I can’t believe it’s only two months into 2025. February is the shortest month of the year, yet it feels like a year long. I’ve gotten to eat a lot of great dinners, mostly featuring Asian cuisine. I went to a couple of really cool events. I’ve also had to deal with a lot of insanity at work. Surprisingly, I was in Pittsburgh for all of February, so no travel section this month. However, I have been working on new blog posts for my travels that will be live soon. I’ve also been working on setting up some really cool partnerships I’ll hopefully be able to talk about next month.
Restaurants
I started the month eating at KL Asian Cuisine in Squirrel Hill. They are a new restaurant offering a little something that any palate can enjoy. They feature a variety of Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Malaysian cuisines. The chef shows off his talents and culinary knowledge across all those cultures.
I went to dinner with my parents at my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh, Chinatown Inn. It has been a while since I was last there, so I had to get my favorites, General Tso Chicken and a Chicken Egg Roll. I went back to Chinatown Inn later in the month with my friend Michelle. She had never eaten there and loved it.
I was invited to check out the new brunch at Butler Street Derby in Lawrenceville. This was my first time here and they had completely renovated the bar and restaurant. They have a menu of traditional and elevated brunch items and great cocktails to match. I was with a group of other foodies, so we passed around and shared most of the food we ordered to get a taste of everything.
I got lunch at Rosewater Middle Eastern Grill downtown. I got a pretty good kebab combo. I did think it was a little pricey, though.
I went to dinner during the final week of service at Bonfire in Southside. It was a shame to see another great Pittsburgh restaurant close. They were really good at elevated comfort food like the Wagyu Beef Meatloaf.
Another one of my favorite restaurants, Bae Bae’s Kitchen, has reopened as a reimagined Meet at Bae Bae’s Bar and Supper Club. This new iteration is open late and stays open even later, giving a late night spot for food downtown. I went to their reopening celebration and tried out a bunch of the small bites and cocktails on the launch menu.
I got breakfast at Carnegie Coffee Company with Tory Talks Trails and Hannah of Hikes and Hops blog. They regularly get together to hold each other accountable to write blogs. It was a good idea so I joined. I got a coffee and a croissant breakfast sandwich.
I was invited to the Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumplings friends and family event. This new restaurant in Southside Works originated in Flushing Queens, New York City Chinatown. We ordered so many dumplings and other delicious Chinese dishes. The Truffle and Pork Soup Dumplings were my favorite. I’m excited that they finally opened and I’ll probably eat there a lot.
We had a family dinner at Chimera Brewing in Castle Shannon. We got one of their pizzas as a starter. It resembles more of a bar pie than an NY Style. Almost all of us got the smash burger for dinner. It was great with lots of caramelized onions and cheese. I hear the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich is good and I need to go back for that.
Food Trucks and Takeout
Boonseek was at Back Alley Brewing Company in Dormont. I got the cheeseseeker Korean Corn Dog and the Chi Bob Korean Chicken. It was delicious, as always. I also got a couple of Back Alley beers.
In a moment of weakness I ordered Dominos Pizza during their $9.99 anything deal. It was not terrible. I needed shitty pizza.
Another stressful work day led to me getting Big Shot Bob’s wings. Those are always so good. They were expensive though.
Private Chefs
Having a section on this is weird, but I went to two private chef dinners in February.
The first was an incredible Asian fusion dinner by Chef Ken hosted at the home of Eating with Ashley, the admin of Pittsburgh Foodies on Facebook and arranged by Nelli, Pittsburgh Food Nerd. The dinner was delicious, featuring ingredients I wouldn’t think to mix but worked to create a great umami flavor. It was not only a great meal, but amazing getting to watch Chef Ken work in the kitchen and talking with him about the ingredients and techniques. This is a great alternative to going to a restaurant for a special dinner. Learn more about the Chef Ken Private Chef Experience and other meal services on his website. We had a fantastic meal and a great time, thanks to Chef Ken.
The second was another incredible was by Private Chef Frank. Jessie’s Eddies put together a fantastic group of Pittsburgh foodies, hosted by Rachel of Opal Rose Boutique in McMurray. We enjoyed an incredible six-course meal featuring different styles of cuisine. It was another great experience to watch a meal get created and ask questions about the meal. My favorites were the crab cake, pasta and delmonico. He can do private dinners for as few as two people up to small events. Learn more about Private Chef Frank on his website. We had a fantastic meal and a great time, thanks to Chef Frank.
Events
I attended the OCA Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala at Szchuan Spice. Thanks to Karen for arranging our group to attend. This was a fantastic multi course meal of authentic Chinese dishes. The whole list of items is below. This was an incredible experience for me as I got to learn a lot about Lunar New Year and the activities associated with the annual celebration. The OCA Pittsburgh is a civil rights advocacy and educational organization for the advancement of social, political and economic well being of Asian American and Pacific Islander decent. They are responsible for or provide assistance to many programs in Pittsburgh. Learn more about OCA Pittsburgh on its website.
I attended Spirits of the Burgh at the Pennsylvanian. This is a Beers of the Burgh event focusing on the distilleries of the area. I enjoyed myself too much trying so many different spirits. The next day was rough.
I did something different and went to the Pittsburgh Opera Fashion Show Threads of Destiny. The show featured fashion designs by Nolan Kouri, with a pre-show by Kiya Tomlin. The show included performances from the upcoming opera Madama Butterfly. The Pittsburgh Opera has great events. This one also included food by Dianoia’s Eatery and cocktails by Mindful Hospitality Group.
