Lawrenceville

Lawrence Hall Review – A Superb Food Hall in Lawrenceville

Lawrence Hall in Lawrenceville is a modern food hall with multiple dining stalls and a bar serving up a variety of cuisine styles, drinks, and desserts. The two-story space is a historic building from the late 1800s, and lots of the character of the space was preserved in the remodel.

With QR-code system for ordering both food and drinks from the comfort of your table (or directly from the vendors if you so choose), combined with the variety of food choices and the large space, this spot a great option for everyone- from solo visitors to group outings!

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Walk the Burgh’s Beers in the Burgh Shares Brews and History

We love a good walking tour, especially one that revolves around a great brew.

With Walk the Burgh's Beers in the Burgh tour of Lawrenceville, you get just that as you explore several breweries and beer bars in this popular neighborhood in the heart of Pittsburgh.

We were fortunate enough to jump on this one as guests of Walk the Burgh, and we wanted to share a bit more about what the tour was like here!

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Unspeakable Brings Speakeasy Vibes with Asian Twists

Unspeakable closed between April and June 2024, but is now open once again. We do not know if the menu has changed since our visit prior to the brief closure, however.

We always love it when several brands collaborate for something greater than the sum of the parts. Unspeakable does just that with Vietnamese influences from Ineffable Ca Phe and select spirits from Noire Distillery next door, all with a speakeasy vibe.

A cocktail bar with Asian elements, local spirits, and well-executed drinks? We're in for this combo!

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Fat Butcher Brings Quality Local Meats to Lawrenceville

When it comes to buying meats in Pittsburgh, we always look for two things- local farms using ethical practices and, if possible, processed by a skilled butcher.

The former is easy to find, and the latter, well, let's say the art of butchering meat felt like it was on its way out for quite some time with only a few famed butchers remaining in and around Pittsburgh.

Thankfully, this profession is starting to make a resurgence in the city, and if it is anything like what the team at Fat Butcher in Lawrenceville is doing, we are sold on what the future will be like.

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The Parlor Dim Sum Review – A Feast to Share With Friends

The Parlor Dim Sum, the latest concept by Chef Roger Li of Umami and Nanban fame, is a dim sum and Cantonese restaurant in Lawrenceville in the former Ki Ramen space. With a wide-ranging menu of dim sum, Cantonese barbecue, wok dishes, and more, this is the type of restaurant where it's best to bring a ton of friends and order family style to try some of everything.

We recently visited with friends and the meal hit so many high points for us with excellent cocktails, dishes with a mix of familiar and new flavors, and great service, all at a moderate price point.

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Lawrenceville Distilling is a Hidden Gem in the Neighborhood

Lawrenceville Distilling started making craft spirits in their namesake neighborhood in 2018. Since then, their popularity increased quite a bit to the point that they were awarded the title of Pennsylvania's Gin Distillery in 2019 and Absinthe Distillery in 2020 by the New York International Spirits Competition.

Unfortunately for us, we only made it into this gem of a distillery (tucked away off of the booming Butler Street) in late 2021. While we would still say that this one only has a few spirits available to purchase, their cocktail program and resident food pop-up make for a delightful night out all around.

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Bar Botanico is the Cocktail Bar that Lawrenceville Needs

I know what you're thinking- another bar in Lawrenceville?!

For the longest time, we thought this neighborhood was already at its max of bars. But it wasn't until we were able to get in and experience Bar Botanico that we realized Lawrenceville was missing one specific kind of bar that we thoroughly enjoy- a higher-end cocktail bar. And if there is anything you know about us, we love good cocktail bars in Pittsburgh.

From the drinks to the vibe and the food (presently provided by Troy Hill-based Scratch & Co), Bar Botanico really knocked things out of the park- not just on drinks, but the entire package.

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Thunderbird Cafe is a Hidden Gem for Music in Lawrenceville

One of the things we love about Pittsburgh's music scene is that there are venues for just about every style of performance. Mega shows at Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, dedicated pavilions like Star Lake, and intimate music venues like Mr. Small's Theater, and more.

But only a few venues can be described as unassuming hidden gems, and for Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall in Lawrenceville, it really hits both of those terms perfectly! 

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Nanban Review – Asian Soul Food Merging Ki Pollo & Ki Ramen

Ki Pollo and Ki Ramen were two staple restaurants in Lawrenceville for many years with the former serving up an interesting mix of fried chicken and empanadas and the latter serving Japanese and east Asian fare like ramen, gyoza, and more. 

But in 2021, Ki Ramen closed for construction due to apparent water damage in the building, and it was announced that the menus of the two restaurants would be merging into one Asian soul food concept known as Nanban in the Ki Pollo space.

In a way, this one takes all of the best elements of the two restaurants in one combined space, but also comes with some of the same drawbacks- specifically when it comes to deciding what to order outright as the menu here can only be described as varied!

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