We are quite fortunate to have a number of ski resorts in the Laurel Highlands with slopes suitable for all skill levels.
But for those who are beginners to the sport, like myself, one property sticks out as being a stellar option for those looking to learn- Hidden Valley.
With several easy-to-navigate trails, modest on-site amenities, a wonderful staff, and a relaxed ambiance all around, Hidden Valley should be the first stop for those looking to learn to ski in the Laurel Highlands!
EYV in the North Side is a vegetable-forward restaurant that focuses on utilizing local produce from regional farms. On our recent trip, even in the middle of winter, we were surprised and delighted at the use of local vegetables in all of the comforting, delicious plates.
When it comes to dining healthy in the city, we could certainly use a few more places like this one!
Sweetwater Center for the Arts is a rather impressive facility in Sewickley providing community classes ranging from creative writing to ceramics, oil painting to metalsmithing, classes for children to seniors, and everything in between. Throw on incredibly passionate instructors and you have an all-around destination not to be missed.
On our first visit, we were guests of Sweetwater for a media night to take in one of their new cooking classes which run a spectrum of themes (particularly with a strong international element that we are quite the fans of). Although our particular class had a curated menu for this special event which likely won't show up for a public experience (we made food from a mix of countries), the experience makes us want to book many more classes for future Pittsburgh date nights.
Cadence Cellars in the Strip District is a restaurant and bar with a speakeasy theme offering up classics like steaks and pork chops served alongside Prohibition-era cocktails. With its basement location and good execution of both food and drink, Cadence is a great spot to check out if you're in the neighborhood.
In the Strip District, we tend to think about drinking and dining options as an “either/or” situation – most spots either excel only at food or only at drinks. However, Cadence is a rare spot where both of these are in balance, making it equally great as a brunch stop while you're shopping or a place to start a night out on the town.
The Foodture was previously known as Back to the Foodture and changed its name in August 2023. The South Side location appears closed at this time but the Uptown location is open with the new name. This review was from before the restaurant rebranded and we are unsure if the menu has changed significantly at this time.
The Foodture has been making waves in the Pittsburgh food scene in recent years thanks to their impressive wing and, shall we say, rather extreme burger menu (amongst countless other reasons).
Sadly, due to many issues on our end, we could never make the logistics work of visiting their South Side eatery.
But when this one announced they were adding on a new location at the former Buford's space in downtown Pittsburgh just next to PPG Paints Arena, we knew we had to visit as soon as possible. As it turns out, we happened to be at PPG Paints for a show on The Foodture's opening week (under its previous name, Back to the Foodture), and made sure to be one of the first ones in the door.
Looking back on it, we regret dragging our feet on visiting this one for as long as we did!
When Viet Nom Nom announced they were opening in the old Nu Jewish Bistro space in Squirrel Hill, we almost fell out of our chairs from excitement.
First, we'll never say no to more great Vietnamese food in the city. The second was because I regularly refer to Vietnam as Vietnom-nom-nom whenever discussing all the great food I had when visiting the country. So to say this particular restaurant spoke to us is quite an understatement, and as a result, I was one of the first people in the door on opening day to grab lunch takeout for the both of us.
We were not disappointed.