Bloomfield : Development News

Last week, Pittsburgh joined the growing number of cities with green lanes — dedicated bike lanes separate from the rest of the street and easily identifiable by color.

A 200-foot stretch of road on Liberty Avenue near the Bloomfield Bridge is the first color-coded, dedicated bike lane the city has installed since painting blue lanes on the Birmingham Bridge in 2007.

The project was made possible with a $23,000 grant from Bikes Belong, a national cycling advocacy organization of retailers and suppliers. Pittsburgh became eligible to apply for the grant after sending a delegation which included city and county officials to a conference in Minneapolis.

“Minneapolis wanted to have us learn more from them,” says Bike Pittsburgh Executive Director Scott Bricker. “Against all odds, we have a great bike community here.”

Color-coded bike lanes in areas which see high car and bike traffic help make drivers, cyclists and pedestrians more aware of the spaces they occupy, and reduce the chance of conflict in areas that might otherwise be confusing to motorists — such as where Liberty Avenue turns from two lanes to four near Main Street and the Bloomfield Bridge.

The lane coloration isn’t standard road striping paint, but a mixture of thermoplastic and epoxy, designed to be slip-resistant and last between three and five years — significantly longer than standard road paint.
 
Bricker says he hopes the city will soon adopt color uniformity for more bike lanes so that there is even less confusion.

Writer: Matthew Wein
Source: Scott Bricker

Eat + Drink is Pop City's roundup of restaurant and food news.

- Cure, Chef Justin Severino’s Lawrenceville restaurant, has obtained a liquor license. While the restaurant will offer a full-service bar, its full menu of wines and specialty cocktails won’t be ready for another few weeks. “Right now, they’re just testing some stuff out,” says restaurant spokesperson Gita McCutcheon.

- A new addition to Pittsburgh’s food truck scene, the PGH Crepes cart sets up at the corner of Penn Avenue and 20th Street on weekends and makes its way around town during the week.

“We really like the carts in general. We think it speaks well the entrepreneurial spirit of Pittsburgh,” says Leigh White of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “It’s a new twist on things, and a nice compliment to the many restaurants downtown.”

To find the crepe cart, follow it on Twitter @pghcrepes.

- Waffalonia, the Squirrel Hill-based makers of Belgian-style Liège waffles, will open a kiosk in Schenley Plaza in mid-May.

And now that the weather is good, it’s time to dine outdoors. Here are some of the latest openings:

Make Your Mark Artspace & Coffeehouse in Point Breeze opened its serene back patio last week.

The garden portion of Pusadee’s Garden in Lawrenceville is ethereal and lovely.

The partially re-done patio at Kelly’s Lounge in East Liberty is open, as is the spacious back patio at Lawrenceville’s Round Corner Cantina.

Marty’s Market in the Strip has tables around the outside of its corner location, as well as stools at its garage-door coffee counter.

Orange chairs adorn the patio at Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina.

The Porch in Oakland has some of Pittsburgh’s best outdoor seating, and plenty to go around with school out for the summer.

Biddle’s Escape, a coffee shop tucked away off the main drag in Regent Square, has a spacious and tree-shaded deck.

And Il Pizzaiolo, in both Market Square and Mt. Lebanon has outdoor spaces. In the Mt. Lebanon location, the charming terrace in the back just opened and in Market Square, you'll find tables outside the new location next to Starbucks.

Writer: Matthew Wein
Sources: Gita McCutcheon, Leigh White

Eat + Drink is Pop City's roundup of Pittsburgh's food scene.


Since our last update on Nicky’s Thai Kitchen, one of the Northside’s most popular restaurants, its second location has opened in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The interior is decorated with artwork and statues from Thailand, an atmosphere manager Dave Brunner says is like a Thai art gallery.  The space, originally built for a bank, had most recently housed a pizza shop and art gallery.

Unlike the original Northside location, the downtown restaurant will not be BYOB.  But while the full-service bar is still under development patrons are welcome to bring their own alcohol without any corkage fee.

The new restaurant is open for dinner seven days a week, as well as lunch Monday through Saturday.  Reservations are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday dinner service.  903 Penn Avenue.  412-471-THAI (8424).

Sinful Sweets Chocolate Company has also recently opened in the space adjacent to Nicky’s, at 901 Penn Avenue.  Owned by chocolatier Christopher George, the shop sells a variety of handmade, gourmet chocolates.  Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  412-235-7865

- Rose Tea Café is opening a second location on Oakland’s Craig Street (414 S. Craig Street).  The original Squirrel Hill location (5874 Forbes Avenue) is well known for its Taiwanese cuisine, considered to be among the best in Pittsburgh.  The new location replaces a former mail store which closed last year.  412-421-2238.

- The Grateful Deli & Catering Company has opened at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Main Street, one block from the Children’s Hospital.  The deli offers hoagies, soup, salad, pizza, and more.  It replaces a portion of the former Sammy's Famous Corned Beef.  4065 Penn Avenue.  412-682-8000.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore

Eat + Drink is Pop City's roundup of Pittsburgh's food scene.


•  AJ's Inca Peruvian Restaurant opened this week in Downtown Pittsburgh at 500 Liberty Avenue.  Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken is the star here, along with a variety of other Peruvian dishes.  The restaurant is located in the former Cuzamil space, just outside Market Square.  Open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.  412-642-6606.

•  In North Oakland, Legume has re-launched its adjoining bar space under the name Butterjoint.  The word refers to a type of brickwork masonry known for its simplicity and elegance.  Chef Trevett Hooper says it’s a metaphor for how food is prepared at Legume, and now at Butterjoint.

Hooper says the redesigned bar menu—with fare such as pierogies and burgers— now offers substantial meals at a lower price than in the restaurant.  He hopes it will allow Legume’s loyal customers to visit more frequently.  It’s the same quality meat and produce, he says, just with a more straightforward preparation.

The space itself has been reconfigured to provide a more comfortable dining experience.  A weekly variety show, featuring music, comedy, spoken word and magicians, is held on Tuesdays.  And bar manager Will Groves was brought on to revamp the beer and cocktail menu.  214 North Craig Street.  412.621.2700.

•  D.J.’s Butcher Block Specialty Sausage and Meats opened recently in Bloomfield, a small storefront shop offering fresh, cured, and smoked sausage, grass-fed beef, as well as local chicken and turkey.

For the past three years, owner/butcher D.J. Smulick, a former chef at Café Sam, has offered products at various farmers markets.  Smulick sources a majority of meats from local vendors, and seeks to offer high quality products that remain affordable. 

D.J’s also stocks a small selection of local cheese, eggs, pickles, mustards and jellies.  Smulick doesn’t want to become a grocery store, he says, rather he’s just offering a few products that complement the meats.  4623 Liberty Avenue.  412-621-3100.

Also in Bloomfield, multiple sushi restaurants have opened, including Ginza (412-688-7272), at 4734 Liberty Avenue.  And more recently, Fukuda Sushi, which is BYOB, opened in the former Stagioni storefront, at 4770 Liberty Avenue.  And on Sundays, Chef Matt Kemp offers an evening menu at East Liberty’s AVA Lounge.  412-377-0916.

•  La Palapa Mexican Cuisine is the latest food purveyor to join the growing list of vendors at the Strip District’s Pittsburgh Public Market.  Friday through Sunday La Palapa will offer a variety of tamales, quesadillas chilangas, chiles rellenos, frijoles charros, enchiladas, and desserts including flan.    412-992-7206.

Also in the Strip, the Thin Man Sandwich Shop is opening soon at 50 21st Street, in the former 21^st Street Coffee and Tea location.  Owners and chefs Dan and Sherri Leiphart have previously worked at Isabela on Grandview, the former Le Pommier, and Lidia's Pittsburgh.  The Leipharts are aiming to bring their classically trained experience to a more relaxed and casual atmosphere. 

•  Wilkinsburg has been a dry borough for the past 80 years.  But now, the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC) is pushing for a ballot referendum to allow liquor licenses in the community.  It’s cited as a tool for economic development, as alcohol sales could help draw hotels, fine dining, and other entertainment options to the borough.  Visit WCDC’s website to learn more.

 
Writer:  Andrew Moore     

The East End Book Exchange has grown from a small stall in the Pittsburgh Public Market to a new storefront location in Bloomfield, and a grand-opening celebration will be held this Friday evening to mark the transition.

Owner Lesley Rains says the move from a smaller footprint to a brick-and-mortar shop had always been a long-term goal, but that demand and interest in the exchange moved her business quicker than expected into this new phase. 

Located at 4754 Liberty Avenue, the new shop joins The Big Idea Cooperative Bookstore and Café on the avenue, turning this stretch of Bloomfield into a budding literary destination.  Rains says that in this current bookseller climate— with heavy competition from Amazon and e-book sales—brick-and-mortar sellers have to work together.

“I think proximity can only help bookstores,” Rains says.  “I think we can hopefully over the long-term create a little book neighborhood."

According to Rains, the East End Book Exchange is a general interest used bookstore featuring genres such as fiction, poetry and history, as well as gardening and cook books.

“It’s just meant to be a place where whether you’re an avid reader or more of an occasional reader you can come here and find something,” she says. 

The exchange will also feature an extensive children’s books section, with bean bag chairs and activities for young readers.  And adults, meanwhile, will find lamp-lit nooks with couches and chairs, allowing guests to read and relax while they browse.  Rains hopes the shop will be a comfortable new space for neighbors to meet and gather.

And while the shop opens on Friday evening, it’s still a work in progress, as Rains grows her business from an 80-squarefoot booth to a 1,600-squarefoot storefront.

““We’re still growing,” she says.  “One of the things we like about this space is that there’s still a lot of space to add more bookshelves.” 

The grand-opening celebration will be held this Friday, November 16^th, from 6 to 8 p.m. 

 
Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Lesley Rains

The Big Idea Bookstore is celebrating the grand opening of its new café in Bloomfield as it also celebrates 11 years in business.  And for the rest of the week the store will be offering 11% off new and used books to commemorate the occasion.

After relocating to a more prominent location on Liberty Avenue last year, the worker-owned cooperative, which specializes in radical literature, launched a Kickstarter campaign in February with hopes to start a new café. The campaign was successful and surpassed its goal, raising over $3,000, enough for café equipment and a hot water system, as well as costs related to permits, inspections, and various other start-up goods.

Talon Smith, a Big Idea volunteer/worker-owner, says her vision for the café was to be a comfortable place for casual reading or working, able to suit the needs of any patron.

“If that means not buying anything and just hanging out and spending time and talking to us, that's fine,“ she says. “We're ok with that.”

For volunteer Brian Werner, that freedom to ask questions and explore various subjects is what originally attracted him to The Big Idea.

“I've always liked being here because it's just a safe place to explore ideas in literature that for the most part you don't often have access to,” he says, a place to demystify various ideologies, like anarchism, that can seem alienating or unapproachable to some people.

The café offers locally-roasted, fair trade coffee from Building New Hope; vegan wraps, salads, and sandwiches from Strictly Business and the Greek Gourmet; baked goods from My Goodies Bakery; and sodas from the Natrona Bottling Company.

In addition to the new café, Big Idea’s new storefront is more than double in size than the previous location. Now at over 1600 square-feet, the bookstore has been able to host a variety of programming, from reading groups and book signings, to yoga and bicycle safety classes.

On May 20th, Judith Redline Coopey will read from her latest novel, Waterproof: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood.


Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Talon Smith, Brian Werner, Lars Peterson

Fans of Bloomfield’s Thai Cuisine can once again enjoy that restaurant’s signature curry and noodle dishes, as it recently celebrated a grand re-opening on Liberty Avenue.  The restaurant has operated in the same location since 2001, but had closed for major renovations last year after its owners purchased one of two storefronts it then occupied.

Now located exclusively within the 4627 Liberty Avenue storefront, Thai Cuisine seats up to 75 guests, and has gained additional square-footage with additions to the building’s rear.  Renovations include an expanded, industrial kitchen, raised ceilings, tile floors, and three new windows along Pearl Street. 

Co-owner Lisa Jirachertchoowong says the restaurant had hoped to re-open much sooner, but that it was well worth the wait, as everyone, especially the kitchen staff, is very happy with the new look and added space.

In addition to classic Thai curries and Pad Thai, Jirachertchoowong says her restaurant features a variety of weekly specials, such as a recent spicy duck entrée, and a spicy, crispy trout, topped with Thai chilies, cashews, cilantro, and lime juice, over a bed of lettuce.

While the restaurant was closed, Jirachertchoowong and brother Chai lent a helping hand to their sister June, while she was busy opening the South Hill’s first Thai restaurant, Thai Spoon.

Jirachertchoowong, who lives just a few blocks away, says she has felt very much at home in Bloomfield since day one.  With the purchase and renovation of their Liberty Avenue storefront, Jirachertchoowong says her family hopes to be in the neighborhood for a long time to come. 

Thai Cuisine is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, and takes reservations for parties of 5 or more.  The restaurant is BYOB, and charges only $1 per wine glass, with no charges for beer.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Lisa Jirachertchoowong

As one record store exits, another enters.  Sound Cat Records has opened in Bloomfield, picking up the reins from neighborhood-favorite Paul's CDs.  Sound Cat Records sells new and used vinyl records, and CDs, from jazz, blues, and funk, to rock, pop, punk, and metal.

Sound Cat is owned by Karl Hendricks, who has worked at Paul’s for the past 18 years, and at Jim’s Records in the same location before that.

Hendricks is well aware of the difficulties facing brick-and-mortar music shops in this digital age of instant streaming, and both legal and illegal downloading. But he’s also confident in the value local businesses add to the community.

Hendricks says shops of all kinds, “make up the fabric of our existence outside of screens,” and if they were to go away, there would be a tremendous loss.

“I think people recognize that…[and] that's why more and more young people are coming in, because they don’t want to live their lives strictly on screens.”

Michael Seamans is co-owner of Mind Cure Records in Polish Hill.  His store has been open just under two years, and he says it’s a strong, loyal customer base which keeps Mind Cure in business.  Seamans acknowledges there’s been a major resurgence in collecting records, especially among young people, and says it’s a reaction to digital media in general.

Seamans says in these times operating a records shop is  not unlike owning a used bookstore or antique shop.

“My main business is more of a collectors market,” Seamans says.  “And that doesn’t even have to mean high-end--it's just people that really want to have vinyl records.”

At Sound Cat, Hendricks says it’s exciting to have younger people interested in vinyl, alongside customers who have shopped at Paul’s CD and Jim’s Records for over 20 years.

“It’s interesting to see a format go though a lot of changes over the past couple decades, but it's still hanging in there even with all the changes in technology,” Hendricks says.  “People of all ages and all demographics are still buying music.”

Sound Cat Records, 4526 Liberty Avenue, Bloomfield.  412-621-3256



Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Karl Hendricks; Michael Seamans

Beginning November 1st Bloomfield’s former Plaza Theater will become the home of the new Pittsburgh Dance Center, a 5,000-square-foot dance studio.  But for those eager to move, this Saturday and Sunday the center will be open for special Halloween themed Salsa, Tango, and Ballroom dance parties.

“It’s a really fun time of the year, and it's kind of fun to dress up and be silly, and dance,” says  Holly Dayton-Kirby, owner of the Pittsburgh Dance Center.

The dance center, located at 4765 Liberty Avenue, will be open seven days a week.  Adult lessons will begin at 7 p.m., and offerings include Ballroom, Tango, Bachata, Salsa, and Swing.  Each evening, lessons will be followed by a dance party for attendees.

And after school youth programming is scheduled for Monday through Friday, featuring Ballet, Tap, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Modern styles, as well as Zumba and yoga.

Located on the second floor of the former theater, Dayton-Kirby says she was lucky to inherit the theater’s ceiling, which retains original bass trapping properties along with beautiful craftsmanship.

“This theater ceiling is making it Acoustic Heaven in a way,” she says.

Dayton-Kirby was born and raised in Bloomfield, and says opening this center is an effort to give back to the community where she was raised.  She hopes to be able to offer scholarships for youth with an interest in dance, and will be competitively priced.

“Some people don’t dance because they can't afford it, and that's not fair,” Dayton-Kirby says.  “I lucked out as a kid and got a lot of scholarship based on my talent.  If that wasn't available I wouldn't be dancing today.”

Until the end of the year, all lessons will be offered on a drop-in basis; youth lessons $5, adults $10.  


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Holly Dayton-Kirby

It has been a good week for the Pittsburgh bicycling community.  Several upgrades have been made to the city’s bike infrastructure, including the reopening of the Eliza Furnace Trail and new bike lanes in Bloomfield.  And on Friday, the Port Authority announced that 100% of buses are now equipped with bus-mounted bike racks.

Bike Pittsburgh’s Eric Boerer says these racks are a win-win for bikers and the Port Authority .  According to Boerer, this type of multimodal transit helps increase the catchment area for bus stops and can potentially increase ridership.

For cyclists it allows commuters the option of utilizing bus routes for an otherwise lengthy commute, or for avoiding riding in poor weather conditions.  And buses can also address the issue of hills.

“Pittsburgh’s a hilly city and it's easy to bike downhill, and not so easy to bike uphill,” Boerer says.  “[Bike racks] just help increase the options for people to use as many modes as possible.”

Boerer says the effort to fully equip the Port Authority fleet with bike racks began over ten years ago with the work of Sustainable Pittsburgh.  In recent years Bike Pittsburgh had continued to push for this goal as a priority identified by the organization’s membership.

The Port Authority has also announced that for the first time bikes will be allowed on the T light-rail service during peak hours.

In on-street improvements, the city’s newest bike lanes are now in place along Liberty Avenue, through the business district of Bloomfield.  These lanes replaces earlier sharrows (or shared lane markings) and connect with an existing lane leading to the Strip District.  According to Boerer, those original sharrows were quite successful in attracting riders, and are recognized as the first “bike lanes” in Pittsburgh.

“Liberty is a major connection on the city's bike network, and we look forward to more bike lanes going in that area, hopefully by the end of the painting season,” Boerer says.

And finally, after a year of construction and detours, the $5.2 million improvement project which includes the Eliza Furnace Trail Bridge is now complete.  New signage, traffic signals, and landscaping have been added to the intersection, which is a bicycle corridor linking downtown, Oakland, and the South Side.  


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Eric Boerer, Bike Pittsburgh; Friends of the Riverfront

Box Heart Gallery is expanding the art footprint of Bloomfield with the purchase of their building at 4523 Liberty Avenue.  The gallery announced this expansion with a celebration this past Saturday, and a public reception for “Landscape with Red Roof,” paintings by Erin Treacy. 

Co-owner Nicole Capozzi says this expansion will broaden Box Heart Gallery's exhibition possibilities, which had previously been limited by spatial constraints.  Additionaly, it represents the gallery's commitment to the historic Bloomfield neighborhood.

"We've been here for 11 years and we always hoped that one day we would be able to purchase the building," Capozzi says.  "And so our plan is to turn the entire building, all three floors, into our gallery.”

The first floor will remain a gallery and framing space with framing samples, but because of the extra space acquired the framing section will be expanded.  

The second floor will become a gallery space, but it will be displayed in a live/work environment.  Capozzi says artist-made furniture will be paired with the visual artwork, as well as elements like artist-made clothing, and ceramics in kitchen cabinets.

And on the third floor artist Sherry Rusinack will have a studio for her work, which Capozzi describes as steampunk, visionary  art.  Also on the third floor will be a workshop facility for artists to teach small classes or individual lessons, as well as an area for photographing individual works. 

Capozzi says the building renovations should take about two years to complete.   Current exhibitions will continue as scheduled through 2013. 


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Nicole Capozzi

What better way to enjoy Pittsburgh's great neighborhoods and architecture than on a bike? That's the goal of Pedal Pittsburgh's 18th annual ride scheduled for Sunday, May 22.

A fundraiser for the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (CDCP), the various bike rides will all begin and end at SouthSide Works. Attracting more than 2,000 riders each year, it's the only ride of its size within the city limits says Jennifer Fox, director of administration at CDCP.

"It's not about the first one to the finish line," she explains. "It's really about a leisurely ride that's going to take you past some fantastic views and places." With routes ranging from six to 60 miles, and many refreshment stops along the way, riders and families of all skill levels can take part.

The six routes travel through the South Side, Northside, Lawrenceville, Squirrel Hill and Mount Washington, giving cyclists--especially those who travel the entire 60 miles--a great way to experience the city and its neighborhoods, says Fox.

One group joining the ride is Team East End Brewing Company and OTB Bicycle Café (EEB/OTB). The first 50 riders to RSVP for their team will get half of their registration covered for the event and a Team EEB/OTB t-shirt.

This year, Fox explains, CDCP will have activities for riders at its rest stops to showcase what good planning and design brings to communities.

Over the past 10 years Fox has coordinated Pedal Pittsburgh, she says they have consistently seen more people get involved. "It's amazing to see that many people on bikes," she adds.

Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. at SouthSide Works, with the first group of riders taking off at 7 a.m.

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Writer: Alex Audia
Source: Jennifer Fox, CDCP

Pittsburgh now boasts more Elm Street districts. Manchester, Central Northside, Troy Hill, Lawrenceville, East Liberty and the South Side Slopes were all deemed Elm Street districts by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, with Mt. Washington and Bloomfield-Garfield receiving overdue funds.

As a complement to its Mainstreets Program, the Elm Street Program focuses on the neighborhoods surrounding Mainstreet districts, says Elm Street Program Coordinator Josette Fitzgibbons. Recipients of the funds must focus on five areas: clean, safe and green; neighbors and economy; design; image and identity; and sustainable organizations.

Each community is given funds for a one-year Elm Street planning process, says Fitzgibbons, which Mt. Washington and Bloomfield-Garfield were late in receiving. Both neighborhoods were designated as Elm Street districts in 2009, but due to state budget cuts the funding was not available.

Bloomfield-Garfield has its plan ready, say Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Deputy Director Aggie Brose and its resident Elm Street Coordinator Kathryn Vargas. They plan on using funds for vacant lot and street cleanups, outreach and community groups. "The residents feel ownership over the planning and outcome," says Vargas, adding that she hopes more residents will get involved as plans develop further.

Mt. Washington will use its Elm Street funds to engage residents and increase curb appeal by cultivating growth, development and community investment, says MWCDC Executive Director Chris Beichner. "It will help us to attract a different population of our community to become involved," adds Program Manager Greg Panza.

Fitzgibbons says it is unknown whether the usual five years of operational funding that take place after year one will occur, depending on the state budget.

For now, it's important to work together to create stable plans that include both community programs and initiatives like streetscape improvement, she says. "It's the combination of the human and the bricks and mortar together that make it a successful program."

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Writer: Alex Audia
Sources: Josette Fitzgibbons, URA
               Chris Beichner and Greg Panza, MWCDC
               Aggie Brose and Kathryn Vargas, BGC

The former Don Allen Auto Center on Liberty Avenue has sat vacant for three years, posing a huge challenge to groups wanting to redevelop the site. Despite its superb location at the entrance to Bloomfield from Shadyside and Oakland, community groups concerned with traffic congestion halted a proposed $230 million hotel project in 2008. Now, however, it looks as if LA Fitness may have better luck with their plans for a new 56,782-square-foot fitness center at the Don Allen location, as they try to avoid past mistakes.

The site, located on Liberty between South Pacific and South Atlantic streets, contains the former Mazda building and adjacent parking lot, but not the three-story brick building at the corner of Liberty and Baum Blvd, which may become a hotel at a later date. LA Fitness proposes tearing down the Mazda building and constructing a new facility that would house a fitness center and indoor parking under one roof.  The unique design would help reduce the traffic impact, while preserving the streetscape aesthetics. LA Fitness approached City Councilman Bill Peduto with their plans in January.

"We've been having meetings since February with different stakeholders. There have been a lot of questions about traffic and parking impact on the neighborhood," says Peduto. "There's a lot of issues but they've been great about answering them and using their architects and development team to really engage the community's concerns."

The next step is for LA Fitness to go before the Planning Commission with their design. If they're approved, construction might begin as early as this summer, which Peduto believes would benefit the community both economically and health-wise.

"LA Fitness usually offers low-cost memberships the community can afford. At the other end of the neighborhood, they've closed down the Rec Center. Even though you've still got the Exercise Warehouse, that is for one type of clientele. This would be a more general community clientele. It will be a positive step for the neighborhood," says Peduto.

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Writer: John Farley
Source: Bill Peduto, City of Pittsburgh

Photograph copyright John Farley

The void left by the demise of Bloomfield's secret taco stand has been filled! Los Cabos, located at 4108 Penn Avenue, specializes in Southern California-style Mexican eats, made by Southern California natives.

Owner Joel Lopez has been mastering the art of the burrito for nearly three decades through his family and years of experience in San Diego Mexican restaurant kitchens. When he came to Pittsburgh three years ago to visit relatives, a conversation about the lack of Mexican restaurants in the city got him thinking, which culminated in a cross-country move and one year's worth of planning with friends and family to open his dream restaurant.

The setup of the 400-square-foot space will be familiar to anyone who's patronized a California taqueria, with a simple open kitchen and counter staffed by friendly, knowledgeable employees, and a casual seat-yourself dining room for about thirty people in the back.  Los Cabos is currently putting the finishing touches on their colorful dining room, which will be complete by their Grand Opening in two to three weeks.

The menu boasts a variety of affordable classic burritos and tacos, as well as experimental models like the "Pittsburgh Burrito", rolled up with Carne Asada and French fries. They also offer a large selection of house specials, soups, salads, frothy Horchata, tortas, quesadillas, desserts, and breakfast options like chorizo con huevos.

Los Cabos is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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Writer: John Farley
Source: Joel Lopez, Los Cabos

Photograph copyright John Farley