Lifestyles category, Page 88
4 Pittsburgh chefs named James Beard Awards semifinalists
Four Pittsburgh chefs are semifinalists for this year’s prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards. Bethany Zozula of 40 North at Alphabet City on the North Side, Wei Zhu of Chengdu Gourmet in Squirrel Hill and Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski of Apteka in Bloomfield are semifinalists in the category of Best...
Shorty’s Pins x Pints opens on Pittsburgh’s North Shore
Shorty came up tall on Monday. By 3:30 p.m., there was a line to get into Shorty’s Pins x Pints on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The take-you-back-in-time game room and bar establishment opened at 4 p.m. after nearly two years because of delays from the pandemic. People of all ages filled...
Alta Via restaurant to expand into Pittsburgh’s Market Square
The Downtown Pittsburgh hospitality scene is buzzing again and adding another popular restaurant to the neighborhood. Alta Via, an Italian restaurant inspired by California cuisine, is expanding from its original home and into Market Square, according to the big Burrito Restaurant Group. The group owns the Mad Mex chain and...
Serving up smiles: Whitehall Eat’n Park employee celebrates 50 years and counting
Carol Kusan was working as a server at a bar/restaurant. She explained that if her infant son was sick, she would need to call off. Her boss told Kusan she was required to be there Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for her shifts. “I left, and applied for a job...
A guide to Pittsburgh: Strip District blends best of old and new
For a small stretch of land, Pittsburgh’s Strip District has a big history. From its roots as an industrial center, through its reinvention as a produce distribution hub, to today’s vibrant blend of uses, it has continued to evolve. Today’s Strip District is a mix of old and new, traditional...
Romance fraud: Looking for love in wrong place proves costly
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — For the victim, a 78-year-old man from Annandale, it started with an effort to find some companionship. He created an account on a social network called iFlirt, then made contact with someone identifying herself as a widowed woman in her 30s who seemed interested. As the...
Pittsburgh International Auto Show drives into town
After stalling last year, the Pittsburgh International Auto Show is rolling once again. “We are so happy to have the show this year,” said Lisa McIntyre, CEO of Greater Pittsburgh Automobile Dealers Association, host of the event. “It is always the perfect opportunity to see what’s new in automobiles from...
Beer here: East End Brewing Co. expanding to Mt. Lebanon
East End Brewing Co. is moving south. No need to panic, the beer will still be brewed and served in Larimer. The brewery is expanding to add a taproom in Mt. Lebanon. “We will bring the beer, other drinks and food to the South Hills,” said owner Scott Smith, a...
Growers will share ‘joy of orchids’ at annual show in Upper St. Clair
Beautiful, exotic blooms aren’t the only draw at the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania’s annual orchid show. This year’s two-day event also will include a silent auction, an hourly raffle of orchid plants and orchid-related items, a sales area, a repotting table and educational opportunities. Show hours will be noon-8...
How to lower your grocery costs when prices are soaring
Even with high inflation, there are plenty of ways to save money on your next trip to the grocer. Grocery runs have gotten more expensive. Anyone who has taken a look at their receipts in the last few months can tell that prices have gone up on nearly everything from...
Forget pandemic sourdough, it’s time for hardtackVideo
Remember when we were lifting our spirits with loaves of homemade sourdough during the early days of the pandemic? It was only 23 months ago, but it feels like a lifetime. Cooking and baking have been reliable mood boosters during covid-19, but pots, pans and muffin tins aren’t bringing me...
Flowers for Valentine’s Day? Expect to pay more this year, Western Pa. florists say
Local florists with decades of experience agree: Flower prices this Valentine’s Day will be historically high. Janet Woloszyk, owner of McCandless Floral, estimated her cost of flowers has increased about 20%, while her cost of hard goods such as containers and glassware is up nearly 40%. Those increases are tacked...
Emotional support or hogwash? Man fights to keep his pet pig
CANAJOHARIE, N.Y. — Ellie the potbellied pig snuggles up to Wyverne Flatt when he watches TV and sometimes rolls over to let him pet her belly. The 110-pound pig is “family,” Flatt says, an emotional support animal who helped him through a divorce and the death of his mother. Officials...
Dorito Burrito keeps customers coming back at Niki’s Quick Six in Parks Township
A burrito with a snack food flair is creating a buzz in Parks Township. The Dorito Burrito is a specialty offering and best-seller at Niki’s Quick Six, a popular restaurant/bar/takeout place in the township’s North Vandergrift neighborhood. Owner Niki Hosack said she created the quirky sandwich so her customers wouldn’t...
Super Bowl menus feature fun foods to enjoy while watching the big game
Even though our Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t playing in Super Bowl LVI, there will still be game-day preparation for fans in the Steel City. They have been drawing up menus based on what to serve. Super Bowl parties — like pre-game tailgates — can be customized for the National Football League’s...
Kennywood’s Laser Loop returns to U.S. — at New York amusement parkVideo
One of Kennywood Park’s most famous — and incredibly popular — coasters, the Laser Loop, will be back and operating on U.S. soil for the first time in decades. Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World has purchased the looping ride — since renamed Cascabel — from La Feria Chapultepec Magico,...
PNC Park hosting American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb
Competitors can make like a PNC Park hot dog vendor by scaling the steps of the Pittsburgh baseball stadium during the March 19 Fight For Air Climb, hosted by the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania. Now in its 16th year, the local fundraising event joins 41 others across the United...
Yinzer Cards offer unique Pittsburgh-style Valentine’s greetings
The Yinzer Cards Valentine’s Day line eschews the hearts and flowers of the typical Valentine’s card in favor of greetings tailored to a local audience. “They are not exactly your grandmother’s Valentine greeting card or candy,” said Pittsburgh-based comedian Jim Krenn, who started the card line in 2018 with radio...
Sparse yet inspirational, Fort Mose is site of nation’s 1st legally sanctioned free Black settlement
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Behind every state park, there is a story. Sometimes it’s a crazy story, really, like that of Fort Mose, almost hidden away in a tangled forest of scrub palmetto, oak and pine along U.S. Highway 1 just north of St. Augustine. Crazy, in that not many...
For food lovers, Valentine’s Day is a time for indulgences
Pandemic Valentine’s Day No. 2… are we having fun yet? Some folks will be heading to restaurants for romantic, socially distanced dinners (oh, life these days is filled with oxymorons). But many of us will be hunkering down at home, celebrating our partnerships (or friends or roommates) as best we...
Food trucks galore, craft beer, whiskey on tap for Lower Burrell fire department events
After a successful run of four food truck rallies last year, Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 will present four new events this year featuring food trucks, craft beer and whiskey, and arts and crafts. When the covid-19 pandemic quashed most fire companies’ fundraisers — a necessity for the...
Suds in the sanctuary: Breweries populate vacant U.S. churches
Bruce Lindsay never expected to own a church. But when his mother died shortly before the pandemic, he wanted to use his inheritance to do something extraordinary. “My mother, if she were alive today, I think would have a great chuckle at what I’ve purchased,” said Lindsay. “I found myself...
The Speckled Egg, Commonplace Coffee team to share space in SouthSide Works
Coffee and eggs. It’s what for breakfast in SouthSide Works Town Center on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Commonplace Coffee and The Speckled Egg are collaborating on 6,120 square feet of space located on 27th Street. The businesses have agreed to a 10-year lease. “It’s the best of both worlds,” said Jacqueline...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Feb. 4-6
Read his mind A few seats remain for a concert by Canadian troubadour Gordon Lightfoot at 8 p.m. Friday at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. In a career spanning more than 50 years, the singer/songwriter has produced a string of hits including “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,”...
Cure cabin fever with a number of outside activities in Western Pennsylvania
When winter comes, many of us tend to hunker down and get cozy inside. The Scandinavian cold-weather hygge lifestyle has been popular in recent years — cuddling up in fuzzy sweaters and blankets, making a cup of tea and a pot of soup, reading a book or watching a movie,...
