Bringing You ‘The Best’
From restaurants to design, the use of the word "best" is well-earned here.
PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER BRADDOCK
This issue has a lot of bests in it — the Best Restaurants in Pittsburgh, the Best of Design.
And while the phrase “the best” is often used loosely, here it’s well earned. For the Best Restaurants feature (visit here), contributor Emily Catalano of Good Food Pittsburgh spent months dining at different restaurants to ascertain which ones were worthy of being on our annual list. Hey, it’s a tough job to eat all of that delicious food, but someone has to do it!
Jokes aside, every restaurant on the list is worth exploring — from the vegan and vegetable-forward dishes at EYV and Apteka to bold offerings at newer favorites such as One by Spork and Fet-Fisk to the classic fare served at longtime standouts including Casbah, Bar Marco and Eleven Contemporary Kitchen. Noting Pittsburgh’s dining scene is leaning into being more “fun,” Emily promises a memorable time at each destination.
As for the other “best” in this issue, the Best of Design, prepare to be wowed. I was blown away by this year’s entries, which seemed to have a common theme — striking, jewel-toned colors.
You’ll find deep shades of greens in the Best Room, the Best Renovated Kitchen and the Best Renovated Bathroom. As our experienced panel of judges (who are so important to the integrity of the annual Best of Design contest) cast their votes for their favorite projects, they joked this year’s HOME edition could be called “The Green Issue.” You can read more about it here.
As I remodel my own kitchen, this year’s contest was particularly relevant. You better believe I was paying close attention to all of the different cabinet styles, flooring choices and lighting. To me, one of the biggest surprises as we continue our renovation journey (and yes, it is a journey) is just how stressful it is to make these design choices — and this is coming from a former HOME editor at Pittsburgh Magazine.
These are choices, in some cases very expensive choices, that you’ll have to live with for the long run. Hiring a designer so that you don’t make costly mistakes on your dream project is smart — which is why I hope you’ll take inspiration from this issue.
Whether it’s a jaw-dropping home design or an elevated, unforgettable meal, you’ll always find “the best” in our pages.
