Places to party
Whether it’s a formal corporate holiday party, casual weekend brunch with friends, a swanky get-together, a gameday gathering, a drinks-only event, a Latin dancing night out or a quiet family affair, Pittsburgh offers myriad places — including some new venues this season — to bid farewell to 2016 and welcome in 2017.
With three private dining rooms and a main dining area, Roost, off Market Square, Downtown, is a great venue for a company holiday party. Showcasing a relaxed and rustic atmosphere and an upscale dining experience, the restaurant offers various holiday menu options $58 to $68 per person. For instance, for 25 or fewer guests, a three-course menu ($58 per person) includes baby kale salad, shrimp and lobster gumbo or cream of mushroom soup for the first course, sliced pork loin or king salmon with choice of starch for the entree, and angel food cake or peanut butter pie for dessert. For 25 or more, a four-course menu ($68 per person) features shrimp and lobster gumbo or cream of mushroom soup for the first course, baby kale or mesclun salad, chicken breast or New York strip with starch for the entree, and New York cheesecake or peanut butter pie for dessert. A roasted meats buffet ($35 for lunch and $55 for dinner) is also available. (412281-1134).
Other strong choices are Savoy (412-281-0660) in the Strip District, which provides three options from a sit-down dinner to a cocktailstyle event. Also, the private dining room at the Mediterranean and seafood restaurant Poros (412-904-2051) in Market Square can host up to 28 guests for a sit-down dinner party.
If your idea for a holiday gathering is a comforting weekend brunch, venture out to Ten Penny, Downtown. New executive chef Jamie Tavelaris delivers an extensive menu of American comfort food in a classic yet contemporary setting. Have a slice of the breakfast flatbread ($11) topped with sausage gravy, sunny-side up egg, bacon, cheddar, scallions and home fries; then dive into the Pittsburgh omelet ($11) loaded with kielbasa, onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheddar; relish the raspberry almond marzipan cinnamon rolls ($12) with icing, sliced almonds and fresh raspberries; and finish with the strawberry lemon ricotta pancakes ($13) served with lemon curd and limoncello mint syrup. (412-318-8000)
For a tour around the world in an artsy decor, stop by Streets on Carson (412-918-1006) on the South Side and get a sense of Quebec with the duck fat fried poutine for $7 or a flavor of Mexico City with the tostada for $10. If you favor a modern and up-scale atmosphere, check out The Commoner (412-230-4800) at Hotel Monaco, Downtown, and take advantage of the restaurant’s extravagant Bloody Mary bar.
New this fall to Downtown is Social House
Lots of choices for your holiday gatherings
Seven, a vibrant, hip place in the former Bossa Nova space. Equipped with an authentic Japanese robata grill, the Asian-fusion restaurant serves tasty dishes (designed for sharing) such as pork belly skewer ($8), truffled risotto ($10.50), sea bass pumpkin noodle ($24) and ginger-fried rice ($6). Sunday through Thursday, Social House can host groups of up to 16 people at no extra charge. On Friday and Saturday, groups of more than 13 guests must spend a minimum of $55 per person with seating times at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. The dance floor opens from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. ( 412-709-6808)
Other elegant options that promise a good time are
Cibo ( 412-371-7829) in Regent Square, which offers crab beignets ($15), roasted squash flatbread ($12), and rabbit with cannellini beans and greens ($24). And Vivo
Kitchen Call, 412-259-8945 in Sewickley where the menu includes escargot ($8), grilled shrimp ($9) and dry pack scallops with peppercorn tapenade ($29).
If you want to add a little elegance to your gameday party, The Foundry Table & Tap on the North Shore provides a large selection of craft beers and menu of marinated olives ($7) pork belly bites ($8), roasted pumpkin pierogies ($8), Korean fried wings ($9) or a pulled pork sandwich ($13) with smoked cheddar and red cabbage slaw. Douse it all down with one of a 26 different cold drafts — anything from a Bud Light ($4.50) to Pizza Boy — Rye Beer Sucks ($8). (412-930-0744) If that doesn’t suit you and your friends, hop next door to Rivertowne (412-322
5000), where you can try the Scotch Eggs and one of the 24 beers on tap, which cost from $5 to $8, or drive to Mt. Lebanon to the rustic Hitchhiker Brewing Company
(412-343-1950) where you can enjoy a serving of chili ($5.25) with one of the company’s own brewed craft beers that range from $5.50 to $6.50.
For a no muss, no fuss and drinks-only celebration, head over to Pirata, Downtown. Enjoy the mysterious and seductive Caribbean scene and savor the 200-plus varieties of rum. From Venezuela’s Diplomatico Exclusiva ($13 for 2 ounces) and Martinique’s La Favorite vieux ($14 for 2 ounces), to Nicaragua’s Blackadder Raw Cask ($70 for 2 ounces) and Puerto Rico’s Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles ($250 for 2 ounces), selections seem endless. There are also rum cocktail flights, such as Around the World ($12) or the El Dorado ($25). Don’t miss the Caribbean cocktails ($10 to $12) or the Latin American beers, such as the Xingu Black Lager from Brazil ($6) or the Banks Lager from Barbados. (412232-3000)
If your gang wants a tropical experience, stop by Hidden Harbor (412-422-5040) in Squirrel Hill and sample exotic drinks such as Zombie ($13), the frozen cocktail Oka Kope Kooler ($12) or the sharable Krakatoa (serves two for $24).
You can also try more than 100 tequilas and American whiskeys at Bakersfield (412-586-5024), Downtown, where tequila and whiskey flights range from $18 to $40.
If you you’re looking for some dancing after dining check out Seviche, Downtown. The Latin-infusion restaurant hosts salsa nights on Mondays from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Small plates and tapas to share include stuffed octopus ($16), cauliflower gratin ($12), shishito peppers ($5), and chips and salsa ($7). Cocktails such as Caipirinha ($10), Mezcal sunset ($12) and Seviche Manhattan ($13) are also available. (412-697-3120)
Other dancing options include bachata night ($5 cover charge) on Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Perle in Market Square (412-471
2058), and salsa night on Tuesdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Steel Cactus on the South Side (412-431-3535).
Among kid-friendly options is Table 86 by Hines Ward in Seven Fields. The polished-casual restaurant offers a generous menu from appetizers (Sicilian flatbread, $10.86) to small and large salads (Greek salad, $9.99), and from burgers and sandwiches (turkey burger, $11.99) to pasta, seafood and steak dishes (12-ounce New York strip, $28.99). For kids: mini burgers, mac and cheese, hot dogs and chicken fingers (all $5.99) served with a side of green beans, mashed potatoes, fries, apple sauce or broccoli. (724-7410860)
Other kid-friendly restaurants are Dave & Buster’s
(412-462-1500) at the Waterfront in Homestead, where adults and kids can be entertained at the same time, and The Pines Tavern (724-625
3252) in Pine, which offers kids a bowl of seasonal fruit ($5), ranch steak ($11) and root beer float ($4) for dessert.