As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, being together helps us stay warm and energized. These Pittsburgh fall menu updates bring a refreshing wave of creativity and warmth to the city’s food scene. Stay on top of the newest items at these 12 restaurants, with something for everybody whether you want a satisfying brunch or a fun night out.
Fall Menu Updates at 12 Pittsburgh Restaurants
The Commoner
Chef Dave Racicot brings forth hearty Fall dishes with fresh flavors and perspectives. Guests can tuck into beets with whipped yogurt, blue cheese, savory granola, and huckleberry vinaigrette; and the Crispy Potato with Taleggio Cheese Fondue and roasted garlic butter. For something seasonal and sweet, the Chocolate Ganache with Milk Caramel and Chocolate Crunch Hazelnuts is a sure bet to please the palate.
COBRA
In addition to Cobra’s signature Omakase and BBQ experience, guests can enjoy Fall specials. Cobra has Salmon Wellington featuring Atlantic Salmon wrapped in Puff Pastry filled with Yuzu Kosho spinach mousseline and topped with white wine beurre blanc with caper, dill and microgreens. Also dive into Yuzu Kosho Curry Mussels featuring local red serrano chilis, shallot, preserved lemon, and Mediterra Japanese milk bread toast.
Square Cafe
The colorful and inviting East Liberty eatery, known for its playful and inventive seasonal offerings will offer Fall-forward features. Regulars will rejoice at the return of cafe favorite Tot Mess Bowl, featuring crispy tater tots topped with Square’s house made vegan chili, fresh salsa, sour cream, melted cheddar, and an over-easy egg. In September, guests can also enjoy a fresh stack of Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes. This classic dish is two large cinnamon buttermilk pancakes with cinnamon inside, cream cheese icing, powdered sugar and Yeaney’s PA maple syrup.
In October, the cafe will also bring back season favorites like the Pumpkin Walnut Pancakes featuring pumpkin & walnut buttermilk pancakes topped with powdered sugar, butter, and whipped cream and served with Heaney’s 100% PA maple syrup; the Roasted Veggie Hash featuring Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, squash, zucchini, red onions, peppers, and cherry tomatoes sautéed together and topped with an over easy egg.
Braddock Public House
The Brew Gentlemen (BG Brewing) are bringing updates of warmth, love, community– and inspired food & drink– to their new space at 1211 Braddock Ave. This new restaurant is directly across the street from the Edgar Thompson Steel Works. Fall is top-of-mind with the brew pub and restaurant’s new menu launch. Portions are hearty and shareable and all menu items are under $20.
Guests can start with the Ramen Deviled Eggs which are Tamari-marinated with a wasabi yolk filling and topped with ramen crunchies; and Hearth Roasted Carrots topped with baba ganoush and pistachio crumble. Veggie-lovers will be satisfied with hearty salads like the Charred Broccolini Caesar with hearth-finished broccolini, peanut panko crumble, and a Caesar dressing. The Dumplings menu offers handmade gyoza and pierogi with traditional preparations and unexpected flavor options like the Reuben Gyoza with corned beef and sauerkraut and the Cheeseburger Pierogi.
Ritual House
Guests at Ritual House are always encouraged to share dishes like their fall menu item Crab Fondue, featuring humboldt fog goat cheese, spinach, diced tomato, assorted torn breads. For dinner, guests can enjoy beautiful preparations of comforting dishes like the Beef Short Rib with Burgundy wine demi, pearl onions, and carrots atop parmesan grits; and the Braised Cauliflower with coconut curry, refried butter beans, freeze dried kale, and sumac.
LOADED
Lawrence Hall’s LOADED will be bringing back “OG menu items” like mac and cheese, baked potatoes. The focus is on comfort food for the dropping temperatures. Chef Tomacchio will be bringing back brunch for Saturday and Sunday. That brunch will have biscuit donuts in a multitude of flavors including fall favorite, maple bacon.
Khalil’s
Sister-owners Dalel and Leila Khalil are offering their Syrian fare coupled with traditional twists on modern cocktails. Start off with traditional Hummus or an even heartier version of the classic dish up versions for the table like the Hummus bi Lahme. This dish is hummus with roasted lamb, sautéed onions, red roasted pepper, toasted almonds, toasted pignoli nuts. Or, try the Hummus Dejaj, hummus with marinated Chicken shawarma spice, sautéed onions, red roasted peppers and served with yogurt garlic sauce. Shareables also include Syrian flatbreads (Manaeesh) like the Fig & Feta Manaeesh topped with fig, feta, pomegranate, and toasted almonds and pignoli nuts. For a sweeter flavor, get the Rose Petal Jam & Butter Manaeesh with rose, Asiago and Parmesan.
TOMA
Italian restaurant TOMA has added season flavors like squash, roasted red pepper cream sauces, and pumpkin. Chef Tomacchio also said that “We’re all parents with kids that play sports and we want to make things easier.” So, he added a family meal of pasta, salad, and garlic bread. Simple, classic, and a big meal for the whole family to enjoy after a game. TOMA will be hosting another Italian wine pairing dinner on September 30.
Fet-Fisk
One of Pittsburgh’s trendiest restaurants, Fet-Fisk, added a delectable new app. You can now get roquefort bleu cheese, concord grape jam, and fresh concord grapes from Erie served with crostini. Chef Nik Forsberg and his team are also offering a Shaved Watermelon Salad from Clarion River Organics. It’s dressed with white balsamic, toasted juniper, mint, and olive oil. A new main is smoked mussels escabeche, marinated with tomato, dry sherry, and grilled jimmy nardello peppers at Coldco Farm. The dish is served with saffron rouille and grilled focaccia on the side.
Apteka
Apteka helps you hold onto summer with two sunflower themed dishes on their fall menu right now. For a hearty mix of flavors, try the Kanapka. This is an open faced tea sandwich with sunflower seed miso, potato, pickle, and Coldco oxheart tomato. For an adventurous and healthy dish, order the Sloneczik. It’s a young whole sunflower head roast, charred and dressed in sunflower seed, sun choke paste with dill, dried mushroom, and dried smoked cabbage.
You can also still get their Summer Dumpling Stew. That’s tomatoes, roast zucchini, fresh cabbage and summer kraut + onions and marfax beans, marjoram, dill, two round potato dough dumplings stuffed with onions and buckwheat, and a piece of ‘50/50’ bread- half the bread dough, half mashed potatoes.
Scratch & Co
Scratch & Co’s new Family Style menu is available Wednesday – Saturday. It showcases favorites like the house-made Focaccia, Farm Salad (heirloom tomatoes, peaches, house-made whipped ricotta), Flank Steak with Aji Amarillo, Broccolini with a Carrot-Ginger Sauce. For the pasta course, you get a choice of Red Sauce, blistered tomato Pesto, Hot Sausage Ragout. Scratch & Co also has its Sandwich Platter. Pick between the Grana Padano Fried Chicken Sandwich or the Veggie Sandwich with Gobi Pakora and Muhammara. The number of courses is customizable to best suit parties’ needs.
Hyeholde
Hyeholde has added an Apple Roulade and a S’mores Tart as new dessert additions. The restaurant moved the Chestnut Pasta onto the main menu for fall as well. There are also some slight dish amendments. The beef cheek has changed to short rib, and the Delmonico has new accompaniments.
Story by Emma Riva
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