Hal B. Klein

2 days ago | post-gazette.com | Hal B. Klein

It’s become a summer tradition for me to highlight five Pittsburgh-area ice cream shops destined to stoke delight. In 2022, I visited Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, Page’s, Antney’s Ice Cream, Hank’s Frozen Custard and Mexican Food and Mitch’s Barbecue. Among 2023’s top hits were Happy Day Dessert Factory, Tastyland, LaScola’s Italian Ice and Custard, Mercurio’s and Treat Down the Street.

2 weeks ago | post-gazette.com | Hal B. Klein

When Dennis Denk was getting ready to go on vacation in 1987, he heard from a friend that there was an opening for an executive chef at a new steakhouse in Downtown Pittsburgh. He wasn’t sure he was ready to work at what would become the 18th Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the country. Finally, he went to a 7-Eleven and called on a payphone in the parking lot. He spoke to Jack Offenbach, who co-owned the restaurant with his wife, Peggy.

2 weeks ago | post-gazette.com | Hal B. Klein

For the past five years, Ryan Chavara has lived his dream, serving breakfast sandwiches to hungry residents and visitors in Bloomfield. Now his aspirations to grow that popular business are in jeopardy. Thyme Machine’s 113-year-old building suffered what appears to be catastrophic damage from an electrical fire. The hemlock structure started smoldering unnoticed either late Friday night or in the wee hours of Saturday morning, spreading into the walls and floors by sunrise. “It’s… pretty bad.

2 weeks ago | post-gazette.com | Hal B. Klein

McKnight Road, the major corridor stretching from Downtown Pittsburgh to the northern suburbs and Ross Park Mall, is known for many things and few of them are good: congestion, construction and a glut of chain restaurants all contribute to the roadway being popularly dubbed as “McKnightmare Road.”Traffic light after traffic light reveal a parade of garish neon signs luring diners to ubiquitous outposts of corporate-casual dining.

2 weeks ago | post-gazette.com | Hal B. Klein

Wild Rise Bakery is ending service later this month, its owner announced on Monday. Owner Oliver Pinder, in an Instagram post, noted that the gluten-free bakery would close June 20 due in part to rising costs for ingredients as well as his own health concerns.