Hough's - Sweetwater Brewing Night

Special thanks to guest correspondents, Simon and David! 

Sweetwater put on a great show on Wednesday at Hough's. There were over 40 people in attendance and they had some fantastic snacks including pulled pork tacos and some delicious seared ahi tuna. Phil from Sweetwater told us that they are planning on expanding this year to the Pittsburgh region from their home town of Hotlanta.

Sweetwater beers are unfiltered  so you can expect to see more draft offerings as opposed to bottles. The pilsner was the crowd favorite but we expect that the 420 ale with its hoppy flavors will have a great following as well. Look for their blueberry beer to launch soon!

I can't wait to see what Sweetwater has in store for us in the coming months.

Mitchell's Bar and Restaurant

Cheez

SO I have some great things to say about Mitchell's. First of all Matt Mitchell is the man. The restaurant has been in his family for four generations and he brings an exciting new energy to the space. Secondly, the specials are pretty great for a downtown bar. During happy hour on Thursday you can enjoy half off the appetizer menu, bar trivia and $3 craft bottles. Considering that some of the craft bottles were in the range of 9% ABV, we all got a little toasty. (Bell's Two Hearted, some nice Belgium's and a number of IPAs.)

Mitchell's menu has a number of  standard bar offerings. Nothing was flashy, but everything was well prepared. I really enjoyed my hand-breaded friend cheese. Also, Mitchell's placed free food all over the bar throughout the evening including soft pretzels, onion rings and fried zucchini. Overall Mitchell's is a top-rate bar for a cheap downtown happy hour. Although it is possibly not well suited for the cosmo-drinking Sex in the City crowd, it is certainly my type of joint.

Burger Model

Can Rashan has Cheezburger?

Howl at the Moon

WOLF WOLF

Howl! Not only is it a fantastic poem by some beatnik, but now it is also a piano bar downtown. Howl was kind enough to invite our entire group to check out their place for their soft opening in April. It was really a great space and we also loved the staff!

Expect to see some talented artists perform! My neighbor Annie was among the many vocalists and pianists featured throughout the night. Most of the music was modern rock with a few classics tossed in for good measure. I've heard that the place has been swamped the last few weekends, so you might consider a reservation.

Food Model Riesa

On the night of their opening Howl offered us a wide variaty of tasty treats such as chicken skewers, egg rolls, fried mac and cheese, crab stuffed mushrooms and all sorts of other standard party foods. It is not clear from their website if they regularly offer food or if this was a one-time special offering.

Here's a bucket of drinks! In addition to a full bar, Howl has all sorts of crazy cocktails that are perfect for girls in their early twenties or extravagant moms out for a night on the town. (I enjoyed trying the bucket drink, but I just can't drink the sugary stuff anymore because I have the gout.)

Archie's

Wingz

Let me tell you something, Archie's has stepped up their wing game. The last time I tried wings at Archie's I was not entirely impressed. I thought the wings were pretty average.

However, upon my last visit I am thrilled to report that the wings were arguably some of the best in the Southside. Some of the flavors I enjoyed included spicy thai, spicy parmesan, cajun, hot and spicy ranch. All were fried to perfection and perfectly sauced!

Archie's real selling point is that you can enjoy 35 cent wings Monday through Thursday. (They jack up the cost on the weekends for all the tourists.) I believe this is what they call a lost leader. Boss man Archy gets you in the door with cheap wings and profits on your need for alcohol. Because, let's be honest, you can't eat chicken wings and not have a beer.


 

MUSIC TO MY BEERS!

COORS

GUYS!

This is your final reminder to enter for the Music to my Beers Coors Light competition to win a season pass to every concert at Stage AE through October 1. All you have to do is Tweet, Instragram or post on Facebook using hashtag #MusicToMyBeers along with your favorite summer song. Mine is absolutely Me and Julio Down by the School Yard by Paul Simon. You can also enter at http://musictomybeerspgh.com/

Also, if you win, you have to take me to at least one concert.

HAPPY SUMMER