This past Tuesday, I found myself in the midst of a few good friends in a dimly lit bar, a cool glass of wine in my hand, and a plate of sizzling fried pickles being placed gently in front of me when it dawned on me. Of all the places I have eaten in Pittsburgh, Industry Public House is one that I’ve never considered blog worthy… until now. Only a few blocks from my house, I go there all the time. I go there with my work friends, I’ve taken my family there; it’s reliable. It may not have graced the pages of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Restaurants, but in our opinion, it should have. (And shoutout to the Smoke Stack, an Industry specialty drink that took home the Hottest Drink in Town award from Pittsburgh Magazine in 2013.)
While beer and cocktails are the main headliners of this industrial bar (seriously, check out those Edison bulbs) — and rightfully so, with their seemingly endless options — the food isn’t something to ignore, either. While I’ve grown into some tried and true favorites (like the Model ‘T’urkey or Electric Cheese sandwiches, the Farmed Out Burgher or the Beastloaf), I went down a slightly different path this time.
I started with an order of fried pickles, and my friends Hailey and Dan ordered the infamous truffle fries. The pickles were breaded in a mixture of two parts heaven and one part magic to create the fluffiest, sweetest, crunchiest fried pickle house that I’ve ever encountered. And I’m not even being dramatic. The truffle fries are another best entirely. A plate full of hand cut filament fries are doused in truffle oil and gorgonzola and are probably loaded with calories, but they are so delicious, no one even cares. Seriously, my friends and I order them every. single. time.
For dinner, I ordered the ‘Shroomed flatbread and another glass of wine. The flatbread was light and airy and topped with small, diced mushrooms, arugula, chevre and carmelized shallot. Every bite was cheesy and earthy, and I just couldn’t get enough.
Unfortunately, another glass of wine later, our night had to come to an end. We were saying goodbye to a friend from England, who after six months here in the US, was going back home. We went home with happy bellies and happy hearts, already making plans for our next trip back for some truffle fries.
Tiny Tales 