Taste of the Weekend: Transition to Fall

Not ready for pumpkin picking yet? Us either. Ease yourself in with these local foods, perfect for your transition to fall.

This week, a friend asked if I wanted to go to a pumpkin patch. We all, I’m sure, can imagine the surprise brought on by this ask. August just ended – we’re already talking about pumpkins? The invitation was declined but brought up the undeniable truth that fall is creeping closer.

Welcoming cooler weather, shorter days, and the loss of the outdoor gatherings that dominate summer is never easy. So this weekend, take the time to transition. We’re pulling out sweaters one at a time, harvesting the last weeks of our summer produce, and inviting warmer, comforting fall flavors to our tables.

Triple B Farms

If the pumpkin patch is fall’s main event, apple picking is the opening act. Find all kinds of apple varieties at longstanding, family-owned Mongahela farm, Triple B Farms. Their pick-your-own fields are open only on weekends – visit their website for available apples and more information!

Once you’ve picked a bushel or two, try your apples in a classic apple pie. This recipe for Dutch Apple Pie has a few twists – sour cream and ginger – and bakes into a tangy, sweet, and spicy pie. It’s a wonderful, delicious way to kick off fall.

Apples from the orchard at Triple B. Photo courtesy of Triple B Farms.

Pigeon Bagel

Though known for their chewy, thick bagels, Pigeon Bagel has a secret up its sleeve: cinnamon rolls. The Squirrel Hill shop’s massive, take-up-an-entire-takeout-box cinnamon buns bursts with the warm spices of fall, from the nutty cinnamon filling to the caramel-y maple glaze that tops them. The catch? These breakfast rolls are only available on the weekends.

Revival Chili

Start your soup season off early with Revival Chili, a mobile eatery dedicated to second chances. The chili joint hires citizens who are reentering the workforce, training them in financial planning, food handling and safety, and more, with the hope that each employee leaves carrying the tools to open their own business.

Revival Chili is dedicated to perfecting a “TRUE chili,” one full of flavor and – save for their vegan version – without beans. Go for a bowl of their classic, warm-your-heart beef chili, served over cornbread and topped with cheese, sour cream, and chips. Or, try their show-stopping, sweet and spicy chicken chili, so good "you'll never have to eat anything else again."

Think every chili needs beans? Try this recipe for Mom’s Basic Chili! Kidney beans, red beans, and black beans stud the simple, tomatoey broth.

Beef chili with tortilla chips. Photo courtesy of Revival Chili.

Pusadee’s Garden

Who needs a pumpkin patch when you have Pusadee's sweet, savory pumpkin curry?

Grab a seat in the beloved Thai restaurant's garden courtyard (we can all agree this is better than a pumpkin patch) and soak up summer's last rays while dipping into their smooth, comforting curry. Their version is chock full of fall flavors: pumpkin, roasted kabocha squash, cauliflower, eggplant, tofu, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. Make a meal of it! We love Pusadee's hearty, warming five-spiced, slow-cooked pork belly and super-crispy, fried shrimp.

Pumpkin curry at Pusadee’s. Photo by @letty_yyx.

Page Dairy Mart

We know what you’re thinking. Ice cream in fall? Our answer is yes: Page Dairy Mart carries a full menu of delicious, autumn-flavored treats, perfect for those warm September days.

Their pumpkin roll arctic freeze, a blend of the pumpkin-and-cream-cheese treat with vanilla soft serve and menu mainstay, the hot apple dumpling sundae, a steaming, baked apple dumpling topped with cool ice cream, are seasonal must-haves. And, even more delicious, this year, the ice cream shop has teamed up with Trax Farms to craft a new treat: apple cider floats.