Today Eater visits Pittsburgh, where the restaurant boom continues, with indie fast-casual spots picking up steam. Yet there’s no slowdown of boundary-breaking big-money projects, either.
Back in 2015, Eater’s national critic Bill Addison asked whether Pittsburgh was the country’s next destination food town, noting “the dining scene is still shaping a distinct identity, though the dynamism among its strongest players is tangible.” That shaping is still in effect, says dining critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Melissa McCart, who’s offering her picks on the 14 hottest restaurants that have opened in the past year, though rents are on the rise and the cost of doing business is watering down the city’s DIY culture.
During this recent blizzard of openings, the city has gravitated toward fried chicken (Carmi), French fare (Poulet Bleu, Twisted Frenchman), seafood in general and oysters in particular (Penn Cove Eatery, Merchant Oyster Co.), a veg-centric lunch counter (Bitter Ends Garden & Luncheonette), and destination dining across from a working steel mill from one of Pittsburgh’s most recognized chefs (Superior Motors).
Without further ado, and in geographic order, here’s the Eater Heatmap to Pittsburgh:
Read More