Tag Archives: Braddock

Brew Gentleman Braddock Steeler Game

Watch the Steeler Game in the Shadow of a Steel Mill

Brew Gentleman Braddock Steeler GameI often try to think of the MOST Pittsburgh place one can watch the Steeler game, that doesn’t involved going to the game.  Well I don’t think it gets more Pittsburgh than this – now you can watch the game next to a steel mill.

The Brew Gentleman is a new brewery that opened this year in Braddock, just down the road from the Edgar Thomson Steelworks, which is a steel mill that is still that opened in 1872 and is still in operation today.

The brewery was founded by two wonderful fellows who I had the good fortune of meeting at this foodie, networking event a few years back.

Matt and Asa came to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon and have stayed in town to open a brewery.  I just opened their latest email blast and The Brew Gentleman will be showing the Steeler game this Sunday, September 28, 2014 – the game is at 1pm and they will open at noon.

The Brew Gentleman’s brewery is a beautiful space with a spacious tasting room.  Head down for the Steeler game or stop by for a beer during their regular hours – Wednesday-Saturday 4-10pm.

Food will be available from Caroline’s Chili – which is a new food vendor in town and new to twitter (be sure to follow @CarolinesChili).

Why Kevin Sousa’s Superior Motors Kickstarter campaign epitomizes everything we love about Pittsburgh

Here’s an obvious fact: Pittsburgh’s identity was, and still is, deeply entwined with the steel industry. After all, we’re nicknamed the Steel City, which we’re reminded of whenever prime time football comes to town and floods our televisions with images of steel mills, by the numerous Pittsburgh-related projects that are given names referencing steel (for example, our own Steel of the Week), and whenever we pass through any of the formerly-thriving steel towns.

But those of us who have lived in, worked for, and loved this city for any significant amount of time know how very much more there is to Pittsburgh. And most importantly, we recognize the enormous potential of what it still can become.

That’s why Pittsburgh is responsible for the most-funded restaurant project on Kickstarter to date– local chef Kevin Sousa‘s Superior Motors in Braddock, Pennsylvania.

Braddock, Pennsylvania

Braddock, Pennsylvania. Photo from 15104.cc.

The story of Braddock is woeful. The once-thriving town, home of both Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill and his first public library, was hit hard in the 1970s and ’80s by the collapse of the steel industry and a rising drug and gang problem. 90% of the population eventually fled the area and much of what once was now is simply deserted. The state of Pennsylvania has declared Braddock a “distressed municipality” since the ’80s.

Then came “America’s coolest mayor”: John Fetterman. The dynamic and engaged mayor has received national recognition for his unwavering commitment to rebuilding and reinventing the town– and most importantly, for his faith that a better Braddock is within reach and worth fighting for.

Photo from Braddock Redux.

Photo from Braddock Redux.

With an emphasis on improving the lives of the borough’s young people, Fetterman has attracted a promising creative and artistic force to Braddock. While there’s much work still to be done, testaments to his success include: the conversion of an abandoned church into the Braddock Community Center, home to the Braddock Youth Project; Braddock Farms, which grows organic produce on 10 acres of repurposed over-grown lots and is tended to by area kids; the opening of the studio UnSmoke Artspace; and much-anticipated brewery startup The Brew Gentlemen.

Sousa’s Superior Motors hopes to bring more of that needed revitalization to Braddock. Named for the former car dealership it will occupy, the restaurant is nothing short of revolutionary. Braddock currently doesn’t have any operating restaurants and Sousa is not only looking to open one in the area, but to engage and drive the community with its operation.

Superior Motors is aiming to strengthen Braddock through food, farming, art, and more.

Superior Motors is aiming to strengthen Braddock through food, farming, art, and more. Photo from Superior Motors Kickstarter.

Truly exemplifying fresh, local, and farm-to-table, most of the produce will be sourced from Braddock Farms, as well as the thousands of square feet in planned rooftop gardens and greenhouses. The nearby apiary, which provides beekeeping training to local youth, will provide honey, and local chickens will be the source of eggs for the restaurant.

But most impressive is what Sousa plans to do for the actual community. Superior Motors will not only offer Braddock residents with substantial dining discounts but also free professional culinary training and opportunities. A hostel located next door will be used to offer no-cost housing for some employees who are selected to train and learn at the restaurant. Sousa hopes Superior Motors will feed and strengthen the current community ecosystem of local businesses, residents, and visitors.

Farmer Marshall Hart working at Braddock Farms. Photo from the Superior Motors Kickstarter.

Farmer Marshall Hart working at Braddock Farms. Photo from the Superior Motors Kickstarter.

So on Sunday, with less than a day and a half left in the Superior Motors Kickstarter campaign and still $70,000 short of a goal of $250,000, anticipation grew. Was there the possibility that this innovative project, set in a town we all want to see succeed, would not be funded?

That’s when Pittsburghers truly came together. Retweets, posts, emails, and articles. The purported power of social media, in action. “Kickstarter” was trending on Twitter in Pittsburgh, behind only “Downton Abbey” in popularity. People watched the donation figure slowly climb with the fervor of a hotly contested election. Sousa himself rightfully couldn’t sleep.

Because of this final push by the community, Superior Motors not only reached and surpassed its goal with nearly a day to spare, but has received an additional $40,000 grant from Rob Stephany of The Heinz Endowments. Sousa emotionally thanked the nearly 2,000 supporters “for reminding [him] what an altogether inspiring place it is that [he is] lucky enough to call home.” He even admitted that we made him cry.

Chef Sousa at the Braddock Youth Project training class at the community bread oven. Photo from the Superior Motors Kickstarter.

Chef Sousa at the Braddock Youth Project training class at the community bread oven. Photo from the Superior Motors Kickstarter.

When indie rock band Frightened Rabbit came to town for the Thrival Music Festival in September, they commented on how much they enjoy playing here because Pittsburghers genuinely love their city and are so proud to be a part of it. How right they were.

We’re a tight-knit, thoughtful, and involved community that genuinely believes in bettering our city, be it through the successful and established medical and education sectors, a vibrant and innovative startup community, or the booming food and drink scene (Bon Appetit recently named Pittsburgh its “next big food town”). Even Lindsay, the creator of I heart PGH, had her cross-country train trip with the Millennial Trains Project successfully funded because of the incredible generosity of Pittsburghers.

We all see something worthwhile in Superior Motors. Something that will better Pittsburgh and Braddock. Something else to prove that we’re more than just a former steel town. And we’re helping to make that a reality.

 

The Kickstarter campaign is over but follow Kevin Sousa on Twitter for updates on Superior Motors.

Treaders Choice: Testosterone Opens at UnSmoke Artspace

Treading Art has been putting together an amazing list of weekend events around Pittsburgh. Each week we will highlight one of those events here on IheartPGH and link you back over to Treading Art’s weekly events post.

This weeks Treader’s Choice event is an opening for a new show, Testosterone, at the UnSmoke Artspace in Braddock.  Also SAVE THE DATE for October 3-7, 2013!  The Treading Art folks are putting together an awesome set of events called discover Pittsburgh – get a sneak peek of what they have planned here.

testosterone-braddock

Opening: Testosterone

Who doesn’t want to delve deeper into the subject of testosterone, masculinity or desire?! Especially when artists from Italy, Great Britain and the US are leading the way…

UnSmoke Artspace @ 1137 Braddock Ave – Braddock

Saturday, August 31, 2013 6-9pm // FREE

Facebook Event Link

[geo_mashup_map zoom=”5″]

Bouncing Around Braddock – Free Event this Eve

English: Illustrating pogo stick movements

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Looking for something to do this eve?  Head over to Braddock to check out some extreme pogo stick work.

Xpogo LLC, a NYC sports marketing firm, is filming some video in Braddock this week and they have set up a public event this eve.  From today’s PopCity Media:

As part of the celebration, the film company is throwing Braddock a free-to-the-public community event tonight, May 8th, from 5 to 9 p.m., with exhibitions by seven of the word’s best extreme pogo athletes. There will also be pogo stick raffles, clinics, BBQ from Kevin Sousa’s Union Pig and Chicken, drink, and music.

Pitt-Starter: The Brew Gentlemen Are Bringing a Brewery to Braddock

There is just 2 days left on this Kickstarter project, and these guys have already passed their goal to raise $25,000.  They have even passed their 2nd goal to raise $30,000.

But I wanted to share their video anyways.  I met these two gentlemen last year at the first Grub With Us dinner last January – you can read a recap of the dinner here.  This is a cool little video and gives you an intro to their brewery and Braddock.  But I also think that the Brew Gentlemen is a great example of something happening in the local economy and it is the opposite of Pittsburgh brain-drain. We spend alot of time talking about folks growing up here and not coming back to town and we often overlook the the stories of those who come to Pittsburgh and decide to stay – which is just as important.

Matt and Asa (aka The Brew Gentlemen) came to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon.  Before they graduated they started working on their business and less than a year later – they have started a new business in Braddock.

You can read more about their brewery on The Brew Gentlemen blog here.  They have been posting about their new space in Braddock, updates to their Kickstarter campaign, beer events around Pittsburgh and more.  Even if you don’t give to the Kickstarter campaign – and they do have some cool rewards – keep these guys on your radar.