PHOTOS BY HAL B. KLEIN
Pizza Lupo
Brothers Brad and Travis Wolf are Pittsburgh firefighters (Brad 15 years and Travis five years) with a passion for pizza. After more than a year of planning, the duo opened Pizza Lupo in a former bakery in Lawrenceville in late December. The brothers specialize in gas oven-style thin and crunchy cakes, which come in 14- and 18-inch rounds. They make a great pizza with a nicely baked, crackling crust and a nice, puffy rim that is a sign of a well-developed, properly fermented batter. The menu includes some specialty pies as well as a selection of toppings in the classic style (pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, black olive). The Wolf Brothers offer a limited number of grandma-style cakes each day that are airy and crispy. The place is already on my list of excellent Pittsburgh pizza, and after talking to the brothers, I assume it just keeps getting better. “I was lying in bed thinking about what I can change. Different flours, different mixing techniques, more or less water in the dough. Different fermentation. Once it starts, the possibilities are endless, ”says Travis, who started baking 10 years ago.
5123 Butler St., Lawrenceville; 412/78-.9922, pizza-lupo.com
Fett Frankz Soul Food
Three generations of chefs opened their first joint restaurant in Bloomfield last week. “We always cooked. We do that. We’re a family of people who cook, ”says Tasha Graham, who owns Fat Frankz with her mother Claudette Talbert and son Dante Talbert. Graham is the main cook, but all three work in the kitchen along with other family members. The opening menu includes dishes like stuffed chicken, fried catfish, chicken wings, and pepper steak, plus side dishes like candied yams, baked macaroni, and cheese and cabbage. Graham’s daughter Jasmina Graham adds custom cupcakes to the mix. After a first visit I was impressed by the tender, hearty pepper steak and the sweet and spicy cabbage. The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. About the name, Graham says, “It’s a name we just came up with. There is no such thing as a fat Frank. It just sounded good and so we went with it. “
4507 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield; 412 / 586-4716, instagram.com/fatfrankz_soulfood
Nine o’clock wines
Celine Roberts and Christie Kliewer spent a lot of time talking about the nuances of wine in the Marco Bar, where they both worked as part of the front-of-house staff before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The restaurant’s specialization in natural wines – broadly characterized as wine that received the minimum input through its production – sparked interest in both. Those conversations resulted in a business plan and, as the pandemic progressed, an opportunity to turn that idea into a takeaway-only wine store in the front room of Bar Marco. With Nine O’Clock Wines, Roberts (who previously wrote for Pittsburgh Magazine) and Kliewer join a small cadre of wine shops in restaurants selling a selection of natural wines. The duo offers a monthly wine box subscription with three bottles of wine tailored to the season as well as an excellent selection of individual bottles. Not sure how to approach natural crying? Part of their business model is to make natural wine more accessible and the duo are on site (masked as you should be) to get you started.
2216 Penn Ave., Strip District; Nineoclockwines.com
Trace brewing
There are currently many breweries in Pittsburgh (more than 50 in the area) and Trace Brewing seems to be an excellent addition to the mix. Head brewer Zach Colton comes with a resume that includes work on-site at Strange Roots, Dancing Gnome, and Four Seasons, as well as Trillium Brewing Co. in Boston. The brewery is only for take away for the moment – but built with nice exterior and interior decor if the situation allows – and offers a changing selection of styles.
4312 Main St., Bloomfield; 412 / 904-3555, tracebloomfield.com
PHOTO BY RIVERS CASINO
Martoranos Prime
Steve Martorano, the well-known TV chef who is referred to as a “celebrity chef” in a press release, has just opened Martoroos Prime at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. This is the fourth location of the Italian-American steakhouse, where classic dishes like linguine and clams, spaghetti and meatballs, and veal chops are on the opening menu.
777 Casino Dr., North Coast; 412 / 566-4799, Riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/dining/martoranos-prime
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