-way mirror so while they are using the urinal, they look into the restaurant. It was voted one of the top 10 public restrooms in '08. But if you are set on the Strip, my teens love Primanti's -- the sandwiches have fries and coleslaw on them.