Gastronomically speaking, a lot has been going on in Beechview ... and Kevin Costa of the Crested Duck Charcuterie wants to make sure people know about it. So he organized the community's inaugural Food Fest, set for June 9.
"Several places have opened up in Beechview in the past eight or nine months," explains Costa, whose delicatessen is itself a newcomer to the Broadway Avenue business district. "This is a good way for us to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood."
What's more, he hopes to introduce the neighborhood to the city.
"There's a lot of unrealized potential here," he says. "We want to make the neighborhood an exciting place to be."
Pittsburgh City Councilor Natalia Rudiak, who represents Beechview, says it "has the potential to become Pittsburgh's new foodie district.
"You have restaurants like Lunardi's and Davio that have been fixtures in Beechview," Rudiak says. "So with these new businesses, we're building on what's already there."
Besides the Crested Duck, the festival will feature newcomers like Casa Rasta and BREW coffee alongside established eateries like Lunardi's. Restaurants whose owners live in Beechview — Yo Rita and Meat and Potatoes — will also be represented. Other vendors include IGA, which reopened a neighborhood grocery store last fall, and a farmer's market.
Admission is free, and Costa says vendors were asked to prepare two or three items for a nominal cost, so visitors can sample a bit of everything.
