KAWS, UNTITLED (KIMPSONS), PACKAGE PAINTING SERIES, 2001, © KAWS, PHOTO BRAD BRIDGERS

BEST BET

Commercial Collaboration: “KAWS + Warhol”

Through Jan. 20 | The Andy Warhol Museum

Despite the generational gap between the artists, seeing their work next to each other seems natural. Throughout the exhibition “KAWS + Warhol,” part of The Andy Warhol Museum’s 30th anniversary celebration, you’ll find examples from the Pop Art legend juxtaposed with that of contemporary Brooklyn-based artist KAWS.

One wall contains about 2,000 cereal boxes the artist created as part of a project for General Mills in 2022 — within sight of Warhol’s famous Brillo Boxes, an example of how both artists blurred the lines of art and commercialism. On the second floor, you’ll find Warhol’s car crash and electric chair artworks hanging near KAWS’ Chum figure behind bars or in sober black and white.

“With Warhol, people think glamour, Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minnelli, Studio 54, bright colors … the same with KAWS — they think about cartoon characters, bright shiny objects,” says Warhol Director Patrick Moore, who curated the show. “But if you really look at them, there’s this undercurrent that makes them, at least for me, much more interesting — which is a fascination with death, tragedy, sadness, compassion, nostalgia.”

— Lauren Davidson

MUSEUM

“The Science Behind Pixar”

Through Jan. 5 | Carnegie Science Center

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MALYSZKO

Since the release of “Toy Story” in 1995, Pixar has been making folks laugh, think and cry with its tales of life experiences, human and otherwise. How do they do it? Pixarburgh, or “The Science Behind Pixar,” is the exhibit that will answer that question and a few more. Kids of all ages can take selfies with Pixar characters like Buzz Lightyear, explore two floors of STEM playgrounds and poke around in more than 50 interactive displays.

ART

“Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers”

Through July 28 | Pittsburgh Glass Center

PHOTO BY MARQUES REDD AND MIKAEL OWUNNA

The history of Egyptian deities is a fascinating topic, but you have to really dig into it (pun intended) to find out how rich it is. After doing just that, arts nonprofit Rainbow Serpent created 16 life-sized glass sculptures that reimagine these deities as Black, same-gender-loving men. The “Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers” exhibition evokes thoughts about the spiritual purpose of Black LGBTQ people and how to revive ancient traditions.

MUSIC

Norah Jones

July 8 | Heinz Hall

Come away with Norah Jones as she tours in support of her new album “Visions.” The nine-time Grammy winner will wrap you in her ethereal old-soul vocals and serene piano stylings. She might even step out from behind the piano to pluck a few strings on the guitar.

BENEFIT

House Party

July 13 | Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s annual House Party benefit is your chance to party with a purpose. Immerse yourself in a cabaret-style night of down-and-dirty dancing, musical performances and artistically drawn temporary tattoos. You can either come to sweat it out on the dance floor with DJ QRX and ROJO or upgrade your ticket to a VIP for an exclusive performance by dance artist Jesse Factor, hors d’oeuvres and an open bar — all to celebrate the theater’s artists, programming and community.

MUSIC

Northside Music Festival

July 12-14 | Various Sites

Three days of free live music in the heart of Deutschtown is likely on quite a few Pittsburghers’ summer wish lists. The Northside Music Festival is making it happen with multiple musical acts from various genres. Even if the music isn’t what draws you, there will also be art vendors, food and all sorts of family-friendly activities — a little bit of something for everyone.

MUSIC

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall

July 19 | PNC Theatre

If you are over 40, you most likely own or have owned a vinyl copy of “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Alpert is a legendary trumpet player and all-around musician who has been paramount in shaping other musicians in and beyond his time. Find him at the Pittsburgh Playhouse with his Grammy Award-winning wife, Lani Hall, in an evening presented by MCG Jazz.

To be considered for coverage, send details to Events Editor, Pittsburgh Magazine, Washington’s Landing, 600 Waterfront Drive, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or email magevents@pittsburghmagazine.com. The deadline for September 2024 events is July 15. Include the event name, address, website, date and a brief overview.

PHOTO BY HAWK PHOTOGRAPHY AND MULTIMEDIA LLC

BEST BET

Broadway at the Ballpark

Wild Things Park | June 30

The 1955 musical comedy “Damn Yankees” brought baseball to Broadway, weaving a supernatural tale about the hard-luck Washington Senators and a devilish deal for glory on the diamond.

This month, Little Lake Theatre Company will reverse that journey, bringing musical theater — including selections from “Damn Yankees” — to the outfield. Broadway at the Ballpark will feature a cabaret-style review presented by Little Lake’s roster of performers, staged in center field at Wild Things Park.

“We’re excited,” says Patrick Cannon, Little Lake’s artistic director. “It’s the inaugural go at it, so it’ll be an interesting endeavor and journey.” He adds that the event hits “the sweet spot” for him personally; he’s a devotee of both theater and the national pastime.

Fans will be invited to bring chairs and picnic blankets onto the field, the home grass for the Frontier League’s Washington Wild Things, after stopping at the concession stands; what’s a night at the ballpark without a hot dog, after all? Cannon says the Wild Things have been great partners for the Canonsburg-based theater and hopes that Little Lake will eventually “be able to do a full production out on the field.”

Will that full production be a certain devilish musical comedy? We’ll have to wait and see — but we bet “Whatever Lola Wants” will sound pretty good under the outfield lights.

— Sean Collier

COMEDY

Select Start Live! Part 2

June 8 | Arcade Comedy Theater

The hottest show at Arcade Comedy Theater this June is Select Start Live! Part 2. Expect short-form improv, drag performer Chi Chi de Vivre and stand-up comedy by Arcade interim executive director Katie Tarara, topped off with brand-new sketches written and performed by local troupe Select Start. Interactive games will give audience members a chance to contribute to the laughs.

CULTURE

Jubilee Parade

June 14-16 | Point State Park and Market Square

This year’s Juneteenth Celebration recognizes the holiday with the Jubilee Parade, a 51 Years of Hip-Hop Celebration and educational programs. Hosted by Stop the Violence-Pittsburgh since 2013, the festival will bring thousands of attendees ready to commemorate historical events like the end of slavery and the passing of the 15th Amendment.

MUSIC

Kim Gordon’s “The Collective”

June 15 | Mr. Smalls

Modest polymath Kim Gordon is bringing her new solo project, “The Collective,” to Mr. Smalls for a standing-room-only experience. Described in the Los Angeles Times as “an uncompromising blend of noise and melody, bursts of avant-garde guitar and underground hip-hop,” “The Collective” is a whole vibe that probably won’t even let you sit down.

FOOD

Father’s Day BBQ Brunch

June 16 | National Aviary

Dads love a BBQ, and this year’s Father’s Day BBQ Brunch at the National Aviary is a perfect way to show Dad some love. As much as he may want to, there’s no need for him to grab his grilling gear. In addition to brisket biscuits, chicken and waffles, the spread will include typical brunch treats, including vegetarian and vegan options.

COMEDY

Pinky Patel

June 19 | Pittsburgh Improv

“Hello my Priends, welcome to my channel!” If you have spent any time on Instagram, you’re probably familiar with Pinky Patel and her honest comedic commentary on life with her “roommates,” aka her husband and children. With a crown atop her head, Patel claims to be more contained on social media — which leaves plenty of room for her live show to go off the rails.

ART

TattooMania

June 21-23 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Tattoos have become an amazing form of self-expression and artistic creation. Pittsburgh TattooMania puts all aspects of tattoo artistry in the spotlight for fans and creators alike. More than 200 of the best tattoo artists from all over the world will showcase their craft and compete in competitions. If you want to add to your tattoo collection (or break the seal by getting your first ink), this is the place to do it.

MUSIC

Four Chord Music Fest

June 22-23 | Carrie Furnace

FOUR CHORD MUSIC FEST | PHOTOS BY NICK PREZIOSO

It’s the 10th anniversary of Pittsburgh’s Four Chord Music Fest — and a big anniversary deserves a big venue. Head to Carrie Furnace for two full days of music with more than 20 bands under the sun and the moon. Headliners The All-American Rejects will close out the festival on Sunday night.

MUSIC

Sheila E.

June 27 | City Winery

The term “legend” can be overused, but it is 100% true of drummer and percussionist Sheila E. She has played alongside some pretty big names in music, but it doesn’t get any bigger than Prince. Will City Winery be able to contain the explosive power that is Sheila E. and the E-Train? It feels like something to be experienced firsthand.

ENTERTAINMENT

Unicorn World

June 29-30| David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Unicorn World welcomes families to wander through a photo-worthy world of color and imagination. A Magic Pass gets you access to bounce and bubble houses, and the life-size unicorns around every corner might leave the kids wondering whether or not unicorns are actually real.

To be considered for coverage, send details to Events Editor, Pittsburgh Magazine, Washington’s Landing, 600 Waterfront Drive, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or email magevents@pittsburghmagazine.com. The deadline for August 2024 events is June 15. Include the event name, address, website, date and a brief overview.

SCALLOP CRUDO AT COAST & MAIN

I read somewhere (probably online, so the validity is questionable) that there are so many restaurants in New York City, a person could dine out every night for 54 years and never hit the same place twice.

Although the size of Pittsburgh’s food scene doesn’t compare to The Big Apple’s, it would take a long time to visit every local eatery.

I haven’t managed to hit every one yet, but I’m trying!

Every year, I search for spots that bring something extra to the table. There are a lot of great places to chow down in this town. Here are 25 of them that left a lasting impression and made me want to come back for more.

The List

• Alta Via Ristorante & Alta Via Pizzeria
• Apteka
• Cioppino
• Coast & Main
• Comfort & Spice
• Curbside
• Dish Osteria and Bar
• Eleven
• Fig & Ash
• Fish Nor Fowl
• Hemlock House
• LeMont
• Long Story Short
• Moonlit Burgers
• Nanban
• North Country Brew Pub
• Oak Hill Post
• Pizza Lupo
• Pusadee’s Garden
• Scratch & Co.
• Soju
• Spork
• The Vandal
• Wise County Biscuits & Cafe
• The Wood’s House Historic Pub

Best Brand Expansion

Alta Via Ristorante & Alta Via Pizzeria

Burrito Restaurant Group opened the original Alta Via Ristorante in O’Hara on April Fool’s Day 2019. Alta Via Pizzeria debuted in Larimer’s Bakery Square a few years later on April 12 — the date Pittsburghers celebrate living in the 412 area code.

Alta Via’s Market Square location opened on Oct. 26, 2023. Although no holidays fell on that Thursday, the Christmas tree at PPG Place was already up, so I indulged in bucatini and premature holiday cheer.

The approachable, modern menu is inspired by life in both the Italian Alps and California wine country. It features fresh seafood, vegetable-forward dishes, homemade pasta and gut-busting entrees, including Long Island Duck with gnocchi, Lacinato kale, fig and thyme.

The restaurant also offers weekend brunch, lunchtime sandwiches and gelato made in-house. For a more casual dining experience that’s just as filling, visit AVP. I carbo-loaded by ordering pull-apart bread made with garlic mascarpone, Pecorino Romano and red sauce followed by a rustic, hearth-baked pie topped with pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, red onion, more of that delicious Pecorino Romano, taleggio cream, chives and chili flakes. Any day that you eat at an Alta Via restaurant is a special occasion.

O’Hara Township: 46 Fox Chapel Road
412-408-3816, altaviapgh.com

Downtown: 2 PPG Place
412-408-3816

Larimer: 169 Bakery Square Blvd.
412-755-3387, altaviapizzeria.com

Best Vegan Food

Apteka

Apteka owners Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski are probably the only James Beard Award-nominated chefs to feature a special menu called Crapteka. That’s what I love about them: They serve seriously good food with a sense of humor.

For several weeks every January, the pair puts their typical Central and Eastern European fare (which is anything but ordinary) on hold and dish out vegan-friendly “junk” food. It’s all made from scratch, from the buckwheat burger patties and buns to the sunflower seed ice cream.

If you’re new to vegan cuisine, it’s a nice introduction to plant-based grub. Chances are you’ll recognize a few things on the regular menu, too, including Pittsburgh’s unofficial official dish: pierogi. I urge you to visit Apteka throughout the year to break out of your comfort food comfort zone.

Try something like the Kluski Śląskie z Kopą Warzyw and see why the James Beard Foundation thinks Lasky and Skowronski are no joke.

Bloomfield: 4606 Penn Ave.
412-251-0189, aptekapgh.com

Best Meat-and-Potatoes Restaurant

Cioppino

I’ve always been a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl, but, lately, my spud intake has skyrocketed. Cioppino’s executive chef Robert “RC” Carter also has a deep-rooted love for tubers.

“We are a seafood and steak house with a potato problem,” says Carter, who grew up in his mother’s Detroit soul food restaurant. He’s helmed the kitchen at Cioppino since 2017.

Humble taters pop up all over the all-star menu; they’re in the creamy roasted chicken soup and accompany both the halibut and the rack of lamb. If they don’t come with your entree, by all means, order them as a side, which Cioppino refers to as an “enhancement.” For brunch — served every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — I recommend springing for the lox board, which includes a housemade potato waffle and crispy layered potatoes.

On a chilly night last October, when I was craving a hearty meal, I ordered the ultimate stick-to-your-ribs dish — beef short rib with demi-glace, Brussels sprouts and whipped potatoes that were so rich, flavorful and creamy, I wanted to immerse myself in them.

Are potato spas a thing? They should be. Cioppino’s lounge menu includes 1000 Layer Tots, thin slices of potato stacked and deep fried into bricks of crispy perfection.

I want to build a house out of them using the horseradish aioli dipping sauce as mortar and eat my way out.

Strip District: 2350 Railroad St.
412-281-6593, cioppinoofpittsburgh.com

Best Restaurant in a Mall

Coast & Main

As ’90s teens, my friends and I spent a lot of time in Monroeville Mall’s food court. We lurched around like zombies (after all, “Dawn of the Dead” was filmed there) while eating Manchu Wok samples and as many slices of Sbarro pizza as our paltry allowances could afford.

My, how times have changed.

In 2018, the shopping center welcomed Coast & Main, a gourmet seafood and chophouse where even the kid’s menu features a 4-ounce filet mignon. Now I can visit my adolescent stomping grounds, once a culinary wasteland, and order a bone-in ribeye, Chilean sea bass, lobster tail and — since I’m well over 21 — a drink at the bar!

Chef Ricky Kirsop grew up in Portland, Oregon, exploring the state’s forests and shoreline. He attended culinary school there and worked for hometown powerhouse McCormick & Schmick’s. He helped open the company’s Pittsburgh location in 2005.

Although he’s been a longtime landlubber, his love for the ocean is evident in the dishes he makes with seafood flown in daily. Catch a Pacific cod crusted in potato and parm with roasted garlic cream. At the bar, you can order crab cake sliders, salmon cakes and Tuna Tataki along with a Northwest Berry Julep.

Coast & Main is a fusion of land and sea, East and West, heart and soul. I know 16-year-old Kristy would want me to zombie-walk to the Gap for a new flannel shirt and then spring for the surf and turf.

Monroeville: 705 Mall Circle Drive
412-380-6022, coastandmain.com

Best Pop-Up Kitchen

Comfort & Spice

Comfort & Spice, a collapsible kitchen that pops up at area breweries to dish out gourmet soups and stews, might make you adopt a liquid lifestyle.

From borscht and matzah ball to Czech beef goulash and Spanish bean, Toby Vann serves comfort food from a self-designed, pallet-sized kiosk — the first of its kind in Allegheny County; it includes two professional-grade induction hotplates, a panini press, rice cooker, silicone countertops, shelving and a handwashing sink.

The structure can fit in a truck bed and be reassembled in about 30 minutes. The soup is available in to-go containers, but folks who slurp on-site can get free second helpings. I recommend staying put and diving into a bowl of tomato paprika soup served with cheesy croutons, Parmesan and herbed sour cream.

When accompanied by one of Vann’s signature grilled cheese sandwiches, it’s the kind of meal that warms the body and soul. Which is why he takes the summer off. Vann just completed a residency at Fermata Brewing Co. in Ambridge and is spending the next month in Norway studying Scandinavian food. He has big plans for Pittsburgh this fall. Take comfort in the fact that the little red soup shack will be back soon to spice things up.

Multiple Locations
instagram.com/comfortandspice_pgh

Best To-Go Grub

Curbside

Curbside is a welcome sight to motorists stuck in traffic on Route 28. You can see the rainbow-bedecked building from the highway — a beacon on a road that seems like it’s always under construction.

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 last fall 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. I’d endure gridlock every day for one.

O’Hara Township: 1101 Powers Run Road
412-828-9810, curbsideontherun.com

Best Romantic Restaurant

Dish Osteria and Bar

My romantic rendezvous at Dish included some fava beans and a nice Chianti. As a film geek, that thrilled me. Luckily, my girlfriend, Dre, is also a fan of “The Silence of the Lambs” and understood the reference. She basked in the cinematic glory of it all right along with me.

That’s true love, folks. The only thing that came between us that evening was a plate of Crostini di Ricotta e Fave, grilled ciabatta bread with homemade ricotta, chives and those famous little legumes.

For my main course, I ordered the housemade potato gnocchi that included Elysian Fields Pure Bred lamb shoulder, another nod to the 1991 Jonathan Demme movie, parts of which were shot in and around Pittsburgh. Dre had the cavatelli tossed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, shallots, crushed red pepper, house made sausage, rapini, oven roasted campari tomatoes, pecorino and basil.

In a Hollywood ending, we topped off the meal with Tiramisú and Limoncello cheesecake. Even if carbo-loading by candlelight and imitating Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins isn’t your idea of a hot date, please know that Dish owners Michele and Cindy Savoia roll out the red carpet for each one of their guests.

The place is small, so make a reservation, or try to get a sneak preview at the bar. Dish is a culinary blockbuster.

South Side: 128 S. 17th St.
412-390-2012, dishosteria.com

Best Uniquely Pittsburgh Dining Experience

Eleven

If you want to have a uniquely Pittsburgh dining experience, don some black-and-gold attire and go to Eleven.

Located in a renovated Strip District warehouse near some old railroad tracks, the restaurant’s window-filled tavern is in the shadow of a 35-foot, 4-ton Heinz ketchup bottle that stands on a pedestal outside of the neighboring Heinz History Center.

For 20 years, the towering condiment container and its twin adorned the scoreboard at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) and would tilt each time the Steelers or Panthers entered the opposing team’s red zone, an area of the gridiron between the 20-yard line and the goal line. It’s a cool view in an industrial space that, for the past two decades, has served some of the ’Burgh’s best food.

My most recent meal there was a tender pork chop accompanied by crispy grits, carrot puree, braised collard greens and rhubarb BBQ. It was a touchdown for the taste buds. I ate it so fast I was ready for dessert in a matter of minutes.

I continued with the rhubarb theme and went with strawberry rhubarb cheesecake, a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and creamy. Eleven’s prix-fixe brunch menu is a great way to start your day. You get an entree, app and a juice or a cocktail for $39. Order a Bloody Mary and the Eleven burger, a braised veal patty topped with black pepper bacon, crispy onions and your choice of cheese.

As you gaze out at the corner of 12th and Smallman streets, dip some fries in ketchup and raise them in a salute to good ol’ Heinz 57!

Strip District: 1150 Smallman St.
412-201-5656, elevenck.com

Best Recommendation Restaurant

Fig & Ash

When someone asks me for a restaurant recommendation, I usually say Fig & Ash. Not only have I had many wonderful meals at the Deutschtown establishment, but it’s also the first restaurant that I, as a food writer, covered from the groundbreaking to the grand opening.

Interviewing chef Cory Hughes and his team over the years has taught me a lot about the restaurant industry and the passion that’s required to make a culinary dream a reality. If it’s your first visit, someone in your party must order the short-rib-and-pork-belly meatloaf.

I’ve written entire articles about this entree and it never disappoints. It’s a Fig & Ash fixture, but other items on the seasonal menu are just as delightful and filling. On a recent date night, my girlfriend and I split the family-style plate of spaghetti with San Marzano tomato, Italian sausage, crab, bay scallops and Calabrian chili.

We also shared an order of Brussels sprouts. These green buds are often viewed as villains in the vegetable kingdom, but when prepared with black pepper honey, goat cheese and cherry, they will rule your world.

The place, including the four-season courtyard, is usually packed. If you don’t have a reservation, take a chance on the bar, where the entire “farm-to-flame” menu is available fresh out of the wood-fired oven.

We snagged two seats and had a wonderful conversation with the bartender about astrology. A return trip to Fig & Ash is written in the stars.

North Side: 514 East Ohio St.
412-321-2222, figandashpgh.com

Best Comeback

Fish Nor Fowl

I’ve been in love with this Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group eatery since it opened in 2018. When the pandemic started, it closed its doors and — aside from hosting a few holiday pop-ups — remained shuttered until Valentine’s Day 2023.

I’m still head-over-heels for Fish Nor Fowl. The name, taken from an old Norwegian saying, means, “hard to classify.” I guess you could call the place a rustically modern, Italian-inspired open kitchen with a floor-to-ceiling plant wall that’ll make you think spring, a second floor with a wintry hunting lodge aesthetic and a patio with distinctly summer vibes.

Last fall, like a bear preparing to hibernate, I ate a loaf of buckwheat focaccia and an autumnal manicotti highlighted by butternut squash, ricotta, brown butter and sage. In the springtime, you’ll find a nice assortment of small plates such as shrimp mixed with garlic, white wine, lemon, cherry tomatoes and pickled celery and bigger helpings of seafood linguine and chicken parm.

Just go there and — I promise — it’ll all make sense.

Garfield: 5523 Penn Ave.
412-460-4644, fishnorfowlpgh.com

Best Menu for the Adventurous Eater

Hemlock House

At Hemlock House, owner Josh Sickels and chef Mike Allison have created a quirky spot that shrieks “Twin Peaks” and has a no-holds-barred menu. Like the cult television series from the ’90s, it takes a lot of unexpected turns.

Uni bucatini, an Italian-sushi mashup, is a mouthwatering mix of uni (the edible part of a sea urchin) and sake cream sauce, stracciatella, black masago, bucatini and American Grana cheese. You’ll find snacks, handhelds, small and large plates and desserts, and adventurous early birds can enjoy a weekend brunch that includes pork belly hash and andouille benedict.

There aren’t too many Pittsburgh eateries offering duck burgers. The patty, a mix of duck breast and beef fat, is topped with micro greens, Luxardo cherries, caramelized onions and Boursin cheese on a challah bun. Save room for corn-battered hushpuppies, consisting of lump crab and diced slab bacon topped with scallions, fish sauce and bonito flakes.

Pair those pups with a glass of Sloop John B., a mix of Beefeater Gin, lime, raspberry preserves and Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale. Hemlock House is a bastion for irreverent eats and cocktails and boasts one of the best bar playlists around. (In addition to running Rockaway Pizza in White Oak, Sickels is in the local band Animal Scream.)

I’m a firm believer that nursing a strong cocktail in a dark, atmospheric bar with a killer soundtrack and off-kilter food is good for the soul.

Swissvale: 1126 S. Braddock Ave.
412-660-2742, hemlockhousepgh.com

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Town Guest

LeMont

LeMont used to intimidate me with its marble floors, chandeliers, maître d’ and rack of lamb. It seemed a little too fancy pants for this threadbare food writer. When I learned that LeMont’s new executive chef was a guy from my homebase in Plum, I took it as a sign and made a reservation.

You can find Michael Campbell’s seasonal offerings — including Lobster Boursin Flatbread and Firecracker Shrimp — mixed in with signature dishes such as Steak Diane and Chateaubriand for Two (both prepared tableside), roasted raspberry duck and lemon herb airline chicken.

Related: Have a Monstrously Good Meal at LeMont

Longtime employee Tom Zastawny whipped up a Caesar salad right next to me, gleefully tossing hearts of Romaine with anchovies, mustard, pasteurized egg yolks, lemon, garlic, imported Parmesan cheese and seasoned croutons. It’s the first time this carnivore has been wowed by a salad.

Since 1983, Zastawny’s tableside showmanship has dazzled patrons, including celebrity guests Johnny Carson, Wayne Gretzky, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson and Robert Downey Jr. (on his birthday). My job allows me to eat at a lot of different places, from fast-casual concepts and pop-up kitchens to trendy hot spots and food trucks.

At 64 years old, LeMont is a throwback that adapts to the ever-changing dining scene without losing its identity. And that view of the city skyline made me fall in love with Pittsburgh all over again.

Mount Washington: 1114 Grandview Ave.
412-431-3100, lemontpittsburgh.com

Best Brewery Food

Long Story Short

Once upon a time, Cinderlands Beer Co. opened a taproom in Lawrenceville that served Belgian pub cuisine. Last summer, in a huge plot twist, the brewery owners decided to revamp the Butler Street spot into Long Story Short.

The laidback sandwich joint has a retro rumpus room in the back and an arcade on the mezzanine level that’s plastered with posters of movies I love. The place is one big honkin’ slice of nostalgia and, like a lot of Gen Xers, that’s what I’m craving these days.

You might think the menu is a work of fiction with items such as the Meatball Mac Melt, two pieces of Texas Toast piled with smashed meatballs in a cheesy marinara sauce and yellow mustard, macaroni noodles and Doritos. But it’s real and it’s rad!

There are also classic burgers, tuna melts and Italian subs on Mancini’s bread. The spot is great for tots, and by that I mean the deep-fried potato variety. Pair your extremely happy meal with a Cinderlands brew (Lil’ Cinder Light Beer cans are $3 all day, everyday) or a cocktail and then go shoot some pool and play tabletop Ms. Pac-Man.

Long story short, go to Long Story Short.

Lawrenceville: 3705 Butler St.
412-251-0656, cinderlands.com/locations/long-story-short

Best Restaurant for Kids

Moonlit Burgers

If you’ve got young kids, college kids or you’re just a big kid at heart, Moonlit Burgers is the space for you. The company — known for its famous smash burgers — has colorful eateries in Dormont and on Duquesne University’s Uptown campus, plus a food truck cheekily named the Patty Wagon.

Who doesn’t love a rolling dad joke? I guess you could say owners Mike McCoy and Derek Stevens have the gourmet fast-food model down pat(ty).

The culinary playground also has a fried chicken sandwich so stacked it seems to defy gravity, as well as pickle-brined poultry strips, chili, shoestring fries, chocolate chip cookies, Millie’s soft serve ice cream and salads that you can nutritionally destroy with a smash patty. (That’s the kind of power move I dreamed of making when my parents told me to eat my veggies in the ’80s.)

Both stationary locations have full bars slinging beer, wine, cocktails, shots and boozy shakes. You have to be at least 21 to enjoy those, of course. Please, drink like a responsible adult even if you’re eating like a kid.

Dormont: 1426 Potomac Ave.
Uptown: 1023 Forbes Ave.
moonlitburgers.com

Best Place to Spice Up Your Life

Nanban

Nanban is a BYOB restaurant that specializes in five-alarm Asian soul food. I suggest you bring a few gallons of milk or just pull up out front in a fire truck.

Several years ago owner Roger Li combined two of his popular eateries — Ki Ramen and Ki Pollo — into one counter-service establishment that loves to bring the heat. Set your mouth ablaze with fried chicken, bao and Inferno Ramen that will boil your brain cells in the best possible way.

My fav, the Hot Chicken Sando, is an absolute scorcher with thighs dipped in chili oil, Bibb lettuce, rayu pickles, kewpie mayo and lazi seasoning. My lips are still burning from when I ate one on my 45th birthday in December.

I did not need to wear a coat or mittens that day. There was more fire in one bite than on the top of my cake.

Lawrenceville: 4407 Butler St.
412-224-2518, nanbanpgh.com

Best Road Trip Restaurant

North Country Brew Pub

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

In 2005, North Country Brew Pub opened in Slippery Rock, a convenient spot for when I need to rest my weary bones after hiking a small section of the 4,800-mile North Country Scenic Trail, which runs through nearby McConnells Mill State Park.

The Main Street building, erected in 1805, was formerly Uber and Sons Undertakers and Furniture Dealers. My beer-lovin’ skeleton feels at home there. Bob and Jodi McCafferty bought the place in 1998 and lived in the historical, reportedly haunted, structure while bringing it back to life.

They filled the space and rustic outdoor areas with a whimsical assortment of odds and ends. My daughter and I discover something new each time we visit, which is often. Bob’s an archeologist by trade and a hippie at heart. That playfulness is infused in the food, drink and decor. There’s an assortment of sandwiches for herbivores, including the mushroom-laden Fungus Amongus.

Carnivores can feast on the Porky sandwich, lightly smoked pork roast, slow-roasted in the company’s Paleo IPA and slathered in Paleo IPA BBQ sauce. Wash it down with a Paleo IPA draft, one of North Country’s other tasty brews or a house-made root beer, cream soda or ginger ale.

All of the pasta dishes can be made with gluten-free “impasta” noodles and most menu items can be prepared with plant-based protein options. It’s nice to lose yourself in nature, especially when it’s on your plate.

Slippery Rock: 141 S. Main St.
724-794-BEER (2337), northcountrybrewing.com

Best Breakfast

Oak Hill Post

Oak Hill Post is like a foodie version of the bar in “Cheers” — everybody knows your name. Even a house plant on the counter has been dubbed “Keanu Leaves.” And while they don’t serve alcohol, my girlfriend and I feel like the Norm and Cliff of this Brookline establishment when we show up to chow down.

Dre likes to switch things up on the food front — sometimes she opts for the breakfast burrito filled with eggs, cheese, sausage gravy, biscuit bites and harissa. On the next visit (which is often the following day), she might go with fried chicken on a biscuit or bacon, eggs and latkes.

For me it’s always the same: Creme Brulee Griddled French Toast, scrambled eggs, roasted beets topped with goat cheese and dill, a biscuit with lemon curd and a few bites of whatever Dre’s eating. That’s my favorite meal in Pittsburgh.

Brookline: 600 Brookline Blvd.
412-254-2970, oakhillpost.com

Best To-Go Pizza

Pizza Lupo

As professional firefighters for the City of Pittsburgh, brothers Travis and Brad Wolff put out infernos for a living — but they’re heating up Lawrenceville with their pizza.

Pizza Lupo (that’s Italian for “wolf”) grew out of Travis’ dedication to dough. Fascinated by ancient bread-making techniques, he began experimenting at home with sourdough starters way before it became the go-to pandemic hobby. Bread became his passion.

The dough is consistently hydrated, giving the crust a nice crunchy outside with a bite that you can really sink your canines into. The ingredients are always fresh and flavorful. Travis is on dough detail, of course, and Brad is the guy in charge of the sauces, sandwiches and pastas.

I once went outside my comfort zone and ordered the Tropic Thunder, one of Lupo’s specialty pizzas, most of which are available in sizes small, large and grandma-style. My selection featured crushed tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, Broadbent’s bacon, jalapeño, shaved red onion, chili oil and … pineapple. I’ve always scoffed at this topping for reasons unknown, but, on a spicy pie that’s a five-alarm fire, the sweetness helped soothe this savage beast.

With help from family members, the Wolff pack is cranking out pies and placing them in inside-out pizza boxes Tuesday through Saturday. Aside from a few stools near the front window, this pizza den is a to-go establishment.

I got a vodka pie to go and turned the front seat of my car into a Best Restaurant.

Lawrenceville: 5123 Butler St.
412-782-9922, pizza-lupo.com

Best Outdoor Dining

Pusadee’s Garden

Last summer, I went on a camping trip with my girlfriend. We spent two days in the Ohio wilderness eating Doritos, s’mores and hot dogs cooked over an open flame. It was like the foodie version of “Survivor.” We were craving a gourmet meal upon our return to civilization but didn’t want to completely ditch The Great Outdoors vibe. Pusadee’s Garden was a vacation from our vacation.

The Thai restaurant is located in Upper Lawrenceville, but you’ll forget you’re on Butler Street as soon as you step inside. The dishes, like the building, are beautiful and lush. The menu could’ve been written by Henry David Thoreau, including such items as locally foraged ramps, stir-fried morning glory and bok choy with bear’s tooth, lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms.

I’m a spice girl, so I always have the server lead me to the heat. Beef tenderloin with holy basil, garlic, chilis and sweet and spicy bell peppers is a heavenly choice for hot heads, and the jungle curry full of chicken, kabocha squash, banana peppers and basil is a flavorful burn. Cool down with a cocktail or non-alcoholic alternative such as Give it a Chai, a simple concoction of chai, ginger and lemon.

If you can’t get a seat in the courtyard oasis (make those special occasion reservations early!), you can still bask in its beauty while dining indoors, including at the bar, which is encased in a big, glass box. Consider it a culinary trophy case.

Chef Busaba Tongdee was nominated for a James Beard Award this year. Book a stay at Pusadee’s this summer and you’ll know why.

Lawrenceville: 5319 Butler St.
412-252-2683, pusadeesgarden.com

Best Neighborhood Joint

Scratch & Co.

The good people at Scratch & Co. have gone out of their way to create a meatball sandwich that is structurally sound and won’t leave you wearing and seeing red.

Topped with mozzarella cheese and nestled between two airy slabs of house-made focaccia, the Meatballloaf comes with a sidecar of sauce for dipping. This is just one of Scratch’s great contributions to society. The Troy Hill cafe and pub, a favorite among epicureans since its 2015 debut, not only serves amazing meals, it also serves the community as a whole.

During the pandemic, owner Don Mahaney switched to a pay-what-you-can business model that included a small market. Now the restaurant is gearing up for a summer of fun, approachable food and fundraisers to support the Allegheny YMCA. The century-old North Side building, which includes 88 single rooms for low-income men, is getting a multimillion-dollar upgrade.

Meanwhile, Scratch’s brunch, dinner and bar menus have all gotten a boost. They’re a team effort between multiple chefs who put an emphasis on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and let the food do the talking. A sign in the collaborative kitchen reads, “It’s about the food, stupid.” Dining at Scratch is always a smart decision.

Look for Mystic Mondays that feature tarot card readers, psychics, guest bartenders and a build-your-own Millie’s ice cream sundae bar with a portion of the proceeds going to the Y. Why? Because it’s the neighborly thing to do.

Troy Hill: 1720 Lowrie St.
412-251-0822, scratchandcopgh.com

Best Place to Make New Friends

Soju

Soju is a small Korean-American restaurant and bar in Garfield. For six years, chef Simon Chough has run the intimate space where local artwork adorns the walls, pop-up chefs can showcase their menus and it’s easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow diners.

When a massive cocktail arrived at my table, the people next to me oohed and aahed and inquired about it. The Soju Punch, I explained, was a mix of soju — a Korean rice liquor similar to vodka — Maggie’s Farm White Rum, pineapple, mango, pomegranate, ginger, Yakuroto yogurt and soda.

It’s served in a glass that looks more like a punch bowl, so it’s definitely an attention-grabber. Their dinner piqued my interest: A spicy chicken sandwich, fries seasoned with nori (dried seaweed) and BiBimBap, a mixed rice bowl with spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, spicy cucumber and egg.

In between sipping and chewing, we had a nice conversation. The couple had just moved to Pittsburgh from Atlanta and were thrilled that a family-owned restaurant was just a few blocks away from their new home in Friendship. If they hadn’t already been full by the time my entree arrived, I would’ve gladly shared.

I was already up to my eyeballs in Tteokbokki, a popular Korean street food made up of chewy, stir-fried rice cakes. My Korean BBQ combo gave me three, thinly sliced, marinated meat options: Kalbi (beef short rib), Bulgogi (beef tenderloin) and Dwaejibulgogi (pork tenderloin) served with rice and banchan.

The dish is a balancing act of sweet, salty, savory and spicy. There’s something in it for everyone. I can say the same about Soju.

Garfield: 4923 Penn Ave.
412-450-8968, simonchough.wixsite.com/sojupgh

Best Mood-Boosting Restaurant

Spork

I went to Spork in the dead of winter, when everything, including my mood, was dark and gloomy. I left feeling lighter — even if I gained a few pounds during the visit.

Eating at the Bloomfield restaurant snaps me out of whatever seasonal funk I’m in. It starts with the amuse-bouche, teeny-tiny, on-the-house hors d’oeuvres. The French term translates to “mouth amusement”; in Pittsburghese it means “Kennywood fer yer taste buds.”

James Beard Award-nominated chef Christian Frangiadis’ menu evolves daily because fresh ingredients are key (and also pricey, so expect to open your wallet a little wider), but there are staple dishes that never disappoint, from the seared scallops with truffle sauce to the bolognese.

Spork has a garden in the lot next door, so chances are the fresh dill in your dinner and nasturtiums decorating the plate were picked the same day. You can check the space out this fall during the annual Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour.

The restaurant pays just as much attention to its beverages, including the ones without booze. Summon the Cocktail Cart and watch an expert hand-craft a classic cocktail tableside. I had the Old Fashioned, but it was fun to watch my date sip a boozy house specialty from a parrot-shaped mug.

At the time, The Phoenix, a fruity rum concoction, was Spork’s rotating charity cocktail. Five bucks from each bird went to service industry workers affected by the wildfires in Hawaii. Like the utensil it’s named after, Spork comes in handy in pretty much any situation.

Bloomfield: 5430 Penn Ave.
412-441-1700, sporkpittsburgh.com

Best Place to Become a Foodie

The Vandal

If you want to introduce someone to Pittsburgh’s upscale dining scene or you’d like to expand your own palate, The Vandal is a good place to start.

It’s small, with a minimalist decor, but the flavors, made with simple ingredients by chef Joey Hilty, are big and bold. Before a visit in February, my 18-year-old dinner guest was worried she wouldn’t be able to find anything at the “fancy” restaurant that could satisfy her hunger better than McDonald’s. She was happy to see chips and French onion dip on the menu.

Baked ricotta was also a safe bet, along with fresh bread, of course. That’s where we started. We ended with a bourbon-soaked toffee cake and vanilla panna cotta. All the plates were licked clean. In between the apps and dessert, we shared lobster bucatini, a pork chop with pumpkin mostarda and a hanger steak accompanied by twice-fried frites and garlic aioli dip.

It was all recognizable and approachable, even if the wording on the menu did strike fear in the heart of the novice fine diner. “What is mostarda anyway?” she asked. (Turns out it’s an Italian condiment made with fruit and mustard.)

Weekly specials include upscale takes on familiar favorites such the Thursday night cheeseburger dripping with gruyere, caramelized onions, aioli, pickles and peppery au poivre sauce. If you want a crash course on oysters, well, shucks, The Vandal serves ‘em up chilled on Wednesdays.

Intimidated by trendy booze? The restaurant’s bar seats only five, but it has a robust vino program specializing in natural and biodynamic wines, a rotating menu of signature cocktails and a proper Martini Service featuring Hendricks Gin, Noilly Prat French Vermouth, Castelvetrano olives, lemon and caviar.

Fledgling foodies might be shaken at first, but eventually they will be stirred.

Lawrenceville: 4306 Butler St.
412-251-0465, thevandalpgh.com

Best Pop-Up Turned Brick-and-Mortar

Wise County Biscuits & Cafe

For James Wolfe, buttermilk biscuits taste like home. His grandma, who hailed from Wise County, Virginia, taught him the basics of country cookin’.

Made with King Arthur Flour and local buttermilk and butter (grandma used lard), Wise County biscuits are a big, flaky homage to those Appalachian roots. And so is the new cafe. Late last year, after doing pop-ups around town since 2017, Wolfe and his wife, Lena Laskaris, settled their business into a counter-service eatery on the North Side.

The space is bright and cheerful with country-chic decor. I think the down-home atmosphere makes folks here more neighborly.

The menu features an array of breakfast plates, lunch options and sides (their home fries get my professional stamp of approval). The stars of the show are the biscuits, which, while flaky, don’t become a cascade of crumbs when you pick them up. You can get ‘em topped with either seasonal jam, pimento cheese, honey and butter or Tennessee sorghum.

They’ve got heft, so they can serve as sandwich buns, too. The best-selling Your Way gives patrons a fried egg and their choice of two toppings, from breakfast meat to braised greens. I’m a fan of Sallie’s Snack, a sammie with pimento cheese, a fried egg and Chow Chow, a condiment made from pickled veggies that I would happily eat by the truckload.

The cafe opens at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday through Monday. Wake up, y’all! It’s time yinz got wise to this restaurant.

North Side: 911 Galveston Ave.
412-330-1389, wisecountybiscuits.com

Best Historical Restaurant

The Wood’s House Historic Pub

As a food writer and a history buff, I love everything about The Woods House Historic Pub, a Scottish-style tavern that’ll take you back in time. It’s located in a residential section of Hazelwood because it was a residence, built in 1792 by Col. George Woods, the surveyor who laid out Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle.

The stone structure — one of the oldest still standing in the area — was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It’s a unique experience to dine in a relic that has weathered the rise and fall of the steel industry and now overlooks Hazelwood Green, a 178-acre brownfield along the Monongahela River that’s being redeveloped into a technological, environmental and cultural hub.

Once you’ve digested all the fun facts about the building’s past, get ready to dig into some hearty dishes, starting with a batch of classic Scotch Eggs, hard-boiled eggs wrapped in pork sausage, flash fried and served with brown mustard aioli. The historical proof is also in the black pudding, blood sausage, mashed potatoes, roasted peas and parsnips dripping with savory onion gravy.

Other classics include Guinness pot roast mac-and-cheese, fish and chips and steamed mussels in a creamy shallot broth served with crostini bread. And, of course, there’s a nice selection of Scotch to wet your whistle.

There are two floors and both are worth exploring. I dined on the bottom level, where a large fireplace gives the room a medieval vibe that’ll make you want to eat your leftovers while watching “Braveheart.”

Hazelwood: 4604 Monongahela St.
412-251-0894, woodshousepgh.com

MOMIX’S “ALICE” PLAYS AT THE BYHAM THEATER THIS MONTH | PHOTO BY SHAREN BRADFORD

BEST BET

MOMIX’s “Alice”

Byham Theater | May 10-11

Literary nonsense inspires MOMIX’s “Alice” (2019), a hallucinatory wonderland inhabited by curious entities spun from the imaginative musings of director Moses Pendleton and the books of Lewis Carroll.

The 90-minute, non-narrative odyssey propels seven shape-shifting dancer-illusionists through a multimedia marathon of angry rabbits, baby-faced Tweedles and a caterpillar composed of exercise balls.

The humor and whimsy inherent in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There,” are “the perfect mix for MOMIX to take on Carroll or vice versa,” says Pendleton. “I’ve developed something so you don’t fall asleep, but if you do, please dream.”

— Karen Dacko

ART

“Everlasting Plastics”

Through July 21 | Carnegie Museum of Art

XAVI AGUIRRE, “PROOFING” EVERLASTING PLASTICS (VENICE, IT 2023)| PHOTO BY REPORTARCH/ANDREA FERRO PHOTOGRAPHY

One word: Plastics. No, this isn’t an exhibit dedicated to the 1967 film “The Graduate,” and no Mrs. Robinsons are scheduled to appear. The site-specific installation “Everlasting Plastics” contains commissions from five U.S. artists, architects and designers and is meant to explore the highs and lows of plasticity as a material and a metaphor. The exhibit is a conversation on the past, present and hopeful future of our environment.

THEATER

“Witness for the Prosecution”

May 3-12 | New Hazlett Theater

For 100 years, the stories of author Agatha Christie have delighted fans of mystery and adventure. Whether through a novel, TV, film or (in this case) play, if you’re in Christie’s hands, you’re in for an exciting ride. “Witness for the Prosecution” is a courtroom drama about a man on trial for the murder of a wealthy woman. Expect plenty of outbursts, confessions and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat with Prime Stage Theatre.

MUSIC

Thievery Corporation

May 12 | Roxian Theatre

Lumping Thievery Corporation’s music in the bin of “electronica” does the duo a great disservice. Sure, electronica may be the broth, but jazz, reggae, bossa nova and trip-hop are the meat and veggies that make them a whole. This tour celebrates 25 years of that wine-bar vibe you never want to let go.

SPORTS

Mommies vs. Aunties Soccer Game

May 12 | Westinghouse Park

The annual Mother’s Day Mommies vs. Aunties Soccer Game will be a great way to trick yourself into some exercise. No soccer experience is necessary! Just bring sneakers, water and your willingness to be a goofball for this event. Sponsored by arts collective Sibyls Shrine, this event is meant to bring fellowship amongst those who “mother” in one form or another.

THEATER

EQT Children’s Theater Festival

May 17-19 | Cultural District

It’s the THE-A-TAH … for children! Gather up the little ones for interactive (and sensory-friendly) shows that include puppets, monsters, faraway lands and cross-cultural stories of adventure. The EQT Children’s Theater Festival is an exciting experience for all ages, taking place at several locations within the Cultural District.

MUSIC

The Punk Rock Puppet Show

May 26 | Hard Rock Cafe

It’s 1993, and you were probably watching MTV way late into the night. Remember that really trippy claymation music video telling the metal version of the Three Little Pigs story? Well, the band responsible is bringing that same vibe to the stage as The Punk Rock Puppet Show with Green Jelly. Joined by The Convalescence and Kemical Kemileon, expect heavily costumed theatrics and, of course, puppets.

THEATER

“The Coffin Maker”

May 29-June 16 | O’Reilly Theater

Mark Clayton Southers follows in the footsteps of his mentor, August Wilson, by bringing Black narratives to the stage. The world premiere of his latest play, “The Coffin Maker,” tells the story of Lawrence Ebitts and his wife Eula, who prepare bodies for burial in 1849 Oklahoma. This Western-comedy revenge tale performed at Pittsburgh Public Theater contains some adult language and themes; it’s recommended for ages 13 and older.

MUSIC

Pride on the Shore

May 31 | Stage AE

Between the parade and all of the diverse performances, this year’s Pittsburgh Pride event will keep your schedule full. So, let’s add one more thing to your list. Singer Natasha Bedingfield and entertainer Keke Palmer are extending the party to Pride on the Shore; DJ Kitty Glitter and DJ Hannah Rad will be there to keep the dancing sweaty.

To be considered for coverage, send details to Events Editor, Pittsburgh Magazine, Washington’s Landing, 600 Waterfront Drive, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or email magevents@pittsburghmagazine.com. The deadline for July 2024 events is May 15. Include the event name, address, website, date and a brief overview.

PHOTO BY JATI LINDSAY, COURTESY OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

BEST BET

“The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson”

April 27, 30; May 3, 5 | Byham Theater

The story of how the National Negro Opera Company got its start in Pittsburgh should make for a great opera — especially when performed in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Opera will present “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” about the music teacher who founded the longest-running, all-Black opera company in 1941 in Homewood. Dawson “was not able to, for reasons of segregation at that time, be a part of any of the other opera companies around, and so she basically decided to form her own,” says Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn, who first saw the opera at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in upstate New York and knew it had to come to Pittsburgh. “It’s inspiring, and it just fills in I think an enormous number of gaps in our knowledge of this history,” he says.  — Lauren Davidson 

Best Action Movie Heroine

March 30 | Arcade Comedy Theater

Do you love giving your opinion on pop culture favorites? Then Bracket Night should be your jam. Arcade Comedy Theater has gathered special guests Natalie Bencivenga, Day Bracey, Robin Hitchcock and Planned Parenthood of Western PA President Sydney Etheredge to determine the Best Action Movie Heroine. (Personally, I like Michelle Yeoh.)

Arcade has hosted 28 Bracket Nights dedicated to everything from choosing the best break-up song to the best way to cook a potato. This iteration will benefit Planned Parenthood of Western PA. It’s like March Madness for a cause.

Big Nosh Jewish Food Festival

April 7-9 | Congregation Beth Shalom

From latkes to matzah balls, the Big Nosh Jewish Food Festival offers so many tasty treats for you to experience all in one place. This is the first year for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle-sponsored event, which is looking to be this community’s biggest celebration of Jewish and Israeli cuisine.

Along with live music and a full bar, plenty of kosher options will be available for dine-in or take home.

Shred Your Fears

April 7 | Switch & Signal Skatepark

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Trying new things can be scary, especially if they involve getting on a board with four small wheels and propelling yourself up a ramp. Shred Your Fears is (dare I say) a movement to teach women, trans and non-binary people how to skateboard in a safe and welcoming environment. This workshop includes a yoga-based stretching session, snacks, equipment and, best of all, camaraderie.

Suzanne Vega in Concert

April 12 | City Winery

PHOTO BY GEORGE HOLZ

Do do do do do do do do … singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega’s story starts with just her and her acoustic guitar performing in New York clubs. More than 40 years after her highly observational song “Tom’s Diner,” the neo-folk musician continues telling her melodic stories to captivated audiences. This venue allows fans to get up close and personal while enjoying world-class wine.

Khūrākī: A Celebration of Afghanistan in Pittsburgh

April 12-14 | Shady Side Academy Black Box Theater

PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL

RealTime Arts, in collaboration with Shady Side Academy, presents an evening of shared culture, immersive theater and an appetizing meal. Khūrākī: A Celebration of Afghanistan in Pittsburgh shares the beauty of Afghan culture through theatrical portraits of five Afghan women immigrants, who have also prepared Afghan food for the experience.

Ghosts: Do You Believe?

April 18 | Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

No one really knows what’s on the other side of death, but it can be intriguing to speculate. Join paranormal researcher Dustin Pari of the TV show “Ghost Hunters” for the supernatural deep dive, Do You Believe in Ghosts? Pari will examine, question and share first-hand accounts of hauntings that will make you overthink the next time something goes bump in the night.

Soul Sessions: Mýa

April 26 | August Wilson African American Cultural Center

For more than 25 years, the singer, dancer, and actress Mýa has entertained the masses with her massive talent. The Grammy Award-winner joins the intimate Soul Sessions Series for a captivating performance of her classic hits along with new, soon-to-be favorites.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHE RAYNAUD DE LAGE/PLEXUS POLAIRE

Best Bet

How do you turn a 650-page novel with a plot as big as the ocean into a convincing and captivating stage play? You start with 50 puppets and, vitally, a “whale-sized whale.” In the hands of French-Norwegian theater company Plexus Polaire, “Moby Dick” features seven actors and a three-piece orchestra manipulating puppets, stagecraft and special effects to create an almost cinematic experience. The puppets, performers and whale-size whale will turn the Byham Theater into the North Atlantic for two nights only, part of the Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series. “It’s completely engaging and transportive,” says Pamela Komar, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s director of programming. “It’s just a larger-than-life piece of stagecraft. It transports you, as an audience member, to the sea.” Komar reached out to the company after seeing a 2023 production of “Moby Dick” in New York; writing for the New York Times, critic Laura Collins-Hughes said of that production, “the wondrousness of this show lies in its spectacle and ambience.” “It’s theater at its finest,” Komar says. “The story takes you on such an emotional roller coaster.” — Sean Collier

“Moby Dick”
Byham Theater
Feb. 2-3
 trustarts.org

Feb. 2-4 • Resonance Works

No matter the language or land, we should all know what it means to love and be loved. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra and Chorus have created two concert performances, “This Love Between Us,” blending the worlds of Hindustani and Western classical music traditions. Music can be a beautiful way to bring communities together, especially in celebrating the universal act of love.

resonanceworks.org

PHOTO COURTESY BRIE RUAIS & ALBERTZ BENDA

Feb. 2-May 4
Contemporary Craft

What could you make with your own body weight in clay? New Mexico-based artist Brie Ruais took that thought and made movement-based artworks that address the experience of embodiment. Ruais’ thought-provoking sculptures (above) will be displayed in her exhibit titled “Oneness,” which explores the philosophy that humans are all connected in some sense.

contemporarycraft.org

PHOTO BY RANDY WONG-WESTBROOKE

Feb. 3 • Heinz Hall

Black music in America covers a diverse range of styles and genres. Led by The Lift Every Voice Unity Choir, conducted by Nikki Porter, the Lift Every Voice concert pays tribute to the legacy woven into the fabric of American history. As a special treat, Grammy Award-winning singer Oleta Adams will fill hearts with her “gospel-rooted” voice.

pittsburghsymphony.org

Feb. 7-25 • O’Reilly Theater

What do gangsters, murder and karaoke have in common? They are all part of the landscape Broadway star Sara Porkalob creates to tell the story of her Filipino gangster family. The cabaret-style musical “Dragon Lady” features songs such as “House of the Rising Sun,” sung from the point-of-view of her late grandmother, who Porkalob has referred to as: “a mercurial, glamorous, hilarious and sometimes violent woman.” Take note: this performance is suitable for a more mature audience.

ppt.org

Feb. 10 • Carnegie Library Lecture Hall

Following his most recent release, “Watch Your Language: Visual and Literary Reflections on a Century of American Poetry,” MacArthur Fellow Terrance Hayes comes to the Carnegie Library. This free event includes a conversation with Hayes about his works, which reflect on popular culture, race, music and masculinity.

carnegielibrary.org

Feb. 24 • David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Step right up and see a world of weird wonder! Sights that previously could only be seen at carnivals and museums will all be in one place — The World Oddities Expo. Experience all of the bizarre and befuddling while learning from professionals in the field during WOE Labs workshops, shopping in the Lost Curio Marketplace and enjoying live entertainment.

woetothee.com

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s not just Barbenheimer.

After an existential crisis during the pandemic, the movie theater business recovered considerably in 2023, with everything from in-theater events such as Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” movie to popcorn fare from around the world drawing crowds to Pittsburgh-area cinemas. Repertory and specialty programming is surging; on New Year’s Day, Row House Lawrenceville saw sold-out crowds for silent films that had just entered the public domain.

Pittsburghers, in short, are going back to the movies. Fortunately, there are plenty of good places around here to do it.

Here are our picks for the 10 best places in the region for a night with the silver screen.

(Editor’s note: We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.)

Century Square Luxury Cinemas

2001 Mountain View Drive, West Mifflin, PA 15122 | Website

Why We Love It: It’s really, really cozy. The luxurious recliners at this West Mifflin multiplex, a converted second-run theater, make you feel like you’re lying in bed — if your bed were in front of a crystal-clear movie screen. Add in beer and wine at the concession stand, and the only downside might be getting so comfortable you nod off during the slow parts of your movie.

You’re Here For: Your preferred brand of comfort movies — romcoms, superhero flicks, even animation. Pick something that’ll match your relaxed mindset.

Cinemark Robinson Township and XD

2100 Settlers Ridge Center Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15205 | Website

Why We Love It: The best traditional multiplex in town boasts comfortable seats and great picture and sound quality, especially on its premium-format XD screen. Join the rewards program (also valid at the chain’s North Hills and Monroeville Mall locations) and you’ll more than earn back the monthly fee on deep concession-stand discounts; snacks and tickets are cheaper here than at a certain other national cinema chain.

You’re Here For: The latest blockbuster, especially if you spring for the XD seats. Special effects really pop on these screens.

Dependable Drive-In

549 Moon Clinton Road, Moon Township, PA 15108 | Website

PHOTO COURTESY DEPENDABLE DRIVE-IN

Why We Love It: For more than half a century, this Moon Township drive-in has been welcoming cars for al fresco movies. The price per film can’t be beat (two movies for $9) and, with four screens, there are plenty of options for date night, family outings or a fun evening with a group of friends.

You’re Here For: A double-feature of recent hits, anytime year-round. (Yes: Unlike most northern drive-ins, Dependable stays open through the winter.)

Harris Theater

809 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | Website

PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

Why We Love It: Downtown’s century-old single-screen remains the best place in town for lauded movies from around the world, plus special events and revivals of recently restored cult classics.

You’re Here For: Movies that will be getting Oscar nominations — and some that are probably too underground to grab the attention of awards voters, but pop up on year-end “best of” lists.

The Lindsay Theater

418 Walnut St. Sewickley, PA 15143 | Website 

Why We Love It: The nonprofit arts center in Sewickley is a beautiful update on the neighborhood-cinema tradition, showing a mix of popular blockbusters and critically praised gems.

You’re Here For: A crowd-pleasing hit you can enjoy with multiple generations of the family — or a brand-new movie by local filmmakers, as the Lindsay hosts gala-style premieres of regional artists’ work.

Manor Theatre

1729 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 | Website

Why We Love It: The Manor is one of the most carefully programmed theaters in town, with a great blend of films you won’t always find at the larger multiplexes. Reasonable prices and a great snack bar — including cocktails, beer and wine — help, too.

You’re Here For: Great movies such as “Poor Things” or “The Boy and the Heron.” The Manor is synonymous with the sort of buzzworthy films your coolest friends rave about.

Phoenix Theaters Chartiers Luxury 14 + PTX

1025 Washington Pike, Bridgeville , PA 15017 | Website

Why We Love It: A survivor of the turn-of-the-century multiplex boom, the former Destinta location in Bridgeville has endured and been updated with luxury recliners and great sound and image quality.

You’re Here For: A see-it-on-the-big-screen hit — or a favorite from yesteryear as part of the theater’s weekly “Flashback Cinema” series, which shows everything from all-time greats such as “Gone With the Wind” to more recent smashes like the “Lord of the Rings” flicks.

Rangos Giant Cinema

1 Allegheny Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212 | Website

Why We Love It: The only certified giant screen in the region also has the best sound, as one of only two regional movie theaters using the formidable Dolby Atmos system (along with one screen at AMC Waterfront). It’s not just a nice addition to a trip to the Carnegie Science Center; it’s a great theater in its own right.

You’re Here For: The kind of eye-popping nature documentary that deserves to be seen on a marvelous screen or a favorite classic revived in the theater’s Saturday-night throwback series.

Riverside Drive-In

1114 Lees Lake Lane, Vandergrift, PA 15690 | Website

Why We Love It: There’s no more idyllic setting for a movie in the region, as the single-screen outdoor cinema in North Vandergrift sits nestled in the trees. It also boasts a formidable snack bar; get a pizza for the car.

You’re Here For: The twice-annual Drive-In Super Monster Rama events, in which a quartet of spooky throwback flicks fill the screen from dusk ’til dawn. Diehard fans camp on-site to see two nights of mayhem.

Row House Lawrenceville

4115 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201 | Website

PHOTO BY JOHN ALTDORFER

Why We Love It: Each week is dedicated to a theme filled with a unique and delightful lineup of repertory films. These can be as general as a genre or as specific as the upcoming “Snow Week,” which will see frosty flicks such as “Fargo,” “Frozen” and “Doctor Zhivago” take the screen. And we’re looking forward to the re-opening of sister theater Row House Hollywood in Dormont; currently under renovations, the neighborhood theater is scheduled to re-launch in dramatic fashion later this year.

You’re Here For: Anything. The curators at Row House know what they’re doing; if it’s on this screen, it’s worth seeing. 

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

If you’re looking to get glowing this holiday season, you’ve come to the right place. From the lights of Kennywood to the decor and holiday market Downtown, we’ve curated some of our favorite ways to take in the season’s lights — Pittsburgh style. 

PHOTO: KENNYWOOD

Kennywood Holiday Lights
Beyond strolling through more than 2 million twinkling lights, plus gazing upon the tallest Christmas tree in the state, there’s so much to do at the iconic amusement park in West Mifflin. Visitors can add on a buffet dinner that includes a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus or purchase a Speedy Pass, which allows guests to make up to five virtual reservations for rides. Speaking of rides, a number of the park’s attractions, including the Jack Rabbit, Merry-Go-Round, Kangaroo and Noah’s Ark, will be running during the holiday event, weather permitting. Santa arrives nightly in Thomas Town, where he’ll take photos with all the good little boys and girls. There’s also a tree lighting ceremony around the lagoon and a strolling holiday band, plus a dance party at the Kennyville Stage. Plan to come hungry — and thirsty. Festive food, such as turkey legs, cobbler, fresh donuts and hot drinks are available at the Lagoon Holiday Shops, while the Beer Garden offers seasonal brews, hot toddies and other specialty drinks. 

• Price: Tickets as low as $19.99 
• Duration: Varies
• Get tickets 

Holly Jolly Hunt
If you’re searching for a good time, and like some good-natured competition, you won’t want to miss the Holly Jolly Hunt. An app-based scavenger hunt that you can play anywhere of your choosing, Holly Jolly Hunt allows you and your besties to explore the city and look for holiday related items, both traditional and not so traditional. Participants will take photos through the app to score points for their scavenger hunt team and perform fun, holiday challenges — sometimes to comedic effect. Your score will appear on a leaderboard compared to other teams across North America. 

• Price per ticket: From $20 per group (up to 10)
• Duration: Varies
• Get tickets 

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Lights
Take in the wonder of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium without even leaving your car; the much-anticipated Zoo Lights Drive-Thru lets visitors stay cozy in their vehicle as they take a timed drive through thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights. New this year is the slower-paced, Walk-Thru Zoo Lights experience, which includes yuletide entertainment, photo opportunities, special holiday snacks and music. Santa Claus also will be on hand to listen to last-minute wishes.

• Price per ticket: $40 per member vehicle, $45 per non-member vehicle for Drive-Thru; $18 per adult and $15 per child for Walk-Thru
• Duration: 30 to 45 minutes for Drive-Thru; time varies for Walk-Thru
• Get tickets for Drive-Thru, Get tickets for Walk-Thru

Pittsburgh Holiday Lights Tour
Whether you’re new to the city or just looking to get reacquainted with it, the Pittsburgh Holiday Lights Tour is a great way to take in Downtown in all its bedecked and bedazzled glory. Beginning at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the family-friendly (and dog-friendly!) small-group is guided by an expert, with quick stops to see the lights and decorations at some of Pittsburgh’s landmark buildings, among them the US Steel Tower, Heinz Hall and the Omni William Penn Hotel. The tour’s grand finale ends at Market Square, where participants can take in the Peoples Gas Holiday Market and warm up with some hot chocolate.

• Price: From $29.95
• Duration: Two hours
• Get tickets 

THREE GNOMES WELCOME GUESTS IN THE GALLERY ROOM AT PHIPPS CONSERVATORY’S WINTER FLOWER SHOW. | PHOTO BY JAMIE FAITH SHEPPARD

Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden at Phipps Conservatory
Phipps Conservatory in Oakland is beautiful any time of year, but especially during the holidays. On Nov. 17, the Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden returned to the conservatory with the theme of “Season’s Greenings.” Visitors to The Winter Flower Show will find new displays featuring holiday trees adorned in jewel tones, detailed props and the conservatory’s signature floral arrangements, including amaryllis, orchids and 21 varieties of poinsettias. Outside, the Winter Light Garden is a wonderland, with a 7-foot tree decked out in warm white lights; a floral color scheme of light pink, blue and silver in planter boxes around a frosty tree comprised of LED orbs; a Winter Solstice-inspired display with glowing ring frames and whimsical gnomes constructed from dried plant material. Kids (OK and adults, too) won’t want to miss the new “singing tree” in the Winter Light Garden that reacts to your caroling. 

• Price: Tickets range from $21.95 to $27.95 for adults, $13.95 to $15.95 for children and $19.95 to $25.95 for seniors. 
• Duration: Varies
• Get tickets 

A Dream Christmas in Pittsburgh
Book your group a private walking tour that goes behind the scenes of some of Pittsburgh’s most beautifully decorated properties. Led by a professional local guide, the Dream Christmas in Pittsburgh tour, which begins at St. Mary of Mercy Church on Stanwix Street, includes stops at city’s own Glass Castles, aka PPG Industries’ six-building complex, the Peoples Gas Holiday Market at Market Square and the Fourth Avenue Historic District. 

• Price: From $216.95; price varies by group size
• Duration: Two hours
• Get tickets

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

As a vibrant city with a rich history, Pittsburgh has a plethora of family-friendly activities that includes everything from the interactive exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to the wonders of marine and terrestrial life at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. The region also boasts many parks, among them Point State Park, with ample space for outdoor fun, as well as more unique attractions such as the Duquesne Incline, which climbs from Station Square up to Mount Washington and offers panoramic views of the city skyline. 

Ready to get started? Here are some of our top things to do in Pittsburgh with kids.

IBO, AN ENDANGERED LOWLAND GORILLA, HOLDS HER MONTH-OLD BABY GIRL. | PHOTOS BY PAUL SELVAGGIO

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is a haven for families seeking a day of fun and education. Nestled within Highland Park, the zoo takes visitors on a journey from the African savannahs to the depths of the ocean in a single day. Children are captivated by the interactive exhibits, close-up encounters with animals and engaging educational programs tailored for young minds. With its diverse array of animals, play areas and events throughout the year, the zoo and aquarium is a must-visit destination in the Steel City.

Duration: a few hours
Price: adults, $17-$26; Buy tickets in advance

PHOTO COURTESY KENNYWOOD

Kennywood
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2023, Kennywood in West Mifflin has long been Pittsburgh’s destination for thrills. The iconic amusement park mixes traditional wooden roller coasters, such as the beloved Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit, with high-speed thrillers such as the Steel Curtain and Phantom’s Revenge — which reaches up to 85 miles per hour and plunges riders 232 feet on its second drop. Younger kiddos will enjoy Kiddieland and Thomas Town, while classic rides such as the carousel and Noah’s Ark are a destination for all ages. There’s also plenty of games and food and drink vendors. Don’t forget to grab some of the park’s signature Potato Patch fries!

Duration: All day
Price: Book here

PHOTOS COURTESY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH

The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Located on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a vibrant hub of creativity and exploration for young minds. A wealth of interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity include the Waterplay section, craft imaginative creations in the MAKESHOP and the Garage exhibit, where visitors can experience the wonders of gravity and motion. With its ever-evolving exhibits and programs, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh promises a day filled with discovery and laughter.

Duration: A few hours
Price: Adults: $19, Children 2–18: $17, Seniors 60+: $17, Children under 2: Free; Buy tickets here

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

JUST THE TOUR – Double Decker Bus Sightseeing Tour of Pittsburgh
Experience the best of Pittsburgh on a tour that takes you through the vibrant heart of the city while offering unparalleled views from the top of a double-decker bus. With an expert guide providing insightful commentary, you’ll delve into Pittsburgh’s layered history, culture — and the stories behind its most famous sights. Whether you’re gazing up at the towering skyscrapers or cruising alongside the scenic riverfront, this tour promises a blend of education, entertainment and fun.

Duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Price: $34.95 per ticket; Book here

PHOTO: DAVE DICELLO

Duquesne Incline
One of Pittsburgh’s most iconic and historic attractions, the Duquesne Incline offers visitors a unique perspective of the city’s stunning skyline. As you step onto the vintage wooden cable car, you’re transported back in time as you ascend the steep slope of Mount Washington on tracks that have been in operation since the late 19th century. At the summit, you’re greeted with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Pittsburgh skyline, the confluence of its three rivers and the numerous bridges that stitch the cityscape together. Beyond the ride itself, the upper station houses a small museum showcasing the incline’s history and the mechanics behind its operation. Whether you’re a history buff, a photography enthusiast, or simply seeking a memorable experience, the Duquesne Incline offers a blend of historical charm and unparalleled vistas.

Duration: Ride is no longer than five minutes each way
Price: Adults (Ages 12-64) $2.50 Each Way or $5.00 Round Trip; Children (Ages 6-11) $1.25 Each Way or $2.50 Round Trip; Children 5 and Under Free; Book Now

PHOTO COURTESY IDLEWILD

Idlewild & SoakZone
One of the oldest amusement parks in the U.S, Idlewild & SoakZone in the Laurel Highlands blends traditional rides, modern attractions and interactive play areas. Children can revel in the enchantment of Story Book Forest, where fairy tales come to life, or take a splash in the SoakZone’s wave pool and water slides. With dedicated kiddie rides, entertaining shows (where kids can meet beloved characters such as Daniel Tiger), and the interactive Jumpin’ Jungle playground, Idlewild promises a day of fun for kids of all ages.

Duration: All day
Price: Tickets as low as $34.99; Book Now

PHOTOS COURTESY CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER

Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side is a haven for curious minds, offering a world of exploration and discovery for children and families alike. The state-of-the-art facility brims with interactive exhibits that span a range of scientific domains, from the wonders of outer space in the Buhl Planetarium to the intricate workings of the human body. Kids can marvel at the mesmerizing underwater world in the USS Requin submarine or ignite their engineering passion in the Miniature Railroad & Village. The Rangos Giant Cinema showcases educational films on its massive screen, while the live demonstrations and hands-on labs further nurture young scientists’ inquisitiveness. Whether it’s experimenting in the water play area, navigating the ropes challenge course, or gazing at the stars, the Carnegie Science Center ensures an educational good time for children of all ages.

Duration: A few hours
Price: $11-$20; Book Now

 

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The Fairmont Pittsburgh Health Club & Spa
The Fairmont Pittsburgh Health Club & Spa stands as a beacon of luxury and relaxation in Pittsburgh’s  Downtown. Renowned for its impeccable service and world-class treatments, this spa offers guests a sanctuary from the urban hustle, allowing them to rejuvenate both body and mind. With a curated menu of treatments that blend traditional techniques with modern innovations, every experience is tailored to meet the needs of each guest. The spa’s tranquil ambiance, coupled with its state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained staff, ensures that every visit is a memorable one. Whether you’re seeking a therapeutic massage, a revitalizing facial or simply a moment of serenity, The Fairmont Pittsburgh Health Club & Spa promises an unparalleled experience of luxury and well-being.

Why Book: Located in the heart of Downtown, this spa offers a range of treatments in a serene environment.

Price: Facials starting at $164; massages at $139

 

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The Sewickley Spa
The Sewickley Spa is a haven of tranquility and luxury, setting itself apart as a premier destination for those seeking an exceptional spa experience. Nestled in the picturesque village of Sewickley, this spa exudes an ambiance of relaxation the moment you step through its doors. What truly distinguishes The Sewickley Spa is its commitment to personalized service; each treatment is meticulously tailored to cater to the individual needs of its guests, ensuring a unique and rejuvenating experience every time. From its array of indulgent treatments, using only the finest products, to its team of highly skilled therapists, The Sewickley Spa promises not just a spa service, but a holistic journey that revitalizes the mind, body and soul. Whether you’re looking to escape the stresses of daily life or indulge in a day of pampering, The Sewickley Spa stands as a testament to luxury and well-being.

Why Book: A renowned spa in quaint Sewickley offering a variety of treatments in a tranquil setting.

Price: Facials and massages starting from $70

 

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The Woodlands Spa and Salon
The Woodlands Spa and Salon at Nemacolin stands as a pinnacle of luxury and rejuvenation, offering guests an unparalleled spa experience set amid the breathtaking beauty of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. Renowned for its opulent design and state-of-the-art facilities, The Woodlands Spa is more than just a place for treatments; it’s a destination where guests are transported to a realm of relaxation and indulgence. The spa boasts a diverse menu of world-class treatments, each curated with the utmost precision and care, ensuring that every guest’s needs are met. The highly skilled therapists, combined with the spa’s commitment to using only the finest products, ensure that each visit is a symphony of wellness and luxury. Whether it’s the soothing ambiance, the therapeutic treatments or the impeccable service, The Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort offers an escape that is truly unmatched, making it an essential visit for those seeking the epitome of spa excellence.

Why Book: A luxury resort spa offering a comprehensive menu of treatments.

Price: Facials starting from $225; massages starting at $250

 

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Spa Jema
Spa Jema, in Downtown Pittsburgh, is an emblem of urban luxury and relaxation. As one of the city’s premier eco-friendly day spas, it offers a serene oasis amid the bustling cityscape, providing a perfect retreat for locals and visitors alike. What sets Spa Jema apart is its commitment to holistic well-being, combining traditional spa treatments with sustainable practices to ensure both personal rejuvenation and environmental mindfulness. Each treatment is a testament to the spa’s dedication to excellence, with highly trained professionals using premium products to deliver bespoke experiences tailored to individual needs. The spa’s elegant ambiance, coupled with its array of indulgent services, makes Spa Jema a must-visit destination for those seeking a harmonious blend of luxury, relaxation and eco-consciousness in the heart of Pittsburgh.

Why Book: Located Downtown, it’s one of Pittsburgh’s premier eco-friendly day spas.

Price: Facials starting at $80; massages starting at $60

 

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Esspa Kozmetika
Esspa Kozmetika in Aspinwall is more than just a spa; it’s a holistic haven where tradition meets modern luxury. Celebrated for its unique Hungarian-inspired treatments, Esspa Kozmetika offers a blend of age-old European techniques combined with contemporary innovations, ensuring a spa experience that is both authentic and avant-garde. The spa’s commitment to using organic, natural products further elevates each treatment, promising not only relaxation but also genuine skin health benefits. The ambiance at Esspa Kozmetika, with its warm decor and attentive staff, instantly transports guests to a world of tranquility and indulgence. Whether you’re seeking a therapeutic massage, a revitalizing facial or a bespoke spa package, Esspa Kozmetika promises an experience that rejuvenates the body, refreshes the mind and reinvigorates the soul.

Why Book: An organic day spa offering a range of treatments from facials to massages.

Price: Facials starting at $99; massages starting at $66

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

When explaining Pittsburgh to a visitor, there is a lot of ground to cover. The city offers many things to many people. What do you prioritize in your plans? Where do you begin? Our advice: Start with the city’s wonders — long-standing, striking landmarks — that will engage you into a better understanding of our past and present.

Here is our lineup of the 7 Wonders of Pittsburgh. Each location is within 15 miles of the city center, has a wide appeal and has been around for decades. Many are cultural attractions that have, by this point, become community pillars. And each can be enjoyed at multiple times of year (all but one are year-round operations, in fact), so you can enjoy them whenever you visit the
Steel City — or simply decide it’s time to get out of the house.

1. Monongahela & Duquesne Inclines

Slow and steady wins the race. Our inclines are not fast-moving, operating at an average rate of 6 mph, but they’re consistent. And one holds the title of the nation’s oldest operating funicular railway (a bragging right to break out at your next get-together).

Debuting in 1870, the Monongahela is the longest-running incline in the United States; it was renovated in 2022 to modernize controls and electrical components. The Duquesne joined it seven years later and has run alongside it consistently (minus a brief period in the 1960s, when it was being repaired). The inclines effectively book-end Grandview Avenue and operate often (Monongahela runs approximately every 15 minutes, whereas Duquesne is based on demand); with low fares, they’re inexpensive and safe transportation options for a night out or a daytime jaunt.

“On foggy mornings, you can also witness an interesting sight as the buildings emerge from the cloud cover,” says a spokesperson with Pittsburgh Regional Transit, which owns both (although the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline operates the Duquesne).

Whether you ride the Mon or the Duquesne, the view from the car is unbeatable; it’s surely why the inclines are buzzed-about attractions among locals and out-of-towners alike. And the sights from the summit of Mount Washington are unmatched. There are multiple overlooks to check out the city, take photos and maybe even catch a life event in action: Given the breathtaking setting, wedding parties, soon-to-be-engaged couples and other celebratory groups make their way to the overlooks for photo ops.

Sweetening the deal is Emerald View Park, which runs through Mount Washington — but more importantly, its paved walkway lines Grandview’s outer edge, so you can get in your steps and sights at the same time. Follow the trail to either incline station and the neighboring business districts; the bustling Shiloh Street is near the Mon’s upper station, while Grandview eateries, such as the upscale Altius, surround the Duquesne’s upper stop.

South Shore: East Carson Street
rideprt.org; duquesneincline.org

{BY THE NUMBERS}

MON INCLINE
635
track length (feet)

367.39
elevation gain (feet)

35
grade (degrees)

DUQUESNE INCLINE
794
track length (feet)

400
elevation gain (feet)

30.5
grade (degrees)

Know Before You Go:
To pay, you’ll need exact cash (you can withdraw some at the onsite ATM) or a Pittsburgh Regional Transit fare card.

2. Kennywood

PHOTO COURTESY KENNYWOOD PARK

Anticipation builds as you’re sitting next to your friend with the lap bar closed. The bell sounds, and your car begins rolling down the flat track and then whips around the corner as you travel in line with 15 other cars. You can’t help but smile, and your pal’s face lights up too each time you quickly zip around the bend. After experiencing a little more than 2 minutes of unabashed joy, your car stops. Time to get off The Whip.

Kennywood’s oldest flat ride was restored for the 2023 season, just in time for the park to celebrate its 125th year in business. The amusement park’s story remains one of “blending classic and innovation,” says Tasha Pokrzywa, communications manager. Within the park, there are wooden coasters, such as the fan-favorite Jack Rabbit, alongside the thrill-seeker’s coasters such as the Steel Curtain and Phantom’s Revenge.

“In the most general sense, our goal is to create a fun but quirky atmosphere,” says Pokrzywa.

About the quirk: The alien-themed Spinvasion ride was added for the 2023 season (a year that also began with heightened security, such as physical upgrades and more lighting). Another masterpiece returned for its 50th season: the Potato Patch and their delectable fries.

Patron feedback is seriously considered as the park is updated, as evidenced by the return of the Kangaroo ride a few years ago. Pokrzywa says the team was met with a wave of dissenting feedback regarding the ride’s retirement, ultimately resulting in a full restoration of the classic attraction.

For decades, locals have turned to the park for entertainment — from school and work picnic days to food festivals and special events added in more recent years. Kennywood’s season extends well into the fall and winter annually, with Phantom Fall Fest and Holiday Lights themed festivities taking place in cooler months (and granting access to select attractions, too).

Kennywood’s Old Mill — its longest-running ride — has, over the decades, gone through multiple theme and structural revisions and embodies what Pokrzywa called one of Kennywood’s strengths: “[It’s] a park that can provide fun experiences with things that have been around for a long time.”

West Mifflin: 4800 Kennywood Blvd.
kennywood.com

{BY THE NUMBERS}

8
number of roller coasters

125
years of operation

197
tallest inversion (feet) on the Steel Curtain coaster (a World Record)

Know Before You Go:
The Racer, Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt are American Coaster Enthusiasts Roller Coaster Landmark rides. (The group reserves this recognition for “rides of historic significance.”)

3. Cathedral of Learning

Inspirational” is an apt word to describe the world’s second-tallest educational building, better known as the Cathedral of Learning. The 42-story structure — whose construction in Oakland was completed in 1936 — may be on the University of Pittsburgh campus, but it’s a treasure for all to enjoy. Lovingly nicknamed “Cathy” by Pitt students, the cathedral is open to the public for lunch breaks, study periods or enlightening excursions; certain floors and aspects, like the gift shop, are fair game, whereas others, like the Nationality Rooms, require advance planning.

“Its presence is a testament to the university’s longstanding history in the region and is one of our earliest examples of how Pitt welcomes community collaboration,” says university spokesperson Nick France.

The Nationality Rooms pay respect to the ethnic groups of Pittsburgh and were built in stages: On the first floor, you’ll find the first 19, crafted by 1957; of the remaining 12, created since 1987, some are on the third floor. Each year, the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs welcomes 10,000 visitors; paid guided tours are available in person and online.

“The 31 Nationality Rooms themselves are never altered from their original designs,” says France. “Each room was designed and constructed based on a respective ethnic group before 1787 — the year of the University of Pittsburgh’s founding, excluding the French room, which was styled after post-18th-century Empire style.”

Over time, the 535-foot, gothic-style structure naturally has required maintenance, such as foundation waterproofing, but stands strong as a “tower of learning,” in line with the vision of former Pitt chancellor John Bowman, who led the university during the cathedral’s construction. Its routine use by the community also was part of his wish, for it to be accessible to all.

“The cathedral is a symbol, literally and figuratively, of Pitt’s progress and success,” says France, “but also the progress and success of our neighbors.”

Oakland: 4200 Fifth Ave.
pitt.edu, nationalityrooms.pitt.edu

{POINTS OF INTEREST}

36
For a high-end aerial view of the city, take the elevator to the Honors College on the 36th floor, and head to a window to check out the sights.

22,000
Square feet — a half acre — of space in the four-story, Gothic Commons Room.

Souvenir tip:
If you visit the Nationality Rooms and are inspired by the cultures, pick up a copy of the recipe book in the cathedral’s gift shop. For a little more than $10, you’ll boost your ideas for the next time you need to whip up dinner, an appetizer or fudge.

4. Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

For the past 130 years, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has delivered on its aim to provide a connection to nature — and has educated locals while doing so. But equally impressive is that the conservatory has continually presented seasonal flower shows; it’s actually one of few conservatories in the nation to do so, says senior director of communications Joe Reed.

Its origin story involves philanthropist Henry W. Phipps, who bestowed the conservatory to Pittsburgh. The attraction, stretching across 15 acres, now encompasses 14 glasshouse rooms, some of which house permanent collections — such as Palm Court, part of its original nine-room offering — plus a total of 23 gardens.

To draw its annual visitor count of 500,000, Phipps likes to keep it fresh. For the Spring Flower Show alone, the team uses thousands of plants, and it’s important that they promote responsible plants that are not high-maintenance, says Reed.

The conservatory plays a pivotal role in the community, as it partners with area schools and businesses. A newer offering is the professional landscaping training for locals (learners receive a certificate showing they’ve mastered the essentials of sustainable landscaping, upping their odds of becoming neighborhood lawn heroes). There’s even a complimentary “Ask Dr. Phipps” service, allowing novice growers to seek advice from the conservatory’s Master Gardeners.

Phipps also maintains a commitment to sustainability and has been “going green” for years. Three decades ago, it transferred ownership from the city to nonprofit management and doubled down on sustainability, as “human and environmental health go hand in hand,” says Reed.

Over time, its campus has grown to include production greenhouses and the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. A few of its buildings, such as the center, generate their own energy and have garnered attention for their excellence by earning recognition such as LEED Platinum status.

Phipps may be a gorgeous cultural institution and (let’s be honest) an Instagram-worthy photo backdrop on any given outing; however, it has stuck around and remained relevant because of the effort made to honor its roots while embracing the future.

Oakland: One Schenley Park
phipps.conservatory.org

{PRO TIP}
As Phipps closes at 10 on Friday nights, it’s an ideal date-night spot. Head there in time to watch the sun set — perhaps on the Tropical Forest Patio — and complete your tour through the rest of the campus.

Know Before You Go:
There are many ways to enjoy this spot, from private events to brunches and checking out the latest exhibits. But don’t forget about the top-tier gift shop and cafe.

5. Frick Park

Imagine having a place within city limits where you could take your pup to a massive off-leash area — then play tennis, go birding in dense woods and have a picnic. Perhaps coolest of all, you could walk into a living green building, at no cost, any day of the week to learn about the environment.

Good news: This place exists. It’s Frick Park. The original 151-acre plot was granted to the city by Henry Clay Frick in 1919 and opened in 1927; the park has grown to 644 acres and touches Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, Swisshelm Park and Regent Square.

That green building is the LEED Platinum-certified environmental center, a joint project between the city and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy; even on a casual pass through, you’ll learn new things (like how to create a worm bin) but definitely consider attending a class or two.

After visiting the center, you’ve got choices for where to turn next. If you’re up for birding, head toward Clayton Hill, recommended by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s team because it provides optimal views of avian wildlife migrating in the spring and fall.

Alana Wenk, the conservancy’s director of advancement, says the bottom segment of Clayton is prime for exploratory outdoor activities, such as mountain-biking.

Where Clayton shows the wild side, Blue Slide Park is whimsical.

“It’s always fun — I love seeing tagged photos on social media,” of Blue Slide Park, says Wenk. That’s one Frick element that’s widely known, due at least in part to pop culture; “Blue Slide Park” also is the title of the debut album from late rapper and area native Mac Miller.

As the city’s largest historical park, Frick draws quite a crowd, especially in warmer months. In 2022, it was the site of 4,000 get-togethers, from after-school programs to Earth Month happenings. The conservancy team often works with the community; construction will begin in late 2023 on an outdoor sensory classroom near the environmental center that’ll be created in partnership with local groups to validate its features.

Speaking of features: We tend to be boastful about our scenic views. If you’re looking for a spot to catch the sunrise or sunset, check out Riverview Trail; you won’t be disappointed.

Squirrel Hill: Frick Environmental Center,
2005 Beechwood Blvd.
pittsburghparks.org

{FINDING YOUR WAY}

You don’t have to wing it on your visit; there’s a detailed map on the website and at select trail entrances (pittsburghparks.org).

{POINTS OF INTEREST}

40°25’35.3” N,
79°54’19.5” W

Search the lower part of the park to find a tranquil boardwalk along Nine Mile Run. Prefer technology to going wandering? Point your GPS to these coordinates.

6. The Andy Warhol Museum

It’s fitting that the museum dedicated to the late Andy Warhol, an influential Pop-Art king, is ever-changing.

For starters, The Andy Warhol Museum (one of four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh) is home to more than 10,000 works of art by the native son. What’s more, although he’s well known for his Pop-Art creations of muses such as Marilyn Monroe, he worked in various artforms throughout his multi-decade career — film, TV, painting and drawing are but a few examples.

Born and raised locally, Andrew Warhola was drawn to art at an early age; he graduated with a pictorial design degree from what’s now Carnegie Mellon University before he zipped off to New York City. The museum’s material naturally covers his claims to fame but also his background — the tale of his parents immigrating to the States, his Catholic faith and so on.

“We really try to tell the full Warhol story in a deeper way,” says Patrick Moore, director of The Warhol.

The seven-floor art gallery, which welcomes 150,000 visitors annually, provides exclusive experiences. For example, at press time, there’s an acoustically treated space set up to listen to recently digitized Velvet Underground master tapes while admiring cover album art by Warhol. Families with kids in tow can have fun, too, by making artworks in The Factory, whose name pays tribute to Warhol’s NYC studio.

The single-artist museum, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024, largely pays homage to the namesake artist’s works, but it also features special exhibitions a few times per year.

In 2022, The Warhol team established The Pop District, a multifaceted initiative involving multiple blocks of public art, workforce development offerings and various events and performances. Final Fridays, for example, are held from May through September in the nearby Silver Street event space and are effectively outdoor parties set to the beats of guest DJs.

“We want to attract, invite, [inspire people to] take selfies,” says Moore, “and make it an experience, hang around.”

North Shore: 117 Sandusky St.
warhol.org

Know Before You Go:
Block off at least 2-3 hours for the full museum experience, and more if you like to read every plaque.

{PHOTO OP}

Snag a selfie on the signature red couch located in the entrance space. (Like Andy, whose portrait is displayed above the couch, you, too, may want to throw on a pair of shades while striking a pose.)

{SOUVENIR TIP}

The gift shop stocks enviable knickknacks and prints of Warhol’s works.

7. Point State Park

It’s difficult to envision a city-skyline postcard or sporting-event live shot that doesn’t include the Point State Park Fountain. Heck, even a decade ago, when a giant rubber duck dropped anchor nearby, the roughly 150-foot fountain was not upstaged by the likes of the sizable, temporary art installation.

The fountain sits at, you guessed it, the point of our three rivers, where the Monongahela and Allegheny meet to form the Ohio. It debuted in 1974 and largely has remained a constant ever since; it required a full renovation in 2009 and shuttered before returning in 2013, when the park also received a facelift.

The 36-acre park space has quite the history, dating to its involvement in the French and Indian War. The Fort Pitt Museum has a wealth of info on that occurrence but also others, including the city’s founding; the Fort Pitt Block House, originally created in 1764 as a military redoubt, serves as a living relic. Point State Park’s green space was formalized due to the Pittsburgh Renaissance; after a 1950s urban renewal project wrapped, it was dedicated in 1974.

The park celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, and has been a gathering spot for everyday life and special occasions. Its green lawn is just the place to sit after the Pittsburgh Marathon or when celebrating July Fourth with tunes, food and pyrotechnics. On an average day, you’ll see families walking along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, colleagues enjoying lunch and couples admiring the reflecting pool. Bikes are omnipresent here, as this is an access point for the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile trail connecting Cumberland, Maryland, to the Steel City.

Back to the fountain: We’ll boldly say that catching a sunset there is a must. Everything surrounding the experience is slow-paced — people are conversing, picnicking, hanging out, relishing moments — and simple. On your first fountain experience at nightfall, you may feel as if you’ve been trusted with a sweet secret; you begin to understand some of the pride Pittsburghers have for the city and why our scenery gets such high praise.

Downtown: 601 Commonwealth Place
dcnr.pa.gov/stateparks

Know Before You Go:
The park is open year-round. The fountain is open May through October, weather permitting.

{POINT OF INTEREST}
You can spot the Duquesne Incline from the park, too!

Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres Park 
Fourteen large-scale sculptures representing the Minimalist movement have been recently conserved in their original grandeur, now situated on a fully accessible paved path arranged around the 1929 Tudor Revival mansion in this 629-acre park, considered the crown jewel of the Allegheny County Parks system. This is located about 12 miles north of Pittsburgh; use the Hartwood Acres Mansion entrance in your GPS.

Hampton: 200 Hartwood Acres
acparksfoundation.org

Big Mac Museum
Did you know that the signature McDonald’s concoction — two-all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun — was invented in Pittsburgh? Michael Delligatti introduced the sandwich at his McDonald’s franchise in Uniontown in 1967, charging just 45 cents for the big burger. McDonald’s Corp. launched the Big Mac nationwide in 1968, and it’s considered their all-time favorite hamburger. A museum dedicated to the Big Mac at Delligatti’s franchise in New Huntingdon opened in 2007 (inside the working restaurant), where there’s a 12-foot replica of the Big Mac, vintage wrappers and toys and other memorabilia.

North Huntingdon: 9061 Route 30

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Bicycle Heaven
Both Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon purport to be Weird. Keep Pittsburgh Quirky might be a more appropriate appellation for the Steel City, and places such as Bicycle Heaven fulfill this mission. Established in 2011 on the North Side by Craig and Mindy Morrow, Bicycle Heaven is touted as the world’s largest bicycle museum and bike shop with a massive collection of 6,000 vintage and new bikes under one roof, plus all the accoutrements that go with them. Here you’ll find an actual red prop bike from “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (one of four made) as well as bikes that appeared in “The Monkees” show and movies such as “Super 8” and the filmed-in-Pittsburgh “A Man Called Otto.” They’re most proud of their collection of 17 Bowden Spacelander bikes — among the most sought-after bikes by collectors. Bicycle Heaven is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and also includes sales, a repair shop and bike rentals. The museum’s Facebook page is filled with photos of smiling fans visiting the space. “It’s just an insane collection,” says one.

Chateau: 1800 Preble Ave.
bicycleheaven.org

PHOTO BY REAGEN WEST-WHITMAN

Exhibitions at Contemporary Craft
Check out the relatively new digs for Contemporary Craft, a 52-year-old organization that fosters the use of traditional craft materials — ceramic, fiber, glass, wood and metal — to make art. Its 13,000-square foot permanent home offers rotating exhibitions in a light-filled space and a gift shop you won’t want to miss.

Upper Lawrenceville: 5645 Butler St.
contemporarycraft.org

Water Steps at North Shore Riverfront Park
Operated during the warmer months by the Sports & and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh, the cascading fountain on the North Shore along the Allegheny River draws families and others who want to cool off with a striking view of the city’s skyline. It includes 500 blocks of sandstone cut from a Butler County quarry and another 1,000 smaller pieces of sandstone. Walk the waterfront near Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse and you’ll find it easily.

North Shore

Fort Pitt Block House
British forces built Fort Pitt during the French and Indian War at what is now Point State Park, where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers join to create the Ohio River. The only remnant left is the block house, which was erected in 1764 and is believed to be one of the oldest buildings still standing in Pittsburgh. It was first used to defend the fort from Native American attacks and then later as a trading post after the fort was decommissioned. It’s open year-round and is free, thanks to the Fort Pitt Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. (Operating days change during the winter, so check the website before you visit.) While you’re in the park, make sure to walk to the 150-foot fountain at the Point for one of the most brilliant views in the area.

Downtown: 601 Commonwealth Place
fortpittblockhouse.com

PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

Old Allegheny County Jail Museum
This landmark is open on the first and third Mondays of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., except holidays. Docents are on hand from the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation to guide you through. The building, opened in 1886, was designed by famed Boston architect H.H. Richardson and was used it as a jail until 1995. It reopened as a museum in 2005, and includes a portion of one of the original cell blocks.

Downtown: 440 Ross St.
phlf.org

PHOTO BY DAVE HALLEWELL/HI-FI FOTOS

We’re not gonna sugar-coat it for visitors: It’s tough to figure out where you’re going around here.

Highway exits appear to be bearing left then swerve right. Bridges are somehow several interstates at the same time. Intersections seem to have been glued together by toddlers — and can only be navigated by locals who know the unwritten rules of negotiating particularly nettlesome bottlenecks.

Even for the pros, it’s intimidating. Bonny Diver is a longtime radio personality who provides traffic updates for regional iHeartMedia stations. She’s not a native, however; born outside Columbus, Ohio, she was baffled when she first visited Pittsburgh.

“We were driving down a one-way street — the wrong way,” she remembers of her first visit. “The police stopped us. I said, ‘Well, we’re just trying to get over there. Can you help us?’ He said, ‘Uhh … no. Just turn around.’ That’s the setting for Pittsburgh: cops can’t even get you there!”

Diver says the name of the game is planning — and being willing to admit defeat and ask for help (maybe from a civilian rather than a uniformed officer). “People are really friendly at helping you.”

And don’t worry: While mistakes can quickly put you on a highway going in the wrong direction, Pittsburgh is at least geographically compact. Even a major screw-up likely won’t cost you more than 10 minutes.

With help from Diver’s years of expertise, here are four simple rules for navigating Pittsburgh.

1. Use your GPS — but take a look at the route first. Even lifelong residents often use GPS on every trip, since construction or traffic could snarl plans. But, Diver says, look at the route your phone produces before you set off. “Sometimes [navigation apps] don’t tell you [what’s next] in time — and you can’t just go around the block.”

2. Signs are not necessarily your friends. Logic can go out the window when it comes to navigating Pittsburgh’s highways. “You could be on Route 65 going north and want to get to 79 North, but it’s an intersection! How can two highways that are both going north have an intersection?” The city’s color-belt system, a relic of an optimistic 20th-century project, is similarly confounding. Instead of trying to learn the highways, you should …

3. Know the major destinations and towns. If you’re headed North, look for signs for Cranberry; if you’re eastbound, look for Monroeville. The highway numbers on the signs may be meaningless to you, but destinations like Airport, North Shore and Oakland are helpful. Get going in the right direction and hope your GPS can handle it from there.

4. Learn the two sacred unwritten rules. It’s essential for all visiting motorists, Diver says: “You gotta know about the Pittsburgh left.” Due to all the bizarre intersections, it’s frequent courtesy that a driver headed straight at an intersection will let an opposing counterpart making a left turn go first when the light changes. Unfortunately, some drivers expect this treatment and jump uninvited; don’t be surprised. Equally important: If you see an old chair on the curb, keep driving. That’s a parking chair, and it means the spot is not up for grabs. You don’t wanna incur anyone’s wrath.

Burgh’ers Brewing
This brewery-restaurant got its start in Butler County, but it’s a ‘Burgh thing. While the owners work on putting the final touches on a new site at The Highline development on the South Side, yinz guys can visit their Zelienople and Lawrenceville locations for a menu made entirely of locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. There are smash-style burgers with Steel City-centric names; the Fox Chapel, which won a James Beard competition, is topped with goat cheese, mixed greens, pickled onion and balsamic reduction. But it’s not just a burger thing; there are small plates (pierogies!), sandwiches and salads, too.

Lawrenceville: 3601 Butler St.
Zelienople: 215 W. New Castle St.
burgherspgh.com

PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Cinderlands Beer Co.
Cinderlands’ first incarnation — the Foederhouse in Lawrenceville — is a cozy spot for naturally fermented foederbier and classic Belgian pub cuisine. Its larger location in the Strip is a two-story, 300-seat facility featuring a first-floor bar and dining room with views of the open, scratch kitchen. Upstairs, you’ll find another bar — as well as a lounge and patio. The brewery’s suburban taproom is a stripped-down version of their city sites with a menu to match. Get snacky items such as soft pretzels, pepperoni rolls, quesadillas, cheese dip and sliders — plus, food trucks roll up every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Lawrenceville: Cinderlands Foederhouse, 3705 Butler St.
Strip District: Cinderlands Warehouse, 2601 Smallman St.
Pine: Cinderlands Taproom, 171 Wexford Bayne Road
cinderlands.com

PHOTO BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

Spoonwood Brewing Company
When you’re driving up Baptist Road in Bethel Park, Spoonwood’s enormous, 15-barrel facility appears from behind the trees like a beacon of good beer. But their wood-fired oven looms just as large to the taste buds. Order a Working Class Hero Cream Ale while you peruse the weekly specials and a rotating menu filled with no-spoon-required appetizers, salads, burgers and pizza. A spacious, outdoor seating area and a steady line-up of live music makes Spoonwood a suburban vacation destination.

Bethel Park: 5981 Baptist Road
spoonwoodbrewing.com

PHOTO BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

Yellow Bridge Brewing
At this family-run business with locations in Delmont and Greensburg, pizza (and a smattering of salads and snacks) bridges the gap between an empty and full stomach. Using house-made dough and sauce, the little brewery is cranking out a variety of 12- and 16-inch pies. Styles range from The Plain Jane to The Pepperoni Moderno with red sauce, mozzarella, a generous layer of pepperoni, arugula, balsamic glaze and hot honey. If, during your stay in the City of Bridges, you get a hankering for Detroit-style, rectangular pizza, the Greensburg site also serves one of those, too.

Delmont: 2266 Route 66
Greensburg: 33 East Pittsburgh St.
yellowbridgebrewing.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST END BREWING CO.

East End Brewing Company
One of Pittsburgh’s pioneering breweries — it’s been around since 2004 — East End is now making a name for itself with its creative pizzas. At its original Larimer site and its new sister location in the South Hills, East End Chewing is the culinary counterpart to beer production. (It also gets our Food Editor’s vote for Best Pizzeria Name.) The rustic, thick-crust pies — including an off-the-wall Pizza of the Week — are accompanied by a rotating list of soups, sides and bar snacks, including vegan and vegetarian options. And if you want to bone up on your Pittsburgh knowledge, East End is releasing a series of You Are Here beers representing each of the city’s 90 neighborhoods. Even Mister Rogers would’ve said cheers to that!

Larimer: 147 Julius St.
Mt. Lebanon: 651 Washington Road
eastendbrewing.com

PHOTO COURTESY HOP FARM BREWING

Hop Farm Brewing Company
Named Best Place For A Sunday Solo Beer in our 2023 Best of the ’Burgh issue, the Lawrenceville mainstay is also ideal for a dinner party of one or 100 (in addition to the taproom there is sidewalk seating and warehouse space). The BBQ Bacon Burger (two smashed beef patties, Swiss cheese, smoked bacon and housemade barbecue sauce) might not be good for the body, but it satisfies the soul. If you’re the indecisive type, order a flight of beers and a trio of sliders: Hop Farm Burger, Taco Burger and Pulled Pork. Hop to it.

Lawrenceville: 5601 Butler St.
hopfarmbrewingco.com

PHOTO BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

Mastic Trail Brewing
There’s a tropical oasis in … Shaler. Two summers ago, the former Moose Lodge was transformed into a 7,000-square-foot Caribbean-themed brewery named after a 10-mile scenic pathway on Grand Cayman Island. From the rattan furniture and cabana bar vibe to the floor that’s painted to look like sand and sea, it’s a respite from the industrial chic of typical taprooms. Order a beachy beer such as the Surfin’ Moose Blonde Ale. The food menu is similarly island-inspired, with Bacalao Fritters, a Cubano sandwich that’s roughly the size of Cuba and a Coconut Shrimp Po’boy.

Shaler: 1044 Saxonburg Blvd.
mastictrail.com

PHOTO: INSURRECTION ALEWORKS’ FACEBOOK PAGE

Insurrection AleWorks
If you want to rebel against typical pub grub, Insurrection AleWorks is your HQ. From a gourmet meatloaf sandwich to a vegan club, this microbrewery in tiny Heidelberg is an off-the-beaten path escape for good food for every diet. Feeling adventurous? California Roll Deviled Eggs! Canadian, eh? Poutine Loaded Fries! Saving your empty calories for beer? AleWorks Salad! Have offspring? Kids Grilled Cheese with fries! Everyone leaves happy.

Heidelberg: 1635 E. Railroad St.
insurrectionaleworks.com

PHOTO BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

The Smiling Moose
Turn your frown upside down and the volume to 11 at The Smiling Moose. Mike “Scarfo” Scarlatelli, who’s been a touring musician most of his life, opened the South Side location 20 years ago, offering upscale pub grub along with punk, rock and metal shows. A family-friendly, yet still rockin’, version debuted in the ’burbs in 2021. The menus at both Mooses are peppered with pop culture references (Pizza the Hutt’s Pizza Bread, anyone?), mouthwatering burgers, soups, salads, sandwiches (say hello to the Tony Montana Cuban) and really good pasta salad. Need another reason to grin? The Smiling Moose is also a nano-brewery churning out small-batch beers for its restaurants.

South Side: 1306 E. Carson St.
Cranberry: 8032 Rowan Road
smiling-moose.com

EVERGREEN DRIVE-IN | PHOTO BY CHUCK BEARD

Brownsville Drive-In
After the sun sets on this Fayette County hilltop, three screens light up with recent hits and classic favorites. Occasional special events round out the schedule; in recent months, the site has hosted concert broadcasts and even bingo games. While the theater is primarily open on weekends, the schedule stretches into the week for holidays and in the thick
of summer.

6229 National Pike E, Grindstone, Fayette County; facebook.com/brownsvilledrivein, 724/785-7190

• Screens: 3
• Concession Stands: 1 Full, 1 Limited Menu
• Established: April 26, 1949

Dependable Drive-In
The only operating drive-in in Allegheny County has only grown over the decades, adding two additional screens in the 1990s and a fourth in 2003. Recent blockbusters and studio hits appear in nightly double-features; four screens usually guarantee at least one family-friendly pairing. Unlike most locations, Dependable remains open year-round.

549 Moon Clinton Road, Moon Township; dependabledrivein.com, 412/264-7011, 412/264-7010, 412/474-3475

• Screens: 4
• Concession Stands: 2
• Established: June 27, 1950

Evergreen Drive-In
In a vast field in Westmoreland County, you can stand outside your car and see all three of Evergreen’s screens circling around a generally laid-back clientele. The surprisingly robust concession offerings go beyond standard fare with sausage and cheese steak sandwiches and oven-baked mini donuts.

309 Drive-In Lane, Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County; evergreendrivein.com, 724/547-4747

• Screens: 3
• Concession Stands: 1 Full, 1 Limited-Menu
• Established: June 19, 1947

Riverside Drive-In
The single-screen Riverside Drive-In, just outside Apollo in Armstrong County, is a twice-yearly destination for horror hounds thanks to the popular Drive-In Super Monster-Rama weekends featuring dusk-till-dawn marathons of favorites and forgotten spook shows. Between those events, it’s a cozy drive-in with nightly double features tucked into a picturesque spot between the forest and the river.

1114 Lees Lake Lane,  Vandergrift,  Armstrong County; riversidedrivein.com, 724/568-1250

• Screens: 1
• Concession Stands: 1
• Established: May 6, 1949

More to Visit

There are eight drive-ins within a 50-mile radius of Pittsburgh; here are even more spots for movies under the stars.

• Starlight Drive-In, Butler, Pa.
  starlightdrive-in.com
• Hilltop Drive-In, Chester, W. Va.
  hilltopdriveintheater.com
• Comet Drive-In, Dunbar, Pa.
  cometdrivein.com
• Palace Gardens Drive-In, Indiana, Pa.
  palacegardensdrivein.com

CONSTANZA ROMERO-WILSON, AUGUST WILSON’S WIDOW, STANDS IN FRONT OF THE AUGUST WILSON HOUSE WITH FOUNDER PAUL ELLIS, THE PLAYWRIGHT’S NEPHEW | PHOTO BY SHARON EBERSON

Mark 2022 as the year that Pittsburgh establishes itself as the premiere spot to honor and learn about the life and legacy of native son August Wilson, one of America’s greatest playwrights. The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of the 10-play American Century Cycle, including Tony Award-winning plays “Fences” and “The Piano Lesson,” died in 2005 at age 60. Now, the city of Wilson’s youth — also home to The August Wilson Archive at the University of Pittsburgh — boasts a stunning, permanent exhibition dedicated to the playwright, activist and chronicler of the Black American experience. In addition, Wilson’s childhood home has been resurrected as an arts center and outdoor performance space.

PHOTO COURTESY AUGUST WILSON LEGACY LLC

‘August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape’
In April, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Downtown, unveiled an immersive, interactive exhibition devoted to its namesake. The atmospheric walk through Wilson’s life and work engages visitors with touches of techno-magic and impresses with its scope, as visitors are transported into scenes from the 10 plays, all produced on Broadway. Contextual videos incorporate movie scenes from adaptations of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Fences,” filmed in Pittsburgh with Academy Award nominees Chadwick Boseman and Denzel Washington and Oscar winner Viola Davis.

“THE COFFEE SHOP” FROM THE PERMANENT EXHIBIT “AUGUST WILSON: THE WRITER’S LANDSCAPE” AT THE AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER | PHOTOS BY TARA GEYER/AWAACC

The exhibition is packed with artifacts such as the writer’s desk and records from Wilson’s vinyl collection, provided by his widow and chief curator Constanza Romero-Wilson. With the wave of a hand, visitors can conjure videos that include the man himself on several surfaces. Voiceovers by artists such as Phylicia Rashad and Ruben Santiago-Hudson follow visitors navigating the exhibition’s three phases: “The Coffee Shop,” “The Office” and “The Street,” the latter flowing from play to play, each representing a decade of the 20th century.

“JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE,” AS PART OF “THE STREET” FROM THE PERMANENT EXHIBIT “AUGUST WILSON: THE WRITER’S LANDSCAPE” AT THE AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.

It is recommended that you give yourself 90 minutes to take it all in, but you may want to take your time at the carved-wood piano from “The Piano Lesson,” musical instruments in the “Ma Rainey” room, or the City of Bones quilt from “Gem of the Ocean.”

“The Writer’s Landscape,” free with a timed ticket, is a must-see for theater or history buffs or anyone wanting a peek into the story of Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
(980 Liberty Ave., Downtown; 412/339-1011, awaacc.org)

August Wilson House Year of Celebration
Less than a mile away in the Lower Hill District, a street plaque marks the landmark August Wilson House, the writer’s childhood home. Born in 1945, Wilson lived here until he was 13 with his mother and five siblings. They were initially in two rooms, then four.

On Aug. 13, 2022, a Grand House Party — set to include luminaries from near and far — will launch the multiyear restoration of the House and backyard theater, dedicated to nurturing artists of color and creating an artistic community. While the home is not set up for public tours, the backyard has hosted productions of Wilson’s plays; beginning Aug. 12, it will be the setting for Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s production of “Jitney,” a Tony winner for best revival in 2017. A schedule of the Year of Celebration events is on the website.
(1727 Bedford Ave., Hill District; augustwilsonhouse.org)

Arcade Comedy Theater hosts inventive and uproarious stand-up, improv and sketch shows every weekend. The best local performers share the calendar with special guests from far and wide; look for recurring favorites such as the Dungeons & Dragons-themed “Knights of the Arcade” and the competition-style “Comedy Royale.”
(943 Liberty Ave., Downtown; arcadecomedytheater.com)

August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a striking, vibrant art space on Liberty Avenue and an anchor of the Cultural District. It focuses on the Black arts experience throughout history and also the experience of Black artists in Pittsburgh; a varied calendar of events includes theater, dance, music and much more.
(980 Liberty Ave., Downtown; awaacc.org)

Calliope House is Pittsburgh’s longtime home and host for folk music, traditional American genres and more. The nonprofit brings local, regional, national and international performers in a variety of traditional and alternative genres to various venues in Pittsburgh. Calliope House also offers programs for the creation of new folk music and musical jams.
(calliopehouse.org)

The Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall is both one of Pittsburgh’s oldest performance spaces (dating to 1898) and one of the busiest. The theater has a full calendar of touring bands, comedians and more, from legends to cult favorites. Stand-up is a specialty here, as plenty of comedy heavyweights opt for the Music Hall when they stop in Pittsburgh; the likes of Marc Maron, Tig Notaro and Sinbad have taken the stage in recent years.
(510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall; librarymusichall.com)

Chatham Baroque specializes in breathtaking music performed in beautiful and acoustically rich spaces. Chatham Baroque performances are made up of music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque and Early Classical periods. The ensemble has toured the United States, Canada, South America and the Virgin Islands and was lauded as “one of Pittsburgh’s greatest treasures” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
(chathambaroque.org)

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

City of Asylum is a key part of the literary ecosystem of Pittsburgh. The nonprofit hosts (and houses) writers in exile and has become an ever-increasing force in the city’s literary community, using its excellent Alphabet City bookstore as a home base. It holds events that showcase musical and literary talent, often by oppressed or exiled musicians and authors.
(40 W. North Ave., North Side; cityofasylum.org)

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY THEATRE

City Theatre is a South Side-based company that has since 1975 presented challenging, dynamic plays, with a focus on contemporary plays that are brand new to Pittsburgh audiences, including the occasional world premiere. The theater’s location off of East Carson Street also makes this a great option for those looking for dinner before a show — or, if you’re willing to brave occasionally rowdy crowds, a drink after. (1300 Bingham St., South Side; citytheatrecompany.org)

Club Cafe is a cozy venue that serves as a place for discovery — you go to Club Cafe to investigate a performer. It’s a pure, exciting process; pay a few bucks (and usually just a few) and see if one hour of up-close music can make you a fan. The calendar at Club Cafe, also located in the heart of the South Side, includes music, stand-up comedy, burlesque and more.
(56 S. 12th St., South Side; clubcafelive.com)

The Harris Theater is a historic Downtown cinema dedicated to showings of contemporary, foreign and classic films. The theater opened its doors more than a century ago, going through a number of rebrandings and renovations — including, ahem, some more adult incarnations — before becoming the city’s go-to home for fascinating independent and repertory cinema.
(809 Liberty Ave., Downtown; trustarts.org)

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

At Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, you’ll find a variety of performances from diverse, emerging artists — theater, music, dance and much more fill an unpredictable but always packed calendar. Named for two of the city’s hometown heroes, Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, this is a regular stop for innovative small arts companies.
(5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty; kelly-strayhorn.org)

Liberty Magic is like no other venue in town: A full-time home for parlor magic. World-renowned magicians, mentalists and other practitioners of close-up illusions stay for weeks-long residencies at the intimate spot. Spring for the VIP experience and you’ll be ushered backstage after the show for an extra illusion or two.
(811 Liberty Ave., Downtown; trustarts.org)

MCG Jazz maintains Pittsburgh’s longstanding history of jazz artistry and innovation with a beloved series of concerts starring heavyweights from around the world. In addition to its considerable outreach and education efforts, the organization hosts a full season of music — including very in-demand holiday concerts.
(1815 Metropolitan St., Chateau; mcgjazz.org)

At Mr. Smalls Theater & Funhouse in Millvale, you’ll see national touring acts, favorite local bands and brand-new artists — all coming to play in a carefully converted former church. Downstairs, rock and hip-hop artists headline on the main stage; upstairs, you’ll stand feet away from the band in the rockin’ Funhouse space. A visit is a good opportunity to explore the neighborhood, too.
(400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale; mrsmalls.com)

The Oaks Theater still shows movies (often with an accompanying beer tasting), but there’s much more to be seen at this longstanding Oakmont cinema. Between stand-up comedy, touring bands, trivia and tribute acts, there’s likely to be something unexpected and entertaining happening at the Oaks, a historic venue tucked into an unassuming suburban enclave.
(310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont; theoakstheater.com)

The Pavilion at Star Lake, an outdoor amphitheater with a seating capacity of more than 20,000, has hosted a who’s who of legends over its three-plus decades: David Bowie, the Grateful Dead, Tina Turner, Elton John, Janet Jackson and countless others have graced the stage. It’s a bit of a drive from Downtown (and leave some time to navigate parking), but if one of your favorites is playing, it’s a fine place to see them.
(665 Route 18, Burgettstown; livenation.com)

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre frequently performs at Benedum Center as well as occasional shows around town — some in the open air. The 53-year-old theater has an eclectic history of performances, from new material to traditional shows, all brought to you by a world-class cast of professional dancers.
(pbt.org)

Pittsburgh Musical Theater has for more than 30 years been the local specialists in Broadway’s all-time hits. The troupe performs on their home turf, the Gargaro Theater in the West End, as well as at other venues throughout the city. The company is committed to youth development and education with a cast made up of professionals and young artists.
(pittsburghmusicals.com)

PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH OPERA

Pittsburgh Opera is the seventh oldest opera company in the United States and boasts a rich history of high-quality productions. On its schedule, you’ll find works by legendary composers, masterpieces by lesser-known composers and contemporary works by rising stars.
(pittsburghopera.org)

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company specializes in carrying on the legacy of Pittsburgh-born playwright August Wilson; it remains one of the few companies in the world that has produced all 10 of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s Century Cycle of plays. The group also performs new works by local playwrights, including as part of its annual Theatre Festival in Black & White.
(pghplaywrights.org)

PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER

Pittsburgh Public Theater makes its home in the heart of the Cultural District at the inviting and versatile O’Reilly Theater. Expect a variety of productions, from Shakespeare and classics to cutting-edge new shows, performed by the best performers from Pittsburgh and beyond; upcoming productions include “A Raisin in the Sun,” “A Christmas Story” and “Steel Magnolias.”
(621 Penn Ave., Downtown; ppt.org)

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs in the Cultural District’s majestic Heinz Hall. Throughout its 120-plus years, the orchestra has toured Europe, Asia and the Americas with classical works from some of the greatest composers through the ages. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra hosts performances of masterpiece works and contemporary soundtracks in addition to local programs for youth education and community engagement.
(600 Penn Ave., Downtown; pittsburghsymphony.org)

Prime Stage Theater is an all-ages nonprofit organization that performs at New Hazlett Theater. The organization focuses on shows that connect children with literature, filling most of its calendar with shows adapted from books. It also has a variety of public performances that are accessible to those with mobility impairments as well as people who are Deaf and/or visually impaired.
(6 Allegheny Square East, North Side; primestage.com)

At Quantum Theatre, you never know where you might be headed; the itinerant group specializes in finding unconventional spaces for its performance, from temporary tents erected in city parks to shows performed in the shadow of towering local landmarks. The company also occasionally mounts immersive productions, centering the audience in the midst of the story.
(quantumtheatre.com)

PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Visit Row House Cinema for a favorite film from the past — or something you’ve never seen before. Weekly themes, ranging from celebrations of genres and directors to off-the-wall concepts linking a series of films, bring back classics, rediscover lost gems and introduce flicks never before seen in Pittsburgh. Enjoy your film with a draft beer from the adjacent bottle shop and taproom Bierport.
(4115 Butler St., Lawrenceville; rowhousecinema.com)

Stage AE is a North Shore entertainment venue best known for indoor and outdoor concerts, with a full calendar moving to the open air when the weather warms. The venue brings musicians of all genres but has a focus on rock bands. Stage AE averages around 110 events per year, including the occasional sporting event, expo and charity fundraiser.
(400 North Shore Drive, North Shore; promowestlive.com)

PEANUT (OWNED BY ASSOCIATE EDITOR SEAN COLLIER AND MARY BETH KULIN) SIZES UP THE STRIP WHILE MOM GRABS A BEER AT THE HELLTOWN BREWING TAPROOM AND BEER GARDEN | PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

A Long Stroll and a Cold Beer on the North Shore — Between the river, the geese and the parade of new people to wag a tail at, Fido will likely love a long walk along the North Shore Riverfront Trail near the stadiums. After you’re tuckered out, make your way to Southern Tier Brewery Pittsburgh on North Shore Drive; their large outdoor seating area is dog friendly, with ample water bowls to help rehydrate your happy pooch.

Take in a Ballgame — Is Rover a sports fan? Head to one of the Pup Nights on the Pittsburgh Pirates promotional calendar, when your ticket includes one complimentary dog admission. (You’ll need to bring proof that your pet is up-to-date on vaccinations.) It would take a long home run to reach the pup-night section, but you can still dream of your good boy snagging a ball on the fly. The first Pup Night of the season is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12.

Off-Leash Areas at City and County Parks — Wherever you call home, there’s likely a city or county dog park nearby. Right in the heart of the city? Unwind at the small Pittsburgh Downtown Dog Park at the south end of the Rachel Carson Bridge. Within sniffing distance of the South Side? There’s an expansive dog park near the shores of the Monongahela off 18th Street, with a separate area for smaller pups. In the ’burbs? Six county parks have off-leash areas. Bring your (well-behaved and spayed or neutered) pooch for some fresh air and exercise.

Food (and Music) with Fido at Sunny Jim’s Tavern — This North Hills institution on Camp Horne Road has been welcoming guests for drinks and meals since 1934. In more recent years, an outdoor deck has welcomed guests in the summer months and is open to animal companions. This is also a good chance to find out if your pooch is a music lover; Sunny Jim’s frequently has music on the deck in warm weather.

Look at Birds Before Dinner — While dogs aren’t allowed inside the National Aviary (for good reason), you can walk your pup through Allegheny Commons Park to take in the birds visible to the public outside the facility itself. (I’m eager to know how the average housepet reacts to the imposing Andean condors.) After some birdwatching, trek over to the dog-friendly outdoor area at Federal Galley for a great meal.

HUMPHREY (OWNED BY CREATIVE DIRECTOR HUCK BEARD) VISITS THE PITTSBURGH PET EXPO, POSING FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

Visit the Pittsburgh Pet Expo — Keep an eye out for the annual Pittsburgh Pet Expo at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, because why would you shop for your pups without them getting a chance to approve of your purchases? Stick around for dachshund races, pet grooming competitions and more — and leave some room in the car, as adoptable pets are on site.

Catch a Film at Riverside Drive-In — The cozy, single-screen drive-in near Vandergrift is pet friendly, and inquisitive dogs can often be found sniffing around for fallen popcorn before the show gets going. If another drive-in is near you, check their rules; some don’t allow pets for insurance reasons.

Even after you pass through the small town of Perryopolis, Buffalo Bill’s House is out of the way. To get there, you’ll need to pass through an imposing tunnel and over a one-lane bridge that spans the Youghiogheny River.

There are surprises in store once you arrive — from the recreated scenes in the basement of the 111-year-old home to the talking statue of Hannibal Lecter in the foyer. But this is more than just a location tour, and there’s nothing creepy about the lodgings; even without its slice of cinema history, Buffalo Bill’s House is simply a great place to spend the weekend.

The three-story home played a pivotal role in the Academy-Award winning “Silence of the Lambs.” As FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) searches for the identity of notorious killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), she unwittingly walks into danger; thinking she’s asking a neighbor for clues, she unknowingly knocks on Bill’s front door. He leads her into the house; when she realizes the truth, Bill dashes into a darkened basement, hoping to lure Clarice into a trap.

These scenes were filmed in Perryopolis; most of the film was made in western Pennsylvania, including scenes at Soldiers & Sailors in Oakland. (That landmark is also celebrating “Silence of the Lambs” this week, with a 30th-anniversary screening of the film — in the room where Lecter escaped his cage — scheduled for Friday night.)

The home was a private residence, returned to its owners after filming; almost three decades later, it went on the market.

The listing caught the attention of Chris Rowan, a New York-based art director and prop stylist for feature films. He saw an opportunity to turn the property into not merely a place for “Silence of the Lambs” fans to visit — but also a rare opportunity for fans to actually stay in the world of the film.

“I’m a fan myself,” he explains. “I’ve been to the ‘Friday the 13th’ [filming site] in New Jersey, and the ‘Amityville Horror’ house in New York and Freddy [Krueger]’s house in Pasadena … Those are all places I’ve gone to see and take photos, and the only one you can only go into — on special tour dates — is the ‘Friday the 13th’ campgrounds.

“Buffalo Bill’s is different. Buffalo Bill’s allows you to engage at your leisure, in a totally private format.”

He put in an offer on the house in October 2020 and closed in January; the home opened for guests on Labor Day weekend. The first stay was given away for free on the property’s social media accounts; it was won by a New York resident who is a former student of Tom Savini’s special effects makeup program in nearby Monessen.

Throughout the main floor of the house, movie-themed artwork — much of it donated by fans of the film — and artifacts from filming accompany furniture sourced individually to match the Victorian style of the home. In the basement, however, fans will have a chance to indulge in a bit of role-play: Rowan has partially recreated Bill’s subterranean lair, complete with some surprising special effects.

“The goal is to provide an immersive experience — really kind of take you into this dark sensibility of Buffalo Bill … I want to take people into the film itself.”

Rowan is still adding to the set recreations in the basement, with plans to build a replica of the sinister well where Bill traps his victims. (Those scenes weren’t filmed in Perryopolis; the movie’s basement was created in a studio.)

“Because you get to stay here totally by yourself, with your own group, you should feel very comfortable having as much fun as you want recreating all the scenes.”

Buffalo Bill’s House is not a bed and breakfast or shared space; guests rent the entire property and have it to themselves for the length of the stay. The second floor has four bedrooms, comfortably sleeping eight people.

Beyond the many details and nods for film fans, Rowan has worked to ensure that guests will enjoy their stay. An in-ground pool sits next to a vintage railroad car he’s converting into a pool house; two outdoor seating areas, one with a grill, invite a leisurely evening. On the top floor of the house — dubbed Buffalo Bill’s Playhouse — guests will find working arcade games and a vast library of DVDs and VHS tapes.

“The inspiration for this room was to create a retro, ’70s, ’80s, rec room/game room type vibe — something that doesn’t correlate to the Victorian roots of the home, but is still retro in its own right.”

For fans, Buffalo Bill’s House is a must visit; as Rowan points out, it’s one of the most intimate experiences a horror hound can have with a filming location. But even for more casual fans of “Silence of the Lambs,” it’s a remarkable, unique and inviting vacation property. While Perryopolis may not be at the top of anyone’s list as a getaway destination, anyone looking for a fun and relaxing weekend should take a look.

Just bring your own Chianti.