SENZA HAS QUICKLY GROWN INTO MANY THINGS, INCLUDING A CATERING KITCHEN. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Couples Justin and Caitlin Steel and Matthew and Jessie Manowski spent a lot of time together during the pandemic.

Veterans of the service industry, the food-loving friends supported each other through service shutdowns, staff shortages and Covid protocols, all while becoming parents, sharing home-cooked meals and planning for the future as business partners.

In a way, quarantine gave birth to Senza in Etna. The name, an Italian word that means without rules or boundaries, is reflected in the ever-changing menu. In addition to good eats, ranging from seafood and steaks to apps made with seasonal fruits and veggies, there’s a small, but thoughtfully curated selection of wine, beer and cocktails.

STEAK AT SENZA | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Related: Etna Has Been Getting National Attention for Several Years – And For Good Reason

Caitlin, who was a Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre company member before retiring from the stage in 2016, met Justin at Bar Marco, the Strip District joint he owns. They liken the new spot to a European cafe. And they should know; her performance career and his culinary studies took them around the world.

They collect culinary experiences like souvenirs and they’re all on display at Senza, from Korean-spiced crisp chicken and Amalfi-style scampi and shrimp risotto to carnitas and a French brie slab with seasonal jam and bread.

The spot, which opened in February as a bakeshop, has quickly grown into many things, including a catering kitchen. The Manowskis launched Mesa/Terra Catering and Private Dining when they lived in Colorado and now offer the Mediterranean-style service here in PA. Bar Marco is on both of their resumes, so there’s usually a fresh pasta dish on the menu.

PASTA AT SENZA | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Related: CoStar Brewing Takes the Spotlight in Etna

Senza is also an event space, foodie destination and, on a monthly basis, the place to be for a Thursday night, four-course tasting menu.

No rules. No boundaries. No tips accepted.

Drop in on, say, a Saturday around 11 a.m., and you can order a braised pork shoulder and a Bloody Mary or make it a wine-and-charcuterie morning while your dining companion sips Boon Boona Coffee and downs one of chef Jessie’s pastries. For decades, her family ran Barkus Bakery, a company that operated multiple shops around Pittsburgh.

I went to Senza on a Friday afternoon with my daughter, Sarah. Typically, she’s a picky eater, but she housed a dish of burrata and heirloom tomatoes, a New York strip steak, frites, a side salad, fresh bread and then tried to go after my Tagliatelle. I kindly told her “Taglia-hell no!”

It was my last, moderately priced meal before embarking on a beach vacation, and I wanted to savor every bite.

The space has a nautical feel to it. White-washed boards cover the walls, and there are several high-backed, blue booths that look like upholstered waves. During the day, they’re bathed in sunlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling front windows. Feel free to pull up a stool and gaze out at bustling Butler Street.

Flowers, shelves lined with cookbooks and an array of artwork add splashes of color. Matthew, a Wisconsin native, is an artist both in and out of the kitchen.

He was also playing server that afternoon and we had a nice conversation about how vacations feed the soul.

Eating handmade noodles in a white wine sauce with kale, summer squash, hazelnuts and big dollops of chevre cheese was the perfect way to kick off my week of sunburn, sand and seafood. I paired it with an effervescent tequila cocktail and could hear the ocean calling my name. Or maybe that was the Senza burger begging me to adhere to an all-burger diet.

Related: Visit Some Sizzling New Burger Joints

I hope to return on a Thursday evening for one of those popular prix-fixe parties. The July 25 event is already sold out.

The dinner series started in March with an epicurean exploration of France’s regional cuisine. I urge you to follow their Instagram page and scroll back through the menus and drool. Seriously, you’ll need a life preserver.

Each event is priced at $99 per person and includes four courses, wine pairings, dessert and gratuity. Although the partners have grand visions, their seating is limited.

Consider it an all-inclusive vacation.

Etna: 372 Butler St. Hours are 3 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saturday dinner service starts July 20.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Matt and Micheline Barkley aren’t doctors, but they’ve got a cure for the summertime blues.

The couple operate Ice Cream Emergency, a 32-foot-long bus that looks like an ambulance. When the mercury rises, it’s time to catch a cold.

It was already 88 degrees at 10 a.m. when the mobile, full-service parlor pulled up outside of Pittsburgh Magazine’s headquarters on Washington’s Landing. We hired the company to give us the scoop because nothing boosts morale like a mid-morning sundae bar.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Related: Chill Out This Summer at The Snowman, a Tiny Ice Cream Stand with a Big Personality

The vehicle is stocked with a toppings bar and 22 three-gallon tubs of premium ice cream in various flavors, including gluten- and dairy-free options. Before boarding, you can fill out a prescription slip detailing your order. I housed a cup of vanilla piled high with waffle cone bits, peanut butter sauce, hot fudge, whipped cream and cherries.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Matt and Micheline wear scrubs and carry “stethoscoops,” but they cannot cure brain freezes.

The Barkleys cater corporate and private events in Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties. They try to stay close to their New Brighton home because the bus only gets 8 miles per gallon. Pigging out on a gas hog is just what the doctor ordered.

Nine years ago, a Connecticut family launched Ice Cream Emergency. Today, there are 16 franchisees in seven states. The Barkleys own the first one in Pennsylvania.

After raising four kids and selling their business (Matt, an Army veteran, served as CEO of Plastikoil of PA, Inc. for more than 25 years), they wanted to chill out but stay active.

They researched brick-and-mortar ice cream shops, but once they discovered Ice Cream Emergency online the lights and sirens went off in their heads. They decided to hit the road — STAT!

The retrofitted bus arrived in March, around the time I reported on another mobile merry-maker, The Pub on Wheels!

The Barkleys’ first event was on April 8 at a solar eclipse watch party in Sharpsburg, a fitting way to usher in a new career that’s synonymous with sunshine. The ICE season runs from April through October, but they hope to cater some winter weddings and parties.

“Everybody’s happy when it’s ice cream,” Micheline says. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this is what we were meant to do.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Brian Mendelssohn gazes up at the damn sandworm above him.

“I haven’t had a chance to turn the eyes on yet,” he says with a sigh.

The devil’s in the details at a new Lawrenceville restaurant that kind of reminds me of a Tim Burton movie I saw back in ’88 starring Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton.

Related: Fans of ‘Beetlejuice’ Will Dig This Strange and Unusual Restaurant in Lawrenceville

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Main Street Diner & Kickback Cafe is in its weekends-only stage of existence. By mid-August, it’ll cross over into expanded hours that include brunch service. Better jump in the line.

I couldn’t make it to the eatery’s Independence Day Weekend debut, but I was the first customer to draw a door when it opened for business on July 12. My brooding, teenage daughter, Sarah, accompanied me to the dark room in the basement of Lawrenceville Market House.

I ordered food and drinks at the bar. She wanted a burger, fries and a chocolate milkshake; I opted for a Polish platter and a Strange & Unusual whiskey cocktail.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Mendelssohn, whose Polish mother-in-law was in the kitchen teaching the staff how to make pierogi, flipped a switch that makes the sandworm’s eyes glow red. He’s the host with the most, babe.

In addition to running businesses relevant to my interests, including Row House Cinemas and Simply Burgers & Fries, both in Lawrenceville, his Fulton Commons Food Accelerator program in Manchester is making one of my foodie dreams come true. On Aug. 15, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17 from 4 to 8 p.m., Franklin Street Markets will be held in Manchester to give emerging local food and farm producers a chance to sell their goods. I hope all of his buildings go condo!

Once our hunger was gone, split, outta here, we hit the arcade.

There are a bunch of pinball machines, including a “Jaws” game. After we dropped some tokens, Sarah and I walked a few blocks up Butler Street to Allegheny Cemetery to pay our respects at the “Jaws” tombstone.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The temperature outside was hotter than Dante’s Inferno Room, so she, of course, complained the whole time.

Kids! You know, I love them!

Lawrenceville: 4112 Butler St., lower level. Current hours are 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

THE UNDERGROUND BURGER CO. AT THE LEANING CASK. PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER.

After downing 32 burgers for March’s cover story, I vowed to reduce my meat-and-bun consumption. That’s pretty difficult in a town where the number of burger joints is rising faster than my cholesterol.

Here are a few new spots that lured me back into the grease trap.

The Underground Burger Co. at Leaning Cask Brewing Co.

Springdale’s The Leaning Cask Brewing Co., a pup-friendly pub that names their English-style ales after canine breeds, is celebrating its seventh anniversary. So, it is, in essence, their dog year.

To mark the milestone, owners Josh and Stefanie Lipke are starting a new food concept that’s sure to get tails and tongues a-waggin’.

The Underground Burger Co., named after London’s famed subway system, specializes in smash burgers, Belgian-inspired fries, authentic liege waffles and homemade lemonades. By late-summer, the eatery will operate several days a week from the lower-level of the brewery’s courtyard. The 2,000-square-foot, four-tiered space is literally below Pittsburgh Street-level, so the name’s quite right, innit?

In addition to wine, cider, beer and cask ale (a rare style in Pittsburgh), you can sip housemade cocktails by the firepits. play outdoor games and pet dogs.

Partners Justin Herko and Kailey Resnik handle the sizzling side of the pro-Brit business. They made me a jolly good burger on July 10 during the third and final pop-up of the summer.

Despite the kiln-like temperatures, it felt like the holidays inside the spacious taproom. The AC was on full-blast and a faux fireplace roared in the cozy lounge area. People were eating, drinking and being merry while watching a “football” game being played across the pond.

Excessive heat turns me into a real Scrooge, but I felt so dang festive I ordered a pint of Christmas Cur, a winter ale that’s made an off-season return to the draft list.

My burger, crafted from locally sourced ingredients including beef from Salem’s Market and an Allegro Bakery’s gluten-free bun that gives the sandwich a nice chew, arrived at my table in a little box. For a meat-lover, it was the perfect Christmas in July present.

All that was missing was a big, red bow.

Springdale Borough: 850 Pittsburgh St. Hours are Wednesday-Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

Pepito’s Place

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Jose Moreno’s culinary career has taken him from a cooking school in his native Venezuela to a Panamanian cocoa-processing plant, a chocolate company in Brazil, New York City kitchens and Florida, where he specialized in Japanese cuisine.

Now the globetrotter is slinging burgers in Brookline.

Pepito’s Place, which opened in March, fuses Venezuelan street food and American fare. The Mechada hot dog, for instance, is topped with shredded beef brisket, potato sticks, cheddar cheese, ranch and sweet plantain slices.

Pepito’s is named after a Spanish story about Don Pepe, a man who would go to small restaurants and bars and order a baguette filled with meat. He was definitely on to something.

Warning: You might want to bring Pepto-Bismol to Pepito’s Place.

The burgers and dogs are stacked high and the side dishes look more like a main course. The place is small, but you can sit at the counter, spin old 45 records, peruse the eclectic decor and sip a Venezuelan soft drink called Fress Kolita while you eat a deliciously sloppy sandwich.

The Big Boy pepito, accompanied by a side of cheese-bacon fries, is the shop’s biggest seller and the biggest item on the menu.

A 13-inch hoagie roll is stuffed with steak, chicken breast, bacon, corn, potato sticks, shredded cheddar cheese and traditional Venezuelan sauces, including bacon, garlic, cheese and a sweet corn condiment that I would happily drink by the gallon. Social media influencers will love the Smurf Sauce, which has a sweet, smoky flavor and a neon blue hue.

Brookline and the surrounding neighborhoods are filled with lots of great eateries, including The Kickstand Sandwich Shop, Oak Hill Post, Moonlit Burgers and Tim’s Corner Market. Pepito’s Place is a nice addition.

“I wanted to open this eatery because I’ve always had a passion for street food,” Moreno says. “I believe that street food is where a person can truly showcase a lot of their roots and culture through food. When I noticed that this style of food from my country wasn’t represented here, I decided to open this business featuring one of the most universal and popular dishes worldwide: burger.”

Brookline, 919 Brookline Blvd. Hours are 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 3 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Super Smash Burgh

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Super Smash Burgh is located in a former Penn Hills car wash. There’s no indoor seating, but the old bays make nice, little patios.

The new business hasn’t forgotten its property’s roots. On July 14 from noon to sunset, you can fill your belly and clean your ride when the eatery hosts a Bikini Car Wash Day Party with food, drinks, games and music.

Owner Marcus Porter opened the business in June to not only feed the community he loves, but to give his four children a hard-working hero to look up to.

His super power? Making the best kind of bad-for-you food.

The menu includes smash burgers, fries, wings, onion rings and deep-fried Oreos. In an attempt to appear semi-healthy, I opted for the vegan burger. It tasted like the real deal! Of course, I had to try a few bites of my daughter’s beef burger for comparison purposes. And her fries.

Forget my car, my body needs to undergo a cleanse.

Penn Hills, 6520 Saltsburg Road. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Franken-Fried Food Truck

Now that I’ve celebrated Christmas in July, it’s time to decorate for my favorite holiday: Halloween.

I can’t wait to sink my incisors into a burger from Franken-Fried. I’ve been catching glimpses of this frightening food truck around town, but have yet to meet the mad scientist behind it. The vehicle’s paint job, a combination of monsters and munchies, is to die for. I’d like the artist to recreate it in my kitchen – a horrifying place for all ye who enter.

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

As a devotee of salty, sour foods, I believe Pittsburgh Pickle Co. products are heaven-sent.

A decade ago, brothers Joe Robl, John Patterson and Will Patterson took a leap of faith and launched the business from the basement of Verona United Methodist Church. Using all-natural ingredients, the Oakmont natives transformed small batches of kirby cucumbers into delectable pickle chips.

These days, they operate out of a 10,000-square-foot facility on Wildwood Road in Verona, bottling and selling their divine brine as Picklexir. The label claims that the mix of water, vinegar, salt, spices and turmeric soothes muscle cramps, aids in weight loss, boosts belly health and eases hangovers. Although the statement hasn’t been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, it has been tested by this food editor.

The puckery liquid made for a great “pick”-me-up the morning after I had a few beers on my balcony, so it’s a miracle cure in my book.

JOHN PATTERSON, CO-FOUNDER OF PITTSBURGH PICKLE CO. | PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Truth be told, I’ve always revered pickles. I still have the Heinz pickle pin I received during a Mass at St. Ferdinand’s Church in the ’80s. Our priest invited all fidgety kids to the front so he could speak to us directly. After the sermon, we were sent back to our pews with iconic, pickle-shaped accessories. I felt compelled to bring mine with me when I made the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh Pickle Co. in May.

The brothers were busy preparing for Picklesburgh, the Steel City’s annual celebration of all things dill. For four years in a row, it’s been named one of the nation’s Best Specialty Food Festivals by the readers of USA Today. From July 18-21 (expanding to a fourth day this year), a Downtown section of the Boulevard of the Allies will be a pickle lover’s paradise, complete with food, beverages, vendors, activities and a pickle-juice drinking contest. Last year’s winner, Dan Kopa, downed a 32-ounce jar in 7.3 seconds. He won $500, a championship belt and was named Mayor of Picklesburgh.

Related: Jenny Lee Prepares for Picklesburgh and a Future Chain of Sandwich Shops

Joe, John and Will are the undisputed Pickle Kings.

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Their chips are ridged on one side, flat on the other, so they resemble tiny crowns. The royal snacks are available in a variety of flavors, including Original Dill, spicy Brimstone, sweet and tangy Dagwood and deli-style We The Pickle. (I ate an entire 24-ounce jar of the all-American chips as I wrote this story. Where’s my championship belt?)

The company also sells an outstanding Bloody Mary mix made with their signature pickle brine. Briney Mary won Double Platinum at The Drunken Tomato Awards, a worldwide Bloody Mary competition. It’s non-alcoholic, but there are cocktail recipes on the jar. You can buy it online or in Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. Just look for the mermaid label designed by Sara Eve Rivera-Federoff, owner of PMA Tattoo in Stowe. It’s bound to become a permanent fixture in your liquor cabinet.

The guys at Pittsburgh Pickle Co. are no strangers to the booze business. That’s what got them pickling in the first place.

In 2011, they quit their corporate jobs and opened The BeerHive at 2117 Penn Ave. in the Strip District. (A sister restaurant, The Coxcomb, opened in Murrysville last August. Their Cheeseburger Pizza — topped with pickles, of course — made my Best Burgers list in the March/April issue of Pittsburgh Magazine.)

In addition to offering a wide selection of brews, the bros were hell-bent on selling the best fried pickles in Pittsburgh. They experimented with store-bought brands, but the rubbery spears just couldn’t take the fryer heat, so the trio created their own.

Customers started requesting jars of the pickles to go. When The BeerHive could no longer keep up with the demand, the family’s prayers were answered by their church’s commissary kitchen.

As many boutique brineries around the country go belly up, Pittsburgh Pickle Co. continues to expand. Will attributes the growth to the team’s commitment to consistently delivering high-quality, great-tasting, chemical-free products.

“People are really focused on what they’re eating these days,” he says, “and we are obsessed with what we put out there.”

A lot of big pickle companies store cucumbers in giant vats of salt water for weeks at a time and then plump them up with preservatives such as potassium sorbate. When a 2,000-pound box of farm-fresh cucumbers arrives at 555 Wildwood Road, the veggies are dropped in a wash basin, crown-cut and packed in jars in 72 hours or less. The shelf-life is about two years.

Introduced in March 2022, automated machines helped the five-man crew go from hand-packing 350 jars a day to churning out 4,000 in about 3 hours. New equipment installed this spring is expected to double that figure. Pittsburgh Pickle also packages salad dressing and salsa for other companies.

The brothers recently hired a broker to market their products to more retail chains nationwide. Their sales are up nearly 50 percent from 2023, but now they’re finding themselves in … well, a pickle.

They’re outgrowing the building they’ve owned since 2016. Acclamation Brewing makes beer at the factory, but, this spring, they relocated the taproom to 10.7 Marina, a riverfront spot a mile away on Arch Street, also in Verona.

As the search for a bigger space continues, Joe, John and Will are contemplating their next career move. The bros plan to dip their toes in the condiment industry by making ketchup and mustard.

Critics might consider that a sin in the hometown of H.J. Heinz, but I, for one, think it’s a blessing.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

On May 5, Steve and Barb Hartman celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Their belated gift to each other is the July 4th opening of their Hazelwood business.

Hazel Grove Brewing is a labor of love.

The couple and their business partner Larry Adams spent three years transforming the sprawling, industrial building into a bright, colorful, plant-filled taproom. It stands across the street from the skeleton of a steel mill and the future Hazelwood Green, a riverfront brownfield that’s getting a multi-million-dollar makeover into a research, manufacturing and recreation hub.

It’s grit meets green, past meets progress.

In addition to colorful murals by Shane Pilster and Max Gonzales that highlight steel workers and local landmarks, Hazel Grove pays tribute to Pittsburgh’s blue-collar heritage by investing in the neighborhood’s future.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

You can find their beers on tap at The Woods House Historic Pub on Monongahela Street, one of the oldest structures in the city and Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Restaurants. The brewery’s food partner is Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, or CKP, located on nearby Flowers Avenue. In 2013, the nonprofit culinary training center launched to focus on students who have experienced barriers to employment, such as incarceration, homelessness, addiction or trauma.

CKP’s food truck is a mobile classroom that will be parked outside of the brewery (there’s a parking lot!) during business hours to sling everything from cheesesteaks to chicken wraps and a few Hazel Grove exclusives. Enjoy your grub in the courtyard or the taproom that’s filled with custom tables designed by Monongahela Manufacturing.

In the 5.5-barrel brewhouse, Steven and assistant brewer Anil Vishnuvajjhala make a beer for every palate, including light beers, stouts, Belgians, IPAs and non-alcoholic offerings. Canned libations will be available to go.

This Graver is officially a Grover.

During the soft opening on June 27, I had a perfect summer-sipper, a saison made with Schezwan peppers and brewed in collaboration with Ambridge-based Altered Genius Brewery. (If you really want to drink in the wild, visit Altered’s other taproom in Imperial; it’s right on the Montour Trail!)

I followed that snifter glass with a pint of Nisus, a quaffable American Amber with a fluffy, white head. It was the only cloud I saw in Pittsburgh that sunny day. You’ll also find bubbly beverages from Larimer’s Goodlander Cocktail Brewery and cider from Greenhouse Co-Op in Greenfield on the menu.

There’s a lot of neighborliness going on here. Mister Rogers would approve.

Before they decided on a property, Nisus was the company’s name; but once the owners saw the Hazelwood building — a former construction company storage facility — they knew the name had to match the surroundings. Since Hazelwood Brewhouse, a three-breweries-in-one-building concept now open on Lytle Street, was already in development, the team dropped the “wood” and added a “Grove.”

It seemed only natural.

Supporting the growth of the community is just as important as the beer, says Barb, a leader in Pittsburgh’s chapter of Pink Boots Society, an organization that supports women and non-binary individuals working in the alcoholic beverage industry.

The Hartmans, both Pennsylvania natives, were living in Seattle when they thought about opening a small pub as a retirement project. Then Steve, an engineer by trade, started making beer at home and racking up awards for it. (He’s had lots of time to perfect the craft; the Carnegie Mellon University graduate brewed his first beer for his seventh-grade science fair project on fermentation and got an A.)

Starting a brewery seemed like a better option for the empty-nesters. They asked Adams, their college buddy, to serve as chief financial officer and fixer of all things high-tech.

The pandemic put their plans in a holding pattern, but didn’t stop their momentum thanks to help from fellow business owners. For two years, the Hazel Grove team churned out their brand of beer at Cobblehaus Brewing Co. in Coraopolis (another brewery with a scenic second location!), poured samples at dozens of events and distributed kegs to 22 local restaurants and watering holes.

The word nisus means “a mental or physical effort to attain a goal.” That goal will be met on Independence Day.

Hazel Grove Brewing is located at 4609 Irvine St. in Hazelwood. Opening hours are noon to 10 p.m. 

THE RELATIVELY NEW PATIO AT PINO’S IN POINT BREEZE, TAKEN IN LATE SPRING. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Trips to Italy have inspired Joe and Jennifer Mico to open the relatively new piazza-like patio at their restaurant Pino’s in Point Breeze — one of the many outdoor spots across the Pittsburgh region attracting diners this summer.

They bought the neighboring property on Reynolds Avenue and have been working to open the patio over the last three years. They drew from places in southern Italy such as Calabria (at the toe of the boot) and Puglia (the heel).

“Most people when they walk into our outdoor patio feel like they’re walking into a piazza somewhere in Italy,” Jen says. “We’ve kind of tried to mimic that authenticity with the stonework, water feature and the plantings.” 

“It has exceeded our expectations,” she adds. “After COVID, outdoor dining became a necessity and not something occasional or casual.” Pino’s also has outdoor sidewalk tables for visitors with dogs as places to expand its offerings of house-made pasta to pizza and its extensive wine bar and signature cocktails.

Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 4 to 10 p.m. Reservations available. 

POINT BREEZE; 6738 Reynolds St., 412-361-1336

Beyond Pino’s, here’s a sampling of other outdoor places to try.

Esquina Cantina 

Formerly known as Round Corner Cantina for 14 years, the restaurant is now called Esquina Cantina and offers multiple outdoor seating options — from their cabana to their full-bar patio. The restaurant offers traditional dishes from Oaxaca to Todos Santos with tequila featured from exclusive Mexican distilleries. Esquina Cantina is open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 3 p.m. to midnight, and Sunday 3 to 10 p.m. Reservations are available. 

LAWRENCEVILLE: 3720 Butler St. | 412-904-2279 | iluvcantina.com 

Biergarten at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIERGARTEN ROOFTOP BAR

Towering nine stories above William Penn Place is rooftop dining in the heart of Downtown. Biergarten offers an open-air beer garden with an extensive list of spirits, wine, beer and custom cocktails. In need of a snack with your beverage? Try the BG Pretzel, a soft pretzel so big, it serves four. Biergarten is open 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. No reservations are accepted. 

DOWNTOWN: 620 William Penn Place | 412-230-4800 | thecommonerpgh.com/pittsburgh-biergarten

Sly Fox PGH Brewery at the Highline  

Sly Fox Brewery at the Highline offers a tasty stop for cyclists riding along the adjacent Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Its spacious outdoor patio has plenty of room for guests to bring their dogs and take in the scenery. It offers a variety of pub-style food and a long list of drafts. It’s open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 

SOUTH SIDE: 46 S. Fourth St. | 412-815-4955 | slyfoxbeer.com/pittsburgh-highline

Farmer X Baker 

PHOTO COURTESY OF FARMER X BAKER

Looking for a unique take on a riverside café? Farmer X Baker operates out of a renovated shipping container that overlooks the Allegheny River. There is outdoor self-seating and counter service. All ingredients are sourced from local farms including owner Jen Urich’s Root and Heart Farm. Guests also are welcome to bring their dogs. Farmer X Baker is open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a dinner special on Fridays with Trace Brewing from 5 to 8 p.m. 

ALLEGHENY RIVERTRAIL PARK IN ASPINWALL: 285 River Ave. | farmerxbaker.com

Cinderlands Warehouse 

Drink local this summer on the rooftop of Cinderlands Warehouse, where the space is covered and heated. Choose from its 16 draft lines and diverse menu. While the patio provides a view of the Strip District, the Cinderlands brewhouse is also visible. In addition, the brewery features shuffleboard, a built-in Bocce court and dome hockey. It’s open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are available. 

STRIP DISTRICT: 2601 Smallman St. | 412-209-1575 | cinderlands.com/cinderlands-warehouse

PA Market 

PHOTO COURTESY OF PA MARKET

Soak up the sun in PA Market’s outdoor courtyard. With dining tables and a full bar, the courtyard is decorated in greenery giving it a market feel for all guests, including dogs. Also open for the summer is their wood-fired oven with featured menu items including the lamb gyro. It also offers a wine library. Need help finding your drink and dish pairing? The PA Market has a paired menu bringing together their favorite meals with the best wine. Hours are Wednesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are available. 

STRIP DISTRICT: 108 19th St. | 412-904-1332 | thepamarket.com

Acclamation Brewing

PHOTO COURTESY OF ACCLAMATION BREWING

If you’re an avid boater, journey on the Allegheny River and dock at Acclamation Brewing, which opened a new riverfront dining spot at 10.7 marina in early March. Their riverfront beer garden includes outdoor furniture and a variety of dining tables. Grab a slice of their signature pierogi pizza with a variety of drafts. The brewery is also dog-friendly. Open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. 

VERONA: 314 Arch St. | acclamationbrewing.com

Over Eden  

What could be better than enjoying a cocktail viewing the cityscape of Pittsburgh. Over Eden provides rooftop dining at the top of the TRYP at Wyndham hotel. The restaurant offers a full menu from small bites, to handhelds, full entrees and desserts. This is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.

LAWRENCEVILLE: 177 40th St. | 412-687-8797 | overeden.com

Kingfly Spirits 

This family-owned distillery invites you inside to their two-story renovated carriage house or their outdoor seating with picnic and patio tables., The entire distillery, both inside and outside, is open to dogs. Kingfly Spirits is open Wednesday through Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., Friday 3 to 11 p.m., Saturday 1 to 11 p.m., and Sunday 4 to 10 p.m. 

STRIP DISTRICT: 2613 Smallman St. | 412-392-8928 | kingflyspirits.com

Pusadee’s Garden  

If you have ever wanted to dine in an actual garden, check out Pusadee’s Garden. Indoor dining is built around the outdoor patio featuring walls covered in vines, trees, bushes, and flowers. You’ll be treated to the Thai cuisine of Bootsaba “Gik” Tongdee, who was a semi-finalist earlier this year for the James Beard Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category. Alongside their lineup of colorful cocktails and beer, is a two-page wine list featuring bottles from all over the world. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. and stops seating at 9:15 p.m. Reservations are available but book early. 

LAWRENCEVILLE: 5319 Butler St. | 412-252-2683 | pusadeesgarden.com

OTB Bicycle Café North Park 

A VIEW OF NORTH PARK’S MARSHALL LAKE FROM THE DECK OF OTB BICYCLE CAFE. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

If you’re a walker, runner, cyclist or kayaker, why not visit the boathouse on Marshall Lake in North Park and stop at OTB Bicycle Café? With patio and Adirondack chairs and fire pits, the deck of this café opens up on Marshall Lake. Menu items such as the Tangled Spokes, The Hard Trail and the Bike Lane BLT are only a few of the cycle-themed dishes. If you’re really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one of the bald eagles that populate the lake at various times of the year. OTB Bicycle Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

ALLISON PARK: 10301 Pearce Mill Road | 724-940-5000 | otbbicyclecafe.com/northpark

Outdoor Hot Spots

Riverfront Dining Along North Shore Drive

Several restaurants have cropped up between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, offering outdoor patios overlooking the Allegheny River: Shorty’s Pins x Pints, Voodoo Brewing Company, The Foundry, Tom’s Watch Bar and more. All offer food, drinks and riverside views. 

OUTDOOR DINING ALONG THE 900 BLOCK OF PENN AVENUE, DOWNTOWN. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

900 Block of Penn Avenue

The Cultural District brings together a corridor of notable theaters, concert halls and restaurants. Since the pandemic, the 900 Block of Penn Avenue has added permanent dining along the sidewalks. Among these are Nicky’s Thai Kitchen, Bridges & Bourbon,  Bakersfield, Il Tetto rooftop bar and more.

Jilian Musser’s reporting is supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

It’s showtime!

After what seems like an eternity of planning and construction, Lawrenceville’s Main Street Diner will hold a soft opening on July 5. Despite the mundane name, the restaurant on the corner of Main and Butler streets is ready to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose!

Tim Burton fans will dig it. I do! But, I, myself, am strange and unusual. This isn’t a pop-up; like death, it’s permanent.

Here are the deetz:

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Located in the windowless basement of Lawrenceville Market House, the space is one … big … dark … room that reminds me of  “Beetlejuice,” a 1988 movie starring beloved Pittsburgh-born actor Michael Keaton. Upon my arrival, I thought, “I could live here.”

Customers will descend the stairs into a cemetery and listen to Harry Belafonte music in the reception area until their number is called. I plan on being No. 54,000,601.

The dimly lit bar is filled with abstract sculptures, a funky fireplace and shades of mauve and veridian. There’s also a Ms. Pac-Man Head-to-Head Arcade Table. Kickback Pinball Cafe, a recently shuttered Lawrenceville arcade, found an afterlife in the eatery’s otherworldly dining room. It looks like Saturn and holds 14 movie-themed pinball machines, a wedding scene photo op spot and more than 80 souls.

In addition running Row House Cinema across the street, owner Brian Mendelssohn is a pinball devotee who spent a lot of time (and quarters) at Kickback, so resurrecting the brand was a no-brainer. Tournaments will be held each week and the diner will host the Pittsburgh Women’s Pinball League on Mondays when it’s closed to the public.

After giving your flipper fingers a workout, you can have a little something to nosh. There won’t be any face-grabbing shrimp dishes on the menu, just a lot of upscale American and Polish eats, including burgers, meatloaf, salads, pierogies and potato pancakes. For dessert, I hope my milkshake comes with a Zagnut, a candy bar originally produced by Pittsburgh’s D.L. Clark Co.

While Mendelssohn admits he can’t write a handbook on restaurant ownership, he has some experience. He runs Simply Burgers & Fries and Oliver’s Donuts at Lawrenceville Market House and Bierport across the street and works with various food vendors at Fulton Commons, a coworking space and kitchen incubator in Manchester.

As founder of Lawrenceville-based Botero Development, a company that renovates and repurposes historic structures, attention to detail is his specialty. He knows as much about supernatural cinema as he does about interior design. In other words, you’re working with a professional here!

He says the building, a former Mellon Bank constructed in 1967, is a fine example of Mid-Century Modern architecture. The basement, which is 24-feet below street level, is the perfect spot for a spooky bar.

Mendelssohn and his team of artists, including Ryder Henry (no relation to Winona) and Bree Berry, watched the flick at least 167 times to generate decor ideas. They’ve recreated everything from furniture and signage to a snake-like creature that juts from a mural on the wall. There’s even a nice, (expletive) model of a quaint little town in the dining room.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

A grand opening celebration will be held some day-o in August.

As a diehard fan of the 1988 film, this is the only sequel I need.

Main Street Diner is located below Lawrenceville Market House at 4112 Butler St. in Lawrenceville. Hours will be 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

To Rico Lunardi, owner of the Slice on Broadway pizza chain and a new sandwich shop called Tim’s Corner Market, bread is just another member of his big Italian family.

He’s spent 14 years perfecting his crust, reveling in the science of dough. His New York-style pies have a crispy crust with a satisfying pull when you bite into it. At this year’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, his cheese slice was named fifth best in the world.

Now he’s mastering the art of the hoagie roll.

If I handed out sandwich awards, Tim’s Corner Market would need a large trophy case to hold all of them. I’ve had nearly every hoagie on the menu at the tiny, counter-service market, which is located next to the original Slice on Broadway location at 2128 Broadway Ave. in Beechview. (There are now six Slices throughout Pittsburgh and, hopefully, more Markets on the horizon.)

Unlike the sandwiches at Slice on Broadway, which are served on toasted Breadworks baguettes, Tim’s cold hoagies are served on rolls baked in-house. They are dense, chewy and strong enough to support a mountain of deli meats, cheeses and veggies without overpowering those flavors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

“I want the bread to be the Best Supporting Actor, not the star,” Lunardi says, adding that customers can buy loaves if they want a straight shot of carbohydrates.

Named after Lunardi’s late father, Tim’s opened in 2020, giving area residents a friendly, affordable place where they could grab essential items and locally made goods. In March, the business started slinging its own subs, pasta salad and desserts.

The hoagies have heft.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM’S CORNER MARKET

When I picked up my first to-go order — a foot-long Canton Crusher loaded with London broil top-round roast beef, turkey, ham, salami, capicola, provolone, shredded lettuce, potato chips, oil and vinegar  — I had to cradle the paper bag like a baby. I’m pretty sure it weighed more than my preemie daughter did at birth.

My second “child” was a Tim’s Italian with salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone cheese lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar. It was sprinkled with Rico’s Italian Seasoning, one of several Slice Spice blends Lunardi packages and sells at his businesses. I adopted three 9-ounce containers and a jar of pizza sauce, too.

Since Lunardi’s Italian roots run deep — he’s got a slice of pizza inked on his arm and once ran a restaurant specializing in pasta dishes — the menu also includes the Broadway Avenue Italian. This one, which I devoured before recording “The Pittsburgh Dish” podcast last month, is packed with soppressata, capicola, pepperoni, provolone, cherry pepper relish, lettuce, tomato, onion and oil.

If you want something simple, yet delicious, order the Hammy: chipped ham, American cheese, lettuce and mayo. You can also come up with your own creation.

Both of Lunardi’s parents grew up in Beechview. His dad used to hang out on the corner where his namesake eatery now stands. It’s a fitting tribute to a man who believed in family and the unifying power of food.

Lunardi wants Slice on Broadway and Tim’s Corner Market to be community hubs.

“We want to grow while maintaining that mom-and-pop feel,” he says. “We have a great product, but the experience you create is more important.”

WE HAVE A MISTER ROGERS STATUE, NOW WE NEED A MISTER ROGERS-THEMED RESTAURANT. | PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

I’ve been covering Pittsburgh’s dining scene for seven years and it’s robust to say the least. Despite my eating expertise, I can barely keep up with all of the new pop-ups, food trucks, fast-casual spots, fine dining establishments, cafes, brew pubs, bakeries and ghost kitchens. But, since my imagination is bigger than my stomach, here are a few more suggestions.

Related: Just Opened Restaurants: Where To Go Right Now in Pittsburgh

Open a lasagna restaurant in Garfield

Last week, I took my daughter to see “The Garfield Movie.” She thought it was the cat’s meow, but, to me, it seemed like a two-hour Olive Garden commercial. The flick features the voices of Samuel L. Jackson and Ving Rhames, so it helps to pretend it’s an animated version of “Pulp Fiction.”

As I sat in the theater trying to silence my growling stomach, I wondered why there isn’t a lasagna restaurant in Garfield. I’d love to chow down on the fat cat’s favorite dish in his namesake town. OK, technically, the place is named after U.S. President James A. Garfield, not Jim Davis’s 45-year-old comic strip, but you don’t see the plush versions of the 20th commander-in-chief suction cupped to car windows.

I’ve written about the neighborhood a lot over the years, but I’m never sure where it begins and ends. Someone should get the old Garfield’s Nightmare decor from Kennywood’s storage facility and use it to designate a border around the area.

Related: Third Space Bakery Opens in Garfield While Bitty & Beau’s Offers Coffee and Inclusion in the Strip

The ConvenYinz Store

Breaking into the industry and competing with national brands is tough, so why not open a retail outlet filled with nothing but Pittsburgh-made snacks, beverages, sauces, spices and candy? I recently attended an event at Fulton Commons, a Manchester co-working space that offers a Packaged Food Incubator & Accelerator program, and watched entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and pass out samples to a panel of foodies.

I’d love to walk down the aisles and fill my buggy with hometown goods such as Self-Reliant Seitan, Artie’s Hot Sauce, Thomas & Fisk Coffee, bottles of Burgh-ade and some pecan pie bars from Sweet Inspirations.

Dining Days at Kennywood

KENNYWOOD | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I’ve reached the age where Kennywood is more of a restaurant than an amusement park. A few days out of each year, management should open the gates to eaters only. The old bumper cars have already been remodeled to look like baskets of Potato Patch fries! Forget adrenaline junkies; cater to junk foodies!

For a nominal fee, famished yinzers can visit every food stand without having to dodge thousands of thrill-seekers. Imagine downing corn dogs, fries, cotton candy, Golden Nugget ice cream cones and funnel cakes with your friends while wearing matching ketchup-stained Kennywood outfits!

Defunct restaurants reimagined as a food truck

FUEL AND FUDDLE | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Every now and then, I get a hankering for a Rosemary’s Breasts, a chicken sandwich that was on Fuel and Fuddle’s menu from its opening day in 1996 to its closing last spring. The Oakland gastropub was my go-to spot during my college days and I’m still heartsick that it’s gone.

Second Helpings Food Truck would offer a rotating menu of beloved dishes from an array of defunct eateries, including the Original Hot Dog Shop, Dave & Andy’s Ice Cream, Gullifty’s, The Elbow Room, The Sharp Edge, Pappan’s Family Restaurant and Dunning’s Grill (you can see the old sign hanging up at Larimer’s Jackworth Ginger Beer Brewery).

Fans of Tom’s Diner now flock to the mobile version of the Dormont favorite for gyros and spinach pie and Hill’s Snack Bar Food Truck has all of your favorite pre-shopping trip treats from the ’80s!

Nostalgia is delicious.

Related: Here Are the 25 Best Restaurants in Pittsburgh

Move The Pavilion at Star Lake’s concession stand closer to Pittsburgh

While perusing the concert lineup at The Pavilion at Star Lake (New Kids on the Block is performing there this week 34 years after their first Burgettstown appearance!), I noticed the food lineup’s got the right stuff, too.

There are a bunch of celebrity-endorsed concessions at the concert venue that should have spots closer to home. You can visit Trejo’s Tacos, a taco stand branded by Hollywood tough guy Danny Trejo or keep it local and inhale Packed Bowls by Wiz Khalifa. The Grammy-nominated Pittsburgh recording artist sells munchies such as mac-and-cheese layered with tater tots and fried chicken nuggs, drizzled in Tangy Dab sauce and topped with Hot Cheetos dust.

I can’t wait to eat that at the Willie Nelson show on Sept. 14!

Mister Rogers-themed restaurant

Rudeness is rampant in restaurants these days. Since the pandemic ended, people can’t seem to mind their Ps and Qs at the table. We all need a lesson in neighborliness.

At a Mister Rogers-themed restaurant, a complimentary side of compassion would come with every order — and you’d be expected to dish it right back to the staff, who’ll be wearing cardigans and blue sneakers.

Pittsburgh’s patron saint was a vegetarian, so it’d be a meatless menu. Every day, a local food industry worker — such as a line cook, farmer, baker or chocolatier — would stop by to teach interactive lessons about their trade. And, yes, even adults will get crayons and educational placemats.

Chef Brockett would be proud.

A cemetery where everyone leaves a recipe on their tombstone

Taking strolls through cemeteries is one of my favorite pastimes. I learn something interesting each time I tiptoe through the tombstones, but an epitaph can only tell you so much.

I once saw a marker that, in addition to the decedent’s name and date of birth and death, had a recipe for oatmeal cookies etched into the granite. When I read it, my eyes and mouth began to water.

As a goth foodie, I know I’d dig a burial ground that’s also a recipe resting place. Being able to share kitchen wisdom from beyond the grave is a tasty form of immortality.

And I make a to-die-for Buffalo chicken dip.

A video store/restaurant

When I was 15, I landed my first cushy job at a movie rental shop in Oakmont called Video Hits. I loved it. Everybody did.

On Friday and Saturday nights in the ’90s, it was the place to be. The moment flicks made their home video debut, the place was packed with customers vying for copies. I wanted to get staff T-shirts made that read “I Survived the Titanic (VHS release)!”

Even if you weren’t able to snag the latest blockbuster, you could still watch a G- or PG-rated film on the shop’s TV and stock up on a week’s worth of old horror movies. If the free popcorn at Video Hits wasn’t enough to satisfy your appetite, Carnivores Restaurant & Sports Bar was (and still is!) there for a bite and a beer before your movie marathon.

Although it’s now a digital world and every movie is accessible on my phone, I still miss analog media. I want to be a member of a video store that offers a cinema-inspired food menu. “Fried Green Tomatoes,” anyone?

I hope a local pop culture-lovin’ chef will be kind and rewind the concept.

Bah! Humbug Holiday Pop-Up Bar

A cinderblock room where guests 40 and over can drink local booze out of Grinch mugs in silence.

More food brand mascots

I recently interviewed artist Jeff Bertrand about his impressive collection of food mascots. We both grew up idolizing McDonaldland characters (hell, I’m wearing Grimace socks as I type this), but it’s been a while since there have been any new cartoonish culinary icons.

Whether you own a hot dog shop, an ice cream stand or a pizzeria, please know I will purchase not only the food you sell, but the T-shirts, hats and stickers you brand with an anthropomorphic piece of food wearing an apron and a chef’s hat.

Food-themed vehicle round-up

THE BIG IDAHO POTATO TRUCK STOPPED IN PITTSBURGH LAST WEEK. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Typically, I wouldn’t spend a 90-degree day in a parking lot filled with screaming tots, but I had to brake for the Big Idaho Potato Truck when it made a pit stop in McCandless last week.

The 4-ton tater is on a cross-country road trip to promote the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. Apparently, tubers are an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants when you don’t deep-fry them in grease! Who knew?

Hundreds of people showed up to ogle the giant spud.

Since yinzers love food-themed vehicles and our city is adept at hosting car shows (the annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix’s been cruisin’ since 1983), we should invite all the gas-powered gastronomic wonders to town.

LAST FALL, THE WIENERMOBILE WAS SPOTTED IN THE STRIP DISTRICT (ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HEINZ HISTORY MUSEUM, NO LESS). | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

People would stop in their tracks if they saw the Planters Nutmobile, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Just Born Peep Mobile, Hershey’s Kissmobile Cruiser, Red Bull Mini Cooper, Hamburger Harley, Boston Lobster Feast Car and local food trucks, including Divine Swine, in one place.

Revamp the West View McDonald’s sign

The McDonald’s sign in West View towers above the borough. As a kid growing up in Cranberry, I knew that seeing those Golden Arches jutting from the treetops meant I was almost to my Grandma Graver’s house on the North Side. Since she didn’t cook, it also meant I was about to get a Happy Meal!

Back then, the sign wasn’t just a corporate logo; the words “Welcome to West View” were written on it. It made me feel at home when I moved here in 2017. For whatever reason, the greeting has been erased.

The fast food restaurant has a sleek new sign at street level, so I think local officials should flip that old M upside down and create a new welcome sign for West View.

FRANKIE’S EXTRA LONG HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1949 | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Frankie’s Extra Long is Lawrenceville’s oldest family-owned eatery — and its best-kept secret.

Rick and LeAnn Zenk, the proprietors of the 75-year-old bar and grill at 3535 Butler St., don’t have an official website or social media pages; they rely on word of mouth to advertise. That’s only a problem because Frankie’s fans are usually too busy chowing down to talk it up.

In addition to foot-long dogs, Frankie’s is known for its kolbassi (as it’s spelled on the sign out front), meatballs and hot sausage made exclusively for the shop by Cesina’s Sausage in Aliquippa. There’s also a parking lot on the side of the building, a rarity for bustling Butler Street.

Since the place opened on Jan. 1, 1949, the cash-only shop has weathered economic downturns, diet fads, QR codes, the craft beer boom (Yuengling draft is still its best-selling beverage) and Lawrenceville’s transformation from a blue-collar neighborhood to red-hot business district.

How has Frankie’s survived the changes? By staying the same.

Even when the Zenks, who had been longtime customers when they purchased Frankie’s in 1989, installed a new countertop, they hung the original one on the wall and invited patrons to sign it. The regulars don’t want nostalgia, they want the proprietors to maintain the status quo, and that includes the onion scent that permeates the building.

LITTLE HAS CHANGED AT FRANKIE’S OVER THE YEARS | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Frankie’s goes through approximately 300 pounds of the tear-jerking veggies each week. Even now, it’s not unusual to see someone welling up on site; many Pittsburgh expatriates get emotional when they visit because setting foot on that checkerboard floor is like stepping back in time.

“People come in and say, ‘My grandpap brought me here as a kid and it’s still exactly the same,’” LeAnn says. “It’s nice to see them and hear their stories.”

Rick’s been in the banger business for 35 years, yet he still eats hot dogs in every city he visits. He’s almost missed flights because he’s busy talking shop with folks at various airport weenie stands.

Although they have no retirement plans (because they’re having too much fun), the Zenks acknowledge that it’s been a challenge to live up to customers’ sandwich standards since many longtime suppliers, including Sanchioli Bakery in Bloomfield and Stagno’s Bakery in East Liberty, have closed. Mancini’s Bakery, Pittsburgh’s bastion of bread, is the current bun purveyor.

Rick understands the financial hardships businesses face. After he was laid off from his drafting and design job, he pursued the Pennysaver for employment opportunities and saw an ad for Frankie’s, his high school hangout.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

After chewing it over with his wife, who, at the time, worked as an administrator for the now-closed St. Francis Hospital’s engineering and maintenance department, he decided to switch careers. His brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Barbara Zenk, also joined the enterprise. When they died in their 80s, in 2022 and 2023, respectively, their daughter, Kathy Netzel, stepped in as an owner.

Frankie’s employees are family whether or not they’re related by blood. Kate Rotondo, LeAnn’s sister, has been slinging dogs and beers there for three decades. During my inaugural visit to no-frills Frankie’s, she made me feel welcome.

I ordered a signature foot-long with ketchup, mustard and relish. Modern foodies might judge me for such pedestrian toppings, but I wanted to match the Frankie’s logo emblazoned on all of the dining room tables. You just don’t mess with a fine work of art.

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

My follow-up experience was on a rainy Friday afternoon. I sat at the bar and chatted with a few regulars who didn’t even have to verbalize their orders; employees knew what to put in front of them.

Food is the focal point because the bar’s decor is sparse. There’s a large mirror, a few handwritten signs taped to the wall and a framed copy of Pittsburgh Magazine from November 1990. I also spotted a black-and-white photo of the local band the SPUDS (Special People Under Doctor’s Supervision) lined up in front of the eatery.

Co-founder Mark Lewandowski and three other members of the group grew up in the neighborhood and, during the 1970s, attended Lawrenceville Catholic, a former high school located near Frankie’s.

“If we cut lunch period and went across the street, the nuns would still bust you for cutting because the onion odor would be too strong on your clothes to deny it,” says Lewandowski, who still calls Lawrenceville home. “It’s a hallmark establishment.”

The SPUDS released their first 45 record in 1979 and have referenced the hot dog shop in songs over the years. Once upon a time, the bar had a stage where musicians could rock out until 2 a.m. These days the business operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

I ordered a hot sausage sandwich (with onions!) and a beer. I’m sure the SPUDS’ supervising doctor wouldn’t consider that a prescription for good health, but at least it put me in a good mood. The food was delicious and gone in a matter of seconds. I would’ve doubled up on the grub, but I was out of cash. I made a mental note to bring a crisp $100 bill on my next visit so I can binge on hot sausage sandwiches; I’m down to my last cent.

Hopefully, that’s the only change I’ll ever see at Frankie’s.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Primanti Bros. is inviting Joey Chestnut to the table, n’at.

The competitive eater, who has won Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 16 times, was ousted from this year’s Fourth of July belly-busting bout due to his relationship with Impossible Foods, makers of plant-based franks.

“If Joey wants to celebrate our nation’s independence with a James Beard Award-winning American classic  — well, we’d be honored,” says Adam Golomb, Primanti Bros. CEO. “At this point, I think the most I’ve ever seen anyone eat in one sitting was five. And I feel like Joey’s got that beat.”

The James Beard Foundation awarded Primanti’s the title of American Classics restaurant in 2007, a designation awarded to family-owned restaurants “with timeless appeal” that have operated for more than a decade. Primanti’s opened in 1933.

In 2021, Chestnut, 40, downed 76 dogs in 10 minutes to earn a Guinness World Record. And I thought I had a big appetite!

If he accepts the Pittsburgh sammich challenge, he’ll get a coveted place on the mural at the chain’s original Strip District location, which opened in 1933. 

“From sea to shining sea – it’s coleslaw, French fries and Provolone for me,” Golomb says. “That’s probably my worst quote ever – but I don’t know if there’s any better way to ring in America’s Independence than with 25 or 30 Primanti sandwiches.”

May I suggest a pile of Pitts-Burgers presented by Toni Haggerty?

How will they get that many fries in one order? Well, on June 13 from 4 to 8 p.m., the Big Idaho Potato Truck will stop at Texas Roadhouse on Duncan Avenue in McCandless.

The vehicle is on a cross-country tour to promote the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association certified Idaho potato and its mission to help small charities in towns and cities with its A Big Helping program. Come and see a 4-ton tater!

DOUG HEILMAN ON “THE GREAT AMERICAN RECIPE” | PHOTO COURTESY OF PBS

Doug Heilman is used to cooking on camera.

The home chef does it on his YouTube channel, on social media and on local TV. His talents will be broadcast nationwide on June 17 when PBS premieres Season 3 of “The Great American Recipe.” The eight-episode series airs from 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 12 on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App.

Heilman, an Armstrong County native of German descent, is one of eight contestants putting his heritage, family meals and culinary skills in the spotlight. The amateur chefs, who come from diverse cultural backgrounds throughout the United States, spent a month filming on a Nashville, Tennessee farm last fall.

Following hand-written recipe cards passed down through the generations, Heilman attempts to wow judges Tim Hollingsworth, an award-winning, Los Angeles-based chef; “The Splendid Table” public radio show host Francis Lam; and Tiffany Derry, a successful Texas restaurateur who was a fan favorite on Season 7 of “Top Chef.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PBS

Heilman, the host of The Pittsburgh Dish podcast (I was philosophical about hamburgers on the latest episode!) isn’t planning a big watch party. He’ll text his fellow contestants and share a home-cooked meal with his husband, Greg Weimerskirch, while reliving the experience on the small screen.

“The Great American Recipe” was shot at Green Door Gourmet, a 350-acre agritourism destination on the outskirts of Music City. Heilman grew up on a farm in Kittanning, so he felt right at home.

By the time he was in elementary school, he was preparing spaghetti dinners for his family using vegetables and herbs from the garden. He studied nutritional science at Penn State University, but, aside from a stint making cheesesteaks at a campus eatery, he veered away from food for a career in the cell phone industry.

“For me, cooking has always been more of a relaxing, creative thing,” he says.

Friends and relatives asked him for meal-prep tips so often, he started filming the process and posting the videos to YouTube. The Doug Cooking brand grew. Before Heilman knew it, he was on KDKA’s “Pittsburgh Today Live” with his mom preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

PBS discovered him on social media.

While he can’t reveal too many details about “The Great American Recipe,” he says Isaly’s chipped chopped ham does make an appearance. Tune in, n’at.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot is now open at 4801 McKnight Road in the North Hills! Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue, is a popular cooking method throughout Asia. Add a variety of meat, noodles, veggies and more into your broth, which boils over on a specially designed, table-top heater. If you’re craving more than soup, fire up the centerpiece grill for Korean-style BBQ. This isn’t just a meal, it’s an experience!

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Allusion Brewing Co.

Allusion Brewing Co. is starting a new chapter in the North Hills.

On April 12, the business opened a second location in McCandless that’s three times the size of the original spot in Vandergrift, about 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh.

Beer-lovin’ bookworms will enjoy Allusion’s decor; the tap handles are stacked with tiny tomes, flight trays are stored in an old library card catalog and shelves are lined with great literary works. The bar top is worth reading, too. It’s covered with pages from books that are alluded to in the beer names. All of this bookish branding helped them win big at the 2024 Craft Beer Marketing Awards.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food

Located on the second floor of a narrow storefront in Uptown, Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food is easy to miss. But once you climb the stairs, it’s hard to forget.

There’s a colorful mural on the wall of the fast-casual eatery depicting a bustling marketplace. Appetizing scents waft from the kitchen where Abe and Hanan Daud whip up family recipes. They’ve raised 10 kids and spent two decades in the dining industry. They’re experts in the art of pleasing palates.

The Daud siblings are helping their parents transition into retirement mode; that’s a hard task since their folks are so passionate about feeding people.

Read more.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHILLIN’ DRIVE THRU

Chillin’ Drive Thru

After 35 years in the restaurant business, the Baranowski family is finally Chillin’.

The owners of North Park Lounge locations in McCandless and Murrsyville, Shooters Golf and Barry’s Pub opened a drive-thru spot that serves small bites, vegan and gluten-free refreshments, coffee concoctions made with La Prima Espresso Co. coffee beans, iced teas, Italian sodas, milkshakes, fresh-squeezed lemonade and Lotus brand plant-based energy drinks. Customers can say “Energize it!” and get an 80-milligram shot of caffeine in one of their refresher drinks.

Chillin’ Drive Thru, which is attached to North Park Lounge in McCandless, operates daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be two drive-thru lanes at 8701 Babcock Blvd. and a lane for folks who ordered through the Chillin’ mobile app.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The Breakfast Spot

If the most important meal of the day is also your favorite, head to 2605 Brownsville Road in Carrick, a location that was made for mornings.

On Dec. 3, 2023, The Breakfast Spot opened its doors to a sea of familiar faces.

For more than 30 years it was known as Gary’s Restaurant, a friendly place where locals could grab a hearty bite and a bottomless cup of coffee. COVID put that daily routine on hold until new owners stepped in to restore the local landmark. Regulars lined up around the block on that first morning of a new era.

The original eatery’s owner, the late Gary Morosetti, has a sandwich named after him and the staff vows to carry on his breakfast-and-lunch legacy.

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PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Bridge City Brinery

The boys behind the Bridge City food truck fleet have a new brick-and-mortar restaurant in Sharpsburg. Leave your diet at the door.

The former Yosteria space at 914 Main St. has a dining room, complete with a bench adorned with pillows, which is a nice touch since you’ll want to take a nap after indulging in their brand of big-as-your-head, scratch-made sandwiches. That’s The Fairfax pictured above, BCB’s take on a classic Reuben. You can also enjoy a single-, double-or triple-patty smash burger, fried chicken skins called Chick-Charrones and decadent dishes such as Lamb Ramen, Chicken and Waffles and Duck, Duck, Goat, which is crispy confit duck with goat cheese polenta, Brussels sprouts, herbed agrodolce and a fried duck egg.

Fear not, herbivores! There are salads on the menu, including the Danny Zuko, a mix of spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers doused in red wine vinegar, olive oil and oregano.

See? There’s a type of grease for everybody.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Novo Asian Food Hall

Want to try food and drink from the other side of the world? Visit Novo Asian Food Hall in the Strip District, where seven Pittsburgh-based vendors offer authentic culinary offerings and a central bar is stocked with unique spirits.

The Terminal’s 8,600-square-foot venue at 1931 Smallman St. is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

PileZ

I had lunch at PileZ in Oakland the other day and it was garbage — delicious garbage.

Located in the former Mad Mex at 370 Atwood St. near the University of Pittsburgh campus, the 24/7, take-out eatery serves a disheveled dish that originated at Nick Tahou Hots restaurant in Rochester, New York.

Nick trademarked the name “Garbage Plate,” but other late-night spots around the Empire State peddle “trash plates” or, the vegan counterpart, the “compost plate.” I think “Dumpster Dinner” has a nice ring to it.

Pilez4If you suffer from brumotactillophobia — the fear of different food items touching each other — bypass PileZ. If, like me, your plate regularly resembles a pig’s trough, go hog wild, Porky!

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PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Needle & Bean

After years spent working as an engineer in the plastics industry, Michael Butala decided to narrow it down to vinyl.

“I only engineer coffee drinks and records now,” he says while pouring a cup of joe at Needle & Bean, his new shop in Mt. Lebanon.

Longtime album collectors, Butala and his wife, along with their enormous assortment of tunes, moved to Pittsburgh in 2019 to make a fresh start.

(record scratch)

Then the pandemic happened.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BARCELONA WINE BAR

Barcelona Wine Bar

This new date-night spot will make you feel like a dark and mysterious character in a noir film.

Barcelona Wine Bar opened earlier in January in the former Sharp Edge Bistro at 922 Penn Ave. Thanks to its extensive charcuterie and tapas menu, it’s also a great place for commitment-phobic foodies who’d rather sample a little bit of everything than devote themselves to one meal.

The menu features Spanish, South American and Mediterranean cuisine and more than 400 wines by the glass and bottle. The selection can be slightly overwhelming, but our server was friendly and knowledgeable.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LEON’S CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT

Leon’s Caribbean Restaurant

When you walk into Leon’s Caribbean Restaurant in Allentown on a blustery winter day, the steam wafting from the kitchen feels like a warm hug.

Adding a heaping helping of Jamaican fare – I had the curry Rasta Pasta – will make you feel like you’re on a tropical vacation.

And, let’s face it, we could all use one of those.

On June 19, 2023, a fire at the East Warrington Avenue eatery forced Leon Rose Sr. to close the storefront for the rest of the year. The family-run operation was buoyed by a second location in Aliquippa that debuted just three months before the blaze.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DOS REYES

Grim Wizard Coffee

Don’t let the name Grim Wizard fool you; it’s a happy place with a heavy metal heart.

The rebranded Black Forge Coffee at 1206 Arlington Ave., in Allentown is now operated by Kelly Braden, co-owner of The Weeping Glass, an oddities shop in the neighborhood. Fear not, mortals; Grim Wizard still brings the thunder when it comes to killer caffeinated beverages. Yeah, the walls are painted black and you’re bound to see a skeleton or two, but the staff is friendly and the colorful lights from the pinball machines give the small space an otherworldly ambiance.

Fans of the original business can still get signature $6.66 specialties such as the Hell Hound, an espresso latte with dark chocolate, chili and cinnamon served shaken with ice and cream.

Every other Saturday from Jan. 13 through April 13, the macabre cafe will host a Brutal Brunch featuring Sonoran-style food from Dos Reyes. You can chow down from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or until the grub is gone).

No matter what time you show up, Grim will keep the hellfires burnin’ for you.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Space Bar

You can go to infinity and beyond at Space Bar in Market Square, a futuristic lounge that serves out-of-this-world cocktails and food.

Houston native Dale Thomas Vaughn spent his childhood visiting NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where his grandfather worked as an engineer.

On Light Up Night, he launched his own business. The interplanetary pub isn’t a pop-up or a recreation of the Mos Eisley cantina from “Star Wars,” it’s an immersive experience that combines astronomy with molecular mixology and an all-vegetarian menu.

In other words, it’s something E.T. would phone home about.

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PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Curbside

Curbside is a welcome sight to motorists stuck in traffic on Route 28. You can see the rainbow-bedecked building at 1101 Powers Road Road in O’Hara from the perpetually-under-construction highway. Take the nearest exit and head to the eatery for some exquisite to-go grub. After spending 15 years in Blawnox, Curbside moved to the bigger space to offer a bigger menu. You’ll find more scratch-made baked goods, organic fruit, smoothies, yogurt parfaits and some of the nicest folks in town! I recommend the colossal bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on toasted wheat bread. One bite was worth the gridlock.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Greenhouse Co-op

Greenhouse Co-op, a cidery that sells houseplants, is now open at 557 Greenfield Ave. in Greenfield. Could they have chosen a more aptly named spot? 

In 2022, the Higgins family — married couple William and Tammy, and William’s sister, Darien — left Austin, Texas, on a soul-searching road trip and decided to lay down roots in Pittsburgh.  

When I interviewed them about the business last spring, William said they hoped to pour pints before midnight on Dec. 31. I enjoyed a refreshing glass of Sleeping in the Flowers, a cider with chamomile and maple, and purchased some belated Christmas gifts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 29.  

Way to grow, guys!

Darien, a veteran of the adult beverage scene, has made everything from cider, beer and sake to mead and distilled spirits. Tammy’s love of plants blossomed during the pandemic and she will serve as the resident green thumb. William, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration in finances, will deal with the math. 

Greenhouse sprouted up in the space once occupied by Copper Kettle Brewing Company, a brew-on-premises shop. Ross-based Necromancer Brewing Co. is opening their second location next door in the former Hough’s, a longtime craft-beer destination. 

Looks like everything’s coming up roses in Greenfield.

Burghers Brewing

Burghers Brewing has big expansion plans, starting with its tiny new space at The Highline.

The business, which has restaurants in Zelienople and Lawrenceville and a soon-to-open flagship store in Millvale, opens the doors to its long-awaited, 700-square-foot South Side location on Dec. 29 at 319 E. Carson St. The historic building is only 7-by-4-feet wide, so the interior was designed to resemble a railroad dining car.

All aboard for smash burgers and beer! Opening weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Downtown fireworks starting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 31.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Jak’s Bakery

You can now get Bulgarian baked goods in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy.

Zhelyazko “Jak” Latinov, who ran a popular bakery in his native land, is making Eastern European treats at 4310 Main St. in Bloomfield. Jak’s is located in the building right next to Trace Brewing, making this one of the best blocks in town to do some serious carbo-loading.

Jak and his wife Molly Freedman Latinov, an American, met while she was on a Peace Corps mission teaching English to students in his hometown. He wooed her with a Banitsa, a savory pastry made from phyllo dough that’s filled with feta cheese and egg. Adorable.

In 2013, they moved to Pittsburgh. Homestead’s Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center is the oldest, largest and most active Bulgarian-Macedonian organization in the United States. Who knew?!

After eating my weight in Jak’s pastries, I feel like an honorary Bulgarian.

There’s no seating inside the storefront, so I took my breakfast to Trace, which opens at 8 a.m. for coffee service courtesy of Ghost Coffee Collab. I ordered an Americano and pulled up a seat.

In seconds, I devoured a Kremka, a sweet nautilus-shell-shaped bun filled with vanilla creme. I was going to save my savory Tutmanik, a vegan pastry stuffed with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and garlic, for home, but ended up eating it while walking through a cemetery back to my car.

This job is gonna be the death of me.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Stew

If you’re still stewing about the closure of Fuel and Fuddle last spring, cheer up! The space at 212 Oakland Ave. in Oakland has reopened as Stew Wood Fire Fusion.

Owners Karen Perdomo and John Ortiz, who also run The Colombian Spot restaurants in Oakland and on the South Side, bring diverse flavors to the melting pot neighborhood. In addition to stew, the menu includes Argentinian empanadas, Mediterranean citrus salad, pan-fried chicken thigh, smoked baby back ribs, NY strip steak and an assortment of sandwiches.

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PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Mike & Tony’s Gyros

Mike & Tony’s Gyros opens Dec. 1 on Babcock Boulevard in the North Hills. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

To the owners, customers are like family. So, when you walk into any of their Greek eateries, you instantly become a Makripodis.

“We have the best, most loyal customers,” says Helen Makripodis Devlin, who runs the local chain with her parents, George and Mary, siblings Tasso, Jimmy and Amalia and a small army of aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. “Family businesses are the heart of every community.”

Fifty years after the original spot opened on the South Side boasting the “freshest lamb in town,” the company is about to unveil its sixth restaurant at 2240 Babcock Blvd. in Ross. Other locations include Downtown, Bridgeville, Moon and Dormont.

The former Kretzler’s Tavern — another beloved family-owned business that closed in December after 71 years — has been transformed inside and out by the Makripodis clan.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Wise County Cafe

It’s time you got wise to these Appalachia-inspired biscuits.

After doing pop-ups around town for years, James Wolfe and Lena Laskaris (partners in business and in life) are finally settled into a big, beautiful brick-and-mortar space on the North Side. Wise County Cafe features an array of biscuit sandwiches, breakfast plates, lunch options and sides (try the crispy fried potatoes with house seasoning).

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PHOTOS BY KRISTY GRAVER

Alta Via Downtown

The second location for big Burrito Restaurant Group’s Italian eatery opened on Oct. 26 in Market Square. The original Alta Via Ristorante opened in Fox Chapel on April Fool’s Day 2019.

big Burrito Group President Bill Fuller says Alta Via’s menu is finally back to its pre-pandemic size, with more entrees, including Long Island Duck and a pork chop. I went with the latter, which was accompanied by risotto, Lacinato kale and Parmigiano Reggiano in an apple-balsamic jus. I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing to save room for Olive Oil Cake, a light, spongy dessert with marmellata and whipped cream. The restaurant also offers lunchtime sandwiches and makes gelato in-house.

Both spots are now open for lunch and brunch starting at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

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Bunny Bakes in Squirrel Hill

The fully kosher bakery, which, for now, is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, also is a training facility for adult members of The Friendship Circle. Classes are held twice a week to boost confidence and beef up resumes. Graduates can apply their newfound skills at Bunny Bakes or on another job. No matter what career path they end up on, owners Rabbi Mordy Rudolph and Rivkee Rudolph hope they will influence others to embrace diversity.

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PHOTO BY ALEXIS KAPPEL

Mic’s Market in Sewickley

Mic’s Market, Michaela Blaney’s upscale micro grocer at 537 Beaver St., debuted on Oct. 14 to sell-out crowds. In addition to selling better-for-you snacks, beverages and deli options, the spot serves hot, homemade grub that, despite its nutritional value, tastes like a Cheat Day indulgence. An onsite-smoothie bar is also in the works.

The shop’s motto is “It feels good to feel good.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THREE BROTHERS BAGELS

Three Brothers Bagels in Glenshaw

In August, Colin and Sofia Whiddon opened the eatery at 1718 Mount Royal Blvd. Located in the former Cole Cafe space in Mt. Royal Shopping Center, the shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. A portion of sales is donated to Inspired Hearts and Hands and other charities.

The couple got hooked on naturally leavened, sourdough bagels while living in Brooklyn. Colin, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., perfected his own recipes during the pandemic with the goal of offering Big Apple-style bagels in the Steel City.

There currently are nine varieties available for purchase individually, by the half-dozen or dozen or as a sandwich. The sourdough starter adds a background complexity and extends the shelf life a bit. (Although rare, leftovers are refrigerated then bagged and sold at a discount the next day.)

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PHOTOS BY MEGAN MCGREEVY PHOTOGRAPHY

Love, Katie Distilling in Sharpsburg

Katie Sirianni is a shrewd businesswoman and a hopeless romantic.

Those character traits collide at her latest venture, Love, Katie Distilling, a chic lounge that opens this week at 816 Main St. in Sharpsburg.

The 1,000-square-foot storefront is Pittsburgh’s first LGBTQ-owned distillery and it’s a love letter to Sirianni’s girlfriend Jen Procacina. No, seriously — there’s an actual love letter on the back of each bottle! It’s a boozy valentine you can bestow on your partner, your friend or yourself.

Cocktails also are available if you’re afraid of commitment.

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PHOTOS BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

Poetry Lounge in Millvale

Veteran mixologist and author Sean Enright, who has managed many prestigious restaurants in the city and founded the local chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, recently opened a bar called Poetry Lounge at 313 North Ave., the former home of Whisper Nest.

In addition to thoughtfully crafted cocktails and mocktails, there is a curated selection of local beer, wine, cider and spirits and a small food menu.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Vibrant Sunshine Juicery Cafe in Aspinwall

On a cloudy day in Aspinwall, Vibrant Sunshine Juicery Cafe opened its doors.

Although the plant-forward business at 103 Delafield Road is new, locals will recognize the brand. A decade ago, Naomi Hoppel opened The Pittsburgh Juice Co. at 3418 Penn Ave. in Lawrenceville.

Since then, she’s been slinging raw, cold-pressed beverages, including a line of Vibrant Sunshine kombuchas, from that 350-square-foot space and wholesaling to dozens of restaurants.

The new site is large enough to accommodate an ample storage area, a production facility that will increase efficiency and volume with minimal waste, a retail area and a cafe that serves plant-based food and drink. Oh, and there’s a parking lot, which is always a plus.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Long Story Short in Lawrenceville

Long story short: visit Long Story Short, Cinderlands Beer Co.’s retroly revamped Lawrenceville taproom.

Cinderlands, which operates the 17,000-square-foot warehouse in the Strip District and a site in Wexford, closed the Butler Street foederhouse in July to give both the space and the menu a makeover.

The company started there in 2017 and, in addition to making innovative craft beer, specialized in Belgian pub cuisine. And while it brought something different to Pittsburgh’s dining scene, the upscale fare just didn’t jibe with a post-pandemic crowd.

Sandwiches, or sandos as they’re known here, were the obvious choice.

No matter what you call them, they aren’t your average eats.

The Meatball Mac Melt includes smashed meatballs with not only marinara sauce, but also yellow mustard, Velveeta mac, Chihuahua cheese, cheese curd and Doritos. What’s on the Curry Sub? Eggplant, chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, butter curry and yogurt.

Read more.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Five Generation Bakers, the Pittsburgh company known for its Jenny Lee Cinnamon Swirl Bread, is in a pickle.

Owner Scott Baker is trying to figure out if he can produce enough grilled cheese-and-gherkin sandwiches to satisfy patrons at this year’s Picklesburgh, which will be held July 18-21 Downtown.

As a first-time participant, he predicts he’ll sell about 10,000.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

On Friday, Baker fired up the griddle outside of the company’s McKees Rocks headquarters to practice his serving skills. He’ll need them for Picklesburgh — and beyond.

Within the next year, he says Five Generations is planning to open a chain of Jenny Lee Breakfast Nooks in the area. The sandwich concept — Jenny Lee Sammiches — will start out as a food truck while the company searches for places to build brick-and-mortar eateries. It’s launching this with the help of Pittsburgh’s online investment crowdfunding Honeycomb Credit, which also will cover other business expansion, debt refinancing, converting Jenny Lee Swirl Bread into French Toast and more. The fundraising goal is between $100,000-$300,000, and the campaign will run over the next 40 days.

If, like me, yinz love a good sammich, this is kind of a big dill.

Lured by the heavenly scents wafting from the griddle, locals stopped by to sample the goods. Baker buttered the company’s Garlic & Herb savory bread with Swiss cheese and pickles from Flippin’ Pickles in Erie. He also toasted some Tomato Basil slices and created ooey-gooey deliciousness with jalapeno American cheese and spicy pickles.

Both were flippin’ delicious. Baker should bank on making at least 500,000 of them at Picklesburgh.

LELULO’S PIZZERIA OWNER PATYN MCCUNE | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

“How was your pizza?” Patyn McCune asks two customers as they exit her restaurant, Lelulo’s Pizzeria in Plum.

The women, both regulars, smile and reply in unison, “BURNT!”

It’s not a complaint, but a running joke that’s followed the business from its humble storefront in Unity Plaza to the current location at nearby 415 Unity Trestle Road.

“Looks burnt,” is a frequent comment on posts highlighting Lelulo’s deep-dish pizzas, which emerge from the brick oven with a charred, caramelized cheese crust. In my opinion, that’s the best part of a Chicago-style pie! I had one last year and I’m still full!

LELULO’S PIZZERIA | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Related: How Our Food Editor Celebrates National Pizza Day, One Slice at a Time

Internet trolls used the “Looks burnt” taunt to get a rise out of McCune, a McKeesport native who lives in Plum with her fiancé and two  young sons. Although she still gets into verbal spats online and calls out rude customers by name, she’s turning the negativity into a positive.

“Looks burnt” stickers are included with every deep-dish pizza and are available at the eatery for a donation that’s distributed to local fire departments. Lelulo’s delightfully passive-aggressive promo has already raised more than $600.

McCune, who has pizza tattoos and is perpetually coated in flour, proudly displays a sticker on the back of her truck.

The original Lelulo’s (that’s a combination of the names Lee, Luke and Logan) opened in 2010. One of the owners was Sherry McCune, Patyn’s estranged mother who goes by “Grandma Sherry.” The relationship, along with the business, suffered due to years of drug and alcohol addiction.

In 2016, at age 23, McCune purchased the 1,200-square-foot shop, which, at the time, was a pick-up-and-delivery operation with a limited menu. That same year, a former partner moved to Florida and opened a Lelulo’s in Cape Coral.

Now three years sober, Grandma Sherry is one of 17 employees working at the new spot that opened on Oct. 4, 2023 in the former Wok in Heaven space that’s triple the size. Her cheesecakes were recently added to the menu, along with an array of scratch-made specialty pizzas, starters, salads, pastas dishes, sandwiches and Sunday breakfast options.

“I believe working together has helped our relationship grow in a different direction,” Sherry says. “Patyn’s helped me become a better leader. She builds me up. I’m able to be with my grandsons. It’s the best place I’ve ever worked.”

McCune admits she wasn’t always emotionally invested in the pizzeria or life, in general. The quality of her products suffered because of it, and Lelulo’s racked up a string of bad Yelp reviews.

That all changed during the pandemic, when McCune offered free lunches to local children. Kids could opt for pizza, chicken and fries or a cold cut sandwich. After seeing Lelulo’s Covid-related posts on social media, community members began dropping off food and monetary donations. When vandals smashed the front window and burglarized the joint, McCune saw an even bigger outpouring of love and support from Plum residents and business owners.

Inspired by the goodwill, she upped the quality of her ingredients, started making more items from scratch and committed herself to doing community service. McCune and her staff organize holiday gift drives for area women’s shelters, offer kid-friendly pizza-making workshops, cater some graduation parties pro bono and host an annual charity kickball tournament (this year’s event is on Aug. 24 at 11 a.m.).

After a fatal house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood last August, Lelulo’s supplied 100 pizzas and subs to first responders. Since 2020, McCune has given away more than $70,000 in food donations. Eventually, she wants to launch a nonprofit called Slice of Hope.

Transitioning from a counter-service shop to a full-scale restaurant hasn’t been easy, but McCune and her loyal employees are rolling with the punches as they strive to become a zero-waste kitchen.

Bryn McAleavey, Melissa McCarty and Grandma Sherry were on the clock (which, of course, looks like a pizza) during my most recent visit.

FROM LEFT: BRYN MCALEAVEY, MELISSA MCCARTY, PATYN MCCUNE AND SHERRY MCCUNE | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

McAleavey, 18, started working at Lelulo’s three years ago. She started at the check-out counter and now does a little bit of everything, from cooking and serving to answering phones. Once she graduates from Plum High School – my alma mater! – she plans to study law, but isn’t ruling out a career in the food service industry.

“I like the things that Patyn does,” she says. “If I decide to go down that path, I want to follow in her footsteps.”

Although McCune hasn’t always been on the straight and narrow, she’s using her online platform and her pizza to make up for lost time.

Corey Smith, owner of FASTSIGNS in Monroeville, provides the “Looks Burnt” stickers and artist Morgan Demko painted angel wings that look like pizza on the eatery’s wall. It’s already a popular selfie-spot. You don’t, however, want to appear on “The Not Nice List,” a dry-erase board behind the counter featuring the names of patrons who were verbally abusive to the staff.

The fiery McCune has little patience for bad manners, but big love for the community that helped her grow.

“I went down a very bad path,” she says. “I didn’t think I could do anything better. But there are always opportunities to do better. I’m always looking to improve and challenge myself.”

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Eat’n Park’s the place for smiles — and brain freezes.

In honor of its 75th anniversary, the restaurant chain partnered with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream to release cool new flavors based on four of its iconic desserts: Grilled Stickies, Strawberry Pie, Smiley Cookie and Pistachio Fluff. They’re available at all Millie’s locations through July 4 or while supplies last. You can also grab pints of Smiley Cookie and Grilled Stickies at Pittsburgh-area Giant Eagle stores.

Related: Chill Out This Summer at The Snowman, a Tiny Ice Cream Stand with a Big Personality

A sample box arrived on my doorstep on Thursday evening. Packaged in dry ice to ensure optimal frozenness, it took about 8 hours for the treats to reach optimal scoopablility. As a food journalist and ice cream aficionado with absolutely no chill, this really tested my professional mettle. To be honest, I bent a few spoons.

I finally dug in this morning, which just so happens to be National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. No offense to the classic, but it’s my job to conduct important culinary research on the future of flavors. A breakfast of champions in the City of Champions!

Strawberry Pie, a mix of strawberry ice cream, flakes of pie crust and ripples of strawberry glaze, was my favorite. I’ve had the “Merry Berry Month of May” jingle stuck in my head since I was a kid; I’m programmed to love it.

My daughter, Sarah, loved Pistachio Fluff, pretty much the only green thing on the Salad Bar that isn’t a vegetable. This version is a dairy-free gelato confection made with coconut milk. You’ve gotta love a dessert that’s camouflaged to fit in with the healthy food.

If you put this Grilled Stickies ice cream on top of Grilled Stickies fresh out of an Eat’n Park oven, you’ll open a portal to a parallel dessert dimension filled with cinnamon-y goodness. This information was not included in the press release, it’s just an educated guess.

I really want to pair the Smiley Cookie flavor with a Frownie from King’s Family Restaurant to create an edible mood swing. Did you know that a dozen Frownies is called a Pity Party? I better go watch the Eat’n Park Christmas Tree commercial to cheer myself up.

Eat’n Park’s anniversary bash goes beyond ice cream. June 5 was declared “Eat’n Park Day” by The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The company is giving back to address food insecurity in the region by awarding $75,000 grants to the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

CHICKEN SANDWICH FROM GIVEN TO FLY | PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Some of Pittsburgh’s fried chicken experts are hatching a new concept in Bloomfield.

Troy Beck, who runs Given To Fly with executive chef Katie Peric at Federal Galley on the North Side, announced on social media that he acquired the Station restaurant space at 4744 Liberty Ave. In February, after nine years in business, chef Curtis Gamble closed the popular eatery and moved to Tennessee.

“While there will be a rebrand,” Beck said in a post, “I promise to honor Curtis as much as we can as his menu was one of my favorites in the city.”

Thankfully, Beck and Peric will keep slinging chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings at Federal Galley while they create the new space. Their Truffalo Chicken Sandwich is one of my favorite meals in the city. I’m also a fan of the Andrew McClucken, their fowl tribute to our 2023 Pittsburgher of the Year Andrew McCutchen with Black & Gold BBQ sauce, fresh jalapenos and fried onions on a brioche bun.

I love a good pun on a bun!

In 2022, Given To Fly opened at the restaurant incubator run by Galley Group, a company that’s also branching out by rebranding Mindful Brewing in Castle Shannon.

Before the pandemic, Beck worked front-of-the-house positions at Garbarino’s and The Twisted Frenchman (both in East Liberty), and behind the bar at Poulet Bleu (Lawrenceville) and Meat & Potatoes (Downtown). Peric came to Pittsburgh from Morgantown, West Virginia, where she served as pastry chef at Table 9.

With all the fun foodie activity that’s been happening in Bloomfield, including the opening of Scandinavian eatery Fet-Fisk and the 10th anniversary of Linea Verde Green Market, I can’t wait to see (and taste!) what this dynamic duo brings to the neighborhood.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Dough Daddy Brewery is owned and operated by the mother of a local pizza chain.

Angie Bogacz, wife of Caliente Pizza & Draft House Founder and President Nick Bogacz, took her love of hops and hospitality to the next level by purchasing the former Strange Roots Experimental Ales tasting room and beer garden in the Gibsonia neighborhood of West Deer. The revamped space debuted on May 24 with a dozen house-made brews and a seltzer on tap, canned wine, Sicilian-style pies and other elevated pub fare such as truffle fries, a one-pound German pretzel, paninis, salads and desserts.

“This is my dream,” Angie says. “We’ve been wanting to do beer forever.”

PIZZA AT DOUGH DADDY BREWERY | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

In 2012, during a celebration that coincided with Little Italy Days and Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week, the couple launched Caliente in Bloomfield to sell gourmet pizzas and a large selection of craft brews. There are now seven restaurants throughout Pittsburgh and stands at PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena and Acrisure Stadium. A new spot on Babcock Boulevard in the North Hills is expected to open this summer. Caliente also has brought back several top awards over the last decade competing in the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

Dough Daddy was founded last year as a contract brew collaboration with Strange Roots, whose head brewer, George Kepler, is making both the new brand of beers and Strange Roots offerings at the Gibsonia production facility. Strange Roots still runs taprooms (that both serve excellent grub!) in Millvale and New Kensington. Dough Daddy plans to can its beers in the near future. An on-site store selling products from local, woman-owned businesses is already up and running.

Related: Pittsburgh Pizza Debate: The Aiello’s Vs. Mineo’s Rivalry Expands to the Suburbs

On Memorial Day, I stopped for lunch at the large, colorful Dough Daddy beer garden, which has covered picnic tables and a mobile bar converted from a vintage hunting trailer.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

My hungry family and I ordered The Bakerstown Hotel with crushed plum tomato sauce, sliced meatballs, pepperoni (the cupped kind that cradles the grease!), mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and ricotta cheeses, fresh basil, olive oil and red pepper flakes. We also got a plain cheese and a Purple and White Trail Loop, a pie featuring burrata cheese and Caliente hot honey that’s named after a hiking trail in nearby Deer Lakes Park.

It was a lot of food, even though we ordered half pans (four cuts) of each pizza. A full pan is eight cuts and there are gluten-free crusts available.

One slice, which is approximately the size, shape, thickness of a car-washing sponge, is enough to satisfy any appetite, so, of course, I had two. It helped soak up the Hoppin Daddy Pale Ales I consumed.

Dough Daddy at 4399 Gibsonia Road, West Deer, is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Roundabout Brewery Pop-Up Beer Garden

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST END BREWING CO.

East End Brewing Co., a Larimer institution that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is taking over Roundabout Brewery’s popular Pop-Up Beer Garden at 1836 Oxline Blvd. in Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood.

Located in a light industrial area overlooking the Ohio River, the outdoor space opened in July 2018 and became a respite for suds lovers, especially during the pandemic. The dog- and kid-friendly spot reopens May 30.

East End founder Scott Smith has known Roundabout owners Dyana and Steve Sloan for years and is a big fan of their beers.

At the pop-up, there will be five brews on tap, non-alcoholic options from Barmy Soda Co. and Roundabout’s popular Ginga Wheat. Smith says offering the beer will help fans deal with the beloved brewery’s closing. The Lawrenceville-based business shut down in January 2022. COVEN Brewing now occupies the space at 4901 Butler St.

Although there is no food truck scheduled for Thursday’s grand opening, Smith says he has the rest of the weekend booked.

The East End crew hasn’t made any drastic changes to the spot.

“We tried to make a place that we’d like to go to,” Smith says.

East End Brewing’s outdoor space at its new Chateau pop-up location will operate from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through September. Keep an eye on East End’s social media pages for weather and event updates.

Allegheny City Brewing

Allegheny City Brewing’s long-awaited, new 2,400-square-foot taproom is now open on East Ohio Street in Deutschtown.

The two-story structure is located behind the original brewery space at 507 Foreland St. The taproom has seating for 94 patrons inside the main bar area and second-floor mezzanine. The building is set back from the street, leaving room for an L-shaped patio with picnic tables and fire pits. A wraparound deck on the second story offers views of Downtown and the dog-friendly beer garden.

Since its inception in 2016, the brewery has invited patrons to hang photos of their pets on a wall of the Foreland Street building. On April 14, they held a Dog Wall Migration event so folks could move the pictures to the new site.

Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Chimera Brewing

Chimera (pronounced KI-MEER-AH) is a mythical creature that represents the coexistence of opposites such as strength and vulnerability, courage and fear, life and death. It’s also a soon-to-open brewery in Castle Shannon.

Galley Group, the company behind North Shore restaurant incubator Federal Galley and Arthur’s Korner Pub in Mt. Lebanon, plans to debut the rebranded Mindful Brewing Co. space at 3759 Library Road by late summer.

“Being patrons of Mindful, when we saw that it was on the market, we jumped at the opportunity,” says Taylor Blocksom, Galley Group’s director of marketing. “With outdoor seating, plenty of space for parties and events and a full bar, we felt like it was right in our wheelhouse. Mindful was a cornerstone of three different communities and we want to bring that option back for the South Hills.”

Taking inspiration from Mindful staples the local beer community has come to know and love, Chimera will have 40 taps featuring a wide range of beer styles and craft cocktails. The company will also offer an apprentice program in partnership with Point Park University’s Brewing Science Academy Certificate Program.

As for the food, Mindful favorites such as cauliflower bites, fried chicken sandwiches and pizza will stay on the menu. Galley Group, which launched its first restaurant incubator in 2015 in the Strip District, is in talks with some alumni chefs to gauge their interest in running the Chimera kitchen.

“Our small team has made great strides since taking over Galley Group operations in 2020, and, like many industry members, we’ve learned a lot and are excited to put that knowledge and energy into a space that will continue to give back to the community,” CEO Chad Ellingboe says.

Leaning Cask Brewing Company

This summer, Leaning Cask Brewing Company plans to launch a new food concept to celebrate seven years in business. The Underground Burger Company will set up shop in the brewery’s courtyard.

Located at 850 Pittsburgh St. in Springdale Borough, the 2,000-square-foot, four-tiered outdoor space will serve smash burgers made with locally sourced ingredients. Since the kitchen will be located below street level, the name is a nod to London, England’s iconic subway system.

Even though I consumed a lot of burgers this year, I can’t wait to try The Underground’s offerings. To quote Austin Powers, “Danger’s my middle name.”

JO FRAGKOU (LEFT) AND ELLIE KOUSOULI ARE TWO OF THE FOUR PEOPLE WHO CREATED ANTHOS BAKERY & CAFE. | PHOTO BY JONATHAN RUGGIERI/JERONIMO CREATIVE

Over the hiss of an espresso machine, Anastasios Fragkos explains the small plastic-wrapped barricade of bread loaves over the glass display case at Anthos Bakery & Cafe.

“This is tsoureki, Easter bread, probably the best you can find anywhere,” he says matter-of-factly. “We sell it all over the States.”

It was destined for shipment when things slowed down that day. And if things did not slow down, as often happens, someone would find time anyway to manage it on the online store.
In two short years, the Castle Shannon restaurant has become renowned for its Greek and traditional American baked goods, yet the venture is much more than bread and pastries.

Where to start? The extensive daytime menu features chicken souvlaki, Horiatiki salad, moussaka and pastitsio casseroles, along with Aegean Nicoise tuna salad and a mezé platter with three dips, Greek olives and pitas. All breads and pastries, such as the large loaves of pillowy challah, are made in house daily.

“When you mention Greek restaurants, people just think of gyros. There are a lot of things beyond the gyro and it is our pleasure to offer them,” Fragkos says.

Many things can describe a labor of love, and this one is both team effort and immigration success story. The foursome who created Anthos – Fragkos, his wife, Ellie Kousouli, Fragkos’ sister, Jo Fragkou and her husband, Devin Atchley, an American – had relatively little restaurant background coming into the venture.

(LEFT TO RIGHT) ANASTASIOS FRAGKOS, ELLIE KOUSOULI, JO FRAGKOU AND DEVIN ATCHLEY CREATED ANTHOS BAKERY & CAFE. | PHOTO BY JONATHAN RUGGIERI/JERONIMO CREATIVE

Atchley is a talented baker who worked at New York City’s Amy’s Bread before he and Fragkou went in with the others to create Anthos, which means “blossom” in Greek.

According to a 2013 National Restaurant Association survey, 96% of Pennsylvania’s restaurants employ 50 or fewer people. But unlike the association’s recent study showing 8 of 10 owners started in entry-level positions, the team at Anthos put together a plan that drew on their versatile backgrounds. The three Greeks grew up in Athens. Fragkos was in finance, Kousouli studied textile design and fashion forecasting; she and a partner had their own company in Greece, working as stylists.

“I designed loungewear and beachwear, in downtown Athens and the islands, like Mykonos,” she says.

Fragkou worked in the media. Among her television projects as a developer, she and her writing partner wrote the Greek version of “Ugly Betty.”

Related: How Five Immigrant Restaurateurs Have Brought Spice to Pittsburgh

At one time or another, they lived in London and New York, and visited the Pittsburgh area, where Fragkous and Fragkou have relatives.

“There could not be Anthos without the four of us,” Fragkou says. “Devin and I were dreaming about a bakery before, but it was just about a little bakery.

“It wasn’t like this. Devin is just a part of the equation. Everyone adds their little touch, their little spark and a little magic.”

The financial crisis in Greece in the 2010s was an impetus to strike out elsewhere.

“I worked in banks. I worked for private companies and at some point, liked the idea of having my own business,” says Fragkos, who also answers to Tassos, the common Greek shortening of Anastasios. “This worked well with Jo and Devin’s plan so we looked into it and said, ‘How do we do this?’”

ANTHOS BAKERY SELLS DEVOCIÓN COFFEE, IMPORTED OLIVE OILS, CANDY, CHEESES AND JAMS. | PHOTO BY JONATHAN RUGGIERI/JERONIMO CREATIVE

“This” became a place for baked goods and savory meals, serving Devoción coffee, and a marketplace for Greek imported olive oils, candy, cheeses and jams. The space on Willow Avenue is bright and bold, sunflower yellow and deep cobalt blue splashes of color against white.

They might not all have known the restaurant business, but they did know good food. “All of us have a passion with food,” Fragkos says. “Our parents were great cooks… in Greece we never went to [Greek] restaurants because [what] we had in our house was better.”

They learned some of the ropes through a kitchen incubator in Fulton Commons in Manchester, run by Brian and Irwin Mendelssohn, who are the force behind Row House Cinemas and Bierport and other developments.

Their original plan for a brick and mortar space was derailed by the pandemic, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Anthos would have opened in a Downtown space around Christmas 2020 but the leasing fell through.

Instead, the families – both of whom live in Mt. Lebanon – looked farther afield. The space in Castle Shannon had never been a restaurant; more recently it was a carpet store, a vape store and even a lacrosse outlet. The complete redesign was a fresh start.

They hired Corey Preston as a chef and opened Anthos in April 2022.

“It’s just a tough time for restaurants because of higher costs. At the same time, thank God we are lucky to have returning customers,” Kousouli says. In running Anthos, “we have found community.”

Keeping staff is a challenge for any business, post-pandemic, but Fragkou says they are blessed with a core lineup of workers that’s up to the challenge. As for the sisters-in-law, “you can see who is the passion,” Fragkos says as his wife hugs another customer in a warm greeting. His sister has the same cheerful welcome.

As mothers, they spend slightly less time at Anthos (which isn’t really saying much, given the often-10-hour days). Tassos and Ellie have twins, 17-year-old boys. Jo and Devin have a son, 13.

It is getting easier though, says his wife, including the online store, where experience has helped with the fulfillment of orders, especially during the holiday rushes.

“We are obliged to do our best for this business,” she continues “Not only do we owe it to the people who come here but we owe it to our kids. We changed their lives. “They had a mother they came home to [after school] and they had weekends. “We don’t have weekends anymore.”

The Greek community in Western Pennsylvania is not large. There were two migrations: the first in 1910-1912 (mostly sailors) and then in the 1940s, according to the American Hellenic Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.

Two long-time establishments have Greek origins: Nicholas Coffee and Tea, Downtown, and Sarris Candies, Canonsburg.

The 2000 U.S. census put the number of Americans of Greek ancestry at just over 1 million and according to local Greek church surveys (the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area), there are roughly 12,000 people in the Pittsburgh area who claim Greek ancestry. Most live outside of the city proper.

“We have so many Americans who come in and we have converted them into ‘almost’ Greek,” says Kousouli. “We teach them how to say ‘portokalopita’ (an orange cake) and they laugh.”

The startup experience, she adds “is like having a newborn… we want this baby to grow.

“Our dreams are bigger than this store.”

Anthos Bakery & Café is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The restaurant’s web site is anthosfoods.com. Maria Sciullo can be reached at mariasciullo2440@gmail.com.

This story is part of The New Americans, a project of Pittsburgh Tomorrow, which seeks to reverse population loss through revitalization. See more stories here. It is distributed through the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

FLATBREAD PIZZA AND WINGS AT THE TURN CLUB. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Pamela Delaude, executive chef of The Turn Club in Cranberry, fed me like I was a party of five. But that’s just par for the course for the native of Lima, Peru.

Last year, the golf-themed restaurant at 1298 Freedom Road hired her to level up the menu. It’s a fusion of cuisines made from scratch with fresh ingredients. The name is a reference to “the turn,” the halfway point of a round when a player transitions from the front 9 to the back 9 and stops for a beer and a bite to eat.

You don’t need a membership, just a big appetite.

Delaude grew up in a family of talented chefs who believed in dishing out second and even third helpings. In the 1930s, her Italian grandfather prepared meals for high-ranking government officials.

CHEF PAMELA DELAUDE AND GENERAL MANAGER DIANE MURRAY. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

At The Turn Club, I ate like a queen.

“I was always in the kitchen since I was 6 years old,” says Delaude, who spent several years in Italy exploring her roots and learning new recipes.

Once she moved stateside, she attended West Virginia’s Pierpont Community and Technical College, graduating with honors from the Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry programs. She returned to the school to teach the next generation of chefs.

Now, with 25 years of experience under her belt, she’s leading the kitchen crew at The Turn Club, a former Quaker Steak & Lube that now has indoor golf simulators, a full bar with 16 beer taps, a large patio and catering services. Each of the dishes (most of them can be made gluten-free) I tried was a hole-in-one. I needed a caddie to help me carry all of the leftovers back to my car.

For my first round, Delaude and her team made chicken meatballs slathered in vodka sauce and herbed ricotta, burrata salad, wings and carne asada tacos containing marinated filet, arugula, avocado, chipotle aioli, feta cheese and pickled Peruvian onions.

CARNE ASADA TACOS | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I decided to double-down on the meat and order marinated filet served on ciabatta bread with caramelized onions, mushrooms, arugula, Asiago cheese and Dijon aioli. It might be my new favorite sandwich. It’s right up there with the 32 burgers I wrote about this year.

Spending an afternoon at The Turn Club was fun, and I don’t even like golf that isn’t miniature. Speaking of mini-golf, my childhood putt-putt place, nearby Mars-Bethel Golf, just added a new out-of-this-world course that pays homage to the Red Planet.

MARS-BETHEL GOLF IN MARS HAS A NEW SPACE-THEMED COURSE. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

An army of little green men could’ve helped me polish off my wedding soup, grilled salmon and Margherita flatbread, but I would never share the cast-iron skillet brownie with chocolate sauce and vanilla gelato, even if my gluttony caused an intergalactic war.

General Manager Diane Murray, who worked with Delaude at MAXX Restaurant in Warrendale, recruited the five-star chef to The Turn Club to give the casual eatery a country club-caliber menu.

“We have the same passion for food and hospitality,” says Murray, who admits to having a sweet tooth. “I will pass up dinner for dessert, but I won’t pass up her food. Everything she makes is outstanding.”

THIS 13-FOOT-TALL, FIBERGLASS SNOWMAN IS LOCATED JUST OFF OF INTERSTATE 79 NEAR MORAINE STATE PARK | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

In 2012, Brian and Debbie LaChance rolled the dice on a new business venture by purchasing a 13-foot-tall, fiberglass snowman.

Either they were going to have the coolest ice cream stand around or the biggest Christmas decoration in Portersville, Pa. They spent the next year preparing a section of their 6-acre, rural property for the grand opening.

Luckily, customers warmed to The Snowman right away. When the mercury rises, they gather in droves in front of the big guy — who’s located at 238 E. Portersville Road, just off of Interstate 79 near Moraine State Park — to buy shave ice, milkshakes, sundaes, frappes, Hershey’s ice cream and pup cups.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Frozen treats taste better when they come from the belly of a colossal Frosty.

The Snowman begins its season every April as a weekends-only operation and ramps up to a six-day-a-week production by Memorial Day. It’s open from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Last licks will be available on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2. The Snowman stays dormant during the winter, but a mobile unit, introduced in 2016, appears at regional events year-round.

There’s always been a flurry of activity at the LaChance homestead.

The couple — he’s a Vermont native, she grew up in Northwestern, Pennsylvania — bought the plot of land in 1997 and raised kids, dogs, horses and chickens there while working full-time jobs.

As Brian mowed the pasture one summer afternoon, he noticed dozens of vehicles driving by on State Route 488. Most were towing boats for a fun-filled day on Lake Arthur in Moraine State Park. An ad man by trade, he thought a shave ice stand along the busy thoroughfare would be a seasonal gold mine. Debbie already had experience in the food service industry and the family made bank by selling farm-fresh eggs to passing motorists.

Brian’s mind swirled like a blizzard.

He wanted to create a destination that tourists would include in their summertime traditions for generations; sort of like a Butler County version of Gus & YiaYia’s. (The iconic ice ball cart is currently in its 90th season at Allegheny Commons Park on Pittsburgh’s North Side.)

After a few false starts and a lot of research, the LaChances learned that a Twistee Treat ice cream-cone shaped structure was for sale in Cincinnati. Founded in 1983, the Florida-based sweets company has 36 locations throughout the Sunshine State.

While visiting a warehouse filled with novelty architecture, they spotted a giant snowman for sale. He was weatherbeaten, with a navy blue hat and black mittens clutching a hunter green snow cone. Since the early 1980s, he’s moved like a cold front across the country, from New Mexico to Texas to Mississippi to Ohio.

With a makeover and some help from the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (the organization helped the LaChances plow through a lot of red tape), The Snowman opened in 2013. He’s been melting hearts ever since.

Up to four employees can occupy his igloo-like interior to dish out 24 varieties of gluten-free, cane sugar shave ice and other goodies. The best-selling Yeti Sundae combines your favorite shave ice flavor with vanilla or chocolate ice cream topped with whipped cream.

There are a few tables with umbrellas in the gravel parking lot, along with bench swings that allow visitors to view the beautiful countryside. The LaChances rent out their barn to a local equestrian. If you’re lucky, there will be horses grazing in the pasture, including Hank, a miniature stallion who is in love with a large mare named T.T. (that’s short for Too Tall).

It’s an idyllic scene, although some folks think the smiling snowman is a little creepy.

In April, film director Robert Lanphere used The Snowman as a shooting location for his horror movie “Locus.” The Art Institute of Pittsburgh graduate hopes to release the chiller next summer through Atomic Fear Films.

When Brian posted about the on-camera action via The Snowman’s Facebook page, it went viral among horror buffs, who consider the area a hotbed for the genre ever since George Romero filmed “Night of the Living Dead” in nearby Evans City.

The LaChances aren’t fans of blood-curdling screams (unless, of course, they’re for ice cream), but they are happy to support independent artists. They’re also active in the community, donating gift certificates to the Butler County Federated Library System’s summer reading initiative, a dessert version of Pizza Hut’s famed Book It! Program. Feed your head, get a brain freeze!

The Snowman has attained landmark status in Portersville, but is that just the tip of the iceberg for the business? After a lifetime of hard work, Brian and Debbie say they would rather chill out than franchise.

In this economic climate, I don’t blame them for getting cold feet.

PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE BOOK EDITOR KRISTOFER COLLINS READS AT THE HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER READING SERIES KICK-OFF AT HOP FARM BREWING CO. PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER.

There once was a keg full of beer
that started to tremble with fear.
Barkeep pulled the tap.
The keg said, “Oh, crap!
A bunch of poets are here!”

Writers, like myself, have been known to knock back a few pints for inspiration, so it’s fitting that the long-running Hemingway’s Summer Poetry Series has a new home at Hop Farm Brewing Co. in Lawrenceville.

Through August, events will be held at 7 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday at 5601 Butler St. There will be five featured readers each night followed by several open-mic slots. Co-hosts and curators Joan Bauer and Kristofer Collins are happy to carry the torch lit by late Pittsburgh poet Jimmy Cvetic.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

“It started 50 years ago, or thereabouts,” says Collins, Pittsburgh Magazine’s Literary Editor. “We’re poets, so we strive for emotional accuracy, not facts.”

The series was created as an all-inclusive extension of the fall and spring programs overseen by Bruce Dobler and Ed Ochester, writers and faculty members of the University of Pittsburgh English department. (Dobler, who died in 2010, was my favorite professor when I studied creative writing at Pitt.)

For decades, local and nationally known poets met at Hemingway’s Cafe, an Oakland bar that was, and still is, a popular hangout for literary types. Since Fuel and Fuddle closed last year, it’s one of the last haunts remaining from my college days. Speaking of blasts from the past, the series’ website features audio recordings of readings dating back to 2011. It’s an artistic time capsule that’s a lot of fun to hear.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

After a pandemic pause, the event moved to Bloomfield’s White Whale Bookstore for a few seasons, but, because readings tend to stretch late into the evening, Bauer and Collins thought it would be better suited for a nighttime venue.

I think Hop Farm is the perfect place for the Hemingway series to grow. Located on a quiet stretch of Butler Street, the large space offers an array of tasty brews and food. Customers can order at the bar or by scanning a QR code at their table.

At one point, Collins and his wife, Anna Johnson, frequent Hop Farm patrons, had a sandwich named after them. Owner Matt Gouwens says the Kris & Anna, a sausage patty slathered in Buffalo sauce with chunks of blue cheese, might make a return to the menu along with some poetry-inspired surprises.

I attended the inaugural Hop Farm event on May 14. People packed the 7,000-square-foot warehouse space to hear poets Jan Beatty, Ben Gwin, Amy Lee Heinlen, Hallie Pritts and Fred Shaw read their work. Books, authored by the speakers, were also for sale.

Surrounded by kegs and against a backdrop of wooden barrels, they shared their stories and bared their souls to an enthusiastic all-ages audience. Subjects ranged from reincarnation and worker’s rights to gender and parenthood.

Heinlen, co-creator of Lefty Blondie Press, has been writing poetry since she was a child. She’s a veteran of the Hemingway’s series but hadn’t read her work publicly in a long time. She wore dangly, book-shaped earrings for the occasion.

“I’m always nervous before a reading,” she says, “but it’s such a supportive and loving group. I see a lot of friendly faces here. My work is sonically driven. I delight in the sound of it. Poetry is meant to be read aloud.”

Bauer, one of the co-hosts who taught English and journalism history for many years, began penning poetry in 2000.

“A lot had happened in my life,” she says. “I needed some avenue of expression. I got involved with various poetry groups. It helped me a lot.”

The organizers are excited to bring back the open-mic portion of the series, giving a platform to new and diverse voices.

“I hope people enjoy it and want to come back,” Collins says. “We encourage people who aren’t poets to read their work. Sometimes, at the end of the night, you end up with three more poets.”

Maybe, with a little liquid courage, I’ll read some of my boozy limericks at Hop Farm this summer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOYAGER CIDER

A remote Alaskan village accessible only by boat or plane was the launchpad for Pittsburgh’s Voyager Cider.

After spending six years as a public school teacher in The Last Frontier, Pennsylvania native and avid homebrewer Derek Luke decided to make the 6,000-mile journey back to the Keystone State.

He “adopted” a 1977 Volkswagen Bus named Sebastian and hit the open road. (The previous owners left 250,000 miles on the odometer, a Grateful Dead sticker on the back and a diary of their travels in the glove compartment.)

Thirsty for a new adventure upon his return, Luke teamed up with James Bucki, a fellow vagabond, teacher and brewer, and started making hard cider in 2021. Unlike beer, it’s a beverage both of their wives enjoy.

Inspired by wanderlust and Van Life vibes, they named the business Voyager Cider.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOYAGER CIDER

Inside a fully licensed commercial facility on Luke’s Rosslyn Farms property, the pair makes small-batch, fermented cider using apples from Soergel Orchards and other local farms. Each week, they fill Sebastian with bottles and kegs and pop up at spots around town. You can follow their Steel City exploits via Instagram. You also can find their products on tap at area bars and eateries, including Iron Born Pizza in the Strip District and Shadyside’s Lilith, one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best New Restaurants.

Every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., you’ll find them at Carnegie Coffee Co. at 132 E. Main St., where they sell cider by the bottle and glass. Last Friday, during the first Carnegie Crawl of the season, they debuted an outdoor seating area. Guests kicked a keg of the new blueberry-tinged Boat Day Rosé in about 90 minutes. The guys plan to stock up on the popular liquid before the next borough-wide bash on June 7.

Voyager ciders range from tart, dry, champagne-like beverages made from a singular apple variety to sweeter blends. This summer, keep an eye out for a pineapple cider with hints of ginger.

No matter what Voyager you drink, it’s sure to be out of this world.

Bucki, who hails from Buffalo, enjoys the challenge of creating complex ciders that, unlike a lot of mass produced brands, don’t rely on high sugar content to please palates.

“I love the science of it,” he says. “Our first recipe was too sickly sweet, so we did a lot of research and got in touch with veteran cider makers. It’s all about learning from people who came before you and figuring out how to make things on your own.”

As a beer drinker, I like the subtle floral notes of Northern Spy, which is made from apples of the same name. The ABV hovers around 7 to 8%, so you can enjoy a glass or two without worrying about having a hangover the next day.

You can even sip while you play a round of putt-putt! Voyager Cider, along with Back Alley Brewing, pops up at Carnegie’s Forsythe Miniature Golf & Snacks on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m.

Luke and Bucki hope Voyager Cider takes off so they can open their own storefront soon. But, for now, they’re just enjoying the ride.

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Moonlit has eclipsed 31 other restaurants to win Pittsburgh Magazine’s Burger Bracket.

Over the past few months, burger-lovin’ ‘Burghers cast thousands of online votes to determine which meaty morsel is the mightiest. A relative newcomer to the dining scene, Moonlit’s Classic Double came out on top. The local chain, which has locations in Dormont and Uptown, a Patty Wagon and a soon-to-open spot in Sewickley — beat out semifinalists Tessaro’s, The Commoner and The Smashery. That’s one giant leap for mankind!

Related: These Are the Best Burgers in Pittsburgh

As food editor, I’d like to thank all of the eateries on my list and the folks who took my recommendations, visited these fine establishments and voted. I’m happy to raise awareness, even if it means raising my cholesterol.

I consumed 32 burgers throughout the city, but I’m still looking forward to my next one. Per my doctor’s recommendation, that meal will be many moons from now.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAKE SHACK

There’ll be a whole lot of shaking going on in the Strip District this month.

On Monday, May 20, Pittsburgh’s first Shake Shack is slated to open at The Terminal at 1767 Smallman St. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

The company, which debuted in New York City in 2004 and has more than 500 locations worldwide, is known for putting an elevated, made-to-order spin on American classics such as burgers, crinkle-cut fries and milkshakes.

Related: These Are the Best Burgers in Pittsburgh

For every sandwich sold on opening day, Shake Shack will donate $1 to 412 Food Rescue, a local nonprofit that collects excess good food and redirects it to those experiencing food insecurity. In addition to made-to-order eats, the Shack sells house-made lemonades, wine and beer, including Shackmeister Ale, brewed as a perfect companion to the menu.

Customers can order at the counter or pre-order ahead for pickup or delivery via the Shack App. Ordering online at order.shakeshack.com will become available in the coming weeks. The Terminal Shack will also feature a walk-up window for folks seeking an added level of convenience when ordering ahead.

The first wave of guests will receive custom totes, stickers and postcards in collaboration with love, Pittsburgh. The yinzer welcome wagon also includes music and fanfare from Pittsburgh Steeline, a professional drumline that performs at all Steelers home games.

Related: Pittsburgh International Airport Is Getting a Shake Shack — And a Lot More

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Yinzer Dogs, a food truck peddling franks, fries, kielbasa sammiches, pop and pierogies, might be the most Pittsburghy thing in Pittsburgh.

Saddened by the pandemic closing of the Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland, a group of locals started an eatery that catered to the Pittsburgh palate. The team includes comedian Jim Krenn, KDKA Radio host Larry Richert, chef Doug Mariani, cartoonist Rob Rogers, “Growing Up Yinzer” author Dick Roberts and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

That’s like a Culinary Steel Curtain!

This summer, a 900-square-foot, brick-and-mortar shop with an expanded menu is scheduled to open at 1908 Penn Ave. in the Strip District, right next to Roland’s. Until then, Yinzer Dogs is running wild through the City of Champions.

I met up with Krenn and Roberts Dahntahn at One Oxford Center, the truck’s regular Wednesday lunch spot. (I was running late due to construction delays and Krenn was behind because he had to save a South Side parking space for his girlfriend. Having no chair available, he just stood in the middle of the street until she arrived. That’s the epitome of Pittsburgh romance!

We chatted over natural casing dogs reminiscent of The O’s, grilled kielbasa loaded with peppers and onions on Cellone’s Italian bread, hand-cut spuds and Yinzer Bites, tiny pierogies dusted with a magical seasoning that turns your belly into a bottomless pit. I want Mariani — whose family ran Bloomfield’s legendary Pleasure Bar for 25 years — to know that I housed a basket of ‘em and still craved more.

YINZER BITES | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Let’s go pit, indeed.

These guys aren’t strangers to selling sentimental snacks. Their parent company, Yinzer Cards, specializes in humorous greetings you can snail-mail to your friends, family and Pittsburgh ex-pats. Proceeds benefit Animal Friends, a no-kill shelter in Ohio Township.

Before unleashing the hounds via food truck, Yinzer Cards partnered with Canonsburg-based Sarris Candies to launch a line of Steel City-centric sweets, including chocolate Yinzer Bars and dark chocolate-covered popcorn called Pittsburgh Pothole Filler. On a hot summer day, nothing chills you aht quite like an ice-cold can of Allegheny River Water. The cola (we don’t say soda in black-and-gold country) and several other flavors are brewed in collaboration with Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop and canned by Appalachian Brewing Co.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Even after decades doing comedy, Krenn says this is the most fun he’s ever had on the job. Working with friends can be a slippy slope, but their meetings are 90 minutes of jaggin’ arahnd.

“That’s what I love about the partnership,” he says. “Everyone pitches in with their own expertise and everyone gets along. We want to keep it going through quality, caring, loyalty and charity.”

The Strip District native hopes Yinzer Dogs restaurants pop up throughout the region and  become beloved joints where generations of ‘Burghers can go to enjoy a good meal and chew the fat with their nebby neighbors.

Jeet jet?

PHOTO BY SCATTERED PICTURES

If you’re in the mood for plant-based food, go to Pittsburgh VegFair this Saturday. Consider it an appetizer before the main course that is August’s Pittsburgh VegFest.

On May 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., vendors and vegheads will gather at an indoor and outdoor space at Rockwell Park in North Point Breeze. The 24-acre mixed use development is across the street from event sponsor East End Food Co-op.

Since VegFest is now in its 10th year, organizers wanted to give people a taste of what’ll be sprouting up at the big anniversary bash on Aug. 10 at Allegheny Commons Park, the historic North Side green space that just got an upgrade. Between 8,000 to 10,000 people are expected to attend.

Although the free fair is a scaled-down version of the free fest, there will be differences. Most notably, there’ll be a place to plant yourself. Along with live entertainment, skateboarding demos, games and activities for kids and adults, there will be seating areas where folks can enjoy their farm-grown grub. No pets other than service animals are allowed at the event, so get a doggie bag.

The vendor area will include 75 wellness advocates, nonprofit organizations and local veggie-forward eateries such as ShadoBeni, Pitaland and Moodz Co., a vegan place that recently opened at 2210 E. Carson St. on the South Side. This is not to be confused with Pilez, the new Oakland take-out joint that, although tasty, is pretty much the opposite of good-for-you food.

MOODZ CO. IS OPEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I swung by Moodz on Monday and it really did lift my spirits. There are hammock seats at a table in the back and the colorful Smiley face decor reminds me of my fifth-grade Trapper Keeper. I’m still warming up to vegan food, but I enjoyed a Buffalo CHKN Sandwich with an oyster mushroom masquerading as the poultry. It looks like a deep-fried bird, even when you slice it, but the consistency is much mushier. My mouth was confused, but that didn’t stop me from devouring my lunch in less than a minute.

BUFFALO CHKN SANDWICH AT MOODZ CO. | PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Leila Sleiman, who founded VegFest in 2015 with friend and fellow animal advocate Natalie Fristick, says most attendees are like me: carnivores who are curious about the herbivore diet. Although several vegan spots have closed in the past few years, there’s still a lot of great food out there.

VegFair and VegFest help businesses and customers connect over plant-based goodies.

“Just come out and enjoy the day,” Sleiman says. “Eat something you’ve never tried before.”

GINA MERANTE | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Gina Merante can’t stand the sight of an empty shelf.

On an unseasonably warm afternoon in late February, I find the 58-year-old transferring 800 pounds of produce from her car into Bloomfield’s Linea Verde Green Market. While restocking the 224-square-foot space with colorful fruits and vegetables, she chats with regular customers who she refers to as “my kids.”

Julianna Ross, Merante’s only biological daughter and the store’s sole employee, hands me a slice of Sumo Citrus, an oversized Japanese fruit that’s a cross between a navel orange, a pomelo and a mandarin.

I take a bite. It tastes like candy.

“If I wouldn’t eat it, I wouldn’t sell it to you,” Merante says before popping a piece into her mouth and smiling.

She opened the Liberty Avenue store a decade ago, but she’s been feeding people most of her life.

Merante’s large Italian family lived in Mt. Lebanon and ran produce stands throughout the city, including Groceria Merante, a fixture in Oakland since 1979. Her late uncle Sal Merante was well-known in that neighborhood for his stylish suits and white, handlebar mustache.

In Bloomfield, Gina Merante is a bonafide celebrity, too. People pass the shop and scream “GINA!” at the top of their lungs. Others come inside to say hello and purchase imported goods and local products, including small harvests from area farmers, Forma pasta and milk, Sausalido Premium spices, Pittsburgh Honey, eggs and cheese from Twin Brook Dairy Co., brothmonger soups and La Prima Espresso coffee. Dogs wait patiently on the front step for their daily treat and belly rub.

Most business transactions end with Merante unleashing a rapid-fire “OK thanks. I love you. Bye!”

Linea Verde is a cornucopia of good vibes. It’s decorated with hand-made cards and children’s artwork, photos of Merante’s beloved Boston terriers Basil and Sage, souvenirs from her regular trips to Sicily, a framed portrait of Sophia Loren and whimsical sayings printed on produce boxes. One piece of cardboard taped to the wall reads, “Hearts, minds and coconuts are better open.”

GINA MERANTE AND HER DAUGHTER, JULIANNA ROSS | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Ross, 27, recently started a career as a dietetic technician, so she isn’t able to help out at the shop as much, but she still maintains the market’s social media pages. Snapshots of her mom beaming next to big piles of green peppers get hundreds of likes.

Pittsburgh’s Patron Saint of Produce is located a few doors down from the Saint Ravioli store and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Store. It’s truly a blessed block. Merante’s store is named in honor of “Linea Verde,” the longest-running program on Italian public television. For more than 50 years, it’s been featuring stories about food and culture.

Merante and Ross, who made me laugh harder than any scripted comedy series I’ve seen, need their own reality TV show. Not only would it be entertaining, it’d be educational, too, since the dynamic duo enjoy teaching folks about nutritious food and how to prepare it.

Merante does admit that she has a weakness for cheese.

“The happiest people eat cheese,” she says, holding up a large wedge. “This is a single-serving size for me.”

The tiny storefront can barely contain its proprietor’s larger-than-life personality. When the weather warms, Merante keeps the front door propped open. In the summer, when Linea Verde’s facade is obstructed by a veritable forest of flowers and greenery, the self-confessed “crazy plant lady” sets up a sidewalk taco stand and dishes out advice on myriad topics.

She’s Bloomfield’s listening ear, helping hand, and shoulder to cry on. She’s also a community resource, stocking the shelves of area food pantries and making sure small business owners have the best supplies.

Wes Shonk, owner of Goodlander Cocktail Brewery in Larimer, relies on fresh fruit to make ready-to-serve, effervescent beverages that are kegged and poured straight from the tap.

“Linea Verde is our go-to vendor for hard-to-find seasonal fruits,” he says. “Gina knows how to get things like the best peaches, mangos and blood oranges. Plus she has all the connections to know when the first shipments are arriving in Pittsburgh, which gives us the longest possible window to feature their limited seasons.”

Although she has a house in Brookline, Merante spends most of her time either at the store or buying things to fill it. Each day at 5:30 a.m., she heads to Consumer Fresh Produce in the Strip District and packs her car with fruits and veggies, just like her dad, Giuseppe Merante, did until his death in 1991. Some of the salesmen who worked for her father are still in business. Pete Machi, the city’s berry buyer, named his daughter Gina.

If there’s a vegetarian trend sprouting up on social media, Linea Verde Green Market is usually the first place in the city where folks can find it. It’s the kind of old-fashioned establishment that’s disappearing from a landscape dotted with big box grocery warehouses.

Merante considers her shop a fruit and vegetable museum.

As we continue to talk, a teenager enters the store and gives Merante a wave. She tells him to grab a cookie from the table in the back. Earlier that day, his younger brother stopped in for an after-school snack.

“I know his whole diet,” Merante says with a laugh. “He gets whatever he wants. Sometimes I cook for him on my electric skillet, but today it was half a gallon of chocolate milk and an orange. I love what I do. I’m the luckiest person alive.”

PHOTOS BY KRISTY GRAVER

I scream, you scream, Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream is closing!

The Oakland company – started in 1983 by pals Dave Tuttle and Andy Hardie  — will serve its last scoop of hand-churned, small-batch goodness on April 28. 

After a weekend of Internet speculation, a post was made Sunday on Dave & Andy’s social media pages stating that Hardie, who has been the sole proprietor of the Atwood Street shop since the early ‘90s, is retiring.

“We would like to thank our friends, families, past and present employees and most of all our loyal, loving customers,” the statement says. “You are what made 40 years possible. We will cherish all the wonderful memories and friendships that have been made over the years.”

As a local, dessert-loving University of Pittsburgh alumna, the thought of losing this Oakland institution melts my heart. At Dave & Andy’s, they put an M&M at the bottom of the freshly made waffle cone to prevent ice cream from dripping out. It will take about a billion of those little, chocolate candies to fill the void in the neighborhood. 

Sorry, Ben & Jerry, but yinz guys just don’t compare to Dave & Andy.

Like Fuel and Fuddle, the first Mad Mex and The Original Hot Dog Shop, beloved Oakland eateries that have closed over the past few years, Dave & Andy’s was a frequent stop for me during my four years at Pitt. I experienced so many brain freezes there, it’s a wonder I graduated.

My favorite flavor was Beer & Oreos.

Even after I moved out of Oakland, I’d visit those businesses to eat and reminisce about my college days. There are new restaurants in the spaces I consider hallowed ground. I’ve visited them in an attempt to connect with the hungry ghosts of my past.

On July 10, 2010, my then-8-month-old daughter Sarah had her first taste of ice cream at Dave & Andy’s. That’s probably why it’s her favorite food.

Hopefully, the scent of waffle cones will linger in the air long after the shop closes for the final time. Once that’s gone, there won’t be much left in Oakland that brings back such fond memories for me.