Food & Drink category, Page 65
Here are some Pittsburgh-area outdoor dining spots to try as summer winds down
Summertime restaurant discussions almost always include a spirited debate over the best outdoor dining spots. In a year when half of Americans have canceled summer vacations, however, it seems appropriate to explore restaurant patios that do more than just provide fresh air. This list gives a nod to Pittsburgh-area restaurants...
East End businesses create Pittsburgh survival kits of beer, coffee and more
Survival is a word that packs a lot of meaning in these covid-addled times. That notion is behind an initiative involving five small businesses in Pittsburgh’s East End: the East Enders’ “Survival Kits.” East End Brewing, Prohibition Pastries, Commonplace Coffee, Kelly’s Bar & Lounge and Barmy Soda Co. are providing...
Chef and writer J. Kenji López-Alt cooks up a kid’s book
NEW YORK — Pipo is a young girl in a new book for kids who insists that pizza is the best food on Earth. Prompted by her mom to prove it, Pipo goes across her neighborhood testing alternatives: tagine, red beans and rice, bibimbap and dumplings. Her new conclusion: Pizza...
What to do with all that squash? Slice it, dice it, bake it, fry it
Most gardeners, from beginners to old pros, plant summer squash because it grows fast and can be harvested early and throughout the growing season. It’s the vegetable plant that keeps on giving. It is close to peak harvesting season for gardeners. That means many have too much zucchini, crookneck or...
Almond flour substitutes in healthier chocolate chip cookie
It can be tough to maintain healthful eating habits in stressful times, when the snack you hanker for probably begins with “chocolate” and ends with “cookie.” Chef Nicole Burgess offers some help through a recipe she developed for National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, observed Aug. 4. Burgess, the pastry chef...
Twisted Thistle, Lingrow Farm to host farm-to-table dinner in Gilpin
Two Leechburg-area businesses are partnering to present a rural farm fresh dining experience. The Twisted Thistle in Leechburg and Lingrow Farm in Gilpin will host Farm 2 Table, an al fresco supper event on the grounds of Lingrow Farm on Saturday. “The primary reason that Twisted Thistle ever opened was...
Wiz Khalifa bringing delivery-only restaurant to Pittsburgh
A macaroni and cheese dish called “Mac and Yellow,” a “Taylor Gang turkey burger” and “blazed ends” brisket meal — all homemade dishes designed by Pittsburgh’s own Wiz Khalifa. And they’ll be available Oct. 1 when the multi-platinum recording artist opens Hotbox by Wiz, a chain of delivery-only restaurants coming...
Animal Friends to benefit from sales of BrewDog beer showing adoptable canines
Cheers to your furry friends. Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has teamed locally with Animal Friends in Ohio Township as well as Gigi’s Shelter Services in Ohio to showcase adoptable dogs looking for forever homes. The brewery created Street Dog and Street Dog AF (alcohol free), beers of its Punk IPA...
Brookline’s Menuette reinvented as Oak Hill Post
Brookline’s refined diner, Menuette, had a false start earlier this year, but its second chance comes starting Wednesday as a revamped, quirky and casual spot called Oak Hill Post. Much of Brookline sits atop the 1870s caverns of the Oak (coal) Mine, making “Oak Hill” a natural nickname for the...
Restaurant gambles on Jeannette location, surviving the pandemic
Seeing signs of revival and renewal in downtown Jeannette, Matt and Christine Kuhns picked a Clay Avenue site for their new restaurant venture. The 520 Bar & Grill opened in November, taking its name from the street address. Things went well for the first few months. “We were building up...
How to grill chicken so it’s juicy with charred (not burned!) skin
I grill bone-in chicken the way the tortoise runs the race against the hare in Aesop’s fable: slow and steady. Cooking this way over moderate heat ensures a winning chicken dinner. If you start out too fast and set the chicken over intense heat to try to grill it quickly,...
Better burgers are about the blend
There was a time when I liked burgers based mostly on their toppings. I might order a Swiss cheese and bacon burger, or one topped with blue cheese and caramelized onions, and that, I thought, was where the flavor was. Then I realized I could make my own burger blend...
Potato-crusted tilapia is best prepared in nonstick pan
I tried to make potato-crusted fish once before and it was a disaster, with the grated potatoes sticking much more to the pan than to the fish. I don’t remember if this was the recipe I used, but lesson learned: This seems surer to work in a good non-stick pan....
Shake up quarantine routine with easy-to-make garlic-based pizza
Ordering out for pizza more often during the pandemic? Here’s a pizza that you can make at home and takes only minutes to put together. It has a creamy, garlic sauce and is a nice change from tomato-based pizzas. This recipe calls for a thin crust pizza base you can...
Tarentum’s Hometown Restaurant closed, victim of pandemic restrictions
After over 25 years in business, Tarentum’s Hometown Restaurant has closed. Rebecca Coy owned and operated Hometown Restaurant. She spent 25 years waking up at 4:30 in the morning to get to the restaurant before breakfast at 6 a.m. She made everything, from breakfast to salad dressing. “Everything was homemade,”...
Monroeville restaurants struggle with covid restrictions
Layoffs, sickness and changing rules — it’s all part of the game right now if you own a restaurant or bar. In Monroeville, these types of businesses have been hurting. For some, it’s been tempting to scrap the ever-changing rules and regulations to follow their own. But most have chosen...
2 Pittsburgh-area restaurants closing: Larder of East End and Mt. Lebanon’s The Fairlane
Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene continues to endure losses as Larder of East End and Mt. Lebanon’s The Fairlane will close their doors permanently this weekend. Larder is a collaborative venture between chef Justin Severino and his partner Hilary Prescott, and East End Brewing Co. owner and head brewer Scott Smith. The...
Irwin restaurant opens amid pandemic; state restrictions hurt eateriesVideo
Candy Zambo says it was just her luck that she tried to open a restaurant in downtown Irwin in midst of a pandemic. “I’ve wanted to do this. I’ve always loved the restaurant industry,” Zambo said, undeterred by the circumstances surrounding the opening of Candy’s Corner Cafe at 435 Main...
Big Burrito Restaurant Group reopens some locations
Chef Bill Fuller, president of Big Burrito Restaurant Group, has reopened restaurants Kaya, Soba and Umi. The nine Mad Mex locations in the region have stayed open during the pandemic, Fuller said Thursday, because of the Mar-GO-ritas, takeout and outdoor dining. The restaurants Alta Via and Casbah might open soon...
Greensburg Restaurant Week strives to provide ‘sense of normalcy’
Necessity is the mother of invention — or reinvention, in the case of this summer’s Greensburg Restaurant Week, running Monday through Aug. 30. “This Restaurant Week is less about an exclusive dining experience and more about driving business back to restaurants,” said Ashley Kertes, executive director of the Greensburg Community...
Owners of DiAnoia’s to open Pane è Pronto, a bakery and takeout spot, in Strip District
Pane è Pronto translates to “bread is ready.” Or in this case, almost ready. A new Italian takeout, bread and catering kitchen is planning to open by the end of September or beginning of October in Pittsburgh’s Strip District by the owners of DiAnoia’s Eatery and Pizzeria Davide. Located at...
Taco Bell to launch new Go Mobile sites in 2021 — with ‘bellhops’
Taco Bell is innovating again. This time, the Mexican fast food chain is planning new sites that take advantage of its mobile ordering app. Starting in 2021, the chain said in a press release it will open new smaller restaurants — called Taco Bell Go Mobile — which are 1,325...
Music and food return to The Palace for Greensburg Restaurant Week
The courtyard of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg has been quiet this summer, with the move of the Thursday TGIS concerts to the grounds of the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. But live music — and food — will return during Greensburg Restaurant Week. The Westmoreland Cultural Trust, which operates...
Move over pumpkin spice, Primanti’s and East End Brewing bring back pickle beer
Primanti Bros. and East End Brewing Co. are bringing back their “Almost Famous Pickle Beer” collaboration. They hope the second serving is as good as the first. “Last year, it was bonkers how fast it went,” said Scott Smith, owner of East End Brewing in Larimer. “People came to the...
Champagne makers fix harvest quotas, as virus kills the fizz
PARIS — French Champagne producers decided Tuesday to put unprecedented limits on the quantity of grapes they’ll harvest this year in hopes of propping up prices and containing damage from the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, record amounts of grapes may need to be destroyed or sold to distilleries at...
