A new month has begun, and you know what that means. We’re back with our monthly food-and-drink updates, with everything from coffee to cocktails, smoothies to sandwiches, and pizza to pick-up eats.
First and foremost, we’d like to recognize what a difficult time it is for Pittsburgh’s restaurant and hospitality community. Just as vaccines and summer sunshine seemed to brighten the future, the COVID-19 delta variant has created caution against indoor dining.
While Gov. Wolf said that Pennsylvania is not considering a mask mandate at this time, the CDC is recommending that everyone, including those who are vaccinated, wear masks indoors.
Some local restaurants, like Apteka in Bloomfield and Leo. a public house and Lola Bistro on the North Side are requiring proof of vaccination for dine-in service.
“First and foremost, we got to protect the people in our neighborhood. That is our first priority,” owner Michael Barnhouse told Pittsburgh City Paper. Michael knows that most of his customers are residents of the neighborhood: “We are literally doing this for people we care about, that’s it.”
Editor’s note: Leo. a public house and Lola Bistro are neighborhood favorites of mine. They’re owned and operated by Michael and his wife Yelena. They are amazing people, and the food and drinks are just as great. Support them if you can!
Our local restaurants are pillars in our community, and we owe it to them to be kind, to be cautious, and of course, to tip well.
In case you missed last month’s edition, catch up here. If we missed something, let us know so we can add it to the list.
Smoothie bowl from Live Fresh Juicery’s second location on the North Side. (📸: @francesca_dabecco)
Hello
🍵 Adda Coffee and Tea House surprised us all with a new location in Downtown in the corridor of Three PNC Plaza. The shop is a pop-up and will remain until the end of 2021 (and will become permanent in 2022 if we’re lucky). Another Adda location is expected to come to the Cultural District this fall.
🍕 East End Brewing makes East End Chewing. The popular craft brewery in Larimer has opened an in-house kitchen serving rustic, thick crust pizza. On the menu are classic pies as well as unique takes like eggplant parmesan, Reuben, and of course, pierogi inspired pizzas, per Pittsburgh City Paper.
🍍 Live Fresh Juicery is now serving cold pressed juices, cleanses, smoothies, and bowls at a new spot on Western Ave. in the North Side. (Editor’s note: This shop took over my old yoga studio, which closed during the pandemic. As sad as I am about that, I’m thrilled that Live Fresh is offering healthy options in my ‘hood. Also, (omg!) they make their own nut butters, and it’s delish.)
🍸 Margaux has transformed an old department store into East Liberty’s newest cafe and lounge. In the morning, they offer coffee, tea, and small-bite breakfast options, and when the sun goes down, classic cocktails, shareable plates, and desserts, according to NEXTPittsburgh.
🚗 Mindy’s Take and Bake on Canal St. in Sharpsburg is your new spot for convenient, quality eats on the go. Chef Mindy has designed a delivery and pick-up service with a new menu posted every Sunday for Saturday delivery.
🍔 The Pittsburgh Sandwich Society food truck is now serving delicious sandos at a brick and mortar alongside Strange Roots ExperimentalAles in Millvale. Don’t miss out on the brunch menu items like this Powdered Toast, Man made with fried chicken, strawberry jam, maple syrup, and french toast.
🍗 Pauly’s has taken over the former Cain’s Saloon in Dormont, serving Italian food alongside grilled wings, their signature burgers, and breakfast bites, per NEXTPittsburgh.
🚙 Now open in Etna: Rear End Gastropub & Garage is parked on Butler Street in a converted auto service station and dishes out food inspired by an all-American road trip.
☕ Ruckus Coffee is a new coffee shop, art gallery, and community gathering space in Shaler. You’ll find breakfast and lunch eats, local art, and music performances at their location on Babcock Blvd.
Veggie Beast bagel sandwich from Farmer x Baker (📸: @francesca_dabecco)
See you soon
🍳 Wild Child, from acclaimed chef Jamilka Borges, is bringing coastal cuisine, including fresh, seafood dishes to Etna. According to the restaurant’s Instagram, they’re making moves to open very soon and are even hosting a playlist contest until Aug 6.
🍓 Farmer x Baker is expanding beyond its shipping container restaurant in Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park and putting down roots in Fox Chapel. The takeout spot, general store, and production facility is slated to open in September and will feature the same farm-fresh, veggie-forward eats.
☕ Cafetano is bringing Honduran Coffee with an Italian flair to the Strip District on Sept. 1 in the former Gaucho Parilla Argentina space on Penn Ave. The shop will specialize in the full coffee experience, but will also sell smoothies, breakfast, and lunch, and dessert options, as reported by NEXTPittsburgh.
🍾 Chef Kevin Sousa is switching gears from Superior Motors and opening up Mount Oliver Bodega, a boutique wine shop, bar, and restaurant in the former Kullman’s Bakery. Sousa is also set to open the Arlington Beverage Club, a new concept coming to an old social club in Allentown, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details.
🍸 G’s on Liberty will soon be serving at the former Alexander’s Italian Bistro on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield with “a full service restaurant, focusing on real, innovative, creative food, and cocktails,” per NEXTPittsburgh.
🧀 Bitter End Rye & Charcuterie Bar is Rear End’s sister restaurant and the former location of Nooch’s Bar. It will offer “whiskey & meat” in a modern speakeasy setting with specialty cocktails and charcuterie boards. This location is set to open a couple months after Rear End.
🌮 Las Chicas, a fav Pittsburgh food truck, is set to open a location in Millvale, bringing their tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more to a brick-and-mortar.
🍣 Sushi Kim Restaurant is returning to Pittsburgh after its original location closed in 2019. The new spot, Sushi Kim 2, will be on Smithfield Street.
🍔 Eminent Cafe is well… an imminent addition to Bedford Ave. in the Hill District. No details or opening dates are known, but it looks like they will be serving delicious sandwiches, according to the post by Soul Pitt.
🎳 Shorty’s Pins x Pints, a new entertainment concept with duckpin bowling, bocce, pinball, cornhole, firepits, and street food is coming to the North Shore late 2021, per NEXTPittsburgh.
🍵 Adda Coffee & Tea House is opening its fifth location in Downtown’s Cultural District this fall with a coffee shop and local vendor hall combo, as reported by Good Food Pittsburgh.
🌮 Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila is nearly finished with construction in Mount Washington, and they’re catching up after a few setbacks during the pandemic.
🍺 Sly Fox Brewing Co., a Philly-based brewery, is putting down roots at The Highline on the South Side this summer. In the meantime, you can follow their Instagram to learn about their latest pop-ups.
🌮 Tako is bringing its luxe, Asian-Mexican fusion to Bakery Square this summer.
🍳 The Journeyman’s Table is still on its journey to opening on Penn Avenue, and will soon offer from-scratch, seasonal dinners alongside craft cocktails, wine, and local beers.
🍺 Back Alley Brewing is on a mission to create Dormont’s first craft brewery, and you can follow along with their progress on Instagram.
🍕 AVP, a pizza-focused spinoff of Alta Via, is joining the restaurant lineup at Bakery Square this fall, adding to big Burrito’s restaurant portfolio around town, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍸Storyville Lounge, a “hidden” Victoria-era bar, will be the latest venture by the owners of Dr. Tumblety’s Time-Inspired Specialty Shop in Allentown coming this fall, according to NEXTPittsburgh.
🍽️ Tupelo Honey, a Southern cuisine chain, is coming to Station Square later this fall and will become an early anchor of the updated Freight House Shops, per Pittsburgh Patch.
🍻 Bonafide Beer Co. is planned for the former Chicken Latino spot in the Strip District.
🐟 PennsylvAsia has the scoop and work on Wild Ninja Asian Grill is underway in Oakland, replacing Uncle Sam’s Gourmet Subs.
🍦 New York based Posman Books and Odd Fellows Ice Cream Co. are teaming up to shares stories and scoops at the Strip District Terminal building, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
Long-term openings on our radar
🍜 Chengdu Gourmet plans to open a second location in in the former Oriental Market on McKnight Road in addition to their popular Sichuan-Chinese Squirrel Hill restaurant, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍔 98 K Burger is a new burger place coming to Squirrel Hill, according to PennsylvAsia; 98 K shares a name with spots in Brooklyn and Queens, but it is unclear whether the one opening in Pittsburgh is a part of a chain, Pittsburgh City Paper reports.
💛 Yinz Coffee, which recently took over the old Crazy Mocha storefront on the North Side, has plans to open another location in Bloomfield.
🍕 Piada Italian Street Food is expanding its fast-casual, Italian eatery with three new locations in the East End, South Hills, and Robinson later this year, WPXI-TV reports.
🍱 Bento is a new restaurant coming to Shadyside, according to PennsylvAsia, but there’s no word on the details or timeline.
🍺 Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is planning a new brewery in the former Pittsburgh Glass Works plant on a 40-acre site along the Allegheny River in Creighton. Pittsburgh Business Times has the latest — and more on the fascinating history of the site.
🍵 Tupelo Honey Teas in Millvale acquired the building next door and will renovate and expand over the next several years. P.S. There will be garden tea parties!
🚀 Grist House Craft Brewery is turning a Collier Township Cold War-era Nike Missile Command Center into another outpost for the popular brewery. But a lot of work is ahead, so be patient. An opening date is expected a year or two from now.
🎸 City Paper reports that Howler’s is moving to East Liberty after 19 years in Bloomfield.
🍕 Big Burrito is bringing a yet-to-be-named restaurant to Lawrenceville with a focus on pizza, veggie-forward dishes, and burgers, according to Pittsburgh Magazine.
🏛 The Vandal owners are bringing two new concepts to the Pitt Building Downtown, the Post-Gazette reports. One is a sandwich shop. The other is a supper club called Saint Johannes.
Farewell
Here’s some good news, especially in a difficult time for local restaurants … We didn’t hear of any closings this past month! If we missed one, let us know.
Like this story? Put your logo on it. We’re looking for sponsors for our mega-popular monthly openings-and-closings series. Think your business is the right fit? Let’s talk! Email: benjamin@whereby.us
Want to help local restaurants beyond eating at their establishments? As many businesses that withstood the pandemic begin to open up for in-person dining, Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid is among the mutual aid groups that are assisting restaurants during this transition. You can help by making a donation here.