Food & Drink category, Page 9
‘A hand up’: SSA grad partners with celebrity chef to continue vet-run food truck program
The death of a friend who struggled to find the resources to start a culinary business inspired Lt. Cmdr. Jordan J. Foley to create a food truck program. His late friend was a classmate at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “My friend didn’t have the support network to...
Podcast: How to survive holiday politics
Light Up Night on Saturday night in Downtown ignited the holiday season in the Pittsburgh area and signaled the start of holiday gatherings, festivities and time with loved ones. But for some families this year, there’s a glaring obstacle. On the heels of a particularly energetic and polarizing election, politics...
Merchant Oyster Co. in Lawrenceville is closing, building for sale
A popular Lawrenceville restaurant will be shucking its last oyster soon. Merchant Oyster Co. is closing up shop next week, the restaurant announced on social media. The Butler Street oyster joint will hold its last day on Dec. 4 with a special ticketed event. “This decision wasn’t easy, but we’re...
Quaker Valley joins Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month program to provide students special meals with local produce
Quaker Valley School District students this school year are getting a special meal made from scratch each month as part of a program designed to promote local agriculture and educate young folks about what they eat. The district has joined in the Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month program. It was...
Are you in charge of a holiday feast? Follow these tips for food safety
Ready or not, the holidays are here. It’s a time when many Americans accustomed to preparing simple meals find themselves responsible for safely serving multi-dish feasts. It’s no easy task. Outbreaks of some types of food poisoning tend to rise in November and December, according to the U.S. Centers for...
The return of Pittsbugh’s holiday pop-up bars
Celebrate the season at Downtown Pittsburgh’s newest pop-up holiday bars. The Industrialist Hotel debuted a 1950s retro-themed pop-up holiday cocktail lounge Friday. Visitors mingled and sipped cocktails on its opening night among tons of tinsel, silver, red and pink Christmas trees and holiday light displays — all blended among cozy...
Western Pa. experts offer tips on navigating lingering election-related tensions over holidays
The events of the Nov. 5 presidential election divided states, demographics and, in many cases, families. President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters celebrated the Republican candidate’s victory, while many who championed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris fell into despair. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays following so closely on the heels...
McDonald’s to expand U.S. value menu as fast food chains battle for bargain seekers
McDonald’s will expand its U.S. value menu early next year as it continues to try to win back inflation-weary customers. Starting Jan. 7, the burger chain will let customers buy one full-priced item from a limited value menu and get another item on that menu for $1. Items on the...
Heinz ketchup tops NYT Wirecutter list
Get your fries ready — Heinz ketchup could be in high demand after topping the New York Times Wirecutter’s list of best ketchup. Heinz Tomato Ketchup took first place in the best classic ketchup category, with the denotation of “our favorite ketchup” on the list. It was compared to 13...
Lawrenceville restaurant hits OpenTable’s national top 100 list
Morcilla on Butler Street in Lawrenceville has been selected as part of OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants of 2024. The list is driven by diner reviews to determine the top restaurants across the country, according to OpenTable, and Morcilla was one of two chosen in Pennsylvania. The other was Saloon Restaurant...
McDonald’s bottles McRib magic with sauce for sale
McRib lovers rejoice. McDonald’s is bringing back the iconic sandwich starting Dec. 3 at Pittsburgh restaurants. Not only is the McRib back, but avid fans can purchase half-gallon jugs of McDonald’s signature McRib sauce. It will be available at participating restaurants and through the McDonald’s app, the fast-food chain said....
Free Thanksgiving food available at Pittsburgh convention center
Are you in need of Thanksgiving dinner this holiday season? Free Thanksgiving food items are available Saturday at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As part of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s annual Thanksgiving Distribution and Health and Human Service Fair, people can receive meal items on Saturday. The...
Craving Thanksgiving food now? Here are some themed options available around Western Pa.
There’s no need to wait until next Thursday for all the Thanksgiving fixings in one meal. Restaurants around Western Pennsylvania have been creating dishes — from sandwiches to burritos to hot dogs — with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and more. Here’s a look at some of the options: Primanti Bros....
Delina’s EthioCafe serves traditional Ethiopian coffee on the go
Meaza Tesfahun, owner of Delina’s EthioCafe, runs a mobile cafe based in Cranberry, Butler County. Often, you might find her vending her authentic Ethiopian coffee in the parking lot at the Meeder housing development, a local farmers market, or outside of a church. On a breezy fall morning in late...
Barbecue restaurant Owl’s Nest open in Upper St. Clair
Kirill Faerovitch owns several cigar businesses, so it is not surprising his latest venture also involves smoke. Owl’s Nest is a barbecue restaurant that opened four months ago in Upper St. Clair. “We specialize in traditional smoked meats with a European twist on presentation, bringing a unique flavor and dining...
Grocery chains vie for place on Thanksgiving tables with turkey dinner deals, store brands
NEW YORK — With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, Walmart, Target, Aldi and other grocers are competing for a place on holiday tables with turkey dinner deals and other promotions to tempt Americans who haven’t recovered from recent food price inflation. Walmart, the nation’s largest food retailer, first bundled...
Former HGTV star set to expand business footprint in Sewickley
A historic building is slated to be transformed into a new restaurant, thanks to a celebrity interior designer with a penchant for putting the spotlight on Sewickley. Plans for a proposed new restaurant cleared a hurdle Nov. 5 when Sewickley zoning board officials unanimously (5-0) approved a zoning variance request...
Bite-size potato bars are perfect for party season
It’s party time. From November to January, we jump through a lot of entertaining hoops. There’s Thanksgiving, of course. But maybe you also indulge in a Friendsgiving where you gather around a less traditional table. Do you have people over for tree trimming or St. Nicholas Day? Have your ladies’...
Turkey Day? Why not Side Dish Day?
Thanksgiving is a holiday defined by its signature food in a way that is different from really any other American celebration. We might eat cookies at Christmas but we don’t call it Cookie Day. We might indulge in an Easter ham and dye eggs, but we don’t celebrate Ham and...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 15-17
Does music rule your free time? Do you love a good beer on a cool night? How about checking out some new flicks? Pittsburgh is bursting with opportunities for every hobby this weekend. Check out a few here. Beers of the ‘Burgh Winter Warmer Get into a fancy holiday mood...
Childhood interest in cooking stirs culinary passions in O’Hara chef
Television cooking shows proved to be a career catalyst for O’Hara-based executive chef Blakely Aluise. Aluise grew up reading cookbooks and binge-watching The Food Network in her quest to learn about the culinary world and cooking. “I’d find myself in our kitchen at home trying to re-create what I’d seen...
Wigle Whiskey releases spirits for holiday season
Wigle Whiskey is releasing its oldest whiskey to date this holiday season — starting Friday. A nine-year, 195-bottle batch of Wigle Reserve Single Barrel Rye will be available, as well as an eight-year, 157-bottle batch of Wigle Reserve Single Barrel American Wheat Whiskey. The rye, which is the oldest whiskey...
Collier Eat’n Park reopens in a larger space
Bill Mitchell recalled his aunt and uncle writing down when the Eat’n Park across the street from their home in Collier was scheduled to open. The date was June 21, 1956, a Thursday. “Saturday of that week they took me to eat there,” said Mitchell, as he sat in the...
‘Killer comfort food’ and classic cocktails await at Lula in Sewickley
Restaurateur Stephen Browning of Franklin Park began flipping pizzas and immersing himself in the restaurant industry when he was 16. At 53, he’s still at it, only now he’s the boss. After always working for others, he’s settled into a positive place as owner and operator of Lula in Sewickley....
Starbucks removes extra charge for nondairy milk after years of complaints, protests
After years of complaints from vegan and lactose-intolerant customers, Starbucks is no longer charging extra for nondairy milk in drinks. This means any drink with soy milk, oat milk, almond milk and coconut milk will no longer have a surcharge starting Thursday, the company said. The switch is part of...

