After a busy and steamy summer filled with new restaurant openings and the return of some favorites from the past, I donât predict that the fall will be slowing down. With everyone caffeinated on pumpkin spice lattes and planning their last activities before the cold, never-leave-your-house weather kicks in, Pittsburgh is moving in high gear. Hereâs all the latest Pittsburgh food news.
Five Stars Honduras opens in Coraopolis
With its Instagram account actively letting Pittsburghers know about the cuisine and plans to launch since 2021, Five Stars Honduras officially opened its doors at the beginning of August. The restaurant offers âan authentic sampling of Central American cuisine,â and its menu includes items such as Tacos Hondurenos, Pescado Frito and Empanadas Hondurena.
According to the website, âIt has always been our dream to have a 100 percent âCatrachoâ (colloquial for Honduran) restaurant where we can offer the community and the surrounding area our Honduran Latin gastronomic culture.â
De Fer Coffee takes over the old Pear & Pickle location
View this post on Instagram
Pear and the Pickle, a beloved coffee and breakfast spot in Troy Hill, announced on Instagram earlier this year that it would close. There was much speculation about what would happen to the space. Who could start a new chapter in a space where the breakfast sandwiches were well worth the drive up Rialto Street in the dead of winter?
De Fer Coffee & Tea, a coffee shop with a flagship location in the Strip District and multiple other locations that have opened during the pandemic, announced on Instagram that it has taken over the space, and itâs already open (but closed on Mondays, naturally).
In the debut Instagram post (above), the owners note that they âmade some updates to the space while honoring the buildingâs past âĤ and have partnered with local artist Baron Batch to bring an energy, authenticity and vibrancy that will hopefully match that of our new neighborhood.â
Speaking of coffee âĤ
A new coffee shop, The James Cafe, opened quietly on Aug. 15 at 2550 Smallman Street in the Strip District. With a full coffee bar, tea offerings and baked goods, the motto is âan all-day destination cafe combining timeless European style with the spirit of English eccentricity.â
The shop is sourcing its coffee from Variety Coffee, a coffee roaster based out of Brooklyn. Food options include yogurt parfaits and chia pudding to salads and breakfast sandwiches, and be sure to check out the daily happy hour from 2 to 3 p.m.
A new (but familiar) restaurant lands in the South Side
Were you a fan of Smallman Galley in the Strip District? Way before the decision in 2020 to move to Bakery Square and become Bakery Galley? If so, you may remember Sultry F&B. The restaurant was also at Federal Galley on the North Side, which was its home for slightly less than two years.
Fast forward to 2022, and chef and owner Brian Forrester is now serving up lunch, brunch and dinner on East Carson Street in the South Side. Hereâs the current scoop: lunch is served Thursday and Friday, dinner Thursday through Saturday and brunch Saturday and Sunday. Their brunch menu features four doughnut styles, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles, some of the crowd favorites during Forresterâs time at the Galley locations.
âGetting out on our own is exciting and scary, but the South Side has given us such a great welcome!â say pastry chef Melissa Barth and Forrester. âThe businesses, the residents, everyone. Weâre so happy this is where we landed.â
An opening to look forward to âĤ
Though your homework is cut out for you, I will leave on a note to look forward to: a vegetable-forward restaurant, EYV, plans to open in the Deutschtown neighborhood of the North Side in October.
According to the website, the focus is on âmaking vegetables the center of the plate with meats & seafood playing a supporting role, while utilizing the bounty of Western Pennsylvania and east Ohio farms whenever possible.â
Are you already taking notes and following them on social media? Theyâre currently hiring a general manager, so this could be the perfect job for you!
