Jade Grill, newly opened on Washington Rd in Mt. Lebanon

Former Salt chef launches ice cream business
Chad Townsend, who left his position as executive chef at Salt of the Earth in July after just five months on the job, has re-emerged. Only now, he’s slinging ice cream.

Townsend debuted his new venture, Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, last Friday at The Livermore in East Liberty. His initial flavor lineup included peach, chocolate-hazelnut, corn and a raspberry sorbet, served in a cup or a cone.

Townsend will bring new offerings, including a traditional flavor, two seasonal flavors and a sorbet, every Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Butcher on Butler crowdfunding the last of its financing
If you donate to just one bacon-themed crowdfunding campaign this year, Eat/Drink heartily recommends Butcher on Butler’s.

The Lawrenceville butcher shop which opened in February in the space which served as Foster’s Meats for 70 years, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for the home-stretch of the shop’s closing costs and attorney’s fees.

Owner Michael Rado is looking to raise $30,000 from the campaign, which runs through August 28, and the perks he’s offering contributors make for pretty sweet/savory incentives. A donation of $20 gets you a pound of bacon, any flavor, cut to whatever thickness your bacon-loving heart desires.

Higher donation levels entitle givers to the shop’s bacon of the month club (two pounds of fresh bacon delivered to your home each month), other cuts of meat, sausages, merch and private parties.

Four Seasons getting a pub license
Latrobe’s Four Seasons Brewing, which made waves earlier in the summer by hosting yoga classes in its brewery, is getting a pub license.

Owners Christian Simmons and Mark Pavlik won’t be adding any kitchen facilities to the brewery, so the new license will allow them to serve cold sandwiches and hot dogs in addition to beer by the glass. Pennsylvania law restricts breweries operating under brewery licenses to offer customers nothing more than product samples and take-home growlers.

Jade Grill open in Mt. Lebanon
Jade Grille, a pan-Asian lunch and dinner spot on Mt. Lebanon’s Washington Road, opened last month and has already developed something of a following.

In addition to a series of small plates, soups and full sushi bar, Jade Grille offers dishes featuring hand-pulled noodles which have quickly become a favorite among many customers, including this week’s NEXT Up subject, Kristen Linfante.

Matthew Wein is a local writer, editor, blogger, storyteller and proud native Pittsburgher. Once described as "a man of things," he covers city design, spirits and craft beer for NEXT, where he keeps all of the editorial meetings light-hearted and interesting. His interests include sorting books, looking at old things and candles which smell like old-growth pine forests.