WESA has partnered with TABLE magazine to share some coverage of Pittsburgh’s food and dining scene with listeners and readers. Welcome to TABLE’s “How to Pittsburgh” issue, the first in this series.
(Click the play button above to hear the conversation between WESA morning moderator Priyanka Tewari and TABLE Editor-in-Chief Keith Recker.)
The love Pittsburgers have for pierogi can be traced back to the city’s Polish traditions. No matter how food trends change, this comforting gyoza remains a Steel City classic. How popular is it? The Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival has become an annual tradition these days, with local printing company Commonwealth Press selling pierogi pillows and the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Great Pittsburgh Pierogi Race during each home game. increase. – Yard Dash.
Our informal “favorite foods” are ubiquitous in our imaginations and on our dinner plates, as evidenced by the delicious hometown options below. This includes the current champions of the Pierogi Fest…even though they’re from Detroit.
Apteca
4606 Penn Avenue
Be sure to try pierogi zu diemniakami, stewed potatoes and cabbage at this all-vegan Middle Eastern European restaurant.
butter joint
208 N. Craig Street
Butter joint pierogies have been a local favorite for years. Try the kielbasa pierogies with vegetables, caramelized onions, pickled beets, sauerkraut and sour cream.
Church Brew Works
3525 Liberty Avenue
Pair pierogi with delicious draft beers at a former church-turned-brewery. Try traditional dumplings stuffed with potatoes and cheese, or indulge in new creations like sautéed buffalo chicken pierogi with beer-braised chicken and celery in a tangy buffalo cream sauce. How do you like it?
Pierogies Plus
342 Island Avenue
This popular McKee’s Rocks takeaway spot makes its pierogi dough and fillings from scratch daily. Grab a sample platter of hotplates featuring Polish dishes such as traditional pierogi and halskies, or if you’re planning a party, a more unique menu featuring pierogi in a variety of desserts served cold in bulk. You can also place a special order at .
S&D Polish Deli
2204 Penn Ave
Catering is key at this Strip deli, offering 12 frozen each of traditional Polish potato and cheddar pierogi, or, for the ultimate host, four dozen, ready to be refrigerated and reheated at home. They serve a full-size hot pot with dumplings.
pietojik pierogi
1429 Gratiot Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48207
Wait, what does a Detroit wholesaler put on its Pittsburgh pierogi list?! Don’t blame us. In a city full of delicious dumplings, attendees at his 2022 Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival named this Detroit location the best pierogi in town. It’s certainly delicious, but hopefully the locals will rise to the occasion and take home this crown at the next festival in 2024.