Restaurants

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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Wise County Biscuits & Cafe Review – Biscuits and More

Wise County Biscuits & Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot serving up their delicious homemade biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, and more in their adorable North Side cafe.

We have long been fans of their biscuits and are regular customers at their farmer’s market booths, so we are ecstatic that they now have a brick-and-mortar shop where we can continue to get our biscuit fix all year long!

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Lilith Review – A Treat in the Heart of Shadyside

Lilith is the newest venture from Pittsburgh Chefs Jamilka Borges and Dianne DeStefano. Located in Shadyside, this cozy little spot is allowing them to showcase their talent and creativity in very delicious ways. Our recent visit for dinner had us savoring the satisfying and interesting flavor combinations of their entrees, and left us wanting to return immediately.

In short, this is honest-to-goodness delicious food that’s also beautifully plated, served up in a delightful dining space.

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Ritual House Review – Not Quite What We Expected

Ritual House is an upscale modern American restaurant in the Union Trust building in downtown Pittsburgh. On our recent visit for dinner, we had excellent service, although we were a bit let down by the food and drinks.

We thought the menu descriptions of the food and drinks didn’t align with what we thought we were ordering, namely in terms of the flavors and presentation. Overall, the proteins in the dishes we ordered were cooked well, but we just thought the flavors had a recurring theme of being far too sweet.

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Deniz Mediterranean Cuisine Review – Approachable Turkish Fare on McKnight

Deniz Mediterranean Cuisine was formerly named Ross Cafe. We visited the restaurant prior to the rename.

Deniz Mediterranean Cuisine on McKnight Road initially opened as a breakfast and brunch spot, focusing on items like omelettes, waffles, and crepes. We’re always looking for bright spots on McKnight to invigorate our mundane shopping trips, and this spot seemed like an interesting break from the mold.

Our interest was piqued even further when we saw a few Turkish options like Menemen (a scrambled egg dish with tomatoes and peppers) and Sigara Boregi (rolled phyllo dough stuffed with cheese and fried). Shortly after opening, we checked out their menu again online and noticed that they had started serving dinners, too, focusing on Turkish dishes like kebabs, wraps, and pide (Turkish-style pizza). 

We went in for a meal right away and are already planning our return.

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Three Brothers Bagels Review – Fast Casual in Glenshaw

Pittsburgh’s bagel scene has been rapidly improving in recent years with the opening of many great shops with house-made bagels, bagel sandwiches, and more.

Those in the North Hills looking for a delicious bagel received one more option in the form of Three Brothers Bagels, which opened in Glenshaw in mid-2023.

The popularity of this one skyrocketed overnight, with frequent early sellouts, so of course, we had to visit shortly thereafter to check it out. For those who need a bagel, this one is a treat!

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Hemlock House Review – A Modern Take on Pub Fare

Hemlock House opened in a prime location on S. Braddock Street in Swissvale (near Regent Square) in 2023 and serves up an array of modern pub fare with some flavor twists that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

We visited this one with eager anticipation shortly after they opened and discovered this one is quite the gem.

Although we did not get to try the full bar menu just yet as the liquor license was still a work in progress, this pub is worth a visit for the food alone!

Note: At the time of our visit, Hemlock House had popups from local producers. So, while perhaps not their own bar program outright, you could still get a great drink with a meal all the same!

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Duo’s Taqueria Review – Learn Spanish, Eat Tacos

Duo’s Taqueria in East Liberty is a fun and delicious concept restaurant by Duolingo, where you can eat delicious Mexican food and also learn and practice Spanish. This spot has a colorful, upbeat, casual vibe that serves up delicious tacos on homemade tortillas as well as other Mexican specialties.

Duo’s Taqueria was just a walk-up taco stand at the Duolingo building. We visited many times and judging by the long lines, we knew this concept was going places. And rightfully so, with Chef Marcella Ogrodnik at the helm. Chef Marcella was the owner of Cafe Agnes, an El Salvadorian pop up that served amazing pupusas and tamales at farmers’ markets around the city. We are so excited that she is now at Duo’s, bringing her skills for making fresh masa for tortillas and her knack for creating amazing flavor combinations.

Duo’s recently built out an interior space in the building to change the restaurant to a sit-down concept (the walk-up window is now, sadly, closed). We visited shortly after re-opening to check it out and practice our Spanish.

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