October was the busiest month I have had in a long time! I was out of town twice, going to two Harris campaign rallies. While in Pittsburgh, I ate mostly Asian food and chicken wings. Oh, and I also met Governor Shapiro. Some people might have noticed a little bit of a tone shift in my brand lately. I have been doing more travel. I also decided to be a little more political. I know a lot of people did not like both of those things. However, I believe it is the best for me and the best for the country. After Nov. 5, I’ll return to mostly food and travel.
Restaurants
Is PPG Arena a restaurant? Well, you can get lots of great food there. I was lucky enough to go to a season preview event that included a sampling of all the new food available at the arena this season during Penguins games and concerts. My favorites were the new Fuku Fried Chicken Sandwich and the new Loaded Smash Burger.
I made a stop at A Slice of New York in Murrysville on my way out to State College for the weekend. I said last year they were the best pizza I’ve eaten in the Pittsburgh area. I had to return because they just earned an 8.2 One Bite rating and they just changed to a nearly lactose free cheese and I am lactose intolerant. I ate half the pizza with no issues. The pizza was just as good as I remembered. They are so busy now you need to plan your visit and order ahead, but it is worth it.
I ate dinner on the opening night of Golden Gai. This is the latest restaurant from Richard Deshantz Group and sister restaurant of Gi-Jin, one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The restaurant is Japanese Izakaya style, modeled after restaurants in the Golden Gai neighborhood in Tokyo. Chef Michael Taylor moves over from Gi-Jin with the opportunity to create new dishes, focusing on hot dishes that he could not do in Gi-Jin. This meal was amazing. I really loved the hot dishes like the Miso Cod and the Wagyu and Potatoes. I returned to Golden Gai for a second dinner a little over a week later and had another amazing meal.
I was invited to try out Thai Tamarind in Glenshaw. This is their second location after the one in Bellevue. They brought out a spread of different apps and dishes to try. I loved the flavors. Maybe would have liked a little more spice. I want to go back because there were a lot of dishes on the menu I wanted to try but just couldn’t keep eating.
I had lunch at Whiskey B’s in Market Square. They have a fantastic $12 burger and fries lunch special. Their burgers are great.
I had dinner at Teppanyaki Kyoto for the first time. This restaurant specializes in Japanese street foods. We ordered a whole bunch of items off the menu. I want to go back already.
Breweries, Food Trucks and Takeout
I was at Grist House again for the Penn State game. I got a few Grist House beers. I got a burrito from Blue Sparrow. Still my favorite food truck in Pittsburgh. I asked them to cut it down the middle for my photo and they refused. I should have listened. This isn’t a cut down the middle burrito. It was loaded and it was delicious.
I did a brewery crawl in Hazelwood. The neighborhood is home to three new breweries: Abstract Realm and New France, both at Hazelwood Brew House, and Hazel Grove Brewing just down the street. Hazelwood Brew House is in the old Hazelwood Brewery. There is a beer garden, tap room and rooftop there to enjoy a beverage. I was there while Dos Reyes Tacos was serving some amazing tacos for lunch. I would get those again. Hazel Grove Brewing also has a large taproom and beer garden. Both places regularly have food trucks like the one from Community Kitchen. It is great to see the neighborhood bringing in more cool things to do.
I got Big Shot Bob’s Wings like three times over the course of the month. I know it’s a small chain, but they fry the wings crispy and the sauces are great.
Events
I attended A Night of Hope and Hops again. This event is held every couple of months educating people about the Holocaust over a few beers. Generations Speaker Debbie Leuchter Stueber and fan of beer tells the story of how her parents escaped Europe in the 1940s followed by a video Q&A with her parents. It is a very informative evening and I really believe in passing the stories of the Holocaust to a new generation. The next one is happening on November 14.
I went to a Harris campaign rally featuring Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff with performances by Michael Stipe of REM and Jason Isbell. Doug Emhoff was just as excited to be there as we were as he is a big REM fan. I was incredibly excited they played The One I Love because it is one of my favorite songs, and Michael Stipe hasn’t played it in 16 years. The event featured many other speakers reminding us that the Harris Walz ticket for President actually wants to do things for the middle class and they actually released plans. Not concepts of a plan that doesn’t actually exist.
I attended a preview event for Good Taste Pittsburgh Hometown Homegrown at the Heinz History Center. We learned how to make empanadas from Coty at All Things Empanada, ate a small charcuterie sample from The Cheese Queen and sampled wine from Mazzotta Winery. The Hometown Homegrown event is on November 2 at the Heinz History Center and showcases lots of local Pittsburgh vendors and cooking demos. Access to the event is free with regular admission to the Heinz History Center that day.
I got to see one of the greatest speakers ever, Barack Obama, at another Harris campaign event. They packed the Fitzgerald Field House on the Pitt campus to hear him and other prominent Democrats speak and talk about the importance of voting for Democratic Party candidates who actually want to work for the American people. He spoke about what Harris will do for the middle class. No taxes on people earning under $400,000 a year. Tax benefits for new home buyers and new businesses. Protecting reproductive rights. Immigration reform. Obama was very unfiltered in his dislike for how the Republican Party has changed since he was President. Back then, they argued over actual policy. Today, the Republican Party’s talking points are about taking every right from people that isn’t the First or Second Amendment. It’s disappointing. Obama and Governor Josh Shapiro were amazing speakers. I studied public speaking in college and they are a fantastic example of how to keep an audience engaged.
I attended the Mid-Atlantic Milk Bank Milkshakes and Cookies. This is their main fundraiser. The non-profit has grown rapidly from covering just Pittsburgh to covering multiple states. The fundraiser brings together many bakeries to essentially create a large Pittsburgh cookie table event. I was excited to attend as I love cookies. I also think this is a great cause even though I do not want kids myself. Proper nutrition of children is important.
This was the highlight of my month. I got invited to attend Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s announcement of a $600 million commitment to the revitalization of Downtown Pittsburgh. The announcement is big for the city. They are going to convert office space into housing. They are going to improve public spaces. They are going to improve safety and arts in the city. At the end, I got to film a video with the Governor. He is an amazing speaker and incredibly nice. I was a little starstruck but I just let him do his thing in the video and it turned out great. Hopefully I’ll get to do more videos with him in the future where I’ll be a little more talkative.
I attended a pre-grand opening for the second location of Brave Bean Coffee Company. They are opening up in the North Shore across from The Warhol Museum. Brave Bean is veteran owned and I’m very excited to try them out when they open soon. I popped over to The Warhol after to see the Kaws exhibit finally. It is a really cool example of pop art that I think Warhol would have loved.
Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
I was in Happy Valley for a partnership with Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the tourism office for the area. I was there to eat my way through Happy Valley for two days. I was in town at the same time as a few other creators and it was fun to meet up with them throughout the weekend. I have a special place in my heart for Happy Valley since I went to Penn State. I love the opportunity to not only return but share with people why I love visiting the area.
I was staying at the Hyatt Place in Downtown State College. This is the hotel above Target. I really like this hotel. The rooms are very spacious, the beds are comfortable and they have a hot breakfast.
I started my weekend in Bellefonte at the Bellefonte Under the Lights progressive dinner. This fantastic event in Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte features many local restaurants and food trucks showcasing appetizers, main courses and desserts. I got to try some of the best bites Central Pennsylvania had to offer in one place. The event also features live music and other activities. The evening benefits the Downtown Bellefonte Inc. I had some great bites and talked with several Bellefonte residents. I also met up with my Friends at Hello Social Co. who are a social media and PR firm and a major sponsor of the event and other Happy Valley events. They helped me significantly with building my AlexEatsTooMuch brand.
No visit to Bellefonte is complete without a nightcap at The Republic at Gamble Mill. This speakeasy style bar, not to be confused with the Speakeasy event space at Gamble Mill, makes some of the best cocktails I have tasted in Happy Valley. My favorite is the Fauntleroy. The Gamble Mill also has a restaurant, bed & breakfast, and store. It’s a great stop in Bellefonte.
I visited the new Palmer Museum of Art on the Penn State campus. I visited the old museum when I was a student. The new museum is located at The Arboretum at Penn State. The museum is beautiful and houses art from all over the world. At the time of my visit, they had a really cool Made in PA exhibit featuring Pennsylvania artists. They also have new glass pieces by Mark Chihuly and they show off one of the most famous National Geographic photos of all time, shot by a Penn State grad. After the museum, I walked through the gardens of The Arboretum at Penn State. I wish it existed when I was a student. The gardens are beautiful and calming. Both are free to visit, but the museum does have a suggested donation. Paid parking is available across the street.
Then I went to the renovated Nittany Lion Inn for lunch. I stayed at the Nittany Lion Inn many times in the past. I was blown away by how great the lobby renovations look. They opened up the whole lobby and created an amazing lounge. I was there to eat lunch at Triplett’s, formerly Whiskers. They hired a new chef and brightened up the bar and restaurant. I got a pretty good burger with fries. I’m hoping to return to the Nittany Lion Inn soon.
I had some time to kill in the afternoon. I headed over to one of the new breweries in Happy Valley, Boal City Brewing. This brewery is located at the edge of Rothrock State Forest. They are brewing different variations of the beers every time. The brewery has a beautiful yard with lawn chairs for hanging out.
I returned to Pine Grove Hall in Pine Grove near State College for dinner with a great group of other creators. This restaurant features a creative farm-to-table menu of locally sourced ingredients. The meal was amazing. We split a pizza and I ordered a Chicken Meatloaf sandwich topped with burrata. We were also there for a concert. They regularly have performers. This night they had a Latin salsa band.
The next morning I woke up super early to hike Mt Nittany at sunrise with Tory Talks Trails and Britt Around Town. Mt. Nittany is not an easy hike to the top. It’s a steep ¾ of a mile to the top. Once up top there are about 4 miles of trails leading to different overlooks of Happy Valley. I was exhausted at the top but it was worth it.
My last stop in Happy Valley was Gigi’s Southern Table for Sunday brunch. This restaurant brings savory Southern cooking to Central PA. We had some great dishes. The biscuits and sausage gravy were fantastic. I got the pork chop special and loved it. I was a little jealous of the chicken and waffles. This is a nice fancier option for brunch in State College.
New Orleans, Louisiana
I visited NOLA for the first time. I was there on a large group trip celebrating the 10th wedding anniversary of friends. The trip was planned by Gilded Travel, of which one of the business’s partners also just happened to be celebrating their anniversary. NOLA is a great food town and they have lots of attractions.
We stayed at the Q&C Hotel and Bar New Orleans, part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. The hotel is very nice. A few things needed an update, but management told us they are doing a renovation next year. The bed was very comfortable. The room was a little narrow, so the king-size bed was a tight fit. It’s the same with the shower. As a bigger person, I didn’t have much space between the glass wall and the shower wall.
I had a late lunch at Herbsaint, a French-Southern restaurant that works with local farmers and fishermen. We ordered several small plates. The Beef Short Rib, Housemade Spaghetti and Banana Brown Butter Tart were my favorites. They also make a fantastic Sazerac, which makes sense being NOLA is the home of the cocktail.
We attended a lovely cocktail party at the Peacock Room. It was picked partly because of the name and theme of the restaurant and partly for the quality of the food and drinks. We ate a bunch of great small bites and enjoyed great cocktails. I may have had a few too many old fashioneds.
We went out in the French Quarter to listen to some live music. Unfortunately I do not remember any of the places we visited. However, if you love live music, there are plenty of establishments there to stop in for a drink and to listen.
We stopped at a couple of restaurants on a food and oyster crawl. I missed the first stop Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar. However, I made it to the next two stops Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar and Cuchon Butcher. Sidecar has a beautiful tropical theme. They had great cocktails and oysters, so I was told. I’m not much of a fan of oysters, but I still tried one. It was alright. Cuchon Butcher was fantastic. I ordered the famed Cuchon Muffaletta sandwich. It one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten. The sesame seed roll was so light with enough crust that it holds together. The meats and provolone were thick and tasty. The olive salad was the star, and I don’t like olives. I would love to spend a day eating different things here.
We watched the Krewe of Boo Halloween Parade from the balcony at the Sheraton Hotel. The parade is newer in the city. They go up and back on Canal St with floats and performers. The Sheraton offered a package with finger foods and drinks. This was fun, but I think if I were to do it again, I’d watch the parade from the street.
We went for late night beignets at the famous Café du Monde. It is worth the experience of getting these pastries covered in powdered sugar with a chicory coffee. They are tasty. Our server happened to be from Pittsburgh which made the visit extra special to us and to her. That said, are these any more special than other beignets? Probably not, but it’s all about the experience.
We the Steamboat NATCHEZ Jazz Brunch Cruise. This had a full spread of southern brunch items and a live jazz band. The boat does a loop on the Mississippi river as you can see some of the New Orleans riverfont and skyline.
We stopped at the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge for a drink. This spot has a bar that is a real operating carousel. Unfortunately, we didn’t get seats at the bar, but it was fun to watch it slowly spin around.
We toured the Sazerac House to learn the history of Sazerac Rye, other spirits and ingredients, and the Sazerac cocktail. This was a great self-guided tour and museum with a couple of cocktail samples along the way. This was a lot of fun for a whiskey lover like me. They aren’t distilling there at the moment, but they are currently bottling and packaging there.
Dinner was impromptu at a randomly picked Italian restaurant Domenica in The Roosevelt Hotel. For a random pick, it was very good. I got a squid ink pasta with blue crab. This was also one of the few meals with a vegetable during the whole trip.
We did an evening cemetery ghost tour. I don’t believe in the paranormal and told them that. I was more interested in learning about the history of the different cemeteries. New Orleans has some interesting burial techniques that allow them to have smaller cemeteries and more family members in one plot.
My final meal in NOLA was at Mother’s Restaurant. This is an old school southern Cajun Creole restaurant. I opted for a breakfast plate with eggs, biscuits, housemade sausage and cheesy grits. This was a stick to your bones meal and I loved it. They are known for so much more like their ham and po boy sandwiches.
