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AlexEatsTooMuch November 2024 Restaurant, Event and Travel Roundup
AlexEatsTooMuch October 2024 Restaurant, Event and Travel Roundup
AlexEatsTooMuch September 2024 Restaurant, Event and Travel Roundup
An Afternoon at Liberty Pole Spirits
AlexEatsTooMuch August 2024 Restaurant, Event and Travel Roundup

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alexeatstoomuch

📷 Alex | Food Enthusiast & Food PR
Just Another Food Content Creator Since 2017
📍 #Pittsburgh
IRL: @agoodstein
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I attended a holiday brunch at the Pennsylvania Go

I attended a holiday brunch at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence with other content creators who have worked with Pennsylvania @governorshapiro to get out the word about great accomplishments in Pennsylvania this year. This was an amazing experience. We got to explore the first level of the residence decorated for the holidays. We ate a great spread of brunch bites. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet other content creators. I met people who I just discovered this year through exploring Pennsylvania and others who I have followed for a decade and I was incredibly surprised to see at the event.

I’m so grateful to Governor Shapiro and his team for this invitation and experience. Josh is such a great speaker and Pennsylvania’s government has accomplished so much this year. In case you missed it, earlier this year, I got to film a quick video with Governor Shapiro when he was in Pittsburgh to announce Pennsylvania’s investment in Downtown Pittsburgh. I’m just one of many creators with whom he has made videos over the course of the year. He and his team have embraced social media to inform people about what is happening in Pennsylvania. I can’t thank him and his team enough for being included in the group he has filmed with. I’m looking forward to sharing more of the great accomplishments in Pennsylvania in the years to come.

#pennsylvania #contentcreator #holidaybrunch

Last year’s holiday pop-up bar newcomer, @sippin

Last year’s holiday pop-up bar newcomer, @sippinsantapgh is back in Downtown Pittsburgh for a second year. Open every night through New Year’s Eve, this tropical holiday bar from the same people as Miracle features tiki style drinks and a warmer weather vibe. Sippin Santa, just like its neighbor popup, Miracle is always a good time staffed by some of Pittsburgh’s best bartenders. Sippin Santa, just like Miracle, donates its proceeds to local charities, giving me another reason to visit often.

Another reason why Sippin Santa is one of the best of the holiday bars is that a large portion of proceeds are donated to local charities. Each year they partner with different charities that either have a personal connection to the members of the Sippin Santa team or make a significant impact in Pittsburgh. As always, remember don’t be a grinch at these bars. And don’t steal the glassware. Most of it can be purchased. They have to spend a lot on these glasses and if you steal them then others do not get to enjoy drinks in them. Also if you buy one you get a nice clean glass.

📍Sippin Santa
130 7th St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

I partnered with @samueladamsbeer American Light t

I partnered with @samueladamsbeer American Light to get dinner and a beer in Pittsburgh and to show how you can pair their new easy-drinking light beer with your meal. I ate at @theurbantap in Shadyside, which has great food, and Samuel Adams American Light is on tap. It’s great that a brewer like Samuel Adams is making a light beer as it will still be flavorful but not heavy to drink. It was an easy decision for me to pair Sam Adams American Light with Urban Tap’s Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Samuel Adams American Light is a crisp, refreshing light beer that is easy to drink and goes down smooth, so it was the perfect beer to cool me down from the spicy heat of the sandwich. My friend paired it with the Short Rib Burger. Samuel Adams American Light was an ideal beer to pair with our savory meals. #ad #ItsSamSeason #SamuelAdams Must be 21+ to watch

Last month, I spent another fantastic weekend in H

Last month, I spent another fantastic weekend in Happy Valley thanks to the @happyvalleypa. If you didn’t know, I spent four years of my life in State College and love any opportunity to come back to Happy Valley to eat and explore. This trip was filled with lots of new activities and some that I haven’t done in ages.

Food and Drink:
• I had lunch at the new @tripletts_bar at the newly renovated @nittanylioninn
• I had dinner at @pinegrovehall. They are an incredible farm to table restaurant which also has regular live music.
• I had Sunday brunch at @gigissoutherntable. This restaurant brings amazing Southern style cooking to Happy Valley.
• I checked out @boalcitybrewing. They are located in the middle of nature just on the edge of Rothrock State Forest.
• I stopped at @therepublicgamblemill. I discovered this gem last year and try to stop in when I'm in Bellefonte.

New Activities:
• Bellefonte Under the Lights – An annual event which is an outdoor progressive dinner featuring many restaurants of Bellefonte and Central Pennsylvania. It’s the main fundraiser for @downtownbellefonte.
• I visited the new @palmermuseumofart. The museum just moved into a state of the art building that is bright and open. The museum houses almost 11,000 pieces of artwork.

Repeat Activities:
• I walked around the @pennstatearboretum. It is one of my favorite spots on campus, and I wish it existed when I was a student. The gardens and sitting areas are beautiful and relaxing.
• I hiked Mt. Nittany with @torytalkstrails and @brittaroundtown. It is an intense hike up to the top, but once up there, the views of Happy Valley are amazing.

I was asked by @visitlawrencecounty to have dinner

I was asked by @visitlawrencecounty to have dinner at @thetavernnewwilmington in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, just an hour north of Pittsburgh. This restaurant features local ingredients to create fantastic farm-to-table dishes. The Tavern has been around since the 1930s and recently saw a renovation under new owners. The new version of the Tavern is beautifully decorated, retaining some of the original woodwork and artwork but adding modern touches like improved seating, an elevator, and new restrooms. I got the opportunity to try many of the dishes and drinks on the menu. Everything was amazing, and I wish I could have eaten so much more because the menu looks so good.

Appetizers:
• Korean Sticky Ribs - Baby back pork ribs, Korean BBQ sauce, scallions, sesame seeds
• Smoked Trout Rillette - Smoked steelhead trout, créme fraiche, homemade flatbread, preserved Meyer lemons, crispy capers

Main Courses
• Chicken & A Biscuit - A Tavern throwback: Amish chicken, snap peas, carrots, housemade biscuit
• Live Fire Grilled Pork Chop - 14oz Duroc tomahawk pork chop, local grilled Autumn Crisp apples, brown butter mashed sweet potatoes, sautéed brussels, bacon lardons, toasted hazelnuts

Dessert
• Tavern Sticky Skillet

📍The Tavern on the Square
108 North Market Street
New Wilmington, PA 16142

#partner #visitlawrencecounty #pittsburgh #visitpa #pennsylvania #food #restaurant #foodie #dinner #farmtotable

Ritual House in Downtown Pittsburgh invited me to

Ritual House in Downtown Pittsburgh invited me to have dinner in their new Lotus Room. @ritualhousepgh has become one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve always had good meals at Ritual House, but I feel like recently everything I’ve eaten there has just been amazing. The new Lotus Room, located upstairs, is a really cool space great for private events and quieter dinners. I loved the lighted mirrors in the walls and the window overlooking the Union Trust Building lobby. I started with some of my favorite appetizers like Fried Green Tomatoes and Bruleed Oranges. The highlight of the meal was the evening special of Roast Filet with vegetables, which was tender and delicious. I finished dinner with a new dessert, the Mocha Latte Cup, which is such an amazing combination of different types of sweets.

Starters
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Bruleed Oranges
• Shrimp and Crab Cocktail

Main
• Roast Fliet with Vegetables and Mushroom Sauce

Dessert
• Mocha Latte Cup

📍Ritual House
Union Trust Building
524 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

#AD You can now get Krispy Creme donuts at @mcdona

#AD You can now get Krispy Creme donuts at @mcdonaldsofthreerivers locations. They are delivered daily to Pittsburgh area McDonald’s locations. I got the original glazed donuts, but you can also get chocolate frosted with sprinkles and chocolate frosted kreme filled. My traditional glazed Krispy Kreme donut went great with my McCafe coffee, and was a great dessert for my McMuffin. The easiest way to get Krispy Kreme donuts at your local Pittsburgh McDonald’s is to order on the McDonald's app and then pick them up in the drive-thru. From now on, I might have to get a Krispy Kreme donut for dessert with all my McDonald’s meals.

#Ad The new Holiday Scratch-Off tickets from the @

#Ad The new Holiday Scratch-Off tickets from the @PALottery are a great way to improve any gift. I wanted to do something creative. I thought what could be a better gift to receive than me, but I added the PA Lottery Holiday Scratch-Off tickets to make my gift over the top amazing. I attached the Holiday Scratch-Off tickets to me so I am more fun! I wrapped myself up in holiday wrapping paper and I was ready to be gifted. Friends and family over 18 had a great time unwrapping me and receiving the PA Lottery Holiday Scratch-Off tickets. Unfortunately, they left the main gift behind.

#PALottery

I got the really cool opportunity to help out past

I got the really cool opportunity to help out pasta content creator and Pittsburgher @ryanpeterspgh crack 1,000 whole eggs and knead pasta dough for a new video. I was off from work and it seemed like a fun activity, but also a good way to learn about setting up and filming a video for YouTube and giving back to a local organization. Cracking all these eggs without breaking yolks so they can be used for the pouring shot is very difficult. These egg yolks have a beautiful orange color. So much staging and planning goes into setting up the yolk pour so it will look good on camera and not spill all over. Lights and camera equipment surround the table and had to be adjusted every time the setup changed a bit. The framing for the pour and having to make sure the eggs don’t go all over is more difficult than it looks. In the end, the final shot turned out amazing, but check out Ryan’s video to see it in all its glory. After the pour, it was time to knead all the pasta dough. Kneading all this dough is quite the workout. It takes a lot of time to get a ball of pasta dough ready for cutting into pasta. It was fun while working on the dough to talk about the Pittsburgh food scene and tips of the trade of content creation. I had a great time helping Ryan for the day, especially since I first met him back when he was still a chef in local restaurants. It’s great to see him a big content creator now. The eggs we cracked were donated by @happyeggcousa. The pasta dough was used to make meals for @outreachedarms, which provides hope to Pittsburgh's inner city homeless and working poor. I was happy to get to help out that day and it gets my mind going wanting to do more videos like this and maybe even try content creation full time eventually.

My November Roundup is now live on the blog. I spe

I can’t believe it took 15 years of living in Pi

I can’t believe it took 15 years of living in Pittsburgh for me to visit @sarriscandies and Ice Cream for the first time. Sarris makes a variety of different chocolates and stocks lots of other candies available at their factory and around Western Pennsylvania. The store at the factory is a dream come true for any lover of chocolate and other sweets. I decided to buy an assortment of chocolate covered espresso beans and chocolate cordials. I was tempted to buy so much more as they have different chocolate gift boxes and packages. Sarris also has impressive chocolate-themed displays and lots of classic artwork and stained glass around the store. I loved the chocolate pretzel arch and the chocolate waterfalls. Sarris also has a classic ice cream shop. I had to finish my visit with a tasty hot fudge sundae. I was told next time I need to get one with a hard cap. They also do milkshakes. I don’t go that far south of the city too often, but I might have to start to more often so I can stop at Sarris.

Sarris Candies & Ice Cream
511 Adams Ave
Canonsburg, PA 15317

My favorite holiday pop-up bar, @miraclepgh is bac

My favorite holiday pop-up bar, @miraclepgh is back in Downtown Pittsburgh. This is one of the original popup bars in Pittsburgh and always returns bigger and better. Open every night through New Year’s Eve, this bar is covered top to bottom in every type of holiday decoration. They have the most unique collection Christmas décor on the walls and they are the only ones with a Hanukkah wall. The Christmas Sweater wall is back too. They feature plenty of tasty holiday themed cocktails like the Snowball Old Fashioned, The Krampus, Christmasaurus and the Yippie Ki Yay Mother F….r!.

Another reason why Miracle is the best of the holiday bars is that a large portion of proceeds are donated to local charities. Each year they partner with different charities that either have a personal connection to the members of the Miracle team or make a significant impact in Pittsburgh. As always, remember don’t be a grinch at these bars. And don’t steal the glassware. Most of it can be purchased. They have to spend a lot on these glasses and if you steal them then others do not get to enjoy drinks in them. Also if you buy one you get a nice clean glass.

📍Miracle on 7th
130 7th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

I was invited to spend a Tuesday night at Complime

I was invited to spend a Tuesday night at Compliments by @scratchco_pgh in Troy Hill. Every Tuesday, Scratch & Co will transform into a first come first serve lounge-style concept encouraging guests to mingle with new people. There is no set menu, but a choose-your-own-adventure plan for drinks. I chose a dealer’s choice for all my cocktails and all hit the spot. They can either work with a lot of direction like a request for a spicy and savory mezcal drink or very little, like whiskey. They also serve complimentary tapas which this evening was focaccia pizza, popcorn and fried green tomatoes. The tapas will change every week. They also intend on offering special food items some weeks that may support a charity or bring in special entertainment like musicians, comedians and magicians. After a couple of drinks and some delicious food, I was enjoying the vibe and getting to know some new people. I started walking around joining conversations. Some were with people I knew, and some were with new people. I’ll definitely be back to Compliments at Scratch & Co because every visit will be a different adventure.

Scratch & Co is a fantastic neighborhood restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill. They feature a great menu of contemporary dishes. They work with local purveyors to source ingredients. They have always seen the restaurant as a community gathering spot. I’ve had a few great meals there including a fantastic smash burger.

I attended Bellefonte Under the Lights and ate som

I attended Bellefonte Under the Lights and ate some of the best bites of Central Pennsylvania as a guest of @happyvalleypa. Bellefonte Under the Lights is a night of communal outdoor dining hosted every year by @downtownbellefonte. It is a progressive style dinner where attendees can select an appetizer, main course, dessert and drink from multiple participating restaurants from Bellefonte and nearby towns. There is also live music all evening and great fun and conversation. It’s Downtown Bellefonte’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It was a great way for me to experience so many of the great restaurants of Central Pennsylvania all at once. This event typically happens in the early Fall. I enjoyed meeting so many people and heard why they love Bellefonte.

I’ve visited Bellefonte several times over the last couple of years. It’s such a cute town in Central PA. Bellefonte has been transitioning into an arts and antiques town with cute shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts. Bellefonte is also close to the many other towns in Happy Valley.

#happyvalley #happyvalleypa #partnership #visitpa #pennsylvania

In October, I was invited to attend Milkshake & Co

In October, I was invited to attend Milkshake & Cookies, a tasty event supporting the @midatlanticmilkbank. This event features some of Pittsburgh's best cookie bakers and milkshake makers, all in support of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank. Attendees get to visit each of the tables to collect lots of cookies to eat there and build a box to take home. I ate a lot of fantastic cookies. We heard from multiple speakers in support of the organization.

The Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank provides safe and ethically sourced donor milk to medically vulnerable infants and children. The organization has grown over the last few years to cover more territories. They started covering Western Pennsylvania and expanded as more communities were in need. They are funded by foundations and individual contributions. They are led by physicians, lactation consultants, nurses, clinicians, educators, and parents. Their goal is to provide every infant access to human milk. The Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank is in the process of expanding to a new 10,000 sq ft facility with a state of the art milk lab and milk storage. Fundraisers like this help it continue to provide human milk to those in need.

#ad The new Holiday Scratch-Off tickets from the @

#ad The new Holiday Scratch-Off tickets from the @PALottery are back! They make a creative way to decorate your Thanksgiving table by adding a fun and festive activity for after dinner. Kick-off celebrating the holiday season by thanking your friends and family by adding a holiday Scratch-Off ticket to that place setting and they could be thankful for you too.
#PALottery

I had dinner at @teppanyakikyoto, a Japanese izaka

I had dinner at @teppanyakikyoto, a Japanese izakaya style restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood. I was excited to try many authentic Japanese dishes and some modernized features. They offer counter style seating where you can watch your dishes be prepared and talk with the chefs and regular table seating. We ordered a large assortment of items. My favorites were their signature Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake, Dashi maki Japanese pancake, yakisoba noodles with beef, and bacon mochi, but really everything was great.

• Pork Gyoza - pork fried dumplings
• Yasai Kakiage - thinly cut vegetables, deep fried with tempura batter
• Kibinago-Karaage - deep-fried silver-stripe round herring
• Bonito yaki onigiri - grilled rice ball with bonito
• Pork shogayaki - thinly sliced sautéed pork and onion in sweet ginger flavour sauce
• Bacon mochi - grilled bacon-wropped mochi with teriyaki sauce
• Yakisoba with beef - stir fried ramen-style noodles with cabbage, onion, with added beef
• Dashi maki - Japanese rolled omelet made with egg and dashi
Okonomiyaki - Japanese pancake made with wheat flour, egg, cabbage, and topped w/ regular mayonnaise, seaweed powder, and bonito flakes
• Kushi dango - Japanese sweet rice dumplings on skewers
• Matcha mon-buran - soft sponge cake topped with pillowy whipped cream with hidden red bean in the center and covered with tall spaghetti-thin strands of green tea cream
• Kinako mochi puff - crunchy rice puffs flavored with wasanbon or Japanese fine powdered sugar plus kinako or roasted soybean flour
• Sakura mochi - sweet pink mochi filled with sweet red bean paste wrapped in a salty pickled cherry blossom leaf

📍Teppanyaki Kyoto
5808 Bryant St
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

My cocktail was delicious but my hair was a mess.

My cocktail was delicious but my hair was a mess. I was invited to the preview for this year's @wiglewhiskey Wigle Wonderland. I enjoy this popup a lot because Wigle makes a quality cocktail. My favorite cocktails I tried were the Ho! Ho! Cocoa! Old Fashioned and A Very Nice Holiday Drink. There are also several shots and a shot ski available. I also appreciate they changed decorations very little from last year. They are tastefully hung and not over the top. Wigle Wonderland is open Fridays and Saturdays starting Nov 16, but check the Wigle account for any schedule changes.

📍Wigle Whiskey
2401 Smallman St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

I had an amazing seven course omakase at Umi Japan

I had an amazing seven course omakase at Umi Japanese Restaurant (above @soba_pgh) in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside. I visited before Mr. Shu went on vacation. It had been forever since I last ate at Umi and enjoyed Mr. Shu’s elegantly prepared dishes. I wanted to get there before Mr. Shu went on his vacation. Each course alternated between fresh and decadent cuts of sushi and savory cooked dishes. See all our courses below. I also ordered one of the Japanese whiskey flights and an additional sushi roll. Another impressive part of eating at Umi is the service. Our server Ashley was so friendly and knowledgeable about everything we ate. Umi is a great option for a fantastic meal.

Our courses:

1. Toro Tartare – fatty underbelly bluefin tuna, tsume, yuzu and garlic
2. Sawara Spanish Mackerel seared with hot sesame oil, myoga and soy
3. Red snapper with white truffle oil shitake mushroom puree
4. Miso black cod marinated in miso mirin reduction and broiled
5. White tuna sashimi with a sweet soy and yuzu blend
6. Rock shrimp tempura with tsume ponzu
7. Nigiri sampler
a. Toro – yuzu jelly
b. Red snapper – ume & shiso
c. Salmon – miso cream cheese
d. Tuna – roasted garlic aioli
e. King Mackerel – chopped ginger soy
8. Dessert Truffles

📍Umi Japanese Restaurant
5849 Ellsworth Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(3rd floor, above Soba)

@pghsandwichsociety and @bluesparrowpgh teamed up

@pghsandwichsociety and @bluesparrowpgh teamed up at @strangerootsbeer for Pittsburgh Brunch Society this weekend. They offered a menu out of each truck featuring savory brunch items. They occasionally do these brunches with creative menus. I got the Doughnut Boy because I haven’t had fried chicken on a donut in so long. Strange Roots had some special brunch drinks, but I opted for Plague 2024, their stout sour. They brought back these brunches that were a regular occurrence pre-pandemic, back when I could only post photos, not videos, of Pittsburgh’s great food on Instagram. Maybe I’m a little nostalgic right now for those simpler days of Instagram. These have been two of my favorite food trucks since before I was AlexEatsTooMuch and I’m glad I can still enjoy their food, hang out with them, and consider them friends.

PGH Sandwich Society Items
DoughNut Boy
Fried Chicken Patty | Bacon | Dippy Egg | Cheddar Cheese | Maple Drizz | Lola’s Eatery Glazed Doughnut
.
All the Brunch Things (not pictured)
Single Beef Patty | American Cheese | Bacon | Dippy Egg | Hash Brown | Spring Mix | Tomato | PGH Pickles | Society Sauce | Butter Toasted Bun
.
NOW That’s What I Call a Breakfast Sandwich! Vol. 20
Parma Sausage Breakfast Sausage | Dippy Egg | Cheddar Cheese | Yinz Jam | Hot Pepper Ketchup | Willow Bend English Muffin
.
Global Street Tots
Pile of Tots | Red Chile con Queso | Bacon Crumble | Dippy Egg | Candied ‘peño | Pickled Reds | Hot Honey Drizz | Blendi Cheese | Green Onion | Spicy Avo | Crema

Blue Sparrow Items
Sparrow Society Sammich
house maple sausage, cheddar, banana peppers, dippy egg, pretzel bun

Bronco Crunchwrap (not pictured)
bacon, hash brown, egg, queso, bronco berry sauce

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