Updated Nov. 10
A new month is about to begin, and you know what that means. We’re back with our normal monthly food-and-drink updates … even though we haven’t seen “normal” in the local service industry for months.
This month, we say hello to Adda’s new East End coffee shop, Pane è Pronto in the Strip, and seven more. And we say goodbye to a beloved Lawrenceville bar and live music venue — scroll all the way to the bottom for closings.
In case you missed last month’s edition, catch up here. And in case we missed something, let us know so we can add it.
Hello
🥞 Square Cafe is now open in East Liberty in the old Spoon/BRGR location and they’re serving up all the Square Cafe classics.
🍽 The Kickstand Sandwich Shop is now open in Brookline with a menu full of indulgent, fresh-baked deli staples and a free can of pop for anyone who screams “Yo, Adrian” when ordering The Italian Stallion sub.
🍞 Pane è Pronto is now open in the Strip and serving “fresh baked breads, traditional Italian sandwiches, hot ready-to-go dishes, pastries, fresh pasta, sauces, and more.”
☕️ Local coffeehouse Adda has opened a third location, this one in Garfield. It includes a showroom with creations from local crafters.
🍔 Shiloh Gastro has replaced Shiloh Grill on Mount Washington’s namesake street, Bold Pittsburgh reports. Expect wings and burgers, but also octopus on a bed of chorizo and chickpeas, and deep-fried cheesecake pierogies for dessert.
☕️ Garden Cafe is now open in Troy Hill, serving coffee, espresso drinks, and pastries.
🧀 HotBox by Wiz is officially taking orders now. The delivery-only chain is Wiz Khalifa’s first foray into the restaurant business and has a menu packed with hits like Mac & Yellow (macaroni and cheese) and the Taylor Gang Turkey Burger.
🇫🇷 Mel’s Petit Café, an authentic French crêperie, is now open in Mt. Lebanon.
🍷 Pennsylvania Libations Wine has arrived in the Strip District with “the largest collection of Pennsylvania-made wines” in the commonwealth, Good Food Pittsburgh reports.
See you soon
☕️ Hilltop Coffee will be serving fine coffees, espresso drinks, teas, baked goods, and more at its new spot in the South Side Slopes, expected to open in late November.
🍯 Squirrel Hill Market, a “curated convenience store” with gourmet specialty groceries and staples available for pickup or delivery, is in the works from the folks behind Pittsburgh Honey. It’s set to open Nov. 1.
🥖 Mediterra Cafe’s new Mt. Lebanon location is set to officially open on Nov. 6. Expect pastries, breads, and gourmet pantry items.
🍻 Old Thunder Brewing is bringing strong beer and high-quality lagers and ales to the old Blawnox Post Office building. They’re expected to open later this year.
🍩 The former Schorr Family Bakery will be reopening as Father & Son Family Bakery on the North Side in November. Bonus: The famous Schorr Family recipes are coming back, too, Good Food Pittsburgh reports.
🍕 Rockaway Pizza 2.0 is set to open on Nov. 14 with a new location in White Oak and more of those classic NYC-style pies, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🐈 Pittsburgh’s Black Cat Market cafe is moving to, where else, Garfield.
🚨 Tako is bringing its luxe, Asian-Mexican fusion to Bakery Square.
🍝 Forma Pasta, the hand-made pasta subscription service, will open a shop in Allentown this fall with fresh pastas and sauces, Good Food Pittsburgh writes.
🍸 G’s on Liberty will replace the now-closed Alexander’s Italian Bistro on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield, offering a “menu of distinctive fine dining in a casual and comfortable setting” under restaurateur Grainne Trainor, the Business Times explains.
☕️ Cares CommuniTEA Cafe is coming to the Hill District, and the coffeehouse will create a learning lab for local youth to gain work experience, per the Post-Gazette.
🍳 Wild Child, from acclaimed chef Jamilka Borges, will open for breakfast and lunch in Etna later this year, NEXTpittsburgh reports. Here’s a peek inside.
🍷 1700 Penn, a spot for local brews from Helltown Brewery and local booze from the Pennsylvania Libations Wine shop, is taking over a big building in the Strip District.
🍻 Bonafide Beer Co. is the Pennsylvania Libations team’s other Strip District venture, this time in partnership with the head brewer at Butler Brew Works, NEXTpittsburgh writes. It’ll be in the former Chicken Latino spot.
🌮 Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila, a “new double-decker restaurant,” is coming to Mount Washington.
🍺 Heidelberg’s Insurrection AleWorks is making progress on a Strip District taproom.
🍺 Trace Brewing is coming to Bloomfield behind Liberty Beer with an outdoor beer garden, a coolship brewing system for wild ales, and a coffee bar, Very Local Pittsburgh reports.
🍻 Two Frays Brewery in Garfield is still expected to open sometime in 2020.
➡️ Smallman Galley is moving to Bakery Square.
☕️ Redhawk Coffee is expanding to Sharpsburg with an espresso bar and a coffee roaster, per Very Local Pittsburgh.
🍰 Prohibition Pastries is planning a new cafe in East Liberty with alcohol-infused pastries, cupcakes, cakes, sweet pies, and savory pies, Good Food Pittsburgh reports.
🍲 Pusadee’s Garden in Lawrenceville is coming back, at long last.
🍚 Oishii Donburi is coming soon to Lawrenceville, from the owners of Oakland’s Oishii Bento, PennsylvAsia reports.
🍕 Big Burrito is bringing a yet-to-be-named restaurant to Lawrenceville with a focus on pizza, veggie-forward dishes, and burgers, Pittsburgh Magazine reports. Look for it this fall.
🍏 Arsenal Cider House is turning an old Dormont bank into a new location with plans to open this fall, NEXTpittsburgh reports.
🧀 Tom & Chee, of “Shark Tank” fame, plans to open Downtown this fall. They’ll be serving melts, soups, and “grilled chee donuts,” per WTAE.
🍔 Arlington Beverage Club, a new concept from well-known chef Kevin Sousa, is coming to an old social club in Allentown called St. George Lyceum, the Pittsburgh Current details.
🍺 Hitchhiker Brewing will take over a tiny storefront Downtown to serve beer — and coffee, per the Post-Gazette.
🏛 Two new concepts are coming to the Pitt Building Downtown, the Post-Gazette reports. One is a sandwich shop. The other is a supper club called Saint Johannes.
🐟 Work on Wild Ninja Asian Grill is underway in Oakland, replacing Uncle Sam’s Gourmet Subs, PennsylvAsia reports.
🍺 The Woods House, a Scottish pub, is slated for one of Pittsburgh’s oldest houses.
Long-term openings on our radar
🍺 The Park House, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest bars and a North Side staple, is up for sale. The owner told TribLIVE he hopes “that the legacy of Park House will carry on under new ownership.” But don’t worry — The Park House as you know it is still open.
🐉 What about Gi-Jin? The subject of years of anticipation, restaurateurs Richard DeShantz and Tolga Sevdik are still expected to open their “refined, intimate bar that’s re-imagining the sushi experience.” When? Well, the opening date has been pushed back for more than a year, sooooo ‾\_(ツ)_/‾.
🍵 Tupelo Honey Teas in Millvale acquired the building next door and will renovate and expand over the next several years.
🎳 Shorty’s Pins x Pints, a new entertainment concept with duckpin bowling, bocce, pinball, cornhole, and giant beer pong, plus street food, is coming to the North Shore, per the Post-Gazette.
🚀 Grist House Craft Brewery is turning a Collier Township Cold War-era Nike Missile Command Center into another outpost. But a lot of work is ahead, so be patient. An opening date is expected a year or two from now.
🥗 A casual California-inspired cafe from famed chef Justin Severino is planned near North Park, the Trib writes.
🎸 Howler’s is moving to East Liberty after 19 years in Bloomfield, City Paper reports.
Farewell
🐷 Hambone’s in Lawrenceville has permanently closed following the death of owner Jeff Holt and a financial struggle worsened by the pandemic.
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