Food & Drink category, Page 34
Building the Valley: Gourmet and bar food meet at Lock 5 Tavern in Freeport
Lock 5 Tavern, formerly the Upper Deck Sports Bar along Fifth Avenue in Freeport, might look old, but it is far from tired. Owner Matt Vogan, 40, has bumped up the pub’s offerings with gourmet bar food in a commercial building from the late 1800s only a few blocks from...
A versatile spring vegetable for holiday meals: Asparagus
What better ingredient for a spring holiday meal than a seasonal food favorite like asparagus? It’s at the top of my can’t-wait-for-spring vegetable list. Asparagus can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, roasted, baked, grilled, or broiled. Pretty much any way you can cook a vegetable. It is harvested from February to...
Women brewers highlighted at Craft Beverage Expo in Pittsburgh
When it comes to the craft brewing industry, it’s no longer just a man’s world. “There are more women in the industry than people realize,” said Jen Walzer, owner of Inner Groove Brewing in Verona and Allentown and a board member of the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild. “There are head brewers...
Goat Rodeo Farm in Indiana Township earns top cheese honors in national contest
Despite growing up on a farm in Buffalo Township, India Loevner didn’t expect to make a career in the dairy business. The Knoch High School alum took her passion with her, however, when she moved to a 130-acre farm in Indiana Township. “It was 2015 when we started milking the...
Easter brunch recipes highlight eggs, spring ingredients
Whether your Easter morning involves a sunrise service, an egg hunt or just relaxing at home, at some point you’re going to need a good meal — boiled eggs and chocolate bunnies aren’t going to sustain you for the whole day. Easter brunch is a tradition for many people, whether...
Last McDonald’s in Downtown Pittsburgh expected to close
The last McDonald’s in Downtown Pittsburgh is expected to go dark by the end of April. The fast food restaurant opted not to renew the lease at the spot on Stanwix Street just outside Market Square. Nick Nicholas, who owns the building that housed the Golden Arches for about 50...
Classic cocktails, with variations, for summer entertaining
The arrival of spring means summer entertaining season isn’t far behind, which is an excellent excuse for a home bartending refresher. Because like changing a tire and ironing a shirt, crafting a cocktail is one of those skills adults should have at least a passing familiarity with. Equipping yourself is...
2 fish fry Fridays remain at Divine Redeemer Parish
A tradition of food and fellowship has returned to Divine Redeemer Parish’s St. James Catholic Church in Sewickley. Its Lenten fish fry is back in full force this season after an all-take-out experience in 2021 and last year’s pandemic hiatus. About 75 volunteers come together each week to make the...
BrewDog closes Pittsburgh brewpub in East Liberty
Three years after opening a sparkling new brewpub in Pittsburgh, the multinational brewery chain BrewDog has closed the doors at its East Liberty location. BrewDog is based in Scotland and has a U.S.-based brewery in Ohio. In a statement, the company said it is closing a small number of its...
Mexican restaurant chain Fajita Pete’s coming to Ross
The deal is sealed to bring what its owners call authentic Tex-Mex cuisine to the Pittsburgh area. Houston-based restaurant chain Fajita Pete’s has announced an agreement with husband and wife business developers Chris and Brittny Mabry of Pittsburgh to bring “fresh off the grill” fajitas to The Block Northway in...
East End Brewing Co. opens taproom in Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon residents had been walking by for months, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside an empty space along Washington Road. They don’t have to look from the outside any longer. The doors are now open to the newest taproom of East End Brewing Co....
Supreme Court chews on Jack Daniel’s dog toy dispute
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is hearing a spirited dispute Wednesday between whiskey maker Jack Daniel’s and the manufacturer of a squeaking dog toy that parodies the liquor’s bottle and label. The question for the court has to do with whether the toy’s maker infringed on Jack Daniel’s trademarks. Arizona-based...
Eat’n Park drops grilled stickies from menu — for now
A classic dessert at Eat ’n Park restaurants is off the menu — for now. Spokeswoman Courtney Caprara confirmed that grilled stickies are no longer available after the closure of a bakery partner. The cinnamon bun-like dessert, topped with a sticky sauce and scoop of vanilla ice cream, has been...
Coconut? Marshmallows? Feelings run hot for ambrosia salad
NEW YORK — “My name’s Joyce,” drawls a neighbor to Edward Scissorhands, “and I noticed that you have not tasted any of the ambrosia salad that I made especially for you.” Johnny Depp’s character in the 1990 cult film opens wide to receive a giant spoonful of the fluffy pink-tinged...
Comforting Syrian soup pulls almost everything from pantry
The Syrian soup shurba w’kibbeh is pure comfort food, a rustic mixture of meatballs and rice in a simple tomatoey broth that’s redolent with warm spices. It’s also a prime example of the complex flavor you can build by drawing on ingredients already in your pantry. This recipe from our...
Penn Township couple readies to open ice cream shop in Murrysville
A Penn Township couple is opening a franchise of a popular Pittsburgh-based ice cream maker. Brian and Lori McBarron will operate the 10th location of Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream at the Blue Spruce Shoppes in Murrysville. “It’s close to home,” said Lori McBarron of Harrison City. “With the traffic that...
CoStar Brewing breaks ground on Etna brew pub
For more than a decade, the crew that owns CoStar Brewing had looked for a place in the area to open a brew pub, but they weren’t able to find anything suitable. Then, the borough of Etna reached out to CoStar co-founders Dominic Cincotta and Jeff and Caitlyn Hanna. On...
One Big Table welcomed everyone to share a meal to benefit Literacy Pittsburgh
Viviana Altieri stretched curds in hot water. She rolled the mozzarella into balls, submerged them in ice cold water and formed them them into nodini, which are tiny knots, before placing them on plates for guests. Fresh mozzarella was one of numerous food items at Monday’s One Big Table: An...
2023 maple syrup season races against the warm weather
Warm fronts and sap can make for a sticky situation during maple season. With an early start to sap harvesting season in Western Pennsylvania, the Lynch family at Baer Brothers Maple Camp has been working overtime to produce their fresh syrup. “There’s no such thing as free time during maple...
1-minute garlic pan sauce transforms spicy chicken traybake
When you’re roasting food, air circulation is everything. That’s why we prefer low-rimmed baking sheets over roasting pans. They accelerate cooking and boost browning in our weeknight traybakes. But in some instances, a bit of crowding on the pan can be beneficial, such as in this spicy chicken alla diavolo...
Spring is on the way: Page’s on the South Side is open
David Teasley of Mt. Oliver was first in line to order milkshakes at Page’s as its season opened on Thursday. He ordered butterscotch and chocolate milkshakes. “I’ve been coming here for 30 years,” he said. “The milkshakes are my favorite.” Behind him in line were five co-workers from a nearby...
As bourbon booms, thirst for rare brands breeds shenanigans
SALEM, Ore. — Buttery, smooth, oaky. These are characteristics of the best bourbons, and a growing cult of aficionados is willing to pay an astonishing amount of money for these increasingly scarce premium American spirits — and even bend or break laws. Premium spirits have always been expensive and sought-after....
Hershey debuts plant-based Reese’s Cups, chocolate bars
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are getting the vegan treatment. The Hershey Co. said Tuesday that Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups, which go on sale this month, will be its first vegan chocolates sold nationally. A second plant-based offering, Hershey’s Plant Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt, will...
Tap-It Brewery & Grill brings the heat with popular habanero beer
It took Shane and Kari Hissem a couple of tries to get the heat index just right when they started brewing habanero beer at their Tap-It Brewery & Grill, near the Mt. Pleasant Township village of Norvelt. “How much bite depends on how much habanero oil goes in,” Shane Hissem...
Pittsburgh Lenten fish-fry map unites innovation, tradition
By the time the doors open at 4:30 p.m., a boisterous line of 50 hungry people is looping around the gymnasium foyer at Blessed Francis Seelos Academy. Their objective: to occupy tables on the basketball court and, for the parish’s first time since the pandemic descended in 2020, sit down...
