Eat & Drink

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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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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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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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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Ramen Bar Review – Many Styles to Choose From and More

Ramen Bar is a casual spot in Squirrel Hill serving up solid takes on traditional Japanese ramen in addition to rice bowls and noodle dishes. In a neighborhood with a high turnover of Asian restaurants, Ramen Bar has stood the test of time for more than a decade with comforting noodle soups that hit the spot in chilly Pittsburgh winters.

Although we lived in Squirrel Hill when Ramen Bar opened more than ten years ago, we somehow have never made it in. But on a blustery winter day, we found ourselves shopping at Cuvee (a great bottle shop by the folks behind Independent Brewing Company and Hidden Harbor) and in the mood for a hardy meal. Ramen sounded like it would hit the spot, so we walked the few doors over to Ramen Bar, ready to cozy up to some steaming hot bowls of soup.

The space is informal and on the smaller end, and it's nearly always bustling. Although we didn't have a reservation, we were lucky to snag a table and started perusing the menu.

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Chengdu Gourmet Review – Authentic Sichuan Cuisine

Chengdu Gourmet is a much-lauded Chinese restaurant specializing in Szechuan cuisine, with two locations in Squirrel Hill and McKnight Road. With James Beard nominee Wei Zhu at the helm, you really can't go wrong with anything on the traditional Szechuan menu here. Just be sure to dine with lots of friends or family, as the portions are family style – the best way to experience the restaurant is to order lots of food and share.

Chengdu Gourmet has captured the hearts and stomachs of many a Pittsburgher over the past decade with their Squirrel Hill location. We are excited for the newer McKnight Road location as it makes shopping trips infinitely more enjoyable knowing that there is delicious Szechuan food waiting for us once we complete our errands.

Although we have been to the Squirrel Hill location before, we visited with just the two of us and it was hard to fully appreciate the restaurant. Fast forward to the McKnight Road location opening, where we've visited with friends and have a much greater appreciation and understanding of the delicious food that is being served here.

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Della Terra Review – Delicious Italian Dining in Zelienople

Della Terra in Zelienople is an Italian restaurant serving pizzas and pastas with equal prowess. One glance at the menu here and you'll likely want one of everything, which we highly encourage. From traditional and familiar Italian flavors to plates with a few twists, everything we tried was satisfying and delicious.

The delightful food was enhanced by excellent service and stunning mid-century decor.

The decor instantly caught our eye upon walking in the door. Several of the features from the building's history as a bank remain in place like the super tall ceilings and the bank vault door that leads from the dining room to the kitchen. But what I couldn't stop staring at the whole meal were the 1940s-style chandeliers – simply amazing!

Suffice it to say, Della Terra has quickly become a favorite of ours in our local Italian dining scene.

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The Open Road is a Must Stop for Non-Alcoholic Beverages

As those involved in the alcohol space, it has been interesting watching both consumer demand and production shift towards non-alcoholic products.

While not going to take over the traditional markets for beer, wine, and liquors, non-alcoholic alternatives have been rising in popularity in recent years just about everywhere you look.

For those who are seeking out these products, there is a store in Pittsburgh you absolutely cannot miss- The Open Road in Allentown!

This store has just about everything you could want for all things NA beverages in the city!

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