Lifestyles category, Page 3
Is mac and cheese a Thanksgiving must?
Macaroni and cheese at Thanksgiving — yes or no? For some families, it’s as expected as mashed potatoes or stuffing, a pot of gold beside the turkey. For others, it’s an outlier — a welcome guest but not a required one. And on the internet, the question of whether mac...
TribLive Taste Test: Thanksgiving-themed Cup NoodlesVideo
As those who’ve watched these videos will recall, Thanksgiving has brought us some uniquely horrible opportunities here at the TribLive Taste Test. Witness the apocalyptic horror of Brach’s “Turkey Dinner” candy corn. Imagine a food — if you can — where being candy corn is somehow only the SECOND THING...
Patron’s shuttered East Liberty liquor license transferred to Hard Rock Cafe International
Patron Mexican Grill on Highland Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood has permanently closed. The restaurant at 135 S. Highland Ave. is boarded up with tan paper covering the windows. However, according to TribLive observations Wednesday, some of the light fixtures were turned on inside the establishment. There is a...
Pontifical secret revealed: Pope Leo XIV changes his Wordle start word each day
Pope Leo XIV opened a virtual meeting with American Catholic young people Friday by revealing a closely held pontifical secret: He uses a different Wordle start word each day. Leo divulged his strategy playing the popular New York Times online game before fielding questions via videoconference about artificial intelligence, social...
National Aviary’s ‘Jingle Bell Flock’ show brings high-flying holiday cheer
The National Aviary on the North Side is getting into the festive spirit, starting the day after Thanksgiving with its new “Jingle Bell Flock” immersive show. At a media preview on Wednesday, birds swooped throughout the Aviary’s Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater while bird-themed versions of classic Christmas songs played....
O’Hara couple set to open new ‘elevated’ dining experience in Aspinwall’s business district
Two restaurateurs from O’Hara are the husband-and-wife team behind a new, casually chic restaurant and bar opening soon in Aspinwall. Adam and Diana Kucenic are co-owners of Foxhole Tavern, located in the former Tavern in the Wall, known as Sam’s Tavern to locals, at 211 Commercial Ave. Sam’s Tavern operated...
Roberto Clemente Jr. shares stories of profound loss on Children’s Grief Awareness Day
Robert Clemente Jr. remembers entering Three Rivers Stadium when he was 7, and spotting posters with a picture of his father. He walked directly toward one of the images behind the backstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ former home field on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “I missed him so much that when...
When is the best time to serve Thanksgiving meal?
Late lunch? Early dinner? Sundown? Different homes. Different rules. Different palates. So when is the best time to serve Thanksgiving dinner? Food & Wine asked 15 chefs. The consensus? Fourteen said the best time to serve a Thanksgiving meal is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Of those, 11 said...
Fiber is something most people could use more of. But experts advise caution with ‘fibermaxxing’
U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber. Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new...
‘Say Yes to the Dress’ and Kleinfeld Bridal designer coming to Mt. Lebanon boutique
Wedding dress designer Hayley Paige says that the moment a bride steps into her gown is sacred. “In a world that’s constantly evolving, that moment remains sacred,” said Paige, who will be at Bridal Beginning in Mt. Lebanon on Thursday. “It transcends trend or extravagance; it’s pure expression. For so...
Pittsburgh native Michael Misko keeps whimsy alive with comedy-laden magic act
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Most people start their career sitting behind a screen in an office cubicle, but Pittsburgh-raised magician Michael Misko’s career started in the...
Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley offers treats and more for furry friends
The door opens and in walks Bentley. He goes directly behind the counter … and waits. “Bentley knows where the treats are,” said Lee Ann Carey, owner of Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley. “Dogs will be on the sidewalk a few stores away and they just know where this shop...
Artificial heart kept Collier man alive until he could get a transplant
When Landon Shaw was 16, a big, bulky machine sat by his bed. Twelve-foot hoses with attachments connected to both sides of his heart, pushing air to pump blood throughout his body, making a loud whooshing sound. For 17 days, the biventricular assist device, known as a BiVAD, an artificial...
O’Hara native travels the country collecting baseball-themed bobbleheads
Tom Iurlano was 5 when his late aunt Margaret Tomko treated him to a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game at Forbes Field in Oakland. He came home with a souvenir he still holds dear and keeps on display in his O’Hara home. “She bought me a L.A. Dodgers bobblehead,” said Iurlano...
Making Thanksgiving happen: Filling the table despite high prices and tough times
Food insecurity has been an issue for many Americans since the covid pandemic and the inflation that followed. In 2025, it has escalated amid concerns about tariffs, program cuts, layoffs and the federal government shutdown. For those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, uncertainty has deepened as a...
Are buy now, pay later options worth it? Western Pa. weighs in
It’s hard to miss the buy now, pay later options becoming more common on the checkout pages of online stores, both large retailers like Amazon and Walmart, and small local businesses. Buy now, pay later is exactly what it sounds like. Similar to layaway programs, buy now, pay later sites...
North Carolina resident stops in Pittsburgh advocating for lung cancer patients
For Dusty Donaldson, one journey led to another. After navigating the emotional path of a lung cancer diagnosis, operation, chemotherapy and recovery, Donaldson decided to travel down another road. She purchased a Ford Transit Connect van and drove across the country to create awareness for early detection of lung cancer....
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 14-16
Brrr! It’s been a chilly week and it’s only going to get colder from here. It’s tempting to just curl up with a blanket and the streaming show of the week, but wouldn’t it be more fun to attend some of these events? Check them out. Phipps Holiday Magic Gear...
Doritos and Cheetos dial back the bright orange in new versions without artificial ingredients
Doritos and Cheetos are getting a makeover. PepsiCo said Thursday it’s launching toned-down versions of its bright orange snacks that won’t have any artificial colors or flavors. Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD will hit store shelves on Dec. 1. It’s part of a broader shift underway at PepsiCo, which announced...
La Vigneta Winery reopens in Winfield — this time as a restaurant
What started in 2011 as a small-scale winemaking operation in the basement of Francesca Howden’s home is now a 175-seat upscale restaurant in Winfield. La Vigneta Winery reopened in late October at the former site of the Cooper Station Restaurant on North Pike Road (Route 356). The winemaker previously operated...
Fern Hollow Nature Center hires Janel Morrison as its naturalist
Janel Morrison takes getting close to nature seriously — as the newly hired naturalist at Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley Heights, she spends part of every workday in the meadow. Morrison’s position includes engaging the public through education, programming and land management on the 33-acre property, as well...
Western Pennsylvania teachers get creative with classrooms in learning
Jessica Pilyih rarely sits at her desk. And her students don’t sit at theirs, either. “I am not a desk person,” Pilyih said as she sat at one of the semi-circular round tables inside her fifth-grade classroom at Holiday Park Intermediate School in the Plum Borough School District. “I have...
Salt-N-Pepa join Rock Hall of Fame with Outkast and White Stripes
LOS ANGELES — Salt-N-Pepa threw on their old tri-color leather jackets and brought the crowd to its feet with a romping rendition of “Push It” and Outkast and the White Stripes skipped the reunions but their music moved the house anyway on Saturday night at the Rock & Roll Hall...
Major retailers promise a cheaper Thanksgiving, but there’s a twist
Grocery giants Walmart, Target and Aldi are trumpeting their Thanksgiving meal deals as more affordable than ever. But those retailers are doing exactly what shoppers are doing, trading down to cheaper private-label alternatives or offering fewer items. Walmart’s meal this year features nine Great Value private-label brand items out of...
Explore the lore of the McRib, making its fall return at McDonald’sVideo
You love it — or you hate it. Opinions are pretty divided on the McRib sandwich from McDonald’s. Some people love the smoky barbecue taste and have given the sandwich a cult-like following. And speaking of cults, others look at a McRib and see only the Lovecraftian horror of meat...
