Go For a Wine Flight at 23rd & Vine in South Side

23rd & Vine closed their South Side location in 2022. They are said to be opening a new spot in Warrendale. We will update when we learn more.

We're suckers for a good wine bar, and it didn't take long after 23rd & Vine opened in Pittsburgh's South Side for us to make it in for a couple of flights of wine.

While this one is heavily tilted to a few regional producers in Italy and California, we have to admit we loved the variety in the wine list here and can see returning many, many times in the future.

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Casa Brasil Review – Brazilian Food in a Casual Atmosphere

Casa Brasil closed in 2023.

Casa Brasil located in Highland Park is a cozy neighborhood restaurant cooking up traditional Brazilian food in a casual atmosphere. With occasional specials, weekend feijoada stews, and a respectable number of vegan options, Casa Brasil does a fantastic job showcasing the variety and deliciousness of Brazilian food.

Naturally, we had to order a feast when we visited.

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Istanbul Corner Review – A Turkish Feast in the North Side

Istanbul Corner closed in 2022.

As North Siders, we find ourselves passing through East Ohio Street a lot. In recent years, a lot of changes have been going on in this street with several restaurants opening up as time goes by.

One day in mid-2020 we saw a sign for Istanbul Corner pop up, and shortly thereafter the Turkish restaurant opened its doors for customers. Naturally, being fans of Turkish food, we visited this one shortly after it opened.

We ended up walking out with a feast at a rather attractive price point.

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2 Sisters 2 Sons Review – Caribbean Fare Comes to Sharpsburg

2 Sisters 2 Sons closed their Sharpsburg location in August 2022. We are hopeful they will find a new home soon!

2 Sisters 2 Sons opened in Sharpsburg, PA (just outside of Pittsburgh) in summer 2020 and was a much-welcomed addition to the city's Caribbean dining scene.

We had seen the buzz for this one building up after opening and knew we had to make it in right away. We were not let down.

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The Coop Chicken & Waffles Review – From Food Truck to Restaurant

Coop Chicken & Waffles seemingly closed in 2023. The food truck seems to be still operating at this time.

In recent years it seems like a number of our favorite Pittsburgh food trucks are adding brick and mortar locations into their portfolio so hungry patrons can get their favorites without having to track their location on any given day.

The Coop Chicken & Waffles was one such food truck, and they opened their dedicated storefront on East Ohio Street in the North Side in the summer of 2020. Naturally, as fans of this one we rushed out to get an order on opening weekend and were not disappointed. If you liked the food truck, this one offers everything you remember and then some.

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Asadero by Mindful Brewery Review – Small Short Order Tacos

The Asadero at Mindful Brewing in Carnegie changed concepts in 2022.

When Pittsburgh breweries expand, there is reason to celebrate. When they expand and also open up a short-order taco joint, doubly so.

So when we heard that Mindful Brewery was expanding into Carnegie, PA, with their aptly named Asadero restaurant, we had to visit right away. While we left this one a bit disappointed in the small size of the tacos, we'll gladly return for the burritos and beer.

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Mezza Luna Cafe Review – Short Order Sandwiches and Salads

At this time we are unsure if Mezza Luna Cafe is in operation any longer. Once confirmed, we will update this article accordingly.

We think that every Pittsburgh neighborhood should have a cafe that specializes in short-order fair like sandwiches, salads, and drinks, and in Allegheny West in the North Side, that shop is none other than Mezza Luna Cafe.

Although we only had a limited sampling of this one's menu when visiting shortly after they opened, we're really excited to see what comes next!

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BrewDog Review – Large Beer and Food Menu Options in East Liberty

BrewDog appears to have closed in 2023.

BrewDog is an international brewery and gastropub chain that has expanded into many cities thanks to its crowdfunding system called Equity for Punks.

This crowdfunding system is a lot like a Kickstarter in that there are numerous perks for investors, such as free beers and discounts, while also retaining ownership (while shares can be sold, there is currently no open market for these nor does BrewDog appear to be going public anytime soon- so we look at it mostly as a perks system). The system has allowed the brewery chain to expand at a rapid pace and through it, they opened a Pittsburgh taproom in East Liberty in early 2020.

I visited this one shortly after opening and share a bit more about what it is like in this review!

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Two Sisters Review – Serving Up Vietnamese in East Liberty

Two Sisters closed at the end of 2022.

Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen in East Liberty is a cute little spot for fulfilling all of your Vietnamese pho, noodle, and rice dish needs.

The menu here includes classic pho (noodle soup), bun (vermicelli noodles), co'm (rice dishes), as well as a few specials like bun bo hue and egg noodles. Side options include spring and summer rolls with different fillings, and several salad offerings.

We recently ordered takeout including bun bo hue, the pork special co'm, a grilled pork summer roll, and fish sauce wings.

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Cafe Agnes Review – Salvadorian Pupusas and Tamales at Home

Cafe Agnes does not appear to be operating. The chef now runs Duo's Taqueria in East Liberty and periodically sells pupusas there for pop-ups.

If you frequent farmer's markets in Pittsburgh, chances are you've seen Cafe Agnes' booth – it's usually the one with a really long line. Having opened in the spring of 2019, Cafe Agnes quickly gained a reputation over the summer for serving up delicious Salvadorian pupusas and tamales with both traditional and creative fillings.

Although they don't currently have a storefront, you can continue to order frozen pupusas and tamales in the off-season and cook them yourself at home!

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