New restaurants in Pittsburgh now open or coming soon in June

This month’s roundup of new restaurants in Pittsburgh includes a fresh concept from two well-known Pittsburgh chefs, a new vegetarian restaurant on the South Side, and a second location for Necromancer Brewing at the site of an old Greenfield favorite.

The crew from Ross Township-based Necromancer Brewing Co. announced on Instagram that they’re taking over the former Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield for their second location.

They thanked Hough’s for passing the torch, calling it the “OG’s slinging craft beer before the wild craft beer boom in Pittsburgh.”

Necromancer’s plans for the new location include a cask ale program, 18 taps with Necromancer and other local beers, a cocktail and mocktail program, pub fare including vegetarian options, live music, and a “daytime coffee concept,” according to the post.

“We’re thrilled to keep up the legacy and bring you a Necromancer spin on the bar’s very lovely bones (pun intended). Our mantra for this project is, ‘British Pub, but make it Necromancer.'”

They plan to open in Greenfield on Sept. 1.

Dan Galusha and Kate Clemons started baking bread in their home in Carnegie in 2021, but when they added wholesale customers, they knew they needed a dedicated commercial space.

Along with pastry chef Kaylie Carini, the new bakery bills itself as a “bread-forward fresh cafe,” that offers sandwiches, pastries, coffee and bread made from scratch. And the name comes not from an actual bear but is the nickname of their rescue dog Luke.

It’s the latest restaurant to try to make a go of it in this space; previous tenants included Finer Diner and Mount Oliver Bodega.

Brown Bear is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chefs Jamilka Borges and Dianne DeStefano have launched a crowdfunding campaign for their new restaurant for Shadyside called Lilith.

They’ve been honing the concept via pop-up events around the area, including one at The Vandal in April.

Borges has worked in kitchens across Pittsburgh, including Bar Marco, The Independent Brewing Company, Legume, Sally Ann’s and Spoon. DeStefano has worked as a pastry chef at Bar Marco, Farmer x Baker and Lorelei.

The two have secured the former Cafe Zinho space according to their Indiegogo page. But the building requires renovations and the pair decided to seek help from the community rather than going the traditional route of pursuing bank loans.

“This will be the first time that we will be cooking and running a restaurant that is 100% a reflection of who we are as people, our cuisine and our sense of hospitality,” the Indigogo campaign reads. “We know we have something special.”

The restaurant will offer “eclectic coastal-inspired cuisine with nods to our Sicilian and Puerto Rican heritage,” and the name comes from the name of Adam’s first wife in the Bible; she believed they were equal, but he had other plans.

“With our first restaurant, we want to change the way traditional restaurants run. Only 25% of restaurants have a female as their executive chef with under 6% leading high-end restaurants around the country. We strive to change that and foster the next generation of chefs in our city.”

Opening date TBD.

Caliente Pizza & Draft House / Dough Daddy Beer

The pizza shop with locations around Pittsburgh is launching its own craft beer label next month, called Dough Daddy. They plan to brew at Strange Roots Experimental Ales, and will offer four brews: Hazy Dough Dazy, Crust Crusher Double and Guava Grenade, all IPAs, along with a wheat beer called Mango Daddy.

Caliente says since it was founded in 2012, it has hosted more craft beer events than any other bar in the city and has collaborated with a dozen breweries in Pennsylvania and around the country. Contract brewing is a next natural step, Caliente said in a press release, that will allow the company to have “an opportunity to dive even deeper into its passion for sharing unique, locally crafted food and drinks with the community.”

Caliente will host launch parties at all seven of its locations on July 7, and will offer first drafts on the house to toast the new label.

Vegetarians, rejoice! We’ve lost a few beloved vegetarian and vegan eateries in the past few years, most recently with the closure of Onion Maiden in Allentown, but Essence Cafe on the South Side may help fill the void.

Chef Ojok Grichang says he is passionate about modern food and takes inspiration from farm-to-table concepts.

The menu includes vegetarian staples like a falafel burger and a veggie wrap, as well as comfort food from central Africa, like its jollof rice. Essence Cafe says its fresh ingredients are sourced from local farmers.

Essence Cafe is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays.