What's New in Pittsburgh | The Food Edition

Bring Your Appetite to Pittsburgh for your Next Meeting or Event

While the approaching end of summer is always bittersweet, a world of exciting new food and beverage experiences in Pittsburgh awaits travelers looking to make the most of the weeks before the temperatures drop, leaves change and kids return to school.

There's so much to please your palate, we dedicated this entire blog to new things to sip and savor throughout Pittsburgh.

Fill Your Plate at New Dining Concepts

The owners of the popular North Side fine dining restaurant Fig & Ash, Cory Hughes and Alex Feltovich, recently opened Fat Cat, also on E. Ohio St. The new venture is very different from the existing establishment, offering nostalgic fast-casual dining in a high energy atmosphere designed to remind you of grandma’s house. Right now, visitors can enjoy from-scratch playful takes on classic favorites paired with delicious drinks on the first floor, plus a second-floor music and event space adding another layer of fun to the unique establishment.

Musician and Restaurateur Joshua Sickels, founder of Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak, opened a new concept Hemlock House in Regent Square. Promising irreverent food and cocktails, the restaurant is currently open with a sample dinner menu including kielbasi corn dogs, fried artichokes, crab and bacon hushpuppies and Dante's Beak hot chicken sandwich with gochujang mayo and dill pickle. Hemlock will eventually serve lunch, brunch and cocktails as well.

Vegan and Vegetarian Options Open Up

Plan lovers, rejoice! Two new restaurants, Sia’s Garden Grown and Essence Café, expand on the growing vegan and vegetarian options throughout Pittsburgh. Sia's in East Liberty posts their menu on Instagram weekly and includes made-to-order favorites, sweets, soups, salads and a Pasta Sunday you don't want to miss.

Similarly inspired by farm-to-table dining, Essence in the Southside sources fresh and local ingredients with a menu that celebrates healthy food options. Chef Ojok Grichang is currently serving up East African Pilau, cauliflower curry, African potato stew, falafel burgers and delicious fritters called Pakora Bhajias.

More Local Coffee Than Ever

Mellon Square Coffee Shop, a Warhol-themed shop, is nowopen in the Omni William Penn Hotel. The coffee shop serves Omni’s Stance Coffee brand, which supports sustainable coffee farming, as well as refreshers and smoothies.

Springdale coffee shop The Black Canary is getting closer to the city with a second location in Blawnox with hot and cold drinks, ice cream, milkshakes, mocktails and seasonal specials. Geppetto Café also opened a second location in Bloomfield now serving breakfast, brunch and pastry.

A Return of a Classic

Finally, Eat’n Park has officially brought back Grilled Stickies in partnership with family-owned 5 Generation Bakers in McKees Rocks – the company behind the famous Jenny Lee Swirl Bread. This beloved dessert has been a classic way to end your meals at the restaurant for generations.

Arts, Culture & Events

Beyond food and beverage options, new experiences such as Architects of Air: Daedalum (Downtown), the Heinz History Center’s The Negro Motorist Green Book exhibit (Strip District) and Lipstyck Lab (Squirrel Hill) are also stirring up excitement. Plus, Inside Out is back at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons through Aug. 19 and Wholey’s in the Strip District is bringing back its 5th Annual Lobster Grab contest on Aug. 16.

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