City Cast Pittsburgh

Some of our favorite restaurants are celebrating their 10th anniversaries! That includes places like Driftwood Oven (home of the ever-popular sourdough pizza) and Butterwood Bake Consortium (known for its late night cakes). What was happening a decade ago that allowed these restaurants to flourish — and how did they change Pittsburgh's food scene? Post-Gazette dining critic Hal B. Klein joins host Megan Harris to discuss his Class of 2015 series and share how spots like Senti and Scratch & Co. totally rocked our local dining scene.

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Fulton Commons

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We are inching closer and closer to the holidays, and if you've been putting off your shopping, we want to help you find the perfect Pittsburgh gift! Host Megan Harris is with writer and historian Virginia Montanez, who's been putting together a yinzer gift guide for nearly two decades, to share their topics for 2025.

Plus, the rest of the City Cast Pittsburgh team got in on the fun. Get our recommendations for home decor, food and drink, and more. 

Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm or gift a membership at https://membership.citycast.fm/gifts

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 8th episode:

Fulton Commons

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

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The Esplanade development finally broke ground in Chateau, after nearly a decade of planning, which means we're one step closer to a permanent Ferris Wheel on the North Side. Plus, there are fresh hopes and dreams for Station Square now that a new developer is taking over. Host Megan Harris, executive producer Mallory Falk, and producer Sophia Lo discuss what they'd like to see on the riverfront site, why alcohol sales are dipping in PA (and why Pennsylvanians can't get enough of Fireball and pink lemonade vodka), and why you'll soon see driverless taxis cruising down city streets.

How should Pittsburghers be celebrating their milestone birthdays? Call or text the BIRTHDAY HOTLINE at 412-212-8893.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 5th episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

The Frick Pittsburgh

Honeygirls Wraphaus

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If you love coffee and pizza, then you're in luck. Pittsburgh's got a bunch of new cafes and restaurants with plenty of warm drinks and delicious slices. Producer Sophia Lo and newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco are deep diving the menus, plus discussing other new eats around the city, from noodle shops to a Mexican spot.

We're so sad Bae Bae's closed! Where should we be getting japchae instead? Call or text our KOREAN FOOD HOTLINE at 412-212-8893.

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 4th episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

The Frick Pittsburgh

Honeygirls Wraphaus

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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The 2026 Farmers' Almanac predicted that Pittsburgh would see its first snow around December 1, and if the rest of their forecast pans out, then we're in for a "chill, snow, repeat" winter. As we break out our shovels and salt, we've been wondering how often our region actually deals with this kind of winter weather and when it’s been bad enough to break records or shut down the city. Host Megan Harris and newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco are digging into the worst snowstorms and cold snaps in Pittsburgh history – and how we even started measuring this data in the first place. 

**This episode originally aired on January 21, 2025.

If you enjoyed today's interview with AIDS Free Pittsburgh's Chief Relationship Officer and Project Director, Richard Smith, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 3rd episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

The Frick Pittsburgh

Honeygirls Wraphaus

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Pittsburgh officials agreed to pay $6 million last year to make a master plan — a blueprint for how the city should grow and improve over the next 25 years. But now many months in, City Council and some community leaders say the contractor responsible for gathering ideas didn’t do enough. Should we have gotten more bang for our buck? And if Council quits now, how much money can we get back? Post-Gazette reporter Hallie Lauer joins host Megan Harris to explain why the expensive plan might stall out and how you can still get involved.

Learn more about Pittsburgh's 2050 Comprehensive Plan and share your input here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 2nd episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

The Frick Pittsburgh

Honeygirls Wraphaus

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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We are in the thick of the holiday season here in Pittsburgh, and there's so many ways to bask in the glow of cheery light displays. Explore a photography exhibit, shop at seasonal markets, and consider getting a pretzel to celebrate New Year's. Plus, if you want to lean into the festive spirits, be sure to visit one of the city's many pop-up holiday bars.

Want to make a request for our holiday music show? Call our HOLIDAY MUSIC HOTLINE at 412-212-8893, and let us know what song you want to hear, where you're calling from, and if you want to dedicate your request to a loved one. 

Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm/ 

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Pittsburgh community. 

For even more tips on how to make the most out of November in Pittsburgh, check out Hey Pittsburgh’s take on what to do this month.

City Cast Pittsburgh is made possible by our awesome sponsors, AIDS Free Pittsburgh, The Frick Pittsburgh, and Honeygirls Wraphaus.

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Join City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris alongside fellow hosts from Austin, Chicago, DC, Denver, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle, and the Twin Cities for a special episode that’ll help you knock out your holiday shopping early and support small businesses around the country. From a handlebar mount (and app!) that’ll turn your phone into a bike cam, to a mustard-of-the-month subscription box, our hosts are here to tell the stories of local businesses in their cities making cool stuff that you can order online right now. 

Visit our website to find the full list of recommendations with links for holiday shopping!

Learn more about the sponsor of this November 26th episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

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99% of Pittsburgh's businesses are considered "small," and so many of our favorite small businesses make about a third of their revenue for the whole year during the holidays. So while you might be tempted by Amazon's Black Friday Deals, consider perusing a neighborhood's main street on Small Business Saturday instead. Host Megan Harris is with YaJagoff's Rachael Rennebeck to make the case for shopping small all year long.

Feeling inspired to support small and local shops? Visit one of our many holiday markets to find the perfect gift.

If you enjoyed today's interview with AIDS Free Pittsburgh's Chief Relationship officer and Project Director Director, Richard Smith, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsor of this November 25th episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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It's Pittsburgh's birthday week! To celebrate, we're diving into some history about how our city spells its name. Today, we all agree that Pittsburgh ends with an H, but in our earlier days, people were very split on the issue. We’re bringing back a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian and author Virginia Montanez to learn about the basic rules of how we spell things (really), why Pittsburgh was so bad at it (shocking), and how newspapermen and intellectuals made everything worse (¯\_(ツ)_/¯). 

**This episode originally aired on July 22, 2024.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 24th episode:

AIDS Free Pittsburgh

Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership

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