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| - First, a few things you should know about Brillobox. Conveniently situated at the corner of Penn and Main, it was once called Nooners, and then Zooty's. Both were safe havens for morning drunks, pitstops for killing time on the way to the methadone clinic, and hangouts for sightings of the infamous Lawrenceville sweatpants hookers who were shabby-chic in the way that your creepy Uncle Lou's basement gameroom is.
But in late 2005, the '224 started blowing up in a big way, and a New York couple bought the bar and converted it to our beloved Brillo. From that point on, it was destined to evolve into the libations palace for grad students, UPMC pediatric surgery residents, and 1890s moustache fetishists that you know and love today.
Along the way, Brillobox went through an all-too-brief adolescence that was equal parts awkward and beautiful. Notable patrons from its 2006-2008 era included tap pants-clad American Apparel employees en route to the Greenpoint lofts they'd bought with Daddy's money, 30-somethings who preached the importance of tolerance and diversity as they strove hard to shut down Brian & Cooper's Mini Mart because it brought black people into Friendship, and a motley crew of aspiring Rimbauds, Kerouacs, and Burroughses. That last group was alcoholic. Very, very alcoholic. And they smoked like chimneys and they danced like fiends, and they gave that place character, goddamit!
Then, in the dawn of the 2010s, Brillo made its final push toward adulthood, and as all emerging adults do, it made a few bold gestures to demonstrate that it had finally arrived. First, an all-vegetarian menu, designed to delight the meatless denziens of Penn Avenue. Secondly, a smoking ban, to win the approval of yoga-loving bike nuts and stay in compliance with new state laws. And finally, a remodel, enabling the front windows to open in the summer so the sweet sounds of Goldfrapp could be heard as far away as the DaVita Dialysis Clinic.
Now, Brillo's okay. It has a vast beer selection if you love beer. The bartenders still mix the drinks strong, and the service is decent, if a little slow when the place is packed. On weekends, the downstairs room can get loud and crowded, and if you arrive after 9 PM, you probably won't be sitting. But in its evolution from burnout wino bar to upscale microbrew pub, it lost a bunch of character along the way that probably won't be coming back (although the meat has made a triumphant return to the menu).
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