Good Taste Pittsburgh, Saturday, 11/7/09

[Vegasgal]

I stopped by first thing this morning. It was insane and way too crowded. People were cutting in line and shoving in front of me just to get a tiny piece of chocolate. I definately think I'll skip it next year. They did have quite a few little samples of food items to taste while you were there but not worth the hassle. Not too many coupons.

If you had to miss it don't feel bad.

[pittsburgh24]

**thud** - didn't run into anyone (unless we literally bumped into each other LOL). Way too crowded - you couldn't breathe in there. They actually moved it to a bldg next door and it was too small an area. There had to be thousands of people in there (I swear, they were right in my aisle the whole time).

I got several loaves of bread, GE was giving out tote bags (they were the yellow that in the new ads - can't miss it LOL).

I was thrilled to get my vegetable stock from Kitchen Basics. They were 4/$2 (they normally sell for $1.99 ea at SNS). I wanted a dozen so he gave me a case of 15 for $6 (he said it would be easier for me to carry).

I was able to snag some q's - will list them when I get the energy to go out to the car and get them.

I just hung up with Funnyface - we never found each other in there. I actually called MamaSvs and told her not to come that I would just give her some q's because she'd never get in.

When I left, they had locked the doors, stopped selling tickets and were only letting 10 people in at a time (as long as 10 people came out first).

I think they got a much bigger showing because of Sherry from the View and Duff from Ace of Cakes than they thought.

[sagesonamabuster]

It was horrible. I was terribly disappointed. We got very few q's. The samples were ok but definitely not worth the $12 fee to get in. We did not get loaves of bread or anything big at all. I would never do that again. I had the pleasure of being around terribly rude people who I wanted to slap.

[jen276here]

Being my first year, I wasn't sure if I was expecting too much or not - but now that everyone else is reporting the same insanity, I don't feel so bad.

Oh, and for anyone who was there before 11:30am while I was - I probably apologized to you already, but I am sooo sorry that I hit you in the ankles with the stroller!!

[christmaslady]

Well, I got 4 loaves of bread for my family's $60 admission price plus had the fun of being pushed and sweared at. Never again. The building was way too little and it was way too crowded. We stayed about an hour.

[christmaslady]

Originally Posted by jen276here Oh and can someone who went please tell me the red plastic thingy from Ringling Bros. is?? (Found in the Turkey Hill Halloween bags with the 7up and chips) I thought it was a change thingy but it just doesn't seem shaped right...

My husband figured it out: it is a clown nose!

[jen276here]

Originally Posted by christmaslady My husband figured it out: it is a clown nose!

I would have never figured that out!!! OMG - Too funny!!

[MJKNEeley]

Ok, ladies - I WENT! I oh so desperately wanted to meet you all. In fact, Pittsburgh, I was even asking for you by name!!! I kept looking for FunnyFace. You all would have cracked up. I was asking groups of women who looked like they were having fun if they were from HCW. I even did a couple scissor moves with my hands hoping somebody would see me!!

So, Pittsburgh, you must have left when we got there b/c I was the 2nd person in line when they stopped selling tickets and limiting who could get in. We left, had lunch and came back and got right in.
I got a loaf of bread, some Pita type things, soda (they were giving out 12 packs but I didn't take on), sugardale Qs, container of cheez whiz type stuff, container of sour cream, chips, schwebels Qs....I think that's about it.
I really went b/c I wanted to meet you all (FunnyFace, your post was the one to make me really want to go!). We should have come up with a place to meet (like maybe at a particular vedor at a certain time, or the door at a certain time). I did get to spend some quality time with my oldest daughter and mom though.
By the time I got there Ace of cakes was finishing up and people were standing in some horrific line to get a signature.

But, again, it was a nice day with DS and DM.

Oh, and Jen, I was looking for your twins too! Figured they might be easy to spot!

[tfinetwins]

We were there from 12:30 until the end.

We left with 4 loaves of bread and 2 packs of those round bread thingies they were sampling with deli meat. 4 large beef broth (for free might I add), 2 bags of flour, 6 french onion dip, 4 sour cream, 2 cases of Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry, abotu 20 bags of chips, 2 little packs of muffins, a bunch of coupons, 4 keychain flashlights, 2 Giant Eagle reusable bags, and other thing I am sure I am forgetting.

I paid for some awesome salsa and the tickets were freee (I won from Sugardale on Facebook) so in the end it was a very profitable today.

I do still have 10 bags of Gingerbread cookie mix I was hoping to exchange for Pumpkin though. :-)

It was way too crowded.

[FunnyFace]

I guess it's my turn.

The highlight of the event was I got to meet HLBig13. I had no idea which B&N employee she was, but I knew immediately the lady I asked wasn't her. I mentioned coupons and got the strangest look, then a light clicked on and she said, "Oh the coupon freak." and called HLBig13 over. Wish we had more time to chat, but she was so busy.

As you know, I got to talk to Pittsburgh24 after she already left. I couldn't get a hold of her before that as I'm sure it was due to the crowd.

I should have mentioned what I was wearing because I'm sure I would have run into tfinetwins and MJ. MJ I can't believe you did the scissors. I wish I would have seen you. I got there around 11:30 and left after 5. We definitely needed a HCW shirt or meeting spot. Although it would have to be like Fonzie's office on Happy Days as the restroom was the only spot not shoulder to shoulder.

As far as the rest goes, I was disappointed. My husband just said the sampling we found there could be found at Wal Mart, Buehler's or any other grocery store. I have to agree for the most part. Duff was a bust. Only came home with a few coupons and I didn't get very many take homes: a couple packs of pitas, no bread, three snack size bags of chips, horseradish sauce, chip dip and couple of GE reusable bags and a horrendous migraine.