Easter specials, spring cocktails, soul food stories, and more Pittsburgh food news
This week's Pittsburgh food news includes updates on Oliver's Donuts, Union Forge Vodka, Trace Brewing, Blue Flame Restaurant, Kingfly Spirits, Turner Dairy Farms, and Wei Lai Dim Sum, as well as a delicious Pittsburgh Humanities Festival event and an Easter deal roundup. Oliver's Donuts has soft-launched a spring drink menu featuring three new cocktails, including a Spiked "Arnie" Palmer, Lavender Bees Knees, and Raspberry Tequila Sunrise. The brand Union Forge Vodka has expanded its footprint in Pittsburgh with new drinks available at various Pittsburgh establishments. The event Say Cheese!, in which attendees will sample local cheeses and cheese mongers, is also being hosted by the Charles Jacquin et Cie distillery. Other notable events include a special Easter brunch at Ritual House, where diners can hunt for 200 eggs hidden throughout the restaurant. Trace Brewing will partner with nearby Twisters Soft Serve to offer a Bloomfield Affogato.
Published : 2 months ago by Rachel Wilkinson in Lifestyle
vodka brand, which teamed up with the Pittsburgh Penguins in October, bills itself as “Pennsylvania’s vodka,” and is handcrafted at Charles Jacquin et Cie, touted as the state’s oldest continually operating distillery.
Say Cheese!, described as an “exclusive artisanal cheese event” meant to showcase local and international cheeses and cheese mongers. Nosh on a diverse cheese selection paired with jams, jellies, breads, curated condiments, and wines. Local vendors include The Cheese Queen from
Nosh & Curd, and Brown Bear Bakery. Tickets ($45) for the 21+ event include a cocktail from Kingfly Spirits and are available
Cocktails are now on the menu at Oliver’s Donuts. The donut shop located in the Lawrenceville Market House soft-launched a spring drink menu with its “very first cocktails,” according to its Instagram . The debut lineup includes three drinks: a Spiked "Arnie" Palmer (lemonade, black tea, and vodka); Lavender Bees Knees (lavender, honey, lemon juice, gin, and tonic); and Raspberry Tequila Sunrise (fresh-squeezed orange juice and raspberry with tequila). Oliver’s encourages patrons to pair the new “bright spring cocktails” with their sour cream cake donuts as “the sun goes down later, our front patio furniture slowly comes out, and the weekends get busier.”In other spring cocktail news, the Philadelphia-based brand Union Forge Vodka embarked on a statewide expansion with new drinks available at various Pittsburgh establishments. At Bigham Tavern on Mt. Washington, try a Union Forge Bloody Mary, made with a veggie-infused version of Union's vodka, mixed with the tavern’s house-made Bloody Mary mix, and garnished with bacon and a Pittsburgh Pickle . The Patio Sipper at Sly Fox Taphouse at the Point blends Union Forge Vodka, lemon, and Royal Weiss Beer. TSpring treats abound, and Trace Brewing will partner with nearby Twisters Soft Serve to offer a Bloomfield Affogato. Trace’s Aadam Soorma tweeted that with Twisters now scooping for its 25th season , guests can “simply bring in [their] ice cream and have us top it with a shot of espresso” at the brewery to make an affogato — an Italian dessert. Trace’s new treat will be available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.Pittsburgh restaurants have brunch specials, Easter egg hunts, and more for the holiday. Beginning Fri., March 29, Square Café will serve Carrot Cake pancakes and a savory Bird’s Nest Breakfast with two over-easy eggs in a “nest” of fried spiralized potatoes.
The Commoner ’s long-running Easter brunch returns with thick-cut French toast, Eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, and more, with sippable cocktails that include their “Blood Larry,” signature mimosa, and Can I Call You Rose?, a drink crafted with house-made limoncello and rose water and garnished with a rose petal. Reservations are highly recommended.On Easter Sunday, March 31, Ritual House invites diners to meet the Easter bunny at a special brunch, where kids can hunt for 200 eggs hidden throughout the restaurant. Alongside bottomless mimosas, the brunch menu serves up classics like deviled eggs, carrot cake pancakes, and Ritual’s breakfast sandwich (two fried eggs, Black Forest ham, tomato bacon jam, and smoked gouda stacked on a milk brioche bun.) Revel & Roost , a Downtown spot known for its Southern-inspired fare , will host Easter brunch from 7-10 a.m. on Easter Sunday. The brunch buffet, billed as “a feast fit for royalty,” includes a meat carving station offering prime rib and ham; a raw bar with poached shrimp and oysters; a build-your-own waffle and breakfast pastry station; and a custom omelet station, as well as mimosas and other specialty cocktails. The buffet costs $65 and reservations (recommended) can be made online Jak's Bakery, which opened to much fanfare last November , is taking orders for kozunak, aka Bulgarian Easter bread. On sale for the holiday are two kinds of bread: Classic ($7), a braided bread dusted with sugar, and Special ($9), which has candied orange, lemon peel, and raisins folded into the dough. Preorder for pick up on Sat., March 30 from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. at Jak's in Bloomfield (4310 Main St.)The Pittsburgh Humanities Festival returns with another round of interesting speaker events, including one described as a “full-blown food experience.” On Fri., April 5 at 7:30 p.m., the Festival presents Exploring the Tastes, Perceptions, and Histories of Soul Food at the Greer Cabaret Theater. The “dinner and dialogue” pairs soul food from Pittsburgh’s Carmi Express with James Beard Award-winning food historian Adrian Miller, tracing “the true history of soul food” and its journey “from West Africa to the American West.” Attendees can choose three courses from the event's Soulful Soiree Menu. Entree options include fried chicken, smoked pork ribs, and vegetarian jambalaya, and all come with a side dish, dessert, and warm cornbread. Tickets cost $100 and are available online Pittsburgh is celebrating everything cheesy with a new festival at Kingfly Spirits. On Sun., April 7 from 4-7 p.m., GoodTaste! Pittsburgh will presentMt. Oliver,Wei Lai Dim Sum, a new North Hills Chinese restaurant serving fresh, handmade dim sum and noodles, recently opened in the former Ting’s Kitchen. The Wei Lai website welcomes diners to an “enchanting dim sum paradise, where the age-old traditions of Guangzhou’s culinary artistry blend seamlessly with contemporary flavors." Offerings range from classic steamed dumplings to “bold, innovative fusion dishes that tantalize the palate.” The new eatery — which may also launch a boba tea bar soon — is now open seven days a week, including for online ordering; patrons can also find specials and merch on its Instagram Turner's is adding something sweet to its traditional lineup: a limited-edition cookies-and-cream flavored milk. According to the dairy’s Instagram , the new flavor, touted by fans as tasting like liquid Oreos, is still made with Turner’s beloved milk sourced from local farms. Pittsburghers can grab half gallons and pints of the Cookies and Cream Milk anywhere Turner’s is sold, but are advised to act fast, as the last batch released in 2019 flew off the shelves.Blue Flame Restaurant announced its closure on March 24 after operating for 68 years in Jefferson Hills. “Many of the customers that have supported us over the decades initially arrived as strangers and have become good friends,” the family-run restaurant wrote on its website . “Your ongoing support of the Blue Flame is what has fueled the longevity of this business.” The announcement was met with an outpouring of support on social media and recognition by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives . According to a report from CBS News Pittsburgh covering Blue Flame's last meal, the space has been sold and a new restaurant will open.
Topics: Food & Drink