Dig in With Graver: Ruckus Cafe, Kennywood Cocoa and Turner’s Iced Tea

PHOTO BY SHANISE MCMILLON

You can now raise a caffeinated ruckus Downtown.

Co-owners Christine Rauktis and Daryl Kuczynski, who launched Ruckus Cafe in Shaler in 2021, just opened a second location at 625 Liberty Ave.

PHOTO BY SHANISE MCMILLON

Located in a former Au Bon Pain near Morton’s steakhouse in the Cultural District, the new Ruckus will serve breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Customers will find coffee, espresso, scratch-made menu items, grab-and-go bites and office catering. Take-and-bake dinners are coming soon, so you don’t have to spend your evening commute wondering what to make.

A Colossal Cup o’ Cheer at Kennywood

Kennywood is pouring a little more holiday cheer into its annual Holiday Lights celebration. Make that a lot more.

On Dec. 19, the amusement park will unveil a Colossal Hot Chocolate Cup that stands 14 feet tall, can hold 800 gallons of cocoa and includes giant-sized cookies, candy canes, a dollop of whipped cream and 54 feet of popcorn garland. Sadly, none of it is edible. Bah humbug!

In addition to being a festive photo op, the massive mug is part of an online sweepstakes. Guests can take their best shot at guessing how many mini marshmallows it would take to fill the thing. Entries are open through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, and every guess is an entry for a sweet prize package that includes four Kennywood tickets to the big reveal, two 2026 Gold Season Passes, a souvenir hot chocolate cup and a ride on the Gingerbread Express with Santa.

Turner’s cARTon Contest

When life gives you lemons, make art!

Turner Dairy is once again calling on local creatives to give its Premium Iced Tea cartons a makeover. Submit your design online and you could win a cash prize of $2,000 and have your handiwork featured on half a million cartons and limited-edition merchandise.

The submission deadline is Feb. 18. Public voting takes place Feb. 23 through March 6 and the winner will be announced on March 13. The stylized cARTons hit the market this summer, when the yinzer refresher is in high demand. Artists may promote their work on social media with the hashtag #TurnerscARTon.

Founded in 1930, the Penn Hills-based company started producing its iced tea in 1972 and the recipe hasn’t changed in that time. The iconic paper carton has since become as synonymous with Pittsburgh as the Steelers logo. Turner’s churns out 20,000 gallons a day, distributing it within a two-hour radius of Downtown.+

Turner’s launched the cARTon contest in 2022 to celebrate the tea’s golden anniversary. The company even has a ‘64 Thunderbird, the Tea-Bird, with a trunk that doubles as a cooler.

In 2023, Turner’s partnered with Pittsburgh Brewing Co. to create IC’D Tea, a blend of iced tea and Iron City Beer. It clocks in at 4.2% ABV, but if yinz want something stronger, a new, limited-edition treat just hit the market: Turner’s Hard Egg Nog.

The 14% ABV sipper is a mix of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and a kick of alcohol from L’Uva Bella Winery in Ohio. It’s available exclusively at Giant Eagle this holiday season.