South

The Covered Bridge Festival Celebrates Local Bridges

We are quite fortunate to have a number of beautiful covered bridges near Pittsburgh, and Washington and Greene Counties just south of the city boast an impressive thirty bridges between them.

Naturally, it should be no surprise that these two counties got together to put on a Covered Bridge Festival at nine of the thirty sites, and have been doing so every September since 1971!

We made our way out to explore a few of the sites in the Covered Bridge Festival and wanted to share a bit more about what you can expect when visiting, as well as a few logistics you need to keep in mind. As far as festivals go, this one can be quite busy!

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Liberty Pole Spirits Review – A Pennsylvania Whiskey Revival

Western Pennsylvania has always been a hot spot for whiskey. Since the country's early days, the region has been producing (and aging) whiskey using local grains to end up with a spirit unlike those found elsewhere.

Liberty Pole Spirits embraces this history by doing the same for their business with the added benefit of modern technology.

The ingredients are all local, many recipes are unique to historical Western Pennsylvania distilling, and the tasting room is a throwback to the history of the Whiskey Rebellion- one of the region's most infamous events surrounding alcohol which took place shortly after independence from the British.

This all comes together to make one unique family-run business that should be on everyone's radar.

Note: In 2023, Liberty Pole Spirits expanded to a new location in Washington, PA, with a larger tasting room, a proper rickhouse, and a stunning production space.

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Southern Yanks Smokehouse Review – BBQ in Washington, PA

Southern Yanks Smokehouse in Washington, PA, is the kind of spot we love to find.

This unassuming restaurant right in the heart of downtown Washington screams homemade barbecue where the main focus is, as it should be, entirely on the food.

While we left this one satisfied and stuffed from all things delicious meat, it was also speaking to the owner that showcased why this one was a gem.

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Seoul Korean BBQ Review – A Hidden Gem in Carnegie

When it comes to eating Korean in Pittsburgh, we can't get enough and are always on the lookout for new restaurants to try.

So when we discovered Seoul Korean BBQ just off the main business district of Carnegie, we knew we had to get in right away to try their acclaimed bibimbap, beef bulgogi, and classic Korean appetizers.

Although the service was a bit slow, this popular restaurant delivered an incredibly flavorful meal we'd return again and again to enjoy.

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Castle Blood is a Haunted House Experience With a Twist

There is no shortage of great haunted houses in Pittsburgh. 

But, in a way, many haunts follow a fairly standard blueprint. That is to say, you enter a themed area, walk through a linear path, and get scared at each and every turn.

For those who are looking for something just a bit different (or simply a solid haunt south of the city), Castle Blood, located in a 100-year-old funeral home in Monessen, entertains by being as much of a game as it is a place to be scared silly. To put it bluntly, you'll have to keep your wits about you to survive this one!

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Anthos Bakery Review – Greek Dining in the South Hills

Anthos Bakery in Castle Shannon is a delightful family-owned Greek bakery and cafe. In addition to their amazing sweet and savory breads and pastries, they offer a full breakfast and lunch menu brimming with Greek and Mediterranean goodies. The delicious food is served in an adorable cafe setting that's cheerful and welcoming.

The instant we walked into Anthos Bakery we were smitten – the pastry case beckoned us with its beautiful creations, olive oils, and other pantry items for sale called our names, and the cheerful Mediterranean design with blue and white tiles invited us to sit down and stay a while.

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Everest Kitchen Review – Nepali Momos and More

One of our favorite travel memories was hiking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Along the way, we were able to sample many rather delicious Nepali dishes to help keep us going on the brutal hike.

So when we found out that Pittsburgh has a Nepali community in the South Hills with several restaurants and stores, we had to go get our fix of the momos and other staples we enjoyed in our travels.

At the aptly named Everest Kitchen in Brentwood, we found all of these plus a modest offering of Bhutanese dishes as well. But for our first visit, we had to try out the Nepali side of the menu!

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Sarris Candies is Pittsburgh’s Premier Chocolate Shop

Every major city in the country has a local chocolate shop of critical acclaim, and in the Pittsburgh metro, that shop is none other than Canonsburg-based Sarris Candies.

While we often pick up Sarris Candies' chocolates at shops all over the city as they're stocked just about everywhere, it is hard to pass up making a trip to their store in Canonsburg. Not only does this one have an incredible amount of chocolate, they also have candy, ice cream, and a pretty stellar ambiance as well!

So if you are planning on making the drive south to Canonsburg, we wanted to share a bit about what you can expect in this one.

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Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead – What is the Venue Like?

We were fortunate enough to see not one, but two shows at Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead in the span of roughly one week, and by sheer chance, we bought tickets for the same exact seats for both (I bought tickets for one, Angie for the other). 

This ended up being a pleasant surprise because we quickly learned two things- the balcony seats at Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead are wonderful, and this smaller theater is a true gem for seeing live music!

So in this one, we thought we'd share a bit more about what you can expect from a performance.

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