PHOTO COURTESY OF BROWN BEAR BREAD CO.

When I learned that Brown Bear Bread Co. was no longer in business on Brownsville Road in Mt. Oliver, my heart sank.

One of 2023’s Best New Restaurants reeled me in with their “life-changing” sourdough English muffins. Thankfully, co-owners Kate Clemons and Dan Galusha didn’t leave me and my fellow carbohydrate-lovers hanging; they moved their operation to Beaver County.

And their future in New Brighton looks — bright!

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROWN BEAR BREAD CO.

In September, Brown Bear signed a three-year lease and opened in a long-vacant, Ninth Street storefront. The spot is zoned for retail, not on-site dining, but the large space was built-out to the couple’s specifications and is half the price of their Pittsburgh place, where Kevin Sousa’s Mt. Oliver Bodega opened in October 2021 and abruptly closed two months later. The Finer Diner was another short-lived eatery to occupy 225 Brownsville Road.

Now Brown Bear has room and resources to make even more sourdough English muffins, along with artisan breads and pastries. Patrons can stop by to stock up on supplies for the week or grab a sweet treat on the fly.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROWN BEAR BREAD CO.

On Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., fans also can get Brown Bear’s signature brunch offerings such as the Breakfast Sandwich, a sausage patty topped with cheddar cheese, a fried egg and fancy sauce on a sourdough English muffin!

“It’s obviously very different from what we were doing,” Clemons says. “We were forced into being a restaurant that made baked goods. Now we are a bakery that sometimes serves food. The community has been very supportive and that’s been really great.”

At least for now, Clemons and Galusha commute from their home in Carnegie, but pastry chef Kaylie Carini lives in the neighborhood. She was there chatting with locals and rocking her baby daughter during my visit on Oct. 19. Somehow, the new mom found time to make one of the best brownies I’ve ever eaten: thick, chewy and chocolatey with the perfect dash of sea salt. Talk about life-changing.

The borough was hosting a fall festival that day and the quaint business district was lined with vendors, children’s activities, live music and a petting zoo where bunnies, pigs, sheep, goats and alpacas lived together in perfect harmony. My daughter and I had lunch at the original Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe, visited the new Bullseye Brewing Co. (whose owners also run an historic nearby farm), stormed the 110-year-old Rosalind’s Candy Castle and found our zen along the Beaver River at the New Brighton Fishing Park.

If you’re a fan of scenic drives, add it to your list. If you can’t bear to leave the city, Brown Bear’s wholesale products are available throughout Pittsburgh, including East End Food Co-op, Wexford’s Shenot Farm & Market, Dagny’s Eatery in Carnegie, Carnegie Coffee Co., KLVN Coffee Lab in Larimer, The Cheese Queen and 350° Bakery on the South Side.