Photo: Courtesy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Sichuan Chili Crisp at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
173 Bakery Square Blvd., Larimer and 447 Cinema Dr., South Side. jenis.com
July is National Ice Cream Month, and Jeni’s intends to kick it up a notch with a spicy new topping. The scoop shop announced that starting Thu., July 11,
Sichuan Chili Crisp is coming to its Pittsburgh locations through a new partnership with Chinese food company Fly By Jing. Dessert lovers are invited to try a “Spice Cream” that features one of three Jeni’s flavors — Darkest Chocolate, Salty Caramel, or Double Dough — on a waffle cone topped with the “savory crunchy” hot sauce at no additional charge. The “spicy treat” is available for a limited time.
A new Filipino restaurant is coming to the North Side and kicking off with a series of pop-ups. On Sun., July 14, Chef Rafael Vencio, formerly of
Amboy Urban Farm, will use his farm-to-table experience to create Filipino fusion cuisine, described on Amboy’s website as “modern tradition.”
Themed Sunday brunch and supper pop-ups will run through Sept. 15 at
Soju in Garfield (4923 Penn Ave.) A prix fixe menu ($100) features a different weekly ingredient, and diners can expect beef, pork, fish and seafood, and a vegetarian theme, each served with a complimentary drink and dessert; tickets can be
purchased online. Amboy’s soon-to-be permanent spot is slated for 400 E. Ohio St., part of the area’s
transformation into “Restaurant Row.”
The Polish Hill Civic Association preserves a bit of the tropics in Pittsburgh with a
pawpaw protection party. The neighborhood organization invites locals to the Melwood Parklet (under the Bloomfield Bridge) on Tue., July 16 from 6-8 p.m. to restore the edible trees’ native habitat and remove invasive plants.
Pawpaws produce
a custard-like fruit with tasting notes of citrus and banana, qualities rarely found in the region’s native plants.
CP Photo: Amanda Waltz
Inner Groove Brewing in Allentown
Inner Groove Brewing
751 E. Railroad Ave., Verona and 827 E. Warrington Ave., Allentown. innergroovebrewing.com
Inner Groove Brewing,
Pittsburgh’s vinyl-inspired brewery, announced a collaboration with
MikelParis, the keyboardist, percussionist, and backup vocalist for the rock band O.A.R. The brewery will release two limited-edition beers, a Hazy IPA and a Blonde Ale, which celebrate the A and B sides of MikelParis’ forthcoming vinyl album
Snidbits. The beers will be on tap and in four-packs at both Inner Groove locations, and, according to a press release, feature “unique can art” tied to the album and come with a collectible-themed coaster. The Side A Hazy IPA dropped on July 5. The B-side Blonde Ale will be released on Wed., July 17 at 7:30 p.m. when MikelParis performs the
Snidbits Vinyl Side B
live at Inner Groove Brewing in Verona. The free performance is followed by a
Snidbits listening party on Thu., July 18 from 1-3 p.m. at the Inner Groove Allentown Taproom.
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh
1575 Electric Ave., Wilkins Township. greekburgh.com
Pittsburgh becomes “Greekburgh” when the East Pittsburgh Greek Food Festival returns. Taking place Thu., July 18-Sat., July 20, the annual fest (also known as Ypapanti Greek Food Festival) brings a wide-ranging menu of Greek entrees and pastries to Olympia Banquet Hall. Featured foods include gyros, classic spanakopita, and desserts like loukoumades (Greek doughnuts) served in the banquet hall’s indoor dining room and outdoor Grecian garden. Festivities ramp up with live Greek folk music and Greek folk dance performances. Follow the
East Pittsburgh Greek Fest Facebook page for the latest information.
Photo: Courtesy of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Cookie Jar Crunch and Birthday Cake by Bruster’s
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Multiple locations. brusters.com
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream also celebrates National Ice Cream Month with a bevy of specials. The ice cream shop marks its 35th anniversary with Cookie Jar Crunch, a new chocolate cookie ice cream “rippled with a chocolate cookie crumb swirl” along with chunks of gourmet chocolate chips and Oreo pieces. The month will also see the return of Birthday Cake, a fan-favorite that features a yellow cake batter ice cream with blue icing and sprinkles. Ice cream lovers can also
enter an online “sweet-stakes” to win free ice cream for a year, and stop by Fri., July 19-Sun. July 21 (National Ice Cream Day) to earn double points on purchases through
Bruster’s free loyalty program.
The
Best Vegan Dessert Competition invites Pittsburghers to crown the region’s best plant-based sweet. Taking place at
Abjuration Brewing on Sun., July 21 from 12-4 p.m., the event pits 10 local vegan eateries against each other in a “delicious showdown,” billed as Pittsburgh’s first-ever vegan dessert competition. Participants can sample all 10 vegan desserts in a blind taste test and vote for their first-, second-, and third-place favorites. Competing bakers include Allegro Bakery, Cinnaholic, Cupcake PGH, Mami’s Bakes, Onion Maiden, Sweet Alchemy Bake Shop, and more. The owners of Catatouille, a vegan nonprofit food truck, organized the event and will also sell vegan treats with all proceeds benefitting
Oakland TNR Coalition cat rescue. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased
online through Eventbrite.
CP Photo: Pam Smith
A volunteer wraps up an order at Community Kitchen Pittsburgh in Hazelwood.
Community Kitchen Pittsburgh
107 Flowers Ave., Hazelwood. ckpgh.org
Community Kitchen — a nonprofit culinary training program that also
claims the best Lenten fish fry in Pittsburgh — announced it would leave its space in Hazelwood after six years for a new facility located in Uptown. The organization told the community newspaper
The Homepage that the new building will be at least a third larger, allowing it to expand operations, implement new training programs including a possible butchery apprenticeship, and increase restaurant space. The move is tentatively planned for summer 2025.