What warms the soul better than pumpkin and apple flavors. The crisp weather has us ready to cuddle up in a warm sweater by a fire with some of Fall’s wonderful flavors. 

Where can you experience these yummy flavors? From endless desserts to tasty meals with favorite Fall veggies, here are some of the eateries around our Shadyside neighborhood you should visit to warm your bones. 

Gluuteny Bakery

The sight of delightful Sugar Skull cookies and the sweet smell of caramel apple macarons has us running to the Gluuteny Bakery. But this isn’t your average bakery. 

Gluuteny Bakery is on a mission to offer wonderfully tasting and allergy-friendly treats daily. Yes, that includes gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and soy-free options. 

Photo credit to Gluuteny Bakery via Instagram

Prantls Bakery

Bakeries are an excellent place to shake off the chilly weather. Prantls Bakery makes for a great stop! A walk over to Walnut Street, Prantls has a Fall menu of fantastic treats with apple pies, cranberry nut loaf, pumpkin spice cake and so much more.

Photo credit to Prantls Bakery via Instagram

Brueggers 

Sidestepping the sweet treats for just a moment. Let’s move to a different kind of dough. Bagels! 

Brueggers is serving up pumpkin bagels, pumpkin cream cheese, and pumpkin spice latte. Grab the fall taste with authentic NYC-styled bagels right here in our Shadyside neighborhood.  

Photo credit to Brueggers via Instagram

Honeygrow 

Delivering high-quality, wholesome, and simple foods, Honeygrow has a passion for “creating awesome things through the lens of nourishing foods.”

The Fall menu is out now. Head over to South Highland Ave for some Harvest Soba, or a stir-fry with seasonal vegetables like roasted parsnips, curly kale, and pomegranate seeds.

Photo credit to Honeygrow via Instagram

Mad Mex Shadyside 

Mad Mex brings a unique blend of American, Mexican, Southeast Asia, and Spanish cuisines to their dishes creating something special and incredibly delicious. But, for this blog, we’re more interested in one of their drinks. 

The Apple Cider Margarita with its caramel-sugar coated rim causes quite the commotion during the Fall season.

Is it five o’clock yet?

Photo Credit to Mad Mex via Instagram

Salud Juicery

If fresh-pressed, healthy juice and smoothies are more your style, Salud Juicery is your place. This team is serving a few Fall-inspired juices like Pom Cha-Cha that features pomegranates, apple and chia seeds, or The Beet Goes On featuring beets, apples, ginger and more. 

Photo Credit to Salud Juicery via Instagram

The best of Fall flavors are all over our neighborhood. A little chilly weather can’t stop us from visiting these local, tasty eateries. Enjoy Fall while it lasts. After all, Winter will be here sooner than we know it. 

What a great way to close out October than with a few Halloween festive events in our Shadyside neighborhood. Whether you’re in the mood to enjoy a night of music or ready to dress up in an awesome costume and mingle with new friends, there’s something for you. 

Some of Pittsburgh’s frightfully awesome events are right in our back yard. Here’s your guide to all Halloween-themed activities happening in the Shadyside area.

Booseum Trick or Treat | Carnegie Museum of Natural History

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History getting ready to host a hair-raising, spine-tingling event with Booseum Trick or Treat! This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, October 26th from 12 to 4 pm. 

Have a blast meeting live animals, enjoy a big-screen movie, and trick or treat around dinosaurs and mummies! Don’t forget to put on your costumes. You may win a small prize!

Halloween Tech Trivia | Mario’s East End Saloon

Trivia night is always a good time. It’s become a staple social event to share with friends or co-workers. 

On Tuesday, October 29th get your team name ready because at 6 pm Mario’s East End Saloon is hosting a Halloween edition of Tech Trivia. This event is a 21+ event and in the spirit of Halloween, costumes are encouraged.

Nightmare on Hellsworth | Free Outdoor Concert on Ellsworth Ave

Who’s up for an outdoor concert? On Friday, October 27th head over to Ellsworth Avenue to see pop icon and broadway star, Debbie Gibson take the stage! She’s sold more than 16 million albums worldwide and has competed on the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars. 

This is a free event for everyone. Though anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. If you’re up for it, there are $30 tickets for the VIP area that includes complimentary cocktails, and of course, witches brew!

Jam on Walnut | Outdoor Concert on Walnut St

Speaking of concerts, we can’t forget to mention the last Jam on Walnut music session of the year. One of Pittsburgh’s best block party is coming to an end after Saturday, October 26th. 

The headline for this Halloween-inspired event is Velveeta. This local Pittsburgh band is all about the best and cheesiest of 80s music. Don’t forget, Jam on Walnut benefits our furry friends! Funds are being raised to support the Humane Animal Rescue!

Halloween Fiesta | Steel Cactus

Steel Cactus is hosting a Halloween Fiesta on October 26th from 5 pm to 2 am. If you’re still looking for plans on Saturday night, this is it! 

Come hang out and get excited about new flavors on a revamped menu. Plus, this event is the same night as Jam on Walnut. Listening to great music on the patio bar at Steel Cactus sounds pretty good to us.

Day of the Dead Beer Dinner | Con Alma

There are several ways to celebrate the spooky season. Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday meant to remember family and friends who have passed. 

This year Con Alma on Ellsworth Avenue is partnering with Hop Farms beer to host a Day of the Dead Beer Dinner on Wednesday, October 30th. Make your reservations for a 5-course Baja-Mexican cuisine with beer pairings. 

Halloween Happening | Phipps Conservatory

Halloween Happening at Phipps Conservatory is one of our favorite events. Phipps pulls out all the stops for this spooktacular, family-friendly event. 

With regular admission, your family can enjoy the ghoulishly delightful festivities like face painting, Halloween-inspired games, carve pumpkins, pot creepy plants and much more!

The Freaks Come Out | The Ace Hotel Pittsburgh

For a special Halloween night, Ace Hotel is hosting the Darkness is Spreading: The Freaks Come Out in the Lobby Bar on Thursday, October 31st. Break out those costumes! This event is opening with local DJ Huny and then DJ Stylus will take over. Come out for the music, candy, good food, better drinks, and an all-around spooky time!

 

Happy Halloween!?

We’re nearly there! There are less than 90 days left in 2019. Can you believe it? 

The end of the year is the most fun. After all, it’s time to decorate for the holidays. The start of Fall means all things pumpkin, sweater weather, and adorable decor. 

Plus, spooky season is right around the corner. We can’t end October without adding cauldrons and spider webs to our apartments. 

Here are a few ways to get into the Halloween spirit with your apartment decor! 

Add Some Spook to Your Space

One way to add a little spook to any room is by a flock of flying bats. All you need is black felt or construction paper and cut out various sized bats. See the tutorial and get a free bat template from Ella Claire & Co!

If using tape on your walls is against the lease, grab sticky tack at the local convenience store. You’ll be able to hang out the bats on the walls without the worry of marks or damage. 

Here’s a fun little tip! Most of Franklin West’s apartments have fireplaces, so placing those flying critters as if they were flying into your space from the chimney will definitely add spook. Be careful not to place anything flammable inside the fireplace!

Of course, it doesn’t have to be bats. You could do a witch, a black cat, or a few pumpkins. It’s all up to your spooktacular imagination!

Image from Ella Claire Inspired via the website

A New Take on a Pumpkin Tradition

Part of the fun with Halloween is carving out pumpkins. Whether you’re carving a terrifying ghoul or a comical face, carving a pumpkin is just tradition!

When you live in an apartment though carving pumpkins might get a little tricky. 

If you have a private deck or outside space you’re good to go. If not, get your hands on plenty of newspapers. But wait! There are a few alternatives to carving a messy pumpkin. One that won’t start to rot in a week. 

Create your own paper mache jack-o-lanterns! It’s a fun and a cleaner alternative to actual pumpkins. You can you the old, plastic grocery bags that you have lying around in your cabinet, grab some tape, and materials to get your paper mache on!

Check out this tutorial by CrookTribe to see how a paper mache pumpkin can come to life.

Image is a screengrab from CrookTribe’s original video from Youtube.

Where to go in Shadyside for Fabulous Halloween decor?

Not really a crafty person? We’ve got you covered. Here are five local shops where you may find some awesome Halloween decor – 

1. PenHollows on South Highland Ave
2. The Picket Fence on Walnut Street
3. Kards Unlimited on Walnut Street
4. Glassworks on Walnut Street
5. Shadyside Variety Store on Walnut Street

Happy Halloween!?