Alex Eats Too Much September 2026 Roundup

I did so much in September that I now constantly feel like I’m behind schedule on everything I need to do. That’s going to last through October since it’s a packed month. In a quick recap, I ate a lot of BBQ and burgers, I drank a lot of beer and spirits, I traveled to three states, met with a bunch of my travel creator friends and lots of destination marketing offices, I ate a lot of pancakes, and I was part of an improv show.

September also marked 1 year of being a full-time content creator. I recorded a vlog that I posted to my YouTube channel about how that last year went. There were some months in the middle that I was really worried about not having enough paying jobs. I changed a lot of what collabs I was willing to do. I made tweaks to my content style that I feel are working much better. I’m also finding a lot more paid travel content work than before.

The Highlights!!!

I was invited to the Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Ribs Festival to check out some of the great smokehouses from Pittsburgh and across the country, and to eat some ribs. The festival ran all Labor Day Weekend through Labor Day Monday outside the stadium. There was no admission fee for the festival, and you pay as you go at all the vendors. I got to try ribs from the following barbeque vendors: Off the Bone BBQ, Jim’s Smokin’ Que, After Hours BBQ, R&G Smoke Shack, and Bad Azz BBQ. I will say I will eat 4 of those 5 again.

I went down to the Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival. I went down for lunch and I ended up eating too much amazing soul food. This is also a Labor Day weekend festival. This festival started in 2019 as a way to celebrate the black culinary scene and black arts. There was so much to eat. There is also music and vendors selling clothing, jewelry and other items. I got The Smoqe House 3 Pork Bones. They were the 2026 Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival Barbeque Champions. I loved the Best Flavors Fried Catfish. This was the best catfish I’ve eaten. I stopped by my friends at Smoked in Pitt BBQ to get a taste of soul food and BBQ. This isn’t their normal large plate of food. I featured them recently for BaconBurgh. They are also the 2024 & 2025 Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival Barbeque Champions.

I ate at Poulet Bleu in Lawrenceville for the first time since they reopened like a year ago. I really just wanted the Bistro Burger and the French onion soup. Both were delicious. They weren’t the same as what they had on the menu years ago, but still very good.

I was part of The Arcade Hootenanny at the Arcade Comedy Theater downtown. This was a lot of fun. The programming was I told stories based on audience suggestions and then an improv troop acted out skits loosely based on my stories. I had a great time and the skits were hilarious. I definitely want to go to more shows at Arcade.

I ate dinner with friends at Girasole Italian Restaurant. I wasn’t going to make a post about this dinner originally. I was just going to dinner with friends to eat and talk. I didn’t bring my cameras or lights. It was raining. However, there were just little touches with great service and vibes, I decided I would take some low light, grainy photos to share when our food came. I’m glad I did. I loved my Squid Ink Linguine with Lobster as well as the Stuffed Banana Peppers appetizer and the cheesecake for dessert. We had a lovely time and a delicious meal.

I attended the Greco Food Service food show at Rivers Casino. Greco invited me as someone who has partnered with many of their clients and attended Pizza Expo. Food trade shows are a great time for someone like me who isn’t looking to find a new vendor. I was just there to eat. And I ate a lot. I got to try a lot of cheese and pizza toppings.

I did some filming and eating at Iron Born Pizza in the Strip District. I was there to record video of their Italian sandwich they will be serving at One Day to Remember’s One Bite One Day. Iron Born is known for their Detroit Style pizza. I did a bunch of filming in their kitchen and of me eating. Iron Born and I have been supporters of One Day to Remember for a long time. One Day to Remember creates joyful, lasting memories for families facing advanced stage cancer by giving them one unforgettable day together curated just for them. One Bite One Day is their annual event where every bite and sip you enjoy helps give children a joyful, cost-free day with that parent. It’s an incredible night. Award-winning chefs. Handcrafted cocktails. All for an unforgettable cause. You do not want to miss One Bite One Day at Rockwell Park on October 8. 2026.

I started a 12 day road trip with a stop in Frederick, Maryland on a partnership. I spent 3 days there eating great food, experiencing the brewery and distillery scene, and checking out the local museums and events. It’s just a little over 3 hours from Pittsburgh and makes for a great nearby trip.

Here’s a quick list of everything I did in Frederick, Maryland:

• Eat great food at Wye Oak Tavern, Gravel & Grind, Isabella’s Taverna and Tapas, Hootch & Banter, Beans & Bagels, Backslash Burger
• Sample the beverages at local breweries and distilleries like Tenth Ward Distilling Company, McClintock Distilling, RAK Brewing, Attaboy Beer, Olde Mother Brewing
• Visit local landmarks and attractions like Gambrill State Park, The Museum of Frederick County History at Heritage Frederick, National Museum of Civil War Medicine
• Attend a local event like the Great Frederick Fair and eat more food. I got a burger from Boxcar Burgers. I got a roast beef sandwich from Hemp’s Meats. I got ice cream from South Mountain Creamery.

I spent two days in Rehobeth Beach and Dewey Beach with Southern Delaware Tourism as part of the MATPRA Media Marketplace. This was actually my first time going to the beach over there. I learned a lot about the history of the area and why people go on vacations there. It won’t be my last visit there for sure. There will be more posted about this trip soon.

I spent three days based in Central Delaware for the Mid Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance MATPRA Media Marketplace. It was hosted by Visit Central Delaware at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, but it was a team effort by all the Delaware destination offices. I spent a lot of time talking to so many of the destinations in attendance and hanging out with so many of my friends in the content creator community.

Part of the MATPRA Media Marketplace, we took a tour to Milton, Delaware and I got to visit the Dogfish Head Brewery and Distillery. This was a great brewery tour and tasting. Our tour guide Tara gave us such a detailed tour and was a lot of fun. I was so impressed by their specialized brewing process, the great spirits being produced in the distillery, and the awesome treehouse outside the brewery.

The closing lunch of MATPRA Media Marketplace was at Dover Motor Speedway also known as the Monster Mile. It’s a one mile oval track and after visiting, I want to see a race there.

I wrapped up September in Williamsburg, Virginia for the Williamsburg Pancake Festival. Williamsburg, Virginia considers itself the pancake capital of the world with the most pancake houses per capita. You can even visit some of them and eat some pancakes on their Pancake Trail For the festival every year, they have a Pancakes and Pajamas kickoff party with all you can eat pancakes, live music and activities including photos with festival mascot Short Stack. There was the Run for the Stacks 5K, which I watched as others worked up an appetite for their pancakes. The most exciting part was the World Pancake Eating Championship, where some of the top competitive eaters in the world, including current number one, Joey Chestnut, were trying to set the pancake eating world record. Joey took home the prize and world record after eating 40 pancakes. I spent some time in Colonial Williamsburg at the Governor’s Palace Kitchen learning about the cooking experience and food of colonial days. I also got to visit all 5 of the breweries in the Williamsburg area and drank a lot of great beer. I ate a few great meals including tapas at Saudade and a burger at Burgers on the Edge. There will be so much more about this trip shared soon.