Hazelwood Brew House
11 Tecumseh St., Hazelwood. instagram.com/hazelwoodbrewhouse
Hazelwood Brew House invites beer lovers to raise their steins with five days of family-friendly events. The brewery’s second annual Oktoberfest, running Wed., Sept. 17-Sun., Sept. 21, includes Oktoberfest trivia, German music bingo, Comfort and Spice’s Sunday Supper series, and more. Fans can purchase a special beer stein ($25) and get two Oktoberfest beers at the Brew House, along with special beer pricing throughout the event. View the full schedule and pre-order a stein (21-and-over only) through Eventbrite.
International StrEAT Festival
Take a globe-trotting culinary journey without leaving Downtown when the International StrEAT Festival returns. The weekend-long event, from Sat., Sept. 20-Sun., Sept. 21, gathers an array of international food vendors along Smithfield Street between Seventh Avenue and Strawberry Way. Try dishes from Bae Bae’s Kitchen, Mi Empanada, Yuzu Bar & Kitchen, Modern Filipino Cuisine, Sushi I, Charm Thai, and more. This year, the StrEAT Festival collaborates with the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival to immerse attendees “in the world-class sounds of jazz.” Entry is free.
Taste of Jazz Party
980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. awaacc.org
The Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival unites foodies and jazz lovers with a Taste of Jazz Party. On Fri., Sept. 19, Pittsburgh restaurants set up shop at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center to create a “fantastic fusion of music, visual art, and tasty bites.” The food lineup includes Alihan’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Barcelona Wine Bar, Vallozzi’s, Palm Palm, Sarris Candies, Taj Mahal, and more. Tickets cost $78.
Negroni Week
Multiple locations. negroniweek.com
Negroni Week encourages cocktail lovers to “drink for a cause.” Produced by Imbibe Magazine, the annual international event, returning Mon., Sept. 22-Sun., Sept. 28, invites bars and restaurants to mix classic Negronis — traditionally made with equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — and Negroni variations to support Slow Food, a global organization promoting equitable food systems.
In Pittsburgh, the Strip District’s Cafe Raymond will offer two spins on the Negroni: the Steel City Negroni and the “Raygroni.” Bar Botanico in Lawrenceville serves a Tiramisu Negroni with mascarpone- and lady-finger-infused aged rum, along with the Peaches ‘N Cream Boulevardier, featuring peach aperitif wine. Other Pittsburgh venues include Space Bar, Tina’s, DiAnoia’s, and Coughlin’s Law Kitchen and Ale House. View the full list of venues registered for Negroni Week.
City Winery Pittsburgh
1627 Smallman St., Strip District. citywinery.com/pittsburgh
The fall harvest has arrived at City Winery with a special chef’s dinner. On Tue., Sept. 23, a Harvest Season Chef’s Dinner celebrates the season’s bounty with a four-course, curated dinner that includes wine pairings. Enjoy burrata with apricot mostarda, pasta verde with mushrooms, grilled shrimp and chorizo, and salted caramel crunch cake for dessert. Chef’s Dinner reservations ($75 per guest, plus tax) are available through Resy.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
173 Bakery Square Blvd., East Liberty and 447 Cinema Dr., South Side. jenis.com
Fulfill your fall craving for cold treats with the new Jeni’s Caramel Apple Crumble ice cream. Described as “fall in a scoop,” the new flavor combines crisp apple ice cream with dark caramel sauce and brown sugar-oat crumble. Jeni’s full fall lineup launches on Thu., Sept. 25 with the return of fan-favorites Miso Butterscotch Brownie, Cookies in Cream, and Burnt Orange, an orange ice cream with salted vanilla custard and burnt orange caramel. Try the fall lineup at both Jeni’s scoop shops in Pittsburgh.
Mad Mex
Multiple locations. madmex.com
Spirit Halloween has scarcely taken over abandoned storefronts, but the Mad Mex Gobblerito is back. The 1,500-calorie “beast” returns to give Thanksgiving-food-obsessed Pittsburghers a full feast in burrito form, stuffing house-roasted turkey, black bean mashed potatoes, stuffing, and corn in a tortilla topped with gravy and cranberry sauce. Mad Mex also introduced a waffle fry poutine, an apple cider margarita, and mini Gobblerito trays for pre-order, available at all locations through Wed., Nov. 26, better known as “Thanksgiving Eve.”
Wings Over Pittsburgh
2002 E. Carson St., South Side. wingsover.com
The pumpkin spice craze has come for our chicken wings. Wings Over debuted a limited-time seasonal Pumpkin Spice Chicken Wing. Described in a press release as a creation “for the bold and basic,” the new Pumpkin Spice Chicken Wing is made by “infus[ing] a cozy blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and just a touch of fiery ginger” for a flavor combo of “sweet, tangy, and spice.” Try it at Wings Over’s Pittsburgh location on the South Side or order online through Sun., Nov. 30.
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
Market Square, Downtown. downtownpittsburgh.com
See local art and win prizes with a new installation in Market Square. Plates & Perspectives, a three-month art activation administered through the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, will display unique city-inspired art pieces accompanied by thought-provoking questions at Market Square restaurants. Patrons are invited to share their memories, stories, and opinions of Pittsburgh for a chance to win gift cards at the participating restaurants or the original art itself at the end of the project. Participation helps support Market Square businesses during construction.
Restaurants involved in Plates & Perspectives include Alta Via, City Works, Emerson’s, Las Velas, Medi’s on Market, Millie’s Ice Cream, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Original Oyster House, Pizzaiolo Primo, and Space Bar. Prize drawings will take place on the first weekday of each month through Mon., Dec. 1. Visit the Plates & Perspectives project page for complete information.
Eat’n Park
smileycookie.com
Sick of fall flavors? Eat’n Park goes tropical with the launch of a new Banana Smiley Cookie. The “a-peel-ing cookies” are made with yellow banana-flavored icing and hand-decorated with Eat’n Park’s signature smiley by cookie artists. Banana Smiley Cookies are available in packs of 12 or 50 and are exclusively online at SmileyCookie.com.
Acrisure Stadium
100 Art Rooney Ave., North Shore. acrisurestadium.com/stadium/food-and-beverage
While the Steelers did not clinch victory at their home opener, fans can still enjoy food upgrades at Acrisure Stadium. Food vendor Aramark Sports + Entertainment announced a slate of new food items for the football season. Try Pick 6 Sammies, a series of sliders including the Beef and Cheddar with Vermont white cheddar and jalapeño-bacon jam, a Crab Cake Sandwich, and a Crispy Chicken Sandwich topped with orange marmalade and Creole mustard (available at self-checkout kiosks at UPMC Club 209 and West Club 233).
A spin on the Pittsburgh salad, the new Pittsburgh Pierogi Pileup is described as “indulgent,” featuring fried pierogis, hot Italian sausage, white cheddar cheese sauce, French fries, honey mustard slaw, dill crema, and fresh dill served in a bowl (available in sections 506, 516, 529, and 534). Other menu highlights include Franco’s new PeppeRooney and Sausage Pizza as well as “upscale nacho portables.”
Poulet Bleu
3517 Butler St., Lawrenceville. pouletbleupgh.com
The DeShantz Restaurant Group also told the Pittsburgh Business Times that it plans to open an upscale bar and lounge in the Strip District later this year. The new bar, mysteriously called Sea Monkey, will tie into Coop de Ville, the restaurant group’s Southern eatery and barcade next door. A spokesperson also said they’re working to reopen Downtown’s Butcher and the Rye, which was last open as a pop-up in 2022.
Surf Poke
5400 Centre Ave., Shadyside. surfpokepgh.com
Shadyside has a new poke spot. Surf Poke opened on Sept. 9, touting a “healthy and delicious” menu of Hawaiian poke bowls, bento boxes, sushi, and bubble tea. According to the blog PennsylvAsia, the restaurant takes over a former medical space on the ground floor of the Arlington Apartments. Surf Poke is now open for dine-in and online ordering Mon.-Sun. from 11a.m.-8:30 p.m.
