Cilantro & Ajo is a casual Venezuelan restaurant located in South Side that features arepas and other delicious Venezuelan street food. We've had arepas from their food truck in the past, and they were so good that we knew we had to check out their brick and mortar location.
Restaurants
Aqueous Review – A Seafood Feast in the Laurel Highlands
Please note: As of 2021, the restaurant seems only open to overnight guests at Nemacolin and resort/club members.
From the moment you walk into Nemacolin's Falling Rock, the property's boutique luxury hotel (located about a mile and a half away from the main chateau at their golf course), you may notice some familiar design elements. That is because this property was built using many design elements used by Frank Lloyd Wright.
This theme continues into the property's on-site seafood restaurant, Aqueous, and provides an ambiance that is worth traveling for as much as the food itself!
North Country Brewing Review – A Restaurant with Brewery
We had all intentions of visiting North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock and writing this post in the style of our other brewery reviews (like Grist House or Strange Roots). But shortly after we arrived, we knew that doing so would be a disservice.
Why? Well, even though North Country Brewing is just that, a brewery, its Slippery Rock location is as much of a restaurant as it is a brewery, and we left with this one having the beer as a secondary thought.
So just as you may visit The Harmony Inn for the food and enjoy North Country's beer along with it (a second restaurant this brewery owns in the town of the same name), you will likely do the same when visiting the brewpub in Slippery Rock as well!
It is because of that reason that this particular review follows our restaurant review format, because today, we're talking about the food.
Dish Osteria Review – An Italian Gem in South Side
Dish Osteria in South Side is a cozy, traditional Italian restaurant that initially opened way back in 2000. While we had never made a visit before they closed in 2017, the spot had long been on our list of places to try. When they re-opened in the spring of 2019 we knew we had to make it a priority to hit up this much-loved Pittsburgh institution.
Alta Via Review – Big Burrito Goes Italian in Pittsburgh
Alta Via is the newest concept from the Big Burrito restaurant group that brings house-made pastas and other Italian fare to the Fox Chapel/Aspinwall area. As Big Burrito has been around Pittsburgh for decades and was part of the initial reawakening of the Pittsburgh restaurant scene, we are excited to see the introduction of a new concept from them.
As this one grew, they later expanded to open Alta Via Pizzeria in Bakery Square, and in 2023 added a Market Square location for Alta Via, too!
Italian in Pittsburgh gets better by the year.
Enrico’s Cafe Review – A Must for Woodfired Pizzas in the Strip District
If you've spent any time in the Strip District, odds are good you're quite familiar with the famous Enrico Biscotti Company right in the heart of the popular shopping district.
But did you know that the same company has a cafe located behind the biscotti store, only accessible via a narrow alley, that is also only open on select days for breakfast and lunch? What if we told you that this is the place to go for some of the best-woodfired pizzas in Pittsburgh?
You'll want to get to this one right away.
1905 Eatery Review – Classic Italian Food in McKees Rocks
1905 Eatery is a casual, old school Italian restaurant located in McKees Rocks. What the spot lacks in ambiance it makes up for with huge portions of classic, home-cooked Italian food.
McKees Rocks wasn't on our radar as a dining destination, but we recently checked out a show at the Roxian Theater and were looking for a nearby spot to have dinner, and so we ended up at 1905 Eatery.
The Headkeeper Review – A Small Plate Tapas in Greensburg
The Headkeeper is a popular tapas bar located in Greensburg, PA- just about an hour east of downtown Pittsburgh.
The restaurant is acclaimed for its small plates/tapas menu, but also comes along with a large seating area (including an impressive outdoor space), a modest draft list, over 600 bottles of beer available in cans/bottles, and a lot more!
I visited this one while exploring the area with Westmoreland Heritage, and share some thoughts on our meal and the restaurant as a whole in this one!
Out of the Fire Cafe Review – A Must Stop in Donegal
If you've spent much time in the Laurel Highlands, odds are good you've driven by Out of the Fire Cafe and did not give it a second glance.
This restaurant is located right off the turnpike at the Donegal exit, and is one of those places we've passed many times while traveling from home to Ohiopyle and other nearby attractions.
It took me many, many years, but I finally stopped for this one and now regret not visiting sooner.
The Quest to Find the Best Pizza in Pittsburgh
In our endless quest to experience all Pittsburgh has to offer, we are on the look out for the region's best meals.
One food we absolutely love is pizza, and Pittsburgh has no shortage of restaurants offering up these delicious creations. But as with everything not all pizza shops are created equal, and our quest to find the best pizza in Pittsburgh was born!
Note: In the past, our quest style articles organized pizzas in various categories from below average to excellent. Since then, we have decided to remove any category style tier. That said, pizzas in this article loosely ordered by increasing preference in this article. So if you want to see our very favorites, scroll to the end!