Tag Archives: Wine

Guide to unique, interesting, and fun classes and workshops in Pittsburgh

: Hooping class at the Union Project.

: Learn how to knit!

: Fitz-Clark refractor telescope at the Allegheny Observatory.

School may be out for the summer but there’s still plenty of opportunity to get your learn on. From day-long workshops to weekly evening classes, there’s tons of chances to try something new or pick up long-forgotten hobbies once again.

Knitting/crocheting

Whether you’re picking up a pair of needles for the first time, looking to perfect your purling skills, or ready to make the perfect pair of socks, a knitting or crochet class is a great opportunity to pull out the yarn and needles. The following locations offer a variety of classes for all skill levels.

Dyed in the Wool
3458 Babcock Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
(412) 364-0310

Yarns Be Design
622 Allegheny River Boulevard
Oakmont, PA 15139
(412) 794-8332

Natural Stitches
6401 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 441-4410

Knit One
2721 Murray Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA, 15217
(412) 421-6666

Wine and Whiskey

Dreadnought Wines in the Strip District has a variety of classes for different levels of expertise, including both Wine and Spirit Education Trust Certifications and more casual tastings.
2013 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(800) 565 2816

Wigle Whiskey, one of the Strip’s newest establishments, distills their own whiskey and gin onsite in traditional copper pots and using local ingredients. They offer tours on Saturdays, plus have events like labeling parties and the annual tar and feather celebration.
2401 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 224-2827

Arts, Crafts, and Tech

The Society for Contemporary Craft holds day-long and evening workshops using all kinds of crafts and materials: fiber, wood, book arts and paper, metal, and mixed media.
2100 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 261-7003

Union Project is a neighborhood space for people to come together and connect, create, and celebrate. They currently offer ceramics classes, Zumba, salsa, yoga, and hula hoop lessons.
801 N Negley Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 363-4550

Cut and Sew Studio offers a social sewing environment, with all tools and materials available, for people looking to learn how to sew, wanting to get better at it, or working on specific or independent projects.
5901 Bryant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 865- 6565

Saxifrage, described as a higher education nomadic campus, offers classes in woodworking, computer programming, organic agriculture, graphic and user-centered design, map and geographic information systems, and carpentry.

TechShop is a community-based workshopping space for people who want access to industrial tools and equipment. Classes are offered in a wide range of industry, such as woodshop, metal work, silk screening, welding, embroidery, computer design, 3D printing, and much more.
192 Bakery Square Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 345-7182

Improv/Comedy

Steel City Improv has multi-level 8-week classes for both budding and more experienced comedians to hone their craft. Students have the opportunity to perform on stage, plus the chance to audition for the house teams and/or form independent groups.
5950 Ellsworth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
404-2695

Improv Academy also offers weekly classes, as well as private sessions for actors or writers, film, television, on-set work with production companies, and improv troupes.
109 Market Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 407-3319

Arcade Comedy Theater explores the many different forms and type of improvisational and standup comedy through various weekly classes, including some aimed towards kids and teens. They also host monthly workshops taught by visiting and local professionals.
811 Liberty Avenue
 Pittsburgh PA, 15222
(412) 339-0608

The University of Funny has a comedy 101 class to teach adults the basics of comedy. Mic technique, confidence in front of crowds, and the art of standup are all explored to find your inner funny.
(412) 573-9444

Miscellaneous

Free Ride in Point Breeze isn’t so much a bike repair shop as it is a bike education facility. The idea is that you volunteer your time, paired with a willingness to learn, and the staff at Free Ride teaches you how to build, and repair, your own bike. They have a variety of earn-a bike programs for both adults and children, as well as individual classes throughout the week.
Construction Junction
214 N. Lexington Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
(412) 254-3774

The Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park offers tours Thursday and Friday nights in the warmer months. Tours start with a short presentation, followed by a walking tour of the building, and then end at the 13-inch Fitz-Clark refractor telescope. Public lectures are also offered every month.
159 Riverview Avenue
 Pittsburgh, PA 15214
(412) 321-2400

While not necessarily a class or workshop, we’d be remiss to not mention Trundle Manor in a list of unique learning opportunities in Pittsburgh. Billed as “the most unusual tourist trap in the world meets the most bizarre private collection on public display,” you can tour (by appointment only) the manor’s antique taxidermy, old world charm, sadistic medical devices, coffins and coffin like items, Steampunk influenced creations, cryptozoology, and much more.
7724 Juniata Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412) 916-5544

Of course, all locations of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh have a plethora of classes, events, and workshops, from knitting book clubs and video game gatherings to language clubs and computer classes.

What cool classes and workshops did we miss? Leave us a message on Facebook, send us a tweet, or email Catherine@iheartpgh.com. And keep a look out for our posts on cooking/dining classes in the ‘Burgh and free/pay-what-you-can yoga!

Restaurant Review: BOhèm Bistro in Seven Fields

The charming, rustic interior at BOhèm.

You don’t need a plane ticket to Europe to feel like you’re there this summer–a quick drive to BOhèm Bohemian Bistro in Seven Fields can do just the trick. The rustic design and Euro-centric menu will leave diners feeling like they’ve left Pittsburgh for a bit.

The working fireplace (with the saying “alma, corazón y vita” written on it) is fired up in the colder months.

Let’s start with the decor, which owner Markay Harlan proudly explains is both recycled and personal. BOhèm capitalizes on reusing elements to furnish the space situated next to Siba in a small strip mall. The restaurant is small, but comfortable, and bursting with character–much like small bistros in France.

The chandeliers are remnants of wine barrels, the seat backs are feed bags sewn together to create a cover, and decorative wood beams come from a 150-year-old local barn. The tables are rough cut wood, adorned with simple chairs, letting the plates speak for themselves. A close friend of Harlan crafted the corner hearth and it’s adorned with the phrase “alma, corazón, y vita”– soul, heart, and life.

BOhèm offers menu items not often found in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. With small plates meant for sharing, each diner gets a taste of the unique offerings, best described as fresh European tapas with a predominantly French influence.

Crispy Brussels sprouts with pancetta, parmesan, and balsamic glaze.

The grilled brussel sprouts in balsamic and parmesan, dusted with pancetta, are beyond delicious, and, according to the servers, one of the most-ordered dishes. We had to stop ourselves from licking the plate clean when we had other plates coming along. Other small plates include bone marrow, escargot, and, another menu favorite, Prince Edward Island mussels.

Our salads were fresh, lightly dressed, and unique. The beet salad came with savory chevre, crispy pancetta, pea shoots, mandarin oranges, and red onions and was light yet tasty. The star of the mixed greens salad, with its fresh vegetables and farm fresh egg, was the pickled ramps, which our wonderfully attentive and friendly waiter Chris forewarned us had a strong flavor.

BOhèm’s menu features a section of tartines, crepes, and flatbreads, with a variety of styles prepared in one of the aforementioned ways. We opted for the fig and smoky moody blue cheese tartine with duck confit at the recommendation of Chris. Essentially an open-faced sandwich on French bread, the tartine was smoky, cheesy, and sweet, a delightful combination.

Bistro wine is served by the glass, in quatrinos, or by the liter.

We were far too full to try any of the bistro classics, such as roasted chicken with andouille sausage or mac and cheese, but we did order a Nutella crepe from the dessert menu. The large crepe was filled with a light hazelnut chocolate mousse and topped with fresh whipped cream and a strawberry.

Aside from tasty food, BOhèm mimics European dining with their selection of over 100 wines. Harkening back to family vineyards, the restaurant offers liters or quatrinos of bulk Bistro wines, served simply in stemless glasses. With a vartiey of choices, diners can try multiple wines to accompany their many dishes, or choose a cocktail from the fully-stocked bar.

There’s also a charming outdoor area for diners to enjoy their meals.BOhèm has its invite-only grand opening reception on June 27 and will be open for both lunch (Monday-Friday) and dinner (Monday-Saturday) starting the next day. The staff and owners enthusiastically answered questions about the food, wine, concept, and decor. Our experience, from the food to the wine to the atmosphere, was great and we hope to check it out again soon!

: BOhèm Bohemian Bistro is located in Seven Fields, PA.

: The charming, rustic decor at BOhèm.

: Balconette seats are made from reused feed sacks.

: The working fireplace (with the saying “alma, corazón y vita” written on it) is fired up in the colder months.

: The lighting fixtures at BOhèm are made from recycled wine barrels.

: Outdoor patio is available for dining.

: Bistro wine is served by the glass, in quatrinos, or by the liter.

: Crispy Brussels sprouts with pancetta, parmesan, and balsamic glaze.

: Bone marrow with pea shoots, capers, white truffle vinaigrette, roasted grape tomatoes.

: Beet salad with pea shoots, chevre cheese, red onion, white wine vinaigrette, and crispy pancetta.

: Mixed greens salad with pickled ramps, whole grain mustard vinaigrette, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and soft-cooked farm fresh egg.

: Figs, smoked blue cheese, duck confit, arugula, balsamic glaze on French loaf.

: Whipped Nutella stuffed into a crepe.

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Treader’s Choice: Wine & Cheese at the Carnegie Science Center

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:

Wine & Cheese at the Carnegie Science Center

Friday, May 24th

21 + Wine and Cheese

For an after work treat enjoy live music, learn a thing or two about the chemistry of winemaking (while enjoying a glass) or get a lesson on creating mozzarella in the Science Center’s Kitchen Theatre.

Carnegie Science Center @ One Allegheny Ave – North Shore

6-10pm // $10 Tickets

Click here to see all of the Weekend Treadings for May 23-27th, 2013

Meet Treading Art

From artist studio tours to in-depth interviews, TreadingArt.com offers a wide range of Pittsburgh-centric content focused on the arts and culture. The website is a resource for Western PA residents to learn about and engage with their creative communities. This includes everything from music, food and brews to visual art and literature. Features such as photography posts, local guides or exhibition reviews invite residents to participate in the redevelopment of their city or stay informed of the excitement directly from the website.

The Weekend Treadings is another unique feature to Treading Art. Every week we produce a curated list of events that highlights distinct experiences happening around town from Thursday through Sunday. This is available every Thursday and can be viewed on the website or delivered to your inbox. The Weekend Treadings newsletter also gives readers an opportunity to receive exclusive invitations to Treading Art produced events.

Treading Art is run by Christine Smith and Melissa LuVisi, both of whom are transplants from Northern California. We were drawn to Pittsburgh by its thriving arts community, large number of working artists and the welcoming environment for entrepreneurs. Immediately upon moving here we felt a connection with the city’s sense of pride and collaborative nature.

To become more involved please submit events to info@treadingart.com (at least a week before their scheduled date), like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram (lots of PGH pride promised to be here) or Tumblr.

West Coast Flair on Penn Ave

I recently visited The Sonoma Grille on Penn Ave in the cultural district for a sampling of their finest dishes.

Sonoma General Manager Randy Wright was friendly and visibly passionate about his chef’s offerings. The restaurant’s tagline is “a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine” and this statement resonated through out the dining area which made me feel like I was enjoying a Napa Valley sunset.

Continue reading →

Black and Currant

That's no grape arbor! Greendance welcome guests with a kiwi vine (which they someday hope to turn into a new fruit wine!)

This past Thursday I raided the wine rack (made of reclaimed shutters and purchased at Fresh Heirlooms – check out the shop on this year’s Joy of Cookies Cookie Tour in Lawrenceville) in search of a few bottles to take along to our friend Anne’s Thanksgiving dinner. Nestled between a Malbec leftover from a wine and cheese tasting and the bottle of mead I had refused to open on our wedding night, I found just the thing: a bottle of Black Currant wine from Greendance: The Winery at Sand Hill on the Southwest Passage Wine Trail. While my explorations of the trail took place with my almost-husband, now actual-husband, almost two months ago, there isn’t really a better time to revisit that trip as the holidays rapidly approach. If you remember, Sunday left me with Ben and Rachael (BK and RK respectively) as we finished watching a rainy concert on a lake at Stone Villa. BK, our designated driver for the day, navigated us to Greendance, our next stop, and parked in a dirt lot a few paces from the good-looking main building surrounded by a lush garden. We tore RK away from the parking-lot-adjacent goat pen and located the tasting room where the winery’s owner, Susan met us.

RK wanted to take a goatie home with her but there wasn't enough room in the car.

Susan was enthusiastic about explaining the winery’s history and philosphy, which she described to me as maintaining an intimate feeling and a green environment. (To read more about the history of Greendance and Sand Hill Berries visit the Greendance website. Sharon gave a great overview which I am hesitant to paraphrase here, I was tasting a lot of wines, remember). What sets Greendance apart from all of the other wineries we visited is its affiliation with Sand Hill Berries. Sharon described how through partnerships they began to envision a winery using only berries and fruits from the exisiting farm. Slowly that evolved to include grape wines and now Greendance stocks at least 5 varieties from grapes grown on-site. Other grape wines adhere to the requirements that grapes come from within a 350-mile radius. But let me get back to the berries! The above-mentioned Black Currant wine (oh, and there is a port as well) is divine with holiday fare (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, the fixins). I have to say I was surprised that I enjoyed this fruit wine (do I need to remind you I prefer the dry whites?) but the flavor was deep and not too sweet. I also enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and Pinot Gris, both of which I purchased, but I have to say I SO enjoyed (as did my compatriots) the Black Currant. My suggestion? Head to Greendance (only 29 miles away) before Christmas and purchase some to go along with your holiday dinner! And here is the secret of Greendance: Sand Hill Berries not only contributes to the fruit wines, you can buy homemade pies and locally made ice cream just 20 feet from the winery door!