The Market Square Farmers Market is expanding!

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced this evening that the popular market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, is expanding from Market Square into the adjoining PPG Place walkway between there and Fourth Avenue.

According to the group, "The expansion will allow for new vendors to be added to the mix and the opportunity to offer wine tasting from several locally producing wineries."

New vendors include:

Joyce’s Copper Kettle Fudge

Edible Earth Farm

Breezy Hill Farm

Quiroz Farm

Aunt Carol’s Gourmet Dips

6 Mile Cellars

Greendance Winery (a market veteran)

That means there are about 30 vendors, including some that appear only on certain dates.

The market, which was closed this past week because of rainy weather, is to be back this week with an performance, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., by Gregory Macklin. There will be no market on July 4. 

Anna Bentley/Post-Gazette photo

Last night at Bar Marco, executive chef Jamilka Borges teamed up with Notion's sous chef Bob Broskey to prepare an intimate, six-course French dinner.

Ms. Borges suggested it last month when she learned that Mr. Broskey would be leaving Pittsburgh in July to return to L20, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Chicago (this is a Very Big Deal), where he will serve as chef de cuisine.  He was offered a position and salary he said he could not refuse. 

The two collaborated on a menu that included a parade of French classics.

"This is my food. This is the food I love to cook," said an enthusiastic Mr. Broskey.

Bar Marco's Sarah Thomas curated the meal's wine pairings, offering informative yet breezy explanations behind each selection. And, in true Pittsburgh fashion, staff from other restaurants pitched in, including chefs and servers from Cure, Kaya, Notion, Stagioni and a visitor from The French Laundry in the Napa Valley.

"I really love Pittsburgh. I'm going to miss it here," said Mr. Broskey.


Amuse: Oysters, caviar, Champagne gelee. Deep sea brine balanced by mineral shallows.

Wine: NV Jean Velut Brut Champagne. Flinty sparkles.

Course One: Foie gras mousse, Australian black truffle, sour cherry gelee, spring onion and flower salad. Smooth, funky earth cut with bright, tart springtime.

Wine: Chateau de St. Aubin Armagnac. Scotch-crossed wine.

Course Two: Asparagus three ways, buttered leeks, radishes, lavender. A cup of transition; spring moves into early summer.

Wine: 2009 Domaine Ostertag Gewurztraminer

Course Three: Poached lobster, porcini mushrooms, Iberico ham, sorrel puree. Ocean and woods punctuated with chlorophyll and cured salt.

Wine: 2011 Francois Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir


Course Four: Roast pheasant, onions, chicken liver mousse, demi-glace. Full-flavored poultry roasted tender crisp.

Wine: 2001 Domaine Guillot-Broux Macon-Villages Chardonnay

Course Five: Blanquette of veal, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, celery leaf. Beautiful and refined; perfect complement of flavor.

Wine: 2011 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Touraine "La Guerrerie"

Course Six: Croquembouche, white chocolate ganache. A light finish.

Wine: 2008 Chateau Suidurat Pauillac Sauternes

Two new beer products came to my attention today, and the first one apparently only sounds made up.

"OnTap Liquid Beer Enhancer" is a mix of natural and artificial flavors that you add to cheap beer to make it taste like more expensive craft beer.

It comes in two flavors: American Ale and Pale Ale.

Each bottle, which costs $4.99 plus shipping, is enough to flavor 18 12-ounce bottles or cans.

According to the company's website,"You can purchase an 18-pack and OnTap for less than $20. Take OnTap to a pro sports arena or music event and add it to the already overpriced beer available. Each bottle of OnTap is enough to flavor a full 18-pack (depending on how much you use, of course)."

I know what my fellow craft beer enthusiasts are going to think of this, but OnTap thinks enough people will like the idea of customizing their own brews that they can sell a lot of this stuff.

Meanwhile, Brits Justin Amey and Ollie Hepworth have dreamed up an app that helps you order a beer in 59 languages called Pivo – Order a beer.

The app, developed by the Walker Agency, is named for how they say beer in Prague, where the developers realized they didn't know how to order a brew. The app gives you not only written phonetic instructions, but also a video of a native speaker saying each word.

I think I could manage just about anywhere with hand signals, but if you'd like the app, it's available for your iPhone for about a buck on iTunes.

OnTap photo

Among my vices is a tenacious coffee habit. I'm not alone. My colleagues sip coffee throughout the day. Late-night diners pour from a French press at a wee hour. 

Turns out, coffee may not be so bad for you. Those who drink coffee may live longer, research indicates, according to "This is your brain on coffee" on New York Times' The Well.

Don't forget that Sunday is Dad's Day.

Pittsburgh Dad, the very funny YouTube character above (portrayed by actor Chris Wootten with director/writer Christopher Preksta), is spending part of his day at Dad's Pub & Grub.
That place is the new incarnation of the Monroeville D'z Six Pax & Dogz.

The change of ownership happened April 1, but this "Father’s Day Bash" is its official grand reopening. 

From 1 to 5 p.m., there'll be beer and food specials, live music, games and 64-foot inflateable obstacle course for kids, in addition to the appearance by Pittsburgh Dad (from 2 to 4 p.m.).

They'll be grilling hotdogs, kielbasa, and hot sausage and serving those with classic picinic sides such as corn on the cob and pasta salad, or you can order off the menu. There also will be $3 craft beer cans.

The place, at 4320 Northern Pike, still offers 40 drafts and scores of bottles and cans of beer, and serves a wide variety of dogs, sandwiches including Kelvo's K-Boss -- "juicy
local Polska kielbasa with brown mustard and sauerkraut" -- pizza and other pub fare such as homemade chips.

According to one of the three co-owners, Dan Hadley, "We set out to create an atmosphere that would be fun for the whole family and be a relaxed, casual atmosphere."

UPDATE: Here's Pittsburgh Dad's piece in the Post-Gazette, "Father's Day: That holiday yinz can't be just overlookin'."

Pittsburgh Dad photo via the Post-Gazette