Pittsburgh is bursting at the seams with new restaurants and a girl only has so much time (and money) to sample them all. In Pittsburgh's diverse and ever-changing restaurant landscape, you can truly find something for everyone, which is something I love. Here are four restaurants that showcase this perfectly. They offer everything from German and Alpine inspired eats to hearty baked goods to homemade hard cider to tacos with a twist. I can't wait to sample all of this goodness in the coming months.
Photos courtesy of Lorelei
Opened at the end of July, Lorelei is the newest restaurant on this list. Lorelei is a dual-concept cocktail bar and beer hall located in East Liberty that will transport you to Germany. For being half-German, I don't eat German food enough; I'm ready to change this with Lorelei's eclectic and unique menu. Two of the dishes I'm most excited to try are the Lorelei pretzel with mustard and bacon-kraut cheese spread (which I've seen all over their Instagram) and the mushroom tart with black pepper, crème fraîche, and a corn crust. I drooled just while writing that sentence! Not to mention, they have a gorgeous, airy space that makes it the perfect place to get together with friends.
Photos courtesy of Mediterra Café
Mediterra Bakery is known for their warm, fresh-baked bread, so when they opened Mediterra Café in Sewickely in late June, I knew that this place was going to be a must-try. Mediterra Café offers a wide array of items for breakfast, lunch, and conserva (which means to conserve in Catalan, French, and Italian). A few things that stood out to me on their menu were the baked French toast made with challah, seasonal fruit & local maple syrup, the grilled parma cotta sandwich made with sourdough, fresh mozzarella, basil, pesto & arugula, and their perfectly curated cheese tray. Honestly though, I could eat their entire menu! I can't wait to make a trip out to Sewickely to try it.
Photos courtesy of Threadbare Cider House and Meadery
If you know me at all, you know I love hard cider. It's my go-to drink choice any time I'm out. So when I heard Threadbare Cider House and Meadery opened last fall in the North Side, I was ecstatic. They offer six different kinds of cider on tap, as well as cocktails made with their ciders. It's every cider lover's dream! There's even have a wide variety of Pennsylvania beers on tap for the non-cider drinkers you drag along with you. Threadbare has both brunch and dinner offerings, but their speciality is wood-fired pizzas, such as the roasted apple with capicollo, mozzarella, red onion, and rosemary and the arugula with candy onion, mozzarella, triple cream brie, and black radish. Cider and pizza, what could be a more perfect combination?
Photos courtesy of Condado Tacos
Tacos are my absolute favorite food. Any kind, anywhere, anytime, that's my motto. Condado Tacos now has two locations in Pittsburgh, Downtown (opened March 2017) and Lawrenceville (opened October 2018), so I can make that dream a reality. The restaurant has a variety of tortillas, toppings, sauces, and salsas, so that you can build your own tacos. If you're feeling a little lazy, they have a few recommended taco combinations. Two options that I'm dying to try are the El Santo with their Sweet Lucy shell, pollo, lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco, salsa roja, and Condado secret sauce and the El Traditional with a corn soft shell, queso fresco, chorizo, guacamole smear, and onions. Hopefully I'll have enough room for some of Condado's creamy queso too.