What's Cooking: Beaver Falls restaurant closes; Union Brothers opens new brewery location
(What's Cooking is a twice-a-month look at what's new in the local dining and drinks scene.)
Taste The Caribbean, a Beaver Falls restaurant, shut down operations last week.
"Business has been slow," explained a late-December post on Taste The Caribbean's Facebook page where numerous people commented they were sad to hear the eatery would be closing permanently.
Jerk chicken, fried plantains, saltfish and oxtail were among the authentic menu items served by the Caribbean eatery that had opened in October 2022 at 1612 Seventh Ave., easy to spot, with its distinguished yellow brick exterior.
Ambridge tea room to continue as bakery/cafe
Aunt Bridget's Tea Room in Ambridge will continue as a bakery/cafe under new ownership in 2024.
Previous owner and founder Holly Mathias retired on Dec. 30, having announced months earlier she hoped to find a new owner to carry on the 1400 Duss Ave. tea, scones, salads and sandwich cafe.
"I am pleased to announce that a new owner will be taking over the café in early 2024," Mathias posted on Facebook. "There will be changes, I'm sure, but she loves the atmosphere of the room as much as we do. I hope you will continue to patronize the spot. I plan on being a frequent customer."
New brewery outside Harmony
Union Brothers Brewing is pouring craft beers and serving creative pub food at its brand-new location in Jackson Township, a stone's throw from Harmony, Butler County.
Soft opening hours have been 11 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
The menu features wings, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and shareables/appetizers such as poutine, chili, shrimp and onion rings with horseradish sauce.
Sandwiches include the Grilled Mac and Cheese ($13), Pulled Pork ($15) and West Philly ($16), with smash burgers flavored by hickory smoked bacon, pepperjack cheese and more.
Funnel cake fries and apple pie empanadas are desserts.
There's even a doggie menu with Dog Nuggets or a Dog Patty for $5, and a Dog Sweet Potato fetching $3.
The beer list, sold by glass or pitcher, includes styles like Marzen, Kolsch, Sours, IPAs, Ales, Porter and Stout.
The interior includes bold artwork depicting blue-collar themes, such as a steel mill, a welder, tower cranes and a power grid, adorned with messages like "stay united" and "drink local."
There's an outdoor deck and lawn area for warmer weather days.
Union Brothers, now at 270 Mercer St., on the edge of Historic Harmony, had spent its previous three years operating six-tenths of a mile north in Jackson Township, in a former ice cream shop and diner.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream donates to Heyward House
Beaver County-based Bruster’s Real Ice Cream presented a donation of $5,000 to The Heyward House, a regional youth-focused nonprofit founded by Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
Through a partnership launched between Heyward and Norm Ely, who runs the Bruster's in Hopewell Township, Pittsburgh-area locations of Bruster's offered The Heyward Blitz Sundae in August. For every sundae sold, a $1 donation was made to The Heyward House.
Dry January options
Chippewa Township and downtown Pittsburgh restaurants are making sure Dry January participants still can drink cocktails − the alcohol-free kind, of course.
Z Pub & Diner, in the Chippewa Center shopping area off Constitution Boulevard, announced via Facebook it has holiday mocktails, including a kid-friendly one with whipped cream, jimmies and a gingerbread man garnish.
City Works Eatery & Pour House in Pittsburgh's Market Square offers this month three special mocktails:
Mellow Mule with cucumber, honey syrup, mango syrup, lime juice and ginger beer.
Strawberry Soothe with strawberries, lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and a splash of lemon lime pop.
Peaceful Paloma, lime juice, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, soda water with a salt rim.
2024 restaurant trends
The rise of mocktail menus is one of the top restaurant food trends predicted for 2024.
Nike Communications of New York asked chefs at influential restaurants nationwide to forecast what's headed our way, dining-wise, this new year.
Other predicted trends:
An increased reliance on local and seasonal ingredients.
Evolving consumer preferences, ranging from seafood to dairy alternatives.
More sustainability and zero-mile produce with restaurants finding ways to secure a space − even in an urban environment − where they can grow their own vegetables.
Return to comfort food, withdiners seeking dishes prepared in a more rustic fashion. Gone are modern food platings with dots and splashes of sauces, with a preference for actual plateware and silverware leaning more toward traditional silhouettes and designs.
Mushroom-infused coffee and other innovative beverages seeing a rising popularity, including mood-enhancing drinks. Drinks incorporating adaptogens − herbs, roots and other plant substances (like mushrooms) − have gained traction for what some people believe are stress-relieving and mood-stabilizing properties.
Scott Tady covers entertainment and the local dining scene for The Times. Send him local restaurant news at stady@timesonline.com.
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This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: What's Cooking: Union Brothers opens new Harmony location
