More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news | Food | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper

More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news

click to enlarge More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news
Photo: Jones Lang LaSalle IP, Inc
The Highline

Barrel and Flow Week
339 McKean St., South Side

Ahead of the 2024 Barrel and Flow, city, county, and state officials are declaring the first week of August “Barrel and Flow Week.” Government officials will, on Tue., Aug. 6 at 5 p.m., present Barrel and Flow founder Day Bracey with an official pronouncement at The Highline in the South Side. Beer lovers can then attend a free after-party at Burghers Brewing Company, where attendees can try the restaurant’s new Proclamation beer — described as “a delightful strawberry banana guava gose” — brewed in honor of Barrel and Flow Week. The kickoff party will also feature music by Hipnotik and art by Juliandra Jones. This year marks the ninth annual Barrel and Flow, touted as America’s first Black art and craft beer festival, which returns on Sat., Aug. 10 to the Strip District.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams x The Hundreds
173 Bakery Square Blvd., East Liberty and 447 Cinema Dr., South Side. jenis.com

Jeni’s latest collaboration pairs saffron-swirled ice cream with colorful new merch. The scoop shop announced its partnership with streetwear brand The Hundreds to create Bastani Sonnati, a limited-edition ice cream flavor inspired by a traditional Persian delight. Available at Jeni’s locations starting Thu., Aug. 8, the new flavor celebrates Hundreds co-founder Ben Hundreds’ “cherished childhood memories and traditions” and combines golden-hued saffron, “the delicate essence of rose water,” and crunchy pistachio pieces, according to a press release. The collaboration also includes a limited-time T-shirt designed by Hundreds. Both the shirt and Bastani Sonnati ice cream are available at Jeni’s scoop shops and on Jeni’s and The Hundreds’ websites.
click to enlarge More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news
Photo: Courtesy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
The Hundreds Bastani Sonnati ice cream and T-shirt from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Chatham University
6035 Ridge Rd., Richland Township. edenhall.chatham.edu

Farm to Fork, the weekly dinner series at Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus, will spotlight stir fry on its next menu. Taking place Thu., Aug. 8 from 4:30-7 p.m. at Eden Hall’s Large Barn & Tent, chefs create a meal using produce sourced from the campus’ farm. Diners can enjoy items a la carte or purchase a full meal for $30 while enjoying the campus grounds. Debuted in May, Chatham’s Farm to Fork series showcases its Eden Hall campus, touted as the first college campus “built from the ground up” to model sustainability. Dinners continue on Thursdays through August.

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
799 Pinkerton Run Rd., Oakdale. pittsburghbotanicgarden.org

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden invites nature lovers to Growlers and Flowers, an annual event celebrating “one of the most popular plant products in history – beer!” On Fri., Aug. 9 from 6-9 p.m., enjoy craft beer from local breweries (non-alcoholic options also available), food from Canopy Cafe, tours of the garden, live music, and games on the Festival Lawn. Tickets to the 21-and-over event include one drink voucher and cost $20 for garden members and $25 for non-members.

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week Summer 2024
pittsburghrestaurantweek.com

The summer installment of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week returns from Fri., Aug. 12 to Sun., Aug. 18 with exclusive dishes and enticing deals. The lineup of more than 40 restaurants includes a steak or crabcake dinner at the North Side’s Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, striploin, salmon, or pork belly at Downtown’s The Commoner, and a three-course meal at LeMont Pittsburgh with views from Mt. Washington. Paris 66, The Vandal, and La Palapa will also return. Restaurant Week menus and reservation information are available on its website.
click to enlarge More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news
Photo: Courtesy of The Commoner
The Commoner

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Multiple locations. brusters.com

It’s the season for ice cream specials, and Bruster’s brings back a popular sundae for a limited time. The Heyward Blitz Sundae, named for Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, returns for August. The special sundae, now its third run, includes Bruster’s cookie dough ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, Oreo pieces, brownie bites, whipped cream, and a cherry. For each sundae sold, Bruster’s will donate $1 to The Heyward House, a Pittsburgh-based foundation created by Heyward to support local youth. Get the Heyward Blitz Sundae at any Bruster’s location in Western Pennsylvania.

Tasty Taquitos
301 North Ave., Millvale. tastytaquitos.com

Tasty Taquitos, known for its Garfield and South Side Works food trucks, opened its first standalone brick-and-mortar restaurant in Millvale. A grand opening celebration on July 24 featured a ribbon cutting and flan tastings. In addition to its signature menu of tacos, burritos, and “abuela's authentic Mexican street food,” the colorful new spot, styled with paintings and tropical birds, also debuted a breakfast menu. This is Tasty Taquitos’ fourth location, following another space inside Point Breeze’s Evergreen Cafe.

Rogue BBQ
601 Amity St., Homestead. roguebbqpgh.com

Pittsburgh’s barbecue scene is beefing up, and the region gained a new spot in Homestead. Rogue BBQ opened on July 31 in the former Blue Dust gastropub. Expanding its mobile and catering operations (which boast three towable smokers), the new brick-and-mortar restaurant offers a full menu of smoked meats including chicken, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, wings, and sliders. Co-owner Zach Steiner told Patch in July that the space, last occupied in September, was “extensively renovated” with a new tap system for draft beer. Follow Rogue BBQ’s Instagram or website for updates.
click to enlarge More BBQ in Homestead, new beer for Barrel and Flow, and more Pittsburgh food news
CP Photo: Jared Wickerham
Alphabet City at City of Asylum

40 North/Alfabeto
40 W. North Ave., North Side.

Local foodies were dismayed to hear about the closing of 40 North on July 28, but the City of Asylum-based restaurant raised eyebrows by quickly reopening under a new name and chef. Kathy Bzdziak, CFO of the management company that operates the restaurant, announced in an Aug. 1 email that it will re-open later this month. Renamed Alfabeto, the restaurant will serve North Italian cuisine and “will continue to feature fresh local ingredients,” Bzdziak wrote. The new venture will be helmed by executive chef Maurizio Esposito, an Australian chef who previously worked at Fish nor Fowl in Garfield.

Salim’s Middle Eastern Foods
4705 Centre Ave., North Oakland. salimsfoods.com

Salim El-Tahch, owner and namesake of Oakland mainstay Salim’s, announced he will retire after 45 years and close the business. El-Tahch told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he plans to close at the end of August or early September after the store's lease expires. The Middle Eastern grocery and convenience store — also known for serving freshly cooked shawarma, bread, and other hot dishes — has operated in the same location since 1979. El-Tahch, who will soon turn 70, has been characterized as a pioneer of Pittsburgh’s Middle Eastern food scene, offering hummus, falafel, and baba ganoush before they were widely known or sold at major area grocery stores.

The 2024 Olympickle Games
23 images

The 2024 Olympickle Games

By Mars Johnson