Year: 2024

E.T.A. Review – Japanese Whisky and Cocktails Downtown

We love a themed cocktail bar, and when it is run by the team behind The Warren, even better.

E.T.A is a Japanese whisky and cocktail bar that opened in The Warren's back room in early 2024. The space was where the former wine shop was located and has been a bar we've been waiting to check out for quite some time. In fact, it wasn't until our friend Alex Eats Too Much stumbled upon this one on opening week that we even found it was close to opening at all. 

Naturally, we visited right away.

Whether you are visiting for whisky, a highball, one of their inventive house cocktails, or even a modest food menu, there really is a lot to enjoy about E.T.A.!

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10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in May – Enjoy that Weather

Pittsburgh in May is when we truly feel like it is spring. The frosts end, temperatures warm, and all we want to do is be outside as much as we can before the (sometimes oppressive) summer heat rolls in.

So for this one, we wanted to share several great activities that are coming up for the month that you can enjoy outdoors, as well as many festivals (often libation focused) that take place in May!

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5 of the Best Happy Hours in Pittsburgh for a Discount

When it comes to drinking in Pittsburgh, you have a lot of options. But if you are looking to go out without spending a lot of money, your first thought may turn to everyone's favorite time of the day- happy hour!

It would be very easy for us to come up with a list of every happy hour special in Pittsburgh, but most would end up being unpalatable beers or daily discounts that aren't that interesting ($1 off a frozen cosmo on Wednesdays is not a good happy hour in our books). In this one, we wanted to focus on some of the best beverages with discounts to match at some of the best happy hours in Pittsburgh.

So if you're looking to try a unique and delicious libation in Pittsburgh without emptying your wallet, check out these personal favorites for great cocktails, local beer, and wine!

Note: Happy hour specials have been known to change without us being made aware. As such, it is especially crucial to reconfirm any promotions prior to visiting. If you have noticed a happy hour change, please contact us.

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The Brinery Review – Massive Sandwiches and More

If you are a fan of Pittsburgh food trucks the way we are, odds are good you are familiar with Bridge City Brinery and their spinoff burger concept, The Smashery. 

These trucks have been taking the city by storm with some of the finest, massive sandwiches we have had the pleasure to eat, and we have been known to go out of our way to find them specifically when the craving for a good sandwich hits.

As it seems to be a trend of food trucks opening up brick-and-mortar restaurants, it should be no surprise that in early 2024, the team of this particular truck opened up a dedicated restaurant, The Brinery, in Sharpsburg!

Naturally, we had to make our way over as soon as possible after opening to give them a try.

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10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in April – Spring is Here

Although spring starts in March, Pittsburgh in April is when the season really starts to shine as the snow showers taper off and temperatures rise.

As such, this is the month where we start thinking of heading outdoors to enjoy the warming weather as best as possible.

In this one, we share several great things to do if you decide to visit Pittsburgh in April!

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3 Solar Eclipse Parties in Pittsburgh on April 8th

Inner solar corona seen during an eclipse

Solar eclipses are rare treats when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and even rarer to see here in Pittsburgh!

While we are not going to be able to see the total eclipse in its full glory, Pittsburgh is still set to receive quite the impressive show all the same with a 97% magnitude (coverage) viewing.

In fact, April 8th, 2024 is going to be your last chance for twenty years to have the opportunity to see a total eclipse in the country as the next total eclipse won't occur in the United States until 2044 (in the northwest) and our region will not see one again until 2079 in eastern PA and 2099 in Ohio and the extreme southwest of PA!

Suffice it to say, when we say now is your chance, we really mean it. So in this one, we thought we'd share more information about the looming eclipse, where you have to travel to to see it in full totality, and share a few fun eclipse parties that are taking place right here in the city!

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Fet Fisk Review – Stellar Nordic Dining in Bloomfield

Fet Fisk is a new restaurant in Bloomfield featuring delightful Nordic cuisine with an old school yet trendy vibe.

As Fet Fisk has been around for several years now, its offerings have morphed from pandemic era takeout to pates and spreads at farmers' markets to pop-up dinners where reservations consistently booked up within minutes of being announced.

The culmination has been a James Beard nomination for Chef Nik Forsberg and one of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings in Pittsburgh in quite some time. We were fortunate to dine here on a soft open weekend and were thrilled at the way the menu feels familiar yet special.

Ingredients not typically found on Pittsburgh menus weave their way into a mesmerizing array of downright delicious plates. To top it off, the service is a pure delight!

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Phipps Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show – A Closer Look

As the cold of winter begins to leave Pittsburgh, there is one thing we always look forward to in order to ring in the start of spring – Phipps Conservatory's Spring Flower Show!

2024's Spring Flower Show has the theme “A Closer Look” and invites you to get a closer view of the flowers than you have before!

We visited this one shortly after the show opened and wanted to share some of our favorite rooms and exhibits with you today. As with all of our museum posts, we're only sharing a selection of our favorites because you truly must visit for yourself to experience it all!

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Dee Jay’s BBQ Review – West Virginia Staple Moves East

We are quite spoiled to have so many wonderful barbecue restaurants in Pittsburgh, and more keep coming out onto the scene with each passing year.

One famous barbecue spot we have been told about again and again since founding this site was Weirton, West Virginia, based Dee Jay's BBQ for their wildly popular ribs.

Admittedly, as our blog here focuses on southwest Pennsylvania, we have to admit we never featured them despite having visited in the past. But now that Dee Jay's has expanded with restaurants in Pennsylvania, now is the time. So on a trip down to Washington, PA, we made a stop at a location there for a brunch full of barbecue!

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Barcelona Wine Bar Review – Spanish Tapas and Wine Downtown

Barcelona Wine Bar is a new addition to the downtown Pittsburgh drinking and dining scene offering small plates and a huge selection of wine by the glass. Although it's a national chain, we absolutely love the concept of Barcelona Wine Bar- snacking our way through a meal and sampling Spanish and South American wines is our idea of a great night out.

Occupying the former Sharp Edge space on Penn Ave., Barcelona Wine Bar has completed a stunning reservation of the space; the decor suggests the kind of high end wine bar you might find in a much larger city. A long bar with sleek pendant lights runs the length of the space, with large, comfy booths beside the bar, and an adjacent room offers a larger dining space with tables.

Both the food and wine menus here are pretty extensive- it took us a while to take it all in and make decisions, as we truly wanted to order some of everything!

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