Willow closed to become an event space in 2019, but was acquired by new owners and re-opened later on. This review is from before the changes and may not reflect the current menu adequately.
Willow is one of those restaurants that consistently makes all the “best of” Pittsburgh lists year after year. We visited a few months ago to celebrate our anniversary and have to agree that if you're looking for a reliable nice dinner out, this spot fits the bill.
We are always on the lookout for unique places to shop in Pittsburgh, and the seasonal Neighborhood Flea marketplace is definitely one such spot. With local vendors selling vintage and handmade goods, the Neighborhood Flea reminds us of a hybrid of the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer and Handmade Arcade, two other fantastic events for shopping and supporting local businesses.
Located in the Fairmont, the restaurant fl.2 (Floor 2) is seeking to elevate hotel cuisine in downtown Pittsburgh. We recently went for Sunday brunch and while the space itself is beautifully designed and the food decent, the service left us wanting much more.
La Casa Narcisi is a beautiful winery in Gibsonia that's more than just a tasting room.
It's more like an estate, complete with a restaurant, outdoor seating area, and stages for concerts. In our opinion, there isn't much better than sitting on the patio on a warm summer night, listening to live music with a bottle of wine and a classic Italian meal.
Although new breweries have been popping up all over the region the past few years, a newer trend is breweries that have their own restaurants. Cinderlands Beer Co. in Lawrenceville is one such brewery/restaurant hybrid that offers creative and delicious beers with interesting small plates and entrees.
Cinderlands Beer Co. has three locations, one right on Butler St. in lower Lawrenceville, a second in the Strip District, and one in Wexford north of the city.
While the bulk of this review is based off our visits to the Lawrenceville location, we've also enjoyed The Warehouse in the Strip District many times as well. The Lawrenceville spot features cozy wooden booths along the length of the restaurant, an upstairs seating area, an exposed brick wall with a huge Cinderlands logo painted on it, and of course, the sophisticated bar that makes you feel like you've been transported back in time.
But Cinderlands has more than just good looks. We visited shortly after they opened (and several times since) and one thing that strikes is just how interesting and good the beers are for being such a young brewery. Tea kolsch, coffee double IPA, and strawberry sour IPA are just some of the unique beers you'll find here. And although the food menu is somewhat small, we really appreciate the effort they're putting in to crafting and creating these dishes.
The Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer is a bi-annual event that showcases local and regional vendors selling vintage home goods, furniture, clothes, and other collectibles.
Started in 2011, this event typically takes place in the spring and fall and combines dozens of vintage vendors, DJs, drinks, and food to make one memorable and fun event.
Ki Pollo has now become Nanban by Chef Roger Li. The restaurant features favorites from this one plus Ki Ramen and new dishes.
Ki Pollo is the brainchild of Roger Li (Umami) and Domenic Branduzzi (Piccolo Forno), and it's located in Lawrenceville right next to another establishment of theirs, Ki Ramen.
This one serves up an interesting mix of Korean style fried chicken and Argentinian empanadas.
The restaurant focuses on making everything from scratch, right down to the dipping sauces for the fried chicken. This low key BYOB spot is a perfect place for a quick bite or a takeout meal.
Did you know that the Giant Eagle Market District Robinson Township offers cooking classes? Before we were invited out to try a recent pie making class there, we didn't know the cooking classes existed either.
That's why we're here to give you a scoop on all of the cool things you can do at their cooking school, including lunch demos, themed classes, private classes, and events. If you are wanting to learn to cook in Pittsburgh, this really is the place to do it at!
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.