Poulet Bleu was the first Richard DeShantz spot to be located outside of downtown's Cultural District, calling Lawrenceville home, and is perhaps our favorite DeShantz endeavor yet.
The attention to detail in everything from decor to service to the food really creates a lovely and complete dining experience focused on a French theme.
DiAnoia's is an Italian restaurant with an adorable Italian cafe vibe and is located in the Strip District.
During the week they serve an amazing lunch and dinner, but on Sundays? Sundays are for brunch. We'd heard lots of good things about their brunch, so we luckily snagged a somewhat hard to get reservation and checked it out.
We loved it so much we made a return trip for dinner and share our thoughts on both in this full review! But first, we have to start with brunch.
Tina's Bar in Bloomfield is not your typical Pittsburgh bar. It isn't quite a dive, but it isn't an upscale craft cocktail bar either.
In fact, it is a bit of both, and if you're wondering how that would work out well together you're not alone. We wondered the same thing.
But we're happy to report that this one walks a fine line in a modern retro theme, and while that may not make much sense right now, we're going to do our best to highlight why this is truly the case!
Note: Bitter Ends closed permanently in April 2022.
You may have seen the Bitter Ends pop up at the Bloomfield Farmers Market on Saturdays in the past, but now they've got their very own storefront in Bloomfield.
With farm fresh ingredients (straight from their own farm) and everything made from scratch including bread and pastries, soups, and sandwiches, we haven't been this ecstatic about a restaurant opening in a while.
We distinctly remember when Meat and Potatoes opened up in 2011. It was one of the first chef-driven restaurants to open in downtown Pittsburgh (that we are aware of at least), helping to spur the revival of Pittsburgh's dining scene.
We remember people were freaking out (in a good way) over the bone marrow, poutine, pate, and other appetizers and entrees that were less common at the time, as well as the craft cocktails.
Although we dined at Meat and Potatoes years ago when it opened, we figured we were long due for a return visit to see how it was holding up.
The short answer? Deliciously.
Honeygrow is a fast casual restaurant that focuses on healthy stir fries, salads, and fruit parfaits.
We originally did not give this one a second glance after hearing it was a chain, but the folks at honeygrow invited us in for a meal to change our minds and we are certainly glad we took them up on the offer.
What sets honeygrow apart from other chains is its commitment to a seasonal, locally sourced (when possible) menu that's all organic and non-GMO. Basically, the food is good for you and also good for the planet!
With all of those constraints, you might think the dishes would be boring or uninspired, but on our recent visit we found our meals had unique ingredient combinations and sauces that kept things packed with interesting flavors.
When we heard that Pittsburgh was getting a rock climbing gym within the city limits, I was pretty excited. (Angie, not so much.)
I had tried this activity out a few times when I was in college, but in being a college student couldn't quite afford to go as much as I would like.
I knew that once Ascend opened at their location in the South Side I would have to go and see if I still enjoy it as much as I remember, and of course had to drag Angie along with me for her first rock climbing experience as well.
As it turns out, I like rock climbing now even more than I remember, and even Angie was on board with it after we got there!
Although our bakery scene in Pittsburgh is somewhat small, the emergence of several high quality, creative bakeries over the past few years has been encouraging.
Sure, there are the big guys that have been around seemingly forever like Prantl's, Oakmont Bakery, and Breadworks, but what about little neighborhood spots where you can get a buttery croissant or a danish that's a work of art?
Fortunately, these types of artisan corner bakeries have been popping up in recent years. Everything from crusty breads to gluten free goodies to French pastries can now be found right here in the Burgh.
Lucky for you, we have no shame when it comes to bakery hopping (yes, we're making that a thing) and are here to clue you in on where to go to get your fix of baked goods.
As with most of our guides, this list is only a selection of bakeries we've visited to date. As we visit more bakeries in Pittsburgh we will update this article accordingly!
When you think of the Pittsburgh Opera in general, you may think of classic operas by the likes of Mozart, Verdi, and Rossini. But did you know that the Pittsburgh Opera is also dedicated to the performance and even debut of modern American operas?
We were invited to take in the contemporary opera “The Long Walk” at the CAPA Theater which was an outstanding introduction to the great work that the Pittsburgh Opera does in this performance genre.
The North Side eagerly welcomed Badamo's Pizza to Federal Street in December 2017. This pie shop already has a well-established following and location in the South Hills, and as North Siders ourselves we are extremely excited to have another great pizza option in our neighborhood.