City Cast Pittsburgh

By City CastSociety & Culture News Daily News

City Cast Pittsburgh episodes

June 20, 2024The Best Mexican Food in Pittsburgh
Whether you love a good taco or some crunchy chilaquiles, the Pittsburgh area has a growing number of restaurants with tasty Mexican dishes. Oscar Zapata, a Mexico City native who came to the Steel City for grad school, joins us to share his go-to spots when he’s craving a taste of home — including some of his favorite family-owned restaurants. You can read Oscar's article for the Pittsburgh Independent.
**This episode originally aired on July 13, 2023.
Oscar rounded up some of his picks for the first-ever print copy of the Pittsburgh Independent, which includes some beautiful photos from freelancer Tom O’Connor.
El Paisano in Beechview
El Colibrí at the Bloomfield Saturday Market
Panadería Jazmín in Mt. Lebanon
Alquisiras Paletería in Beechview
El Rincón Oaxaqueño in the Strip District
Taqueria El Pastorcito in New Kensington
Tasty Taquitos in Garfield, Point Breeze and South Side Works
Los Bajitos in Canonsburg
La Poblanita in Coraopolis
BTOS Kitchen in Dormont
Edgar’s Best Tacos in the Strip District
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 20th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
16 min
June 18, 2024Jay-Z, School Funding & How Vouchers Work in PA
Jay-Z is jumping into the debate about how to improve our state’s “lowest performing” schools, and he’s decided to pump his very influential money into school vouchers. City Cast’s Megan Harris and Sophia Lo are breaking down how schools are funded in Pennsylvania, what Jay-Z’s trying to bring to the table, and why people are mad about it.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 18th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
15 min
June 17, 2024Gov. Shapiro Wants To Legalize Cannabis. What’s the Holdup?
There's actually a good reason to visit Ohio now! We jest, but newly available recreational cannabis might make your to-do list. Now that our western neighbors will have expanded access, what should Pittsburgh expect? Are there lessons we can take from Philly, where residents can get to New Jersey, New York, or Maryland for anything they want? Will troopers be waiting for us at the border? And why, after months of open support, does Gov. Josh Shapiro’s endorsement not mean more to the PA legislators who could codify cannabis here too? Spotlight PA reporter Ed Mahon is here with some answers and to remind us where we stand.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 17th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
19 min
June 14, 2024Tiki Rescues, Tech School Closures & PA Passes a Cell Phone Ban
It’s the Friday news roundup! If you’ve been sneaking a peek at your cell phone while driving, it’s time to stop. The city’s technical and training schools are struggling to the point of closure. And tiki boat captains may be the unsung heroes of the Allegheny River – after all, they keep performing rescues.
We always cite our sources:
Tiki boat captains keep rescuing people in the Allegheny River, which reminds us of a classic Bruce Willis movie filmed in Pittsburgh.
Pennsylvania banned cell phone use while driving; the ban goes into effect next summer.
Triangle Tech is shutting down, but students can still graduate with their degrees through June 2025.
Pittsburgh Technical College is also closing its doors after running into financial troubles, declining enrollment, and issues with leadership.
Point Park University will maintain official records from Pittsburgh Technical College.
POGOH added adaptive bikes to its program, and you can reserve one to ride on their website.
Basketball icon Jerry West died this week; his photo was the inspiration for the NBA logo.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 14th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
21 min
June 13, 2024A Wegmans in Pittsburgh?
It’s our Thursday food show! Giant Eagle is getting some new competition, and the hometown grocery chain is making some changes of its own. We’re getting lots of new restaurants, and one South Side institution is closing for good.
We always cite our sources:
Wegmans is coming to the Pgh area! Ok fine, to Cranberry.
Here are the deets on Giant Eagle’s “Deals for Days” program.
Reddit loves to rag on Giant Eagle, and this is one of our favorite examples.
And the Trib says Double Wide Grille is closing for real this time. RIP volcano.
Check out our convo with Rafael Vencio here: How Amboy Experiments with Tropical Plants in Pgh
If you enjoyed the interview with River of Steel’s Director of Historic Resources and Facilities, Ron Baraff, learn more here.
Learn more about the other sponsor of this June 13th episode: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
26 min
June 12, 2024A Pittsburgher Just Officially Became Baseball’s Best Hitter
Did you know the best batter in baseball history played for Pittsburgh? Not the Pirates, but our Negro League teams that flourished here before integration. Josh Gibson played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords back in the 30s and 40s, and he had an exceptional batting average. But it’s only now, many decades later, that Major League Baseball has finally added his statistics to the record books. We’re with his great-grandson, Sean Gibson, to talk about what this means.
Check out our previous conversation with Sean Gibson, read up on Josh Gibson’s legacy, and learn more about Sean's foundation.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 12th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
16 min
June 11, 2024How To Enjoy Pittsburgh’s Rivers This Summer
Our rivers might not be the cleanest — we’re looking at you, Monongahela! — but that doesn’t mean we can’t get out on the water. City Cast Pittsburgh’s Megan Harris and Sophia Lo are rounding up some of their favorite ways to enjoy our waterways this summer, from glow-in-the-dark night paddles to historical boat tours.
Learn more about the sponsors of this June 11th episode:
Rivers of Steel
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
16 min
June 10, 2024Win Prizes! Summer Reading for Grownups in Pittsburgh
Summer is here, and it’s the perfect season for curling up in a hammock with a good book. If you need an extra incentive to get started, our county library system’s adult summer reading programs offer lots of prizes. Bellevue librarian Erin Thompson explains how you can earn rewards for getting lost in a beach read, plus she’s sharing a few hacks for getting the most out of your library card.
Learn more about our sponsors:
Tours of the Carrie Blast Furnaces are a great way to connect with our region's steel-making legacy. Rivers of Steel offers different kinds of tours — the Industrial Tour highlights the site’s iron-making technology, its workers, and their culture, and the Black Experience shares how the Great Migration shaped the workforce and our surrounding communities. Check them out at https://riversofsteel.com/tours
Liberty Magic is the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s premier speakeasy theater dedicated to the art of elevating magic. In his one-person comedy magic and variety show, The Zabrecky Hour, multiskilled artist Rob Zabrecky invites audiences into his remarkably curious world through storytelling and magic. Get tickets at https://trustarts.org/magic before they disappear.
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
19 min
June 07, 2024Revitalizing Downtown, Shelter Fire & Eat’n Park Turns 75
It’s the Friday news roundup! City leaders are really stoked about landing the 2026 NFL Draft, and they want to spruce up the place before an estimated 750,000 people come to visit. We’re talking about plans to revitalize Downtown — again — plus, Eat’n Park’s 75th anniversary and the AC fire that displaced nearly 200 unhoused people from the Second Avenue Commons shelter.
We always cite our sources:
Eat’n Park turned 75 this week! The local chain started on Saw Mill Run Blvd in 1949. Check out the ad from when the chain first opened in 1949. Fun fact: The Smiley cookie came way later in 1986.
Local leaders have some big ideas for revitalizing Downtown — hopefully ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft — including making Market Square more pedestrian-friendly and adding a lot more green space. Right now, we have really pretty plans, but not a lot of details about the price tag or funding sources.
This week’s fire at Second Avenue Commons probably started from an AC unit on the roof, and there may be water and smoke damage. There’s still no timeline for cleanup or reopening.
People staying there say they weren’t able to grab things like family photos, medical devices, or medication.
Pittsburgh Mercy is taking donations on their website and in-person, and the Our Streets Collective is connecting folks to mutual aid groups in our area, as well as helping with services and supplies on the ground.
The county just unveiled its new “500 in 500” plan, which they’re defining as creating or identifying 500 units of subsidized, affordable housing in the next 500 days. The county says it’s been in the works for awhile, but the fire gave it more urgency.
The pro-Palestine protest on the Cathedral of Learning lawn ended Tuesday morning. City leaders seemed to take credit for a “peaceful” resolution following a lengthy statement from Pitt’s chancellor. Student organizers held a press conference about why the encampment disbanded, and they’ve refuted many of her claims.
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
22 min
June 06, 2024Is Heinz Really the Best Ketchup?
Heinz Ketchup has a chokehold on this city. From stadiums and museums to our own home pantries, it’s the ketchup brand on the table and in any good Pittsburghers’ fridge. But in honor of National Ketchup Day, we’re seeing if our team can actually tell the difference between our hometown brand and the competition. We’re pitting the local OG against a few other ketchups in a blind taste test – and hoping we don’t upset any yinzers along the way.
Check out our episode on Heinz ketchup’s rise to prominence.
If you enjoyed the interview with Rivers of Steel Director of Historic Resources and Facilities, Ron Baraff, learn more here.
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
27 min

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Join Megan Harris and the City Cast Pittsburgh team every weekday morning for a fast-paced daily news podcast that will get you talking and make you question what’s going on here in Western…