The Best Things to Eat in Pittsburgh Right Now
From comforting soups at Brothmonger to filling pierogi dishes at Polska Laska, columnist Emily Catalano shares the hearty meals that are helping her cope with the cold.
PHOTO COURTESY DIANOIA’S EATERY
While we’re still digging ourselves out from under piles of snow and gray skies, Pittsburgh winter eating calls for a very specific kind of pleasure: comfort without compromise. I’m talking about pierogies that fill you up in the best way and pasta that’s rich enough to convince you to settle in for the night.
Right now, I’m leaning fully into that instinct. These are the dishes warming me up across the city this week.
PHOTO: HAL B. KLEIN
Brothmonger
There’s something deeply reassuring about stepping into Brothmonger in the dead of winter.
Owner Sarah Coppolo has built a place where soup is the main event, and it shows in every carefully seasoned ladle. If you’re eating in, it’s almost impossible to resist pairing a bowl with one of the Bloomfield shop’s excellent grilled sandwiches.
The classic grilled cheese with tomato soup is always a good idea, but the current special, a roast beef melt made with thin-sliced roast beef, sharp cheddar, horseradish cheddar, horseradish mayo and pickles on rye is the kind of sandwich that makes you forget the weather entirely (and is my current obsession).
As for the soups, this is where Brothmonger truly shines. The Golden Chicken Noodle is exactly as rich and comforting as you’d want it to be, and Coppolo’s Italian Wedding soup has achieved near-legendary status citywide (it’s better than my Nana’s, but don’t tell her that!). Options like Vegetable, Curry Lentil and White Chicken Chili rotate in and out depending on the day. Right now, Tomato and Stuffed Pepper soup are both on the menu, and there’s truly no wrong choice.
Pro tip: grab a container to-go for lunch tomorrow. You’ll thank yourself.
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Polska Laska
It feels like we could all use a hug right about now, and there may be no food more emotionally grounding in Pittsburgh than a plate of pierogies. Polska Laska, Olive Visco’s cozy shop in Sharpsburg, feels tailor-made for winter lunches, whether you’re dining in or grabbing takeout to bring home.
The classic pierogi platter is my personal north star here, and makes the perfect winter dish. I’m a big fan of the Ruskie, which are stuffed with potato, cheese, bacon and onion. They arrive tender and generously topped with sour cream (you can also take home a dozen cold ones to make yourself).
If you come with an appetite (or a friend) the $25 Polska Platter is the move: a glorious spread of pierogies, haluski, kielbasa, kapusta, applesauce and a full complement of pickled accompaniments. It’s filling and satisfying, which is exactly what winter demands.
PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA
DiAnoia’s Eatery
Scoring a reservation at DiAnoia’s Eatery isn’t impossible, but flexibility helps.
I recently had a 9 p.m. dinner here, which feels especially fitting this time of year, when the cold sharpens your appetite and the city quiets down. The reward for my much-later-than-usual reservation was some of my favorite Italian cooking in Pittsburgh.
The pasta is the star, and I couldn’t have loved my Oxtail Ragù more. The savory rigatoni dish is slow-braised and built for lingering over. The restaurant’s untraditional beans and greens are essential alongside it.
And if you’re in the mood to stretch the meal out, start with a meatball or a bowl of pasta e fagioli, and don’t skip dessert, even if you just tuck away one of their fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies to enjoy later.
Winter may linger, but at least we have some good choices for eating our way through it.
Emily Catalano has been writing about Pittsburgh’s restaurant industry for more than a decade. She is the founder and editor of Good Food Pittsburgh and owns Highly Social Media, a creative content agency.
