This event was, by far, my favorite Yelp event to date. Being new to Pittsburgh, I am still fairly unfamiliar with the charm of the individual neighborhoods and all that they had to offer. Bloomfield did not disappoint! I enjoyed learning about the origins of the name and the history of the area.
After a quick review of the character of the neighborhood, our first stop was Angelo's Pizzeria. Richard talked about the history of pizza in the US and the proper way to eat a slice. The pizza was tasty and fresh. I'll likely be back for more.
Our next stop was Groceria Italiana where we met the shop owner. It was impressive hearning about how all the pasta and other items are fresh made in the downstairs kitchen. So impressive that at the conclusion of the tour, I stopped back in to buy some pasta, meatballs and a few other items. Having just returned from a trip to Italy, it was nice to find food similar in taste and quality to what we experienced there.
Our third stop was to Maria Merante's. After a quick visit to her shop, we were escorted upstairs to try some iced expresso and to learn more about her shop. She offers cooking classes and group dinners. I can't wait to check out the schedule and see when I can return!
Our last stop was Donatelli's where we sampled a biscotti. It was interesting to see the contrast between the commercial kitchen of Donatelli's and the small mom and pop feel of Groceria Italiana. We learned about the machinery and process they use to make their pasta.
The tour was great and I plan to check out other options for different neighborhoods to bring friends and family to when they visit Pittsburgh.
The day concluded with a trip via bus to the Church Brewworks. The setting was stunning and the brews fantastic. There were a few issues such as no brewer and a late bus, but with an ample supply of tasty beer, those issues didn't matter much.
A fantastic experience all around!