Oliver’s Donuts
4112 Butler St., Lawrenceville. oliversdonuts.com
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.”Union Forge Vodka
321 Bigham St., Mt. Washington and 300 Liberty Ave., Ste. 100, Downtown. unionforgevodka.com
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. The 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.
Trace Brewing x Twisters Soft Serve Ice Cream
4312 Main St., Bloomfield. tracebloomfield.com
Spring 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. Easter Specials 2024
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.)
