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Do you really know the food scene of Pittsburgh?! The Pittsburgh Dish introduces you to the people, places, and recipes that make our regional cuisine so special. By sharing personal stories, weekly recommendations, and community recipes, we aim to inspire you to connect with local taste makers and experience the unique flavors that shape our city.
90 Episodes
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Craving a guide that actually helps you eat, drink, and explore without the guesswork? We sit down with Sarah of “Sarah Loves Yinz” to map real-world ways to support small businesses. Sarah shares how her journey from running restaurant socials to curating regional getaways taught her what works online: fewer, smarter posts; clickable locations; clean tags; and a human voice that makes people feel welcome. Then, our wine detour lands at Spill in Bloomfield, a relaxed corner bar pouring...
We sit down with Christopher Beers, the founder of Grandpa Joe’s, to learn the journey from one 900-square-foot Strip District shop to 21 locations across five states. Chris pulls back the curtain on how that magic gets made. From sourcing regional candies that never went national, Japanese Kit Kats and UK Cadbury, the network Grandpa Joes has built is just as astounding. We dig into craft soda culture and why pinpoint carbonation from Natrona's Red Ribbon feels different, then explore ...
A backyard garden harvest and a family united on a new journey—this is how Two Ugly Mugs turned a homemade recipe into a national salsa brand. Diane and Matt Perella trace the steps from hot sauce experiments to a salsa lineup with a habanero base softened by carrots, a clean label with low sodium, and a flavor that wins over heat skeptics and spice lovers alike. Their journey is packed with real turning points that led from local stores to a footprint across the United States and beyond. We...
We're starting the year with a full plate of wins, a smarter way to drink, and a dinner you can make before the water boils. We look back at 2025 with clear eyes and real numbers, from forty new episodes to an 88 percent completion rate that tells us you’re staying to the last bite. From there, we shift to drinking with intention. The low and no alcohol movement is reshaping shelves, but skipping spirits doesn’t mean skipping flavor. We walk through a practical middle path: wine-based ...
A crumbling 1849 house, abolitionist lore, and a quest to cook for the next hundred years—this is the story of how Maggie and Matt Noble turned The Tavern on the Square into a living landmark. We sit down inside the restored space in New Wilmington, where original beams meet brand-new wiring, and the elevator isn’t a luxury but a promise that everyone belongs at the table. We trace their unlikely route from California kitchens and construction sites to Amish-country sourcing in Western...
(01:16) A small-town “toast boy” grows into a gold-medal chef, then chooses a new kind of success. We sit down with Chef Joe Peroney to unpack a winding path from The Greenbrier’s relentless kitchens to the world stage at the Culinary Olympics, and how a sudden vision scare and a marathon reset his compass toward time, family, and impact. (15:19) Joe lifts the lid on competition cooking, from training in unfamiliar kitchens to plating East Coast flavors as tiny, elegant starters. He also sha...
In this mini-episode... we trade the 12:30pm coffee surge for a calmer tea routine. Catherine Montest helps to unpack caffeine timing, yerba mate culture, and simple ways to control the buzz. Then we pivot to a bright cranberry loaf suggestion from Baking Across America that pairs perfectly with any afternoon brew. If you're in the market to grab a cookbook from B. Dylan Hollis as a gift or for yourself, be sure to shop locally at one of our great independent bookstores like White Whale Books...
We pull back the curtain on how Pittsburgh’s local food television gets made, from planning and pacing a five-minute kitchen segment to building community around long-form public media cooking shows. Maria DeBone and Chris Fennimore share the inside scoop. Plus local TV food personality Chef Alekka offers an easy holiday crumble. • Planning, staging, and timing a live kitchen segment • Tips and hacks viewers value on short TV spots • The origin and evolution of QED Cooks and its community fo...
Looking for the sweet spot where tradition meets the table? We bring together a master appraiser, a wine guide, and a hometown foodie to show how old-school cookbooks, a just-released French red, and a one-pan dinner can turn a chilly weeknight into a warm celebration. Dr. Lori kicks things off with a collector’s map to the kitchen shelf: early printings of The Joy of Cooking, The White House Cookbook, and first editions from Julia Child, Ina Garten, and Rachael Ray—and why themed and commun...
Flaky pie crust isn’t magic—it’s method. We sit down with Chef Alekka Sweeney to unpack the science and the small choices that turn holiday baking from stressful to satisfying. We go beyond pies to build a full, flexible holiday playbook. Stock the pantry with non-perishables now, refresh tired baking powder and soda, and freeze multiple dough discs so you can bake on your schedule. Alekka shares her favorites—bourbon chocolate pecan pie, apple filling with real sauce and texture, and ...
A private chef who learned pasta in an Umbrian cellar, sold out DC markets with recipe cards, and now feeds Pittsburgh with allergy-aware comfort food? That’s Barbara Ann of A B Kitchen, and her story is a tour of how real-world cooking can be both nourishing and exciting without getting fussy. We visit the nuts and bolts of Barbara's off-site private chef model: custom meal prep, catering that accommodates varied diets, and partnerships with trusted nutrition pros to align flavor with macro...
We pull up a seat with Chef Danielle Cain and front‑of‑house lead and bar creator Rob Hirst of Hey Babe, the new East Liberty lounge inside the Maverick Hotel that’s fast becoming Pittsburgh’s coziest third place. From a crispy eggplant that rules social media to a five‑spice pork belly and salmon tartare, the menu’s range is deliberate. The drink menu including an espresso martini that pours with a creamy cascade like Guinness and a color‑shifting Oaxacan old fashioned, while NA and low‑ABV...
(00:55) A state-of-the-art kitchen hidden beside a glasshouse, garden-fresh herbs clipped minutes before class, and a room wired like a studio so every chop and sauté is easy to follow—this week we head inside Phipps’ Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen with Culinary Programs Manager Tess Monks to see how Pittsburghers learn to cook together. (08:24) We dig into the secret sauce: produce from the Phipps gardens, botanical beverages that blend plant science with bar craft, and the bread-art phe...
Craving a dining scene that welcomes everyone at the table? We dive into the moves Pittsburgh restaurants and bars are making to create truly inclusive menus—thoughtful vegetarian mains, standout zero-proof cocktails, and the kind of service that makes every guest feel seen. (00:36) We kick off with an update from author Maria C. Palmer and the story of her father Joseph Costanzo Jr. and the legendary Primadonna Restaurant. From pre-production to first interviews and a set at Rico’s, it...
(00:40) The leaves are changing, there's a chill in the air, and our host is embracing the seasonal transition on this deliciously varied episode of The Pittsburgh Dish. Doug shares details from his recent end-of-summer cooking class that perfectly bridges the seasonal gap – featuring a mouthwatering menu of prosciutto-peach salad, basil-infused risotto topped with fresh corn relish, and fruit trifles showcasing summer's final berries and stone fruits. (02:39) The episode takes a fascinating...
We explore how GoodTaste! Pittsburgh and Nosh and Curd are bringing new flavors and experiences to local food lovers through events, cheese education, and creative pairings. We're on location at Mazzotta Winery where our guests share their journeys from personal passion to business success in Pittsburgh's vibrant culinary community. • Dee Weinberg of GoodTaste! Pittsburgh has been creating food events for over a decade, focusing on "foods that people love and nobody's celebrating" • Dee's up...
(01:03) Lisa Ray of Hammajack Heat Company joins us to share the delightful origin story behind their uniquely named hot sauce brand – a four-year-old's adorable mispronunciation that became the perfect business name. (16:12) Lisa walks us through the fascinating fermentation process that gives their sauces distinctive depth and complexity. Though she admits she wasn't initially a hot sauce enthusiast herself, Lisa now crafts some of their most popular flavors, including their best-selling G...
Have you ever wondered what makes Bangladeshi cuisine distinctive in a world where "curry" often becomes the default descriptor for South Asian food? This week, we learn about the vibrant food culture of Bangladesh with Anika Chowdhury, food blogger and contestant from PBS's The Great American Recipe. (01:04) Anika shares her Bangladesh – "a country obsessed with food" – where she grew up surrounded by passionate food conversations and deeply seasonal cooking. Unlike our American supermarket...
(01:08) As we step into Sultan Döner Kebab and Baklava on 6th Street in downtown Pittsburgh, owner Sinan Camozu moves with practiced precision as he operates a specialized machine imported from Turkey—one of a kind in our region. From it emerges impossibly thin sheets of phyllo dough, translucent enough to see your hand through, destined to become his extraordinary baklava. (07:43) "Nobody does this other than us," Sinan explains with justified pride. While most restaurants use frozen phyllo...
We spotlight Captain Coby Bailey, a Navy veteran, firefighter, and talented home cook from Lafayette, Louisiana who competed on season four of PBS's The Great American Recipe. Coby offers up a classic Cajun gumbo, step by step. Support the show Liked the episode? We'd love a coffee!
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