🙃 It’s March … again?

Plus, why Giant Eagle’s getting a thumbs up.

By Rossilynne Culgan

Welcome to Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

I’m still processing March 2020, but it is indeed March … again. Let’s hope this one is better than the last. In that spirit, there are a bunch of cool (virtual!) events to make the most of this month — keep scrolling to the bottom for those. March is also Women’s History Month, so stay tuned right here for stories about some amazing Pittsburgh women.

And keeping in Incline tradition for the first week of the month, today’s edition is dedicated to a food-and-drink update. Plus, we’ve got a look at why Giant Eagle is getting kudos. Let’s dig in.  

What Pittsburgh is talking about

Pittsburgh food in March 2021: What’s opening and what’s closing

A new month has begun, and you know what that means. We’re back with our normal monthly food-and-drink updates … even though we haven’t seen normal in *checks notes* an entire year.

Nevertheless, Pittsburgh is saying hello to eight new restaurants, bars, markets, and cafes, with dozens more on the horizon. And we're saying farewell to a beer spot that didn't end up on tap after all. Keep scrolling for that one.

In case you didn't see last month’s edition, catch up here. If we missed something, let us know so we can add it to the list.

Now, read on and remember to drink (and dine) responsibly.

Hello

🍲 African Eats Cuisine is serving up “authentic African cuisine & irresistible tantalizing tastes” in Squirrel Hill.

🍏 Arsenal Cider Tap House turned an old Dormont bank into a new location, which is now open, TribLive reports. Expect a food menu later this spring.

🐈 The Black Cat Market has moved to, where else, Garfield. The new space will allow them “to expand and finally offer our dream of a larger cat room and a full coffee bar!”

🍟 Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen is now delivering to Pittsburgh using the “ghost kitchen” concept, WTAE explains.

🍚 Jian's Kitchen in Squirrel Hill is getting rave reviews for the depth of its menu. Here's more on Pittsburgh’s newest Chinese restaurant, via Pittsburgh Magazine.

🍞 Krista's Deli is slinging sandwiches in Carnegie and “bringing back some traditional favorites from The Italian Bread Place along with many new menu items.”

🍕 Pizzeria Davide has opened a third location. This one's in Carnegie, "one of our favorite Pittsburgh neighborhoods."

🧀 Squirrel Hill Market, which might be Pittsburgh's smallest grocery store, is now open for "curated convenience," and NEXTpittsburgh's got more on the store.

See you soon

💛 Yinz Coffee is taking over the old Crazy Mocha storefront on the North Side and is ready to open on March 15.

☕ Claussen Cafehaus in Bloomfield dubs itself a "charming cafe serving local organic soft pretzels, fair trade coffee, and all-natural ice cream" and says it'll be ready to make you coffee "so, so soon - we promise!"

🇲🇽 Audrina's Mexican Grille is preparing to open in Greenfield in the former home of Bill Ung's Tea Garden, PennsylvAsia reports.

🍝 LeVia Trattoria, a family-owned Italian restaurant, is coming soon to Lawrenceville, and its Instagram posts will make you hungry already.

☕ De Fer Coffee & Tea, a Strip District fave, is opening two more locations this spring. One will be in South Oakland and the other in at The Highline in the South Side, per NEXTpittsburgh.

🍹 Tonic Coffee, a coffee/mocktail bar "inspired by world travels and inclusivity" is coming to Lawrenceville this spring.

🍺 Back Alley Brewing is on a mission to create Dormont's first craft brewery, and you can follow along with their progress on Instagram.

🍽️ Tupelo Honey, a Southern cuisine chain, is coming to Station Square later this year and will become an early anchor of the updated Freight House Shops, per Pittsburgh Patch.

🍔 Back To The Foodture is planning a sequel. The beloved burger and wing spot plans to open a new East Carson Street outpost, per Pittsburgh Magazine. 

🍳 Wild Child, from acclaimed chef Jamilka Borges, is now serving takeout in Garfield — with the Carribean-influenced restaurant's full opening in Etna to come. Here’s a peek inside until then.

🍻 Two Frays Brewery is working on a space in Garfield  and posting plenty of progress photos along the way.

🍚 Oishii Donburi is still in the works for Lawrenceville, from the owners of Oakland’s Oishii Bento. A timeline isn't crystal clear, but here's a peek inside.

Farewell

🍺 Is it a closing if it never really opened in the first place? Well, either way, the pandemic "put the kibosh on Hitchhiker Brewing Co.’s plans to open a Downtown location at 604 Liberty Ave.," NEXTpittsburgh reports. The plan was for Hitchhiker to take over a tiny storefront Downtown to serve beer and coffee.

➡️ Hungry for more food news? Here’s the full list of restaurant openings on our radar. 

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Things to do

Submit your events to our calendar.

Today

🎼 Treat your ears to some opera music as Aria412 celebrates five years in Pittsburgh (Online)

🚍 Hear what's next for the future of our city's public transit (Online)

🍺 Go "behind the beer" with this peek inside Penn Brewery during this Doors Open Pittsburgh event (Online)

Tomorrow

🎶 Learn about Bulgarian folk music from award-winning singer Elitsa Stoyneva Krastev in the Mendelssohn Choir's Global Choral Traditions program (Online)

🍷 Taste Italian wine and meet a Piemontese winemaker from the comforts of your own home (Online)

Monday

🍿 Grab some popcorn for this exploration of Pittsburgh's movie theater history with Doors Open Pittsburgh (Online)

One more thing ...

One more piece of food-related news for today. 

Giant Eagle got a thumbs up from Greenpeace for ranking No. 1 on the organization’s list of grocers with the best plastics use policy. It was crowned the best performer for its commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2025. The Pittsburgh-based chain ranked higher than other chains in our area, like Aldi, Walmart, and Whole Foods.

Thanks for reading to the bottom; see you back here with more news tomorrow.

— Rossilynne at The Incline

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