Reader Mailbag: Places to Order A Cake From In Pittsburgh

Sometimes Reader Amy Wrote (a few months ago)…

My usual baker broke her wrist. Name some good cake designers.

First of all, Amy reader status is my fault because I haven’t had time to blog. Also, don’t worry - I got back to Amy! I just didn’t post this yet!

Now, back to the cake.

If there is one thing that I’m passionate about, it’s cake. Pittsburgh is overflowing with delicious bakeries. Here are some of my favorite options broken down into three categories: Presentation, Taste and BOTH!

BOTH

Prantals - Hands down my favorite bakery in Pittsburgh. The icing is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. And the cake is always pillow-y and fresh! The cherry on the top of Prantals is that they have FANTASTIC prices. I tapped Prantals to create a flamingo first birthday cake and with little direction they churned out this awesomeness. Oh and while we are talking cake, Prantals you must add this bakery’s burnt almond torte to your food bucket list like NOW.

Bethel Bakery - Living on the west side of Pittsburgh, I wasn’t exposed to this South Hills favorite a lot growing up. Flash forward to my wedding in 2010 when Bethel was the preferred vendor. Oh my goodness, the cake is delicious and the icing is also to die for. I worked with them to create a custom shower cake for a friend and they brought my beach vision to life perfectly!

Taste

• Giant Eagle - Yep. My number one in taste only goes to our local supermarket chain Giant Eagle. Their icing is probably right behind Prantals in my book. When I was pregnant I craved their yellow cake with chocolate icing (and now I’m craving it again). Their cupcakes, sheet cake and other pastry prices are super reasonable. Giant Eagles icing rose game is on point, but when it comes to fancy cake shapes they lack some skills. They also have typically bakery theme cakes with plastic figures (hello Disney characters).
• Oakmont Bakery - I’ve had a number of sweets from this shop, but actually haven’t set foot into the bakery...yet. From the looks of their website, I’m missing out - the storefront is adorable! Back to the cake. It’s good. Oakmont also looks like they dip into some fancy design as well!
• Ultimate Pastry - This bakery made my taste section purely because I haven’t witnessed their custom cake abilities, but I’ve always had a delicious treat from this Sewickley spot.

Presentation

• Vanilla Pastry Studio - Okay, so Vanilla used to be my go-to for all of my sweet needs, but on recent orders I’ve found the cake to be a bit stale. Their icing is nice a fluffy, but not an overall great dessert. HOWEVER, Vanilla has done some of the most amazing custom cake designs. I’m talking crazy cake shapes and awesome fondant detail. This is your place.

Others to Consider

• Gigi’s Cupcakes - An alternative to a custom cake this chain cupcake retailer is a bit newer to Pittsburgh (McCandless Crossing). I’m still testing the waters here, but the white wedding cupcakes are great!

• Gaby Et Jules - (above) A French bakery located in Squirrel Hill (and some sweets in Market Square), they are known for their delicious and adorable macarons, but I’ve had some cake here and IT IS SO GOOD. Some of the more delicious decadent chocolate in the city.

Places I Want To Try

• Bella Christine & Lil’ Z’s Sweet Boutique - I *think* I’ve sampled sweets from here at events, but I can’t remember?!

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Thirsty Thursday: Coffee

I’ve had a roller coaster experience with coffee. Never drank it, started drinking it in my early Chicago years (circa 2006-8), then quit cold turkey. Enter 2011. Started drinking a latte here and there. Then I went decaf (I KNOW, eyeroll) because I didn’t want the caffeine, but the taste of something else in the morning. Now with a 1-year-old, I dabble in a cup 2-3 times a week.

As I sip on a sugar-free iced latte from my new go-to, I thought I’d list out my favorite coffee spots in Pittsburgh and a few I hope to hit up. Note that most of my reviews are based on a vanilla latte.  If I’m missing out on the glory of a cup from your favorite spot, please do tell me.

Favorite Coffee Spots In Pittsburgh

• Nicholas Coffee Roasters - This Market Square spot is MY JAM. I discovered it one day after a haircut (my salon is upstairs). I was getting my husband a cup of Joe and realized their prices were SUPER reasonable. The staff is SUPER friendly and there is also an array of fun snacks in the store.  And the best deal of all - they roast all of their beans in house. (BTW - Adam Levine is a fan).
• Coffee Tree Roasters - My Shadyside go-to. If the vanilla lattes weren’t delicious enough, CTR offers stickers for your cup. SCORE! Coffee Tree had me dabble in a maple latte after it was one of their seasonal drinks and damn it’s good. They also have a good iced tea.
• Espresso a Mano - A Lawrenceville stop, for some reason I always refer to this place as Cafe a Mano. Anyways, they have a good iced latte. Sometimes a little more on the sweet side, but still delish.

• Commonplace Coffee - (above) You have to drive a little into the North Side to get to Commonplace (near The Mattress Factory), but it’s worth the trek. The coffee in this no frills shop is amazing and you can almost always find a spot to park. If you want to enjoy your cup outside, there is a cute little garden across the street. There is also a location in Squirrel Hill AND they also server Leona's Ice Cream (see Zeke's).
• Zeke’s - Walking into the doors of Zeke’s East Liberty spot, you immediately feel comfortable and a little hipster. The lattes are great and you can pick up a Leona’s Ice Cream Sandwich (WORTH the stop!). Zeke’s has a dumpster drive through (you just gotta look) by the Target, which came in handy when driving around with baby girl.
• Lili Coffee Shop - A nice little spot in Polish Hill. I wouldn’t recommend driving out of your way for this, but if you are passing through it’s a good option for a cup of brew. They also have brunch options!
• Carnegie Coffee Company - (below) We tried this spot recently and it is adorable! The shop is located in an old post office and the coffee bar is adorned with old mailboxes!

If I want a regular, hot black cup of coffee, I think Eat ‘N Park has THE BEST.

Coffee Buddah will likely become our new neighborhood go to. My review is still out on this place.

For the record, I’m actually not a Starbucks fan anymore. I’ve realized that these other shops are SO MUCH better than SBUX. I’d also recommend passing on Dunkin’s iced lattes (too sweet) and Crazy Mocha (food is good, coffee is not).

Coffee Spots I Want To Try

• 21st Street Coffee & Tea (Strip District)
• Adda Coffee & Tea House (Shadyside)

I’ve been dabbling in Snapchat a bit with a theme - I only snap what I’m drinking (my name is WhatImDrinking). I never thought I was interesting enough to snap things and I figured my drinking theme went along with this blog name. Follow me if you want to see...well, what I’m drinking!

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Pittsburgh BYOB Joints

Some months the Winey Women Wine Club selects a BYOB restaurant to host our meetings. This month the club was brainstorming, so I thought I would share some of my favorite BYOB’s in Pittsburgh!

·         Sarafinos – Family friend Joey’s restaurant in Crafton. I love everything on the menu, but you MUST try the greens & beans and pizza.

·         Sausalido – Longtime friend Nick’s eatery in Bloomfield. Get the Gouda app and you can’t go wrong with the Crabcakes! Nick is also a master caterer!

·         Piccolo Forno – Lawrenceville pizza joint. I’m not dying to go back, but it was good!

·         Legends North Shore – The pasta tasted incredibly fresh! Two forks up!

·         Armstrong’s – I haven’t been to this place in YEARS, but I still think about their club sandwich. Anyways, it’s close to my hometown of Robinson and apparently BYOB!

·         La Tavola – You can’t beat a trip to Mt. Washington and La Tavola is a great atmosphere with great food!

·         Noodlehead – A stone’s throw away from my apartment, I went to Noodlehead with former reader Lindsay and we got three meals and an app (one meal was for Brady) for $30! This place is delicious and a steal!

·         Mia Madre: While I just ate here less than a year ago, I sadly can’t remember my meal! I think it was good!? I remember thinking that my dish was good, but Sarafinos was better. Anyways, another option!

Some places that I haven’t tried, but that are on my list:

·         Avenue B

·         E2

·         Penn Avenue Fish Company

·         Wild Rosemary

·         Girasole – pretty much on my street, so I’m not sure why I haven’t been here yet!

·         Smoke – BBQ! 

What did I forget? 

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Que c'est délicieux!

Back in 2010 in my 250^th blog post, I said that macarons just may bump the cupcake off its pedestal as the “it” sweet treat.

Here we are, three years later and a popular cupcake location here in Pittsburgh closed in the last month and what opened? A French bakery specializing in…you guessed it: Macarons.

The hubs and I picked up a six pack this past weekend at the new Gaby et Jules in Squirrel Hill. While I don’t believe they are as tasty as cupcakes, they are rather adorable, make for a cute little gift AND are a bit less expensive ($13 for six). 

While Gaby et Jules doesn't have ordering information online, I'd totally look into them for party favors or gifts! 

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Taking a Bite Out of Pittsburgh

I interrupt this regularly scheduled Thirsty Thursday post to give you a somewhat related drinking/eating post.

Lately I’ve been LOVING the local Pittsburgh Food Scene. On Fridays the hubs and I regularly dislike cooking at home, so we have been trying out a number of dining establishments across the city. This has led to some of the best meals of my life. Often people ask me where they should go to eat in Pittsburgh, so here is the Shot of Brandi* certified list (in somewhat of a particular order).

1.       Point Brugge: If you like a small, neighborhood place with a nice beer list and $18 for a pound and a half of mussels (above) – this is your place. It’s in our hood (Shadyside/Point Breeze) and our #1 fav not-to-expensive joint. Other recos: cheese plate, Germelli pasta, charcuterie board, Mediterranean platter (above) and Pimm’s cup (above).

2.      Salt of the Earth: One of the best dining experiences that I’ve ever had. I got the steak and have been dreaming about it ever since. We sat at the bar overlooking the kitchen. At first, it was awkward to watch the chefs cook – then, it was amazing. They are so calm, cool and collected, that I wanted everything that they were making and wanted to be their friend. Not only is the food amazing, but the cocktail menu is awesome. The head chef, Kevin Sousa, owns other Brandi* favs like Union Pig & Chicken and Station Street Hog Dogs – oh and he is also from my “hometown” or, er, home zip code of McKees Rocks (this means we are both bada$$es)

3.      Eleven: You can’t really go wrong with any Big Burrito restaurant, but Eleven is my favorite. I want to marry every dish that I get from here. Register for their birthday rewards and get $30 off your meal around your birthday – it’s now an annual Smithkowski birthday tradition.

4.      Meat & Potatoes: This was a toughie – I really wanted to put it in 3^rd. This place is SUPER tasty. I’ve loved all of my dinners (get the brussels sprouts app – trust me) and their brunch is AWESOME! One warning though – they have a DJ at brunch, so it can be rather loud. That’s what pushed this to 4^th.

Some other honorable mentions

·         Family Favorites: Shout out to my friend Nick at Sausalido and Joey at Sarafinos. My all-time favorite BYOB’s

·         Unexpected Surprise: Phipps Conservatory Café – they grow a lot of their produce at Phipps and the iced tea is delish. It’s super casual too – we went in our workout gear after a long walk.

·         Best.Salad.Bar.Ever: Hello Bistro – owned by the Eat ‘N Park people. They have a vat of Ranch dressing on hand!

·         Last Meal Worthy Ice Cream: Dave & Andy’s in Oakland (one of the ONLY reason I stop on Pitt’s campus!)

·         Cupcakes: This was tough, but I gotta go Vanilla Pastry Studio. I’m still upset that they left my hood.

·         Donuts: Peace, Love & Little Donuts. Editor’s Note: I’ve never had donuts from the place in Crafton, so I can’t compare!

·         Best Beer Places: D’s Six Pack & Dogs. Where else can you go into a cooler and pick your own bottle? They also let you mix and match six packs on the way out. Runner Up – Sharp Edge. Honorable mention – Bocktown.

·         Breakfast: Square Café – not only are their omelets amazeballs, but their coffee selection is fab. This past winter I tasted the baklava pancake – YUM-AZING! Random runner up – Whole Foods omelet station!

·         Coffee: Coffee Tree Roasters – My weekly treat is a maple syrup latte.

·         Cocktails: Harvard & Highland has cocktails on tap (a Kevin Sousa joint above Union Pig & Chicken) and Industry Public House in Lawrenceville (I like the Rhuby, Rhuby, Rhuby).

·         Pizza Restaurant: Dinette. Sharable flat bread pizzas with $1 Yuengling cans!  

·         Late Night: Ritter’s Dinner. Hand’s down best marinara sauce ever. Greek omelets aren’t too shabby either.

Pittsburgh Dining Bucket List (aka places that are on my list!)

Cure

Smoke BBQ Taqueria

Root 174

Tender

Wild Rosemary

Avenue B

Legume

Noodlehead

Penn Ave Fish

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Reader Mailbox: Girls' Night in Pittsburgh

Co-Worker Brittnee writes:

“I’m looking for Girl’s Night Ideas in Pittsburgh. I was thinking about a Painting Party”

Boohyah! I'm so excited for this one. I’ve been meaning to write about this topic for some time now!

If you were looking for a paint party, there are a lot of companies that now offer that:

·         Paint Monkey in Lawrenceville

·         Art Bar they set up events in a variety of spaces

I’m still torn on that idea – I don’t know what I would do with the painting. Maybe my pink palace cubical?

My girls nights always tend to include alcohol, so there’s…

·         Penn Brewery: They have live events on the weekends and offer tours on Wednesdays (the times aren’t ideal)

·         Wigle Whiskey: Seriously, this place has been on my list forever.

·         Pittsburgh Winery: A new spot that just opened in the Strip

Non-alcoholic, there is…

·         Brunch at the Frick or Phipps

·         Cooking classes with Enrico Biscotti, Chop, Wok, Talk, or Sweetwater Center for the Arts

·         Note that Sweetwater has specific Girls Night Out parties too!

·         Improv at Steel City Improv

·         Visiting a psychic

(source)

The schedules aren’t released, but Pittsburgh Citiparks offers Cinema in the Park. When it warms up, I also love the drive in!

A few quirky things that are currently on my Pittsburgh bucket list are:

·         Attending a Banjo Club show on the North Side on a Wednesday (the shows are free)

·         I’ve been itching to go roller skating for a while now and I found these alternative skating parties, but the “suggestive” attire hasn’t sold me just yet – however, I wonder if Sue still has my LA Gear jacket. Hey, it’s on the attire list!

Okay – now your turn. What’s your go to for a Pittsburgh girls’ night? 

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Meals on Wheels: Pittsburgh Food Trucks

Food trucks aren’t new. Cities like Portland and Austin have had the roaming food luxury for some time now and NYC has basically had food trucks for like ever.

I was fortunate enough to see the trend take off in Chicago before we moved. In fact, my during my first run in with the cupcake truck, I also spotted the Chicago Blackhawks parading the Stanley Cup through a neighborhood bar. As a Penguins fan, I was more interested in the cupcakes.

In the last few years, Pittsburgh has hopped on the trend too. In the fall, Brady and I went to a food truck rally in our hood and tried foods from two trucks (mentioned below). If you are looking for some quick eats in the ‘burgh, here are some options!

·         Dozen: Cupcake truck. Enough said.

·         Franktuary: Hot Dogs. This is one of the trucks that the hubs and I sampled. Delish!

·         BRGR: The delish burgers from BRGB and amazing kettle chips. Just if they could sell the spiked shakes.

·         Pittsburgh Taco Truck: This one is on my list.

·         Polish Pierogi Truck: Yoi! Yum! Not only do they serve Perogis, but they also have Haluski!

Wanna see more food trucks in Pittsburgh? Visit PghMobileFood.com to sign the petition! 

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I Need (Pittsburgh Event) Space

If I’d ever open my own business, right now it would be a stationary store/party goods store by day and event space by night (let me know if you want to fund that). I once felt that is one thing Pittsburgh lacks – a space that that you can rent for parties and bring in your own caterer that isn’t a fire hall or VFW.

Well now, there are more event space popping up! First there was J. Verno Studios. We attending two weddings there last year and they were both AWESOME.

Here are some recent additions to the PGH event space scene.

(Photos sources: Studio on Fifth, Mansions on Fifth Facebook, Bill Chisnell Facebook, Engine House 25) 

·         The Studio on Fifth: In Shadyside/Oakland, there is the Studio on Fifth at WQED. This space was where Mister Rogers Neighborhood was filmed! You can pretty much host anything here – weddings, galas, birthday parties, shows – you name it!

·         Mansions on Fifth:  Another Shadyside spot, this place is a serious mansion. You can rent various rooms for dinner parties, showers, birthdays. I see this as an alternative to a country club event. They also host a lot of music nights!

·         BCP Studio: Event planner Bill Chisnell is opening his Strip District studio (near the History Center!) for rentals. While the website isn’t updated, if you do a bit of digging, you can see past events held here!

·         Engine 25: This place is SUPER rad. My company held its holiday part here. An old fire house in the Strip District/Lawrenceville, it’s also a photo studio, winery and Roberto Clemente museum – all open for your party! While it seems very random, it’s an excellent place to host a wedding, birthday party, rehearsal dinner or shower.  And the red wine is FANTASTIC.

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Sprouting Up New Hobbies

(source)

With work and travel in overload during December, the hubs recognized that I needed a calm date night. So he arranged a nice dinner and a trip to the Phipps Conservatory here in Pittsburgh. (He’s a keeper).

That all sounds super romantic, right? Well little did the hubs know that my parents took me to a haunted house at Phipps in 4^th grade and I’ve been scarred since. 

For those of you that don’t live in Pittsburgh, Phipps is a Conservatory. Aka a house of plants. Some years back, Phipps hosted a haunted house during October where people would seriously dress as plants and jump out at you.

During our recent visit, every time I heard a little noise, I would jump. I also kept thinking there were people in the plants.So a romantic holiday light show visit turned into extreme paranoia.

This is going somewhere.

So I love to grab books and pamphlets from places and I picked up one on the Phipps. This little book was full of inspiration and classes.

So if you are resolving to try something new or change careers in 2012 (and live in Pittsburgh), may I suggest the Phipps Floral Design Program. Yeah, it’s a little pricey, but if you’ve purchased flowers lately, they are pricey!! Just think – after taking this course, you can make arrangements for family and friends (to save some cash) OR start your own thing on the side. You don’t’ need to complete the full program for a fancy certificate – there are single classes on things like vase arranging and centerpieces!

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