Tag Archives: yelp

Yelp’s Swingin’ to Summer

Get ready to jump, jive and jitter at Yelp’s Swingin’ to Summer! You’re invited to the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on June 23 from 8-10pm for a free evening filled with 1940’s flair, including some swell snacks and sips. Jitter, jump and jive with The Boilermaker Jazz Band, plus watch professionals leap and lindy… or join in yourself! Come dressed in your red, white and blues for this patriotic affair.

The event is FREE, but a $10 suggested donation will benefit Soldiers & Sailors. For a $20 donation, you’ll receive an amazing swag bag.

DRESS: Red, white and blue or 1940/50 retro flair

SORRY KIDS, THIS EVENT IS STRICTLY 21+! No ID, no entry.

BITES PROVIDED BY:

Bakn – yelp.com/biz/bakn-carneg…
Bluebird Kitchen – yelp.com/biz/bluebird-ki…
Bocktown – yelp.com/biz/bocktown-be…
Carota Cafe – yelp.com/biz/smallman-ga…
Dream Cream Ice Cream – yelp.com/biz/dream-cream…
Gluten Free Goat – yelp.com/biz/gluten-free…
Grandpa Joe’s – yelp.com/biz/grandpa-joe…
La Palapa – yelp.com/biz/la-palapa-m…
Mercurios – yelp.com/biz/mercurios-p…
Pastistio – yelp.com/biz/pastitsio-p…
Soba – yelp.com/biz/soba-pittsb…
Station – yelp.com/biz/station-pit…
Studio AM – yelp.com/biz/studio-am-h…
Sweet Peaches – yelp.com/biz/sweet-peach…
Twirly Girl Baking Co – yelp.com/biz/twirly-girl…
The Vandal – yelp.com/biz/the-vandal-…
Wallace’s Taproom – yelp.com/biz/wallaces-ta…

ADULT BEVVIES PROVIDED BY:

Arsenal Cider – yelp.com/biz/arsenal-cid…
Brooklyn – brooklynbrewery.com
Faber Craft Spirits – faberspirits.com
Frank B Fuhrer/Southern Tier – fuhrerwholesale.com
Full Pint – yelp.com/biz/full-pint-b…
Jaquin’s
Penn Brewery – yelp.com/biz/penn-brewer…
Tito’s – titosvodka.com
Victory Brewing Company – victorybeer.com

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVVIES PROVIDED BY:

Greenlight Juices – yelp.com/biz/greenlight-…
Natrona Bottling Company – yelp.com/biz/natrona-bot…
Tuners Dairy Farm – yelp.com/biz/turner-dair…

ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY:

ABC Balloon Twisting – abcballoontwisting.net/h…
DJD PGH – yelp.com/biz/djd-pgh-pit…
Frank and Victoria Dance
MC Sturman Caricatures
Paint Monkey – yelp.com/biz/paint-monke…
The Powder Room – yelp.com/biz/the-powder-…
Tapsnap – tapsnap.net
Tartan Swing – tartanswing.com
TechShop – yelp.com/biz/techshop-pi…
Assemble – yelp.com/biz/assemble-pi…
Beverly’s Birthdays – beverlysbirthdays.org

******** IMPORTANT INFO *************

This event is open to the whole Yelp community — all you have to do is click on the little RSVP button on the right to sign up for you and a guest. Want to bring a whole gaggle of buds? Send them the link and tell them to RSVP too!

Space *is* limited so don’t wait to RSVP. Priority will be given to Yelpers who have listed their real name and photo! Once we reach our limit we’re sold out so RSVP today!

Pgh Needs Food Trucks & How You Can Help

I know this is a longer post than what I usually write – but while it may seem small, the issue of food trucks in Pittsburgh could become a great way to help start more successful businesses in Pittsburgh.  If you are in a hurry, you can skip my ramblings about Food Trucks in Austin and scroll down to read about the upcoming PghMobileFood events.

I guess I didn’t really know how behind the times Pittsburgh was interms of food trucks until I was in Austin, TX last fall for work.  I stayed in Austin for an extra day to just walk around and see what everyone loves about the place.  Another friend from Pittsburgh visits there often and posts amazing food from food trucks on his facebook page.  I took off my work shoes, put on my sneakers and set off on a little urban hike in search of food trucks.

I was probably using Yelp or Google maps – searching for the keyword tacos – and I stumbled upon the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery – my first thought was this is an awful nice location for a trailer park, then I realized it was a food truck trailer park.    A parking lot with food trucks, picnic tables, a garage space – with doors that opened and more tables and bathrooms.

Sign for South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery

Sign for South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery (Photo credit: TheSeafarer)

South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery

South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery (Photo credit: riacale)

Austin -  Bouldin Creek: South Austin Trailer ...

Austin - Bouldin Creek: South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery (Photo credit: wallyg)

Austin -  Bouldin Creek: South Austin Trailer ...

Austin - Bouldin Creek: South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery (Photo credit: wallyg)

Location, Location, Location:

Another factor in the success of a business is location – if you open a new business in the wrong location – there is only so much you can do to get people to go out of their way to visit your shop.  Think about it – how many of you go over to the north shore for a meal if you aren’t already headed to the north shore for a baseball game, football game or other big event – the rest of the time – those location are pretty empty.

Food Trucks allow the businesses to go to the people, thus a new restaurant isn’t just limited to their location.  Which solves another problem – feeding a group of people – it is a challenge.  If you plan an event at a location that isn’t set up to feed a large group of people – you are limited in options.  Enter the food trucks – in the past 6 weeks – I have attended several events where the food trucks were able to come, set up and provide food – allowing for people to stay and participate in the community event.  The StepTrek and the Wigle Whiskey Tar and Feather party are just two of the events that drew a crowd, and food was provided by food trucks.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Ball from Holy Cacao

And this got me thinking about the opportunity of food trucks – opening a restaurant is hard – some people say 90%, this article argues that it is more like 60% of restaurants that fail – and that is a failure not only for the business owner but for the communities that are eager to have businesses.

The Austin Trailer Park & Eatery makes it a little easier for a business to get started – tables, chairs, bathrooms, trash are all shared – plus multiple businesses are marketing the space together.  While I was there I had a taco for Torchy’s and some cake balls from Holy Cacao – in one visit I was able to patronize two  businesses.

Holy Cacao on Urbanspoon

We are starting to see something like this at the Pittsburgh Public Market.  The Public Market has already given places like the Crested Duck Charcuterie a start – and now that they have a following they have opened their own location in Beechview.  And the East End Book Exchange has been using the public market to get started on opening a used book store in Pittsburgh.  Low rent and weekend hours make the Public Market a great incubator for new Pittsburgh businesses.  If we want to grow more local business – what else can we do as a city and a community to help business owners get off to a successful start?

Crested Duck Charcuterie Deli on Urbanspoon

Confusing Laws for Pittsburgh food Trucks:

The food truck scene is huge in other cities (see this recent Post-Gazette article about Portlands 500+ food trucks) but is just getting started here in Pittsburgh – part of that is because there is a whole host of issues and conflicting laws about food trucks in the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

You can read more about the current food truck regulations in this August 2012 article from the City Paper.

PghMobileFood – Working to Improve Food Trucks in Pittsburgh:

Some Pittsburghers in partnership with the Saxifrage School (and keep an eye out for the Saxifrage School – this is an incredible new organization in Pittsburgh) are getting together to work on the local food truck problem and come up with some solutions – and you can join them.  Last Wednesday they hosted the first of 3 events on Food Trucks – Food Trucks 101: Competition Law and the Constitution.  Anyone who is interested is invited to attended the upcoming Pgh Mobile Food Events.

If you are a twitter user follow @PghMobileFood.

 

Links Worth a Look – February 3rd

Here are some links/articles/blog posts that are worth a look:

  • Sausalido – Modern European Food in Bloomfield – 4 Stars from Local Yelpers – Pittsburgh, PA – Yelp is a website where anyone can submit reviews about food, shopping services – local Yelpers agree that Sausalido – located on Liberty Ave in Bloomfield – is worth a visit.
  • Final approval given for rezoning: $90M One Grandview hotel/condo clears another hurdle – Big news for Mt. Washington – a new hotel will be coming soon to the space next to the incline.
  • The New Orleans Saints: A Benediction – Here is a blog post from a friend who is from New Orleans, but now lives in Brooklyn. Nick's post got me thinking about football and fans and cities and places – can football lift up a city? From the blog post, "Which is to say: we’re not really the kind of people who care about football. And excuse that “we” if you care deeply; you know what I mean. But, for a lot of New Orleanians this Saint’s thing isn’t really about football. It’s about Katrina and vindication and not losing" – I know, very well from recent travels – that the there is a strong Steeler nation out there. I have often wondered if there is any other team that evokes that kind of passion and friendship that black and gold jersey's and a terrible towel can create. I hope the Saints can be for the residents of New Orleans, what the Steelers have been for Pittsburghers near and far.

Follow IheartPGH on Twitter – we share more links there almost daily!

What visitors are loving in Pittsburgh on Yelp

Yelp logo 2Image by sarabear via FlickrYelp.com is a great website where you can read and write reviews of local businesses (see my other post on Yelp here).  I was just looking around at some of the recent reviews in Pittsburgh here are some of the 4 and 5 star reviews from people who were visiting Pittsburgh.  Pittsburgh is not yet included on Yelp’s list of major cities, but I think we should work on that.  If you haven’t Yelped yet – start now.  And add IheartPGH as a friend too.

Pamela’s – Ryan from Oregon

…their pancakes are pure ambrosia.  I’ve never done cocaine, but I bet it feels like how Pamela’s pancakes taste.  Their homefries are excellent too.  They make great toast.

Moio’s Italian Pastry Shop – Kevin from Virgina

…their Tiramisu is out of this world so if you are leaving Pittsburgh or coming into Pittsburgh stop by Moios in Monroeville

Cafe Du Jour – Jonathan from California

…too bad i live almost 2500 miles away, or this would be my monthly chill hang for a european siesta. and it’s more than reasonable on price for what you get.

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Links Worth a Look – October 6th

Here are some links/articles/blog posts that are worth a look:

Click here to see more links we like.