Posts Tagged ‘ East End ’

Bruce “Master of the Web” Lemaire recommends you check out the Sharp Edge Beer Emporium

If you are a fan of different types of beer especially ones that are not widely available, this place is for you. The Sharp Edge serves beers you’ve been looking for, beers you can’t find other places and beers you’ve never even heard of!

Nestled in the heart of the friendship area between East Liberty and Shadyside the Sharp Edge draws a very eclectic crowd. This usually consists of a mix of graduate students, young professionals & artists that reside in this up & coming neighborhood. The atmosphere is one that is lively enough to encompass any weekend night yet not to the point of denying friends interactions at normal volume.

The Sharp Edge features a menu that is almost as diverse as their beer selection. This includes everything from standard bar food to entrees that would be expected to find at any of Pittsburgh’s upscale restaurants. My personal favorite is their “works” pizza which uses a thin crust and is topped with just about anything you could want on a pizza.

Now there is no doubt that the Sharp Edge takes pride in their food, however with a beer selection that boasts 53 different beers on tap and an astounding 276 beers in the bottle, it’s hard not to take notice. This selection is updated and altered constantly insuring that even the most loyal of patrons will have something completely new to try nightly. Drafts from Norway and bottle beer from Sri Lanka, chances are if it’s being brewed somewhere in the world, it’s made an appearance at The Sharp Edge.

Overall when it comes to their draft choices, The Sharp Edge subscribes to a very simple yet important theory. That is that certain beers demand differently shaped glasses to deliver the proper experience. This can be compared to wine service at upscale restaurants. Conveniently, many of these specialty glasses are available to be purchased, which is something my wife insisted we take advantage of.

In closing The Sharp Edge is on my short lists of places I can go regularly for a good night out. Without making this blog obscenely long, I cannot list all the reasons why I believe this to be true. If you’re a fan of any of what I’ve written about, I suggest you give The Sharp Edge Beer Emporium a try for yourself.

The Sharp Edge Beer Emporium is located on 302 South Clair Street in the friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh. They also have locations in Crafton, Sewickley & Canonsburg.

2009
04/01
CATEGORY
Beer
Frendship
Review
TAGS






Write comment

Chris the Credit Manager Visits D’s Loft in Regent Square

A couple of months ago I heard that the owner of D’s Six Pax & Dogz was planning on opening D’s Loft up stairs from their Regent Square location that would feature a cigar bar. With the city of Pittsburgh only boasting one true cigar bar & the east end having not one, this was something that was worth investigating. Truly, if there is one thing I enjoy, it’s the combination of a good cigar and a glass of single malt; therefore you can imagine my excitement at the prospects of D’s Loft.

A couple of weeks later, on a random Thursday night a friend and I decided to check out D’s Loft. The entrance to D’s Loft is directly next to D’s Six Pax & Dogz, where a narrow staircase leads you up to the quaint second floor bar. On first entrance you gain an instant appreciation for how intimate the setting is. A small bar with stools is immediately flanked to your left with a roaring fireplace set into the far wall. Complementing this is a large flat screen TV mounted right above it. There are small chairs and nice leather couches that are positioned against both walls next to the bar as well.

Directly next to the bar is a small humidor with a decent selection of moderately priced cigars. The bartender was very friendly and the small group of people that were present seemed to be enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the room.

I was impressed by the intimacy of the space. In an era of overwhelmingly large crowded, loud bars, where is bigger is automatically concluded to be better, this was a welcome and wonderful change.

I asked the bartender where I could enjoy a cigar and I was directed to a door towards the back of the bar. We grabbed drinks and headed out the door to an outside area that was illuminated by a single light. Was this it? This seemed like a big joke! I was worried that it would end up being a very disappointing night. Then we noticed a door on the other side of this exterior space.

We opened the door and there it was: A room, full of nice leather couches and easy chairs, two flat screen TV’s and a smoke eater that quietly hummed from the ceiling. For two people who were just looking to be able to catch up without having to scream over a crowd, I can’t imagine a better spot.

D’s Loft is located at 1118 South Braddock Avenue in Regent Square 15218, upstairs from D’s Six Pax & Dogz. I was told that they are open Wednesday – Saturday.

We stayed at D’s Loft for about two hours. People came and went, but the group never really swelled to capacity. I have a feeling that this will become one of the East Ends’ best kept secrets for people just looking to get out and find a place to have a drink and relax. If you’re in the neighborhood, cigar smoker or not, I recommend checking the place out.

2009
03/24
CATEGORY
East End
Regent Square
Review
TAGS




Write comment