Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
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.
Read moreAsadero by Mindful Brewery Review – Small Short Order Tacos
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!
Read moreMezza Luna Cafe Review – Short Order Sandwiches and Salads
Scratch in Troy Hill is a neighborhood bar and restaurant serving up, as you might expect, tons of scratch made sandwiches, entrees, salads, cocktails, and more. It's the little details here like house fermented shrubs, pickles, and sauces that add up to make each drink or entree more than the sum of its parts.
Read moreScratch Food and Beverage Review – A True Scratch Kitchen
There aren't too many places you can get Caribbean food in Pittsburgh, let alone Jamaican food, but Leon's in Allentown is one of them – and it's a spot we'd heard many good things about for quite some time. We recently made the trip there and fell in love with the kicked-up flavors of their traditional curries, stews, and wings.
Read moreLeon's Caribbean Review – Fantastic Caribbean Food to Go
Empanada Fusion is a bit of a different food concept for Pittsburgh – instead of having a brick and mortar restaurant or a food truck, Empanada Fusion offers its empanadas at weekly drop off spots in and near the city. All you have to do is pre-order your empanadas online and pick them up at the spot you specify (with locations changing weekly).
The empanada fillings are a mix of traditional and fusion flavors, with an emphasis on non-traditional flavors. The menu changes weekly but typically you can find about four meat options, four vegetarian options, and two sweet dessert options.
We were contacted by Empanada Fusion and received a complimentary order and wanted to share more about it in this review!
Read moreEmpanada Fusion Review – Empanada Pickups Around Pittsburgh
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!
Read moreBrewDog Review – Large Beer and Food Menu Options in East Liberty
Our local breweries really run the spectrum in their offerings. If you are looking for a specific kind of experience, odds are good there is a brewery out there that matches your desire.
If a brewery with amazing beer and a robust food menu is something you need in your future, a trip to Insurrection Ale Works in Heidelberg is a must.
Read moreInsurrection Ale Works Review – Go for the Beer, Stay for the Food
Kiin Lao and Thai Eatery in Squirrel Hill is Pittsburgh's first Laotian restaurant, having recently been transformed by the owners from a purely Thai restaurant into one serving both Lao and Thai dishes. Whether you're looking for some classic Thai dishes or are wanting to expand your palate and try Laotian food, odds are you'll find something that strikes your fancy on the diverse menu at Kiin which includes starters, salads, and entrees.
Kiin Lao and Thai Eatery used to be Bangkok Balcony, a beloved Squirrel Hill restaurant that we enjoyed over the years and used to be our go-to Thai place when we lived in the neighborhood. So when we heard the Bangkok Balcony owners were transforming the restaurant into a Lao and Thai eatery we knew we had to check it out.
Read moreKiin Lao & Thai Eatery Review – Visiting for Laotian Cuisine
Mola in East Liberty is a sushi-focused restaurant, although the Asian menu has much more than just sushi if that's not your thing. The menu also includes small plates, bao, and rice bowls. We recently tried takeout from Mola and were very impressed with the food and that they executed a wide variety of dishes so well.
Read moreMola Review – Sushi, Bao, and Rice Bowls in East Liberty
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.
Read moreTwo Sisters Review – Serving Up Vietnamese in East Liberty