Raising Cane’s expands, East End Brewing turns 19, and more Pittsburgh food news | Pittsburgh City Paper

Raising Cane’s expands, East End Brewing turns 19, and more Pittsburgh food news

click to enlarge Raising Cane’s expands, East End Brewing turns 19, and more Pittsburgh food news
CP Photo: Jared Wickerham
East End Brewing

East End Brewing Company
eastendbrewing.com

East End Brewing fans are invited to celebrate the company's 19th year in business tonight. A recent Instagram post recalls the brewpub's beginnings on a “frosty night at Kelly’s." "Nineteen years ago this month, on a cold December night, a naive young(ish) man showed up at the back gate of Kelly’s Bar and Lounge with a half barrel of beer from his tiny little startup brewery," the yarn begins. Given its relative anonymity and "a forecasted snowstorm, hopes of a big turnout for the debut were looking pretty bleak." Suffice it to say: a crowd gathered anyway, drinking the first kegs of East End’s Big Hop American Ale, which remains on tap at Kelly’s to this day. Head to Kelly's tonight, Tue., Dec. 12 from 5-8 p.m. for a 19th-anniversary celebration, "reenactment," and the draft debut of East End's 19th anniversary ale. Then, on Fri., Dec 15, catch the new ale in cans and on draft at the Larimer brewpub and Mt. Lebanon taproom.

Leona’s Ice Cream
leonaspgh.com

Pittsburgh has yet to log any snow this season, but Leona’s is leaning into winter by bringing back a holiday ice cream sandwich pack. The local ice cream purveyor announced on Instagram that the returning winter packs will come with eight ice cream sandwiches in four festive flavors: Heath on Salted Heath Chunk, Peppermint Bark on Double Chocolate Chunk, Cranberry on Sugar Cookies, and Ginger Caramel on Ginger Molasses. Order your winter holiday 8-pack online by Tue., Dec. 19 for pick up at Leona’s kitchen in Wilkinsburg or its newly launched location in Lawrence Hall on Butler St. in Lawrenceville.

Pigeon Bagels
5613 Hobart St., Squirrel Hill
pigeonbagels.com

Pigeon Bagels released some stylish new merch. A new limited-edition T-shirt, priced at $25, features a design by tattoo artist Ren Ngân, based at Dream Machine Tattoo in Garfield. Shirts were designed by Parallel Studio and are printed locally at Clockwise Tees. Purchase from Pigeon Bagels’ online shop, with handprinted mugs now also available.

Chocolate Moonshine Co. x Macy’s
chocolatemoonshine.com

Macy’s is on a mission to create a “fudge wonderland” this month with Chocolate Moonshine pop-ups at its Pittsburgh stores, according to a press release. The family-run gourmet fudge company — which debuted on the University of Pittsburgh campus in 1985 — claims it once turned down giving its “silky smooth mouthwatering” recipe to Hershey. Classic small-batch fudge, as well as seasonal flavors including Peppermint Bark, Winter Red Velvet, and Spiked Eggnog, are for sale at Macy’s locations in Ross Park and South Hills.
click to enlarge Raising Cane’s expands, East End Brewing turns 19, and more Pittsburgh food news
Photo: Courtesy of Chocolate Moonshine Co.
Chocolate Moonshine Red Velvet and Egg Nog fudge

Raising Cane’s
298 Lincoln Hwy, North Versailles
raisingcanes.com

A new Raising Cane’s in North Versailles opened with a ribbon cutting and an hours-long line for chicken fingers. WTAE reported that customers drove up to five hours for a debut that included a contest to win free Cane’s for a year, music, and the restaurant’s mascot — a human-sized yellow Labrador also named Cane — on site. The first Pittsburgh-area Raising Cane’s opened earlier this year in Oakland, with two more locations slated for South Fayette and Pleasant Hills in 2024.

Stew Wood Fire Fusion
212 Oakland Ave., Oakland
instagram.com/stewpgh

For even heartier fare, the much-anticipated restaurant Stew Wood Fire Fusion launched in Oakland yesterday in the former location of Fuel and Fuddle. According to TribLive, owners of South Side’s The Colombian Spot are “trying their hand” at the new concept restaurant, which combines Latin American, Eastern European, and French cuisine for an expansive menu of meats, sandwiches, and stews. Owners Karen Perdomo and John Ortiz emphasized that the venture is “a family operation” that they hope will add to the neighborhood, and is soon to serve local beers and chicken wings.

Making burrata with Caputo Brothers Creamery
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