It’s been a fast month here in the Steel City- too fast! I’ve been acclimating to work, commuting like I casually memorized the bus schedule, and have been writing bench briefs like it ain’t no thang. It is a thang! And it’s hard! I’ve also been casually eating my way through the city, enjoying the most of each neighborhood. I’ve spent the most time in Lawrenceville in the last two weeks, overshadowed only by Squirrel Hill, my own neighborhood, and Shadyside. In that time, I’ve had amazing treats, from homemade pierogies to beautiful burgers to macarons that taste like they’re straight out of Paris. Continuing my on-the-road tradition from last year, albeit souped up (disclaimer: this article contains no soup), here’s my Top 15 in 30.
This has been my weekly stop on hot and steamy afternoons in or out of work. Pop Stop has a wide array of rotating flavors, but their herb and nut-infused fruitier ones do the trick during the dog days of summer. Pineapple basil was like a frozen agua fresca, and honeydew pistachio tasted like baklava on a stick.
The farmer’s markets in Pittsburgh have an exotic bent on traditional fruits and vegetables, incorporating the season’s bounty into every treat imaginable. My favorites thus far include the locust blossom ice cream from Homegrown, d’Amore’s fresh golden plum and balasmic shrub mixed with homemade seltzer, Sand Hill’s pecan-toasted boysenberry cream pie, the boozy, fruity confections from Eliza’s, and the cookies (not fruity, still delicious) hot from the oven and warmed by the sun at Good L’Oven.
What can I say about Primanti’s that hasn’t already been said for me? Oh, yeah- it’s dank. As a sandwich connoisseur, I was excited and nervous for Pittsburgh’s finest. Results varied from godly to banal, but the pastrami, smoked turkey, ham, and beer mustard extravaganza, replete with fries and an egg on top, was perfection in two meals. My only regret was not eating more.
I’ve been spending my late afternoons at the quiet Staghorn cafe in Greenfield, home to midcentury modern schooldesks, an amazing coldbrew, and an endless freezer full of these babies, thick ice cream sandwiches with homemade ice cream, cookies, and a ton of flavor, from bold, spicy speculoos to delicate brown butter tangerine with a smear of homemade blackberry preserves.
There’s a smell in the air, and it’s coming from the mobile wood-fire oven next door to where I work. Yeah, that’s right. Food trucks have grills, but pizza trucks haul ovens like motorboats. The weekly specials rotate, but I snagged an amazing pie with the steak ‘n’ ranch- parmesan-garlic oil, slices of steak, roasted shallots, mozzarella cheese, ranch dressing, and smoked crispy potatoes on top. Ruth’s Chris who?
The courthouse is apparently a magnet for incredible food trucks- following the flatbread, this doozy stopped by on a lazy Thursday afternoon, touting a special burger with mango slaw, housemade habanero barbecue sauce, and smoked cheddar. While I’m a condiment fiend, the real star was the meat, a perfectly cooked blend of shortribs, chuck, sirloin, strip, and ribeye, tender and flavorful. The island heat and sweet sent it over the top.
When I first got wind of my move to Pittsburgh, I recalled an article years back about Pittsburgh pizza- thin-crust, with a thick layer of cornmeal, crispy on the bottom, sweet sauce, sweet crust, and sweeter blends of cheese. Needless to say, I was curious, and my taste led me to Aiello’s, with garlic sauce-spiked slices. Honey, garlic, and tomato works cleverly here, and makes for a delightful slice.
This brewery offers a religious experience, both in their architecture, housed in an old church, and in their beer and bites. From their untraditional pierogies, rotating daily- mine were a bang-up snake and habanero with a mango gastrique and peppers, and their beer, brewed in many flavors and varieties, their selection is top-notch. The pink-hued Bazaar Berliner was refreshing and nutty, accentuated by the light sour lychee and floral rose notes.
Check back next month for The Bedfellow’s visit, including mugging at Fallingwater, more burgers, wood-grilled steak in the Strip, famous pancakes, and more!