Breaking up is Heinz to do, fig-ing out in Moon Township, and more Pittsburgh food news

El Burro Comedor
1108 Federal St., North Side. elburropgh.com

Celebrate the grand reopening of the El Burro North Side location. The taqueria announced on Facebook that, after being closed for nearly two years due to a fire in December 2023, it will,  on Fri., Sept. 12, return to normal operating hours (11 a.m.-9 p.m.). El Burro operates a second restaurant in Regent Square.

Sri Lankan Food Festival
58 QSI Ln., Allison Park. pittsburghbuddhistcenter.square.site/2025-food-festival

The Sri Lankan Food Festival will bring homemade delicacies back to the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center after a hiatus. On Sat., Sept. 13 from 3-7 p.m., join the Center for a dine-in or take-out Sri Lankan feast including hoppers (bowl-shaped coconut rice pancakes with egg), kotthu roti (flatbread stir-fried with scrambled eggs, onions, and spices), rice and vegetarian curries, and an array of coconut pastries and vegan fruit rolls. Full-plate dinners are $20 for adults and $10 for kids.

Southern Tier Brewery Pittsburgh
316 North Shore Dr., North Shore. pittsburgh.stbcbeer.com

Southern Tier pays tribute to the season with the return of its Pumpking beer and a fall block party. On Sat., Sept. 13, Pumkingfest takes over the street outside of Southern Tier’s North Shore taproom. The event will feature 12-ounce pours of Southern Tier’s Pumking imperial ale paired with its Pumking Whiskey, an outdoor grill serving seasonal bites, live music, tarot readings, a local vendor market, and more. Entry is free.

Pittsburgh Brewing Company
150 Ferry St., Creighton. pittsburghbrewing.com

Get a head start on local Oktoberfest festivities during a Pittsburgh Brewing Company celebration. For two Saturdays (Sept. 13 and Sept. 27), Oktoberfest takes over the brewery along the Allegheny River, honoring its German heritage with live bands including The Polkamaniacs, German food, and a limited-release lager, Herman’s Best Oktoberfest. Partiers can enjoy all-ages festivities, sing and dance (last year, lederhosen and dirndls abounded), and browse vendor tents. Adult admission for those 21 and over costs $19.30 and includes festival entry and a complimentary pour of Oktoberfest Lager. Admission for ages 3-20 costs $13.20.

The Italian Garden Project x Vallozzi’s x Istituto Mondo Italiano
949 Thorn Run Rd., Coraopolis. theitaliangardenproject.com

With all the talk of fall flavors, don’t sleep on figs. On Sun., Sept. 14 from 2-5:30 p.m., FigFest! takes over Robin Hill Park in Moon Township. Billed as a day of old-school Italian fun, food, and music, the festival treats guests to olive curing, winemaking, cooking demonstrations, Italian card games, and more, with fig experts on hand to answer growing questions. Enjoy fig-inspired dishes by Chef Josiah Henry of Vallozzi’s, curated wine selections, and a tastiest fig competition. The event is part of The Italian Garden Project, a nonprofit that documents and shares the food and agrarian practices of Italian Americans, including fig tree preservation. Tickets for FigFest! are $50 or free for kids 10 and under.  

Lawrenceville Corporation x Spirit
242 51st St., Lawrenceville. lvpgh.com

Lawrenceville Corporation presents the first-ever Lawrenceville Non-Alcoholic Sampler event on Mon., Sept. 15 at Spirit. The event invites the sober, sober-curious, and those looking for a fun night without the hangover to sip mocktails, beers, and zero-proof drinks from the neighborhood’s bars and restaurants. The NA lineup includes samples from Condado Tacos, Esquina (formerly Round Corner) Cantina, Lola’s Eatery, Over Eden, The Parlor Dim Sum, and more. Spirit’s full menu will also be available for purchase during the event. Tickets to the 21-and-over event cost $10 and include drink samples and a reusable cup.

Titusz
6901 Lynn Way, Point Breeze. tituszpgh.com

Those eagerly waiting for Titusz to open can get a sneak peek. The forthcoming Austro-Hungarian restaurant offers Titusz for Two, a special heat-and-eat meal package for pick up on Tue., Sept. 16, from 5-6 p.m. at Black Radish Kitchen. The menu includes shaved cabbage and caraway salad, seasonal pickles, paloc soup (paprika-laced pork and green bean soup with sour cream), fresh crusty rolls, and chocolate and chestnut cake with marigold whipped cream for dessert. Titusz for Two meals cost $75, with an option to add a paired bottle of wine for $25.

Eat This TV Network
eatthis.tv

A Pittsburgh pastry chef is hosting a new show for home bakers. Sweet Precision with Chef Benjamin Bishop premiered on Eat This TV, a streaming network dedicated to educational culinary content. In half-hour episodes, Bishop, a classically trained pastry chef based in Pittsburgh, leads viewers through making a flourless chocolate torte, cheesecake petits fours, and a salted chocolate ganache, offering baking, glazing, piping, and plating tips. Sweet Precision is available through the Eat This TV Network on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, YouTube, and other platforms.

Prantl’s Bakery x Omni William Penn Hotel
555 Grant St., Ste. 337, Downtown. prantlsbakery.com

You can now pick up the famed Prantl’s burnt almond torte Downtown. The Omni William Penn announced that Prantl’s opened a new location in the historic hotel’s lobby, and will offer the torte along with pastries, cookies, and other baked treats. Prantl’s Downtown location at the Omni William Penn is now open Tue.-Sat. from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar
1782 Golden Mile Hwy., Monroeville. koisushimonroeville.com

Monroeville welcomed a new steakhouse and sushi restaurant. Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar soft-opened on Aug. 28 in the Royal Oak Shopping Center, and touts an extensive menu of poke bowls, sushi, rolls, hibachi entrees, and in-home hibachi services by a private chef.

Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar is now open for dine-in and online ordering Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. from 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and Sun. from 12-9:30 p.m.

Vibrant Sunshine Juicery Cafe
1019 Forbes Ave., Uptown. vibrantsunshine.com

Uptown has a new juice and smoothie shop. Vibrant Sunshine opened a second location at Duquesne University on Aug. 25. The juicery and plant-based café will serve its signature smoothies and bowls, bottled drinks, grab-and-go juices, coffee and tea, kombucha, toast, and made-to-order sandwiches. Vibrant Sunshine operates another location in Aspinwall, opened in August 2023.

The Uptown juicery is now open Mon.-Thu. from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m., Fri. from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., and Sat.-Sun. from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Kraft Heinz Company
kraftheinzcompany.com

Kraft Heinz announced its official split into two companies, Global Taste Elevation  Co. and North American Grocery Co. According to a press release, one company will cover a “roster of iconic brands and local jewels, with three billion-dollar brands,” including Heinz, Philadelphia, and Kraft Mac and Cheese. The other company will cover a “portfolio of beloved brands, including three billion-dollar brands,” Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles, and Lunchables. The release also states that Kraft Heinz “has no plans to change its current headquarter locations” in Pittsburgh and Chicago. 

The breakup comes a decade after Kraft and Heinz’s $23 billion merger — the most expensive ever in the food industry — and dissolves one of the world’s largest food conglomerates. Industry analysts cite weakening demand for processed foods as one catalyst. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026.