Dozen Cupcakes Final Bake Sale: Closed for Good

Dozen Bake Shop's Final Bake Sale

It was a sad day for Pittsburgh as Dozen Bake Shop hosted their final bake sale this morning in Lawrenceville. The bakery that was once voted having the “Best Cupcakes” by our readers has closed their doors for good.

Whether you voted for them in that poll or not, it cannot be denied that Dozen was a great asset to Pittsburgh. They brought the cupcake trend to the Burgh, but more importantly, they expanded beyond cupcakes and explored ways to run a locally-sustainable business that conscious foodies could enjoy. They came up with fresh new menus, sourced local/organic/animal-free ingredients, and even opened on Mondays! Before Dozen came to town it was impossible to get a cupcake on a Monday. What will Pittsburgh do without their vegan sweets and Elvis cupcakes?

The closure was a big surprise to Boring Pittsburgh and we had to find out why they made the decision to shut their ovens off. First let’s look at a timeline of some random events leading up to this day:
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Dave Calfo’s Heritage of Steel

Pittsburgh's Steel Artist, Dave Calfo

Artist Dave Calfo (#BurghVerified) originally thought he would spend his life working with steel. But when the fourth-generation Pittsburgh native of Hungarian descent returned to the city after a stint in the U.S. Army in the early 1980s, he found, like so many others, that the steel mills were closing shop.

“There was nowhere for me to work,” Calfo said. “I thought I’d work in the steel mills, but I never had the chance.”

Today, his hands aren’t casting steel in a mill – they’re molding it into fine art, a tribute to Pittsburgh’s proud history. Inspired by the hard work of those who labored in the mills, Calfo turns steel-related scrap and salvage into gritty, beautiful sculptures. He’s also documented the city’s heritage in a collection of photographs.

“It was truly a part of the lives of families here,” Calfo said of the steel mills. “People have forgotten.”

Inspired by “junk”

A master carpenter by trade, Calfo created his first piece of art on a dare. While renovating a bar in Lawrenceville and after moving some benches, Calfo and his coworkers found a bunch of old cigarette lighters and some rolling papers.

“A friend challenged me to make something out of it,” he said.
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J’eet – Just Dialectical or also Delectable?

J'eet - a TableforOne restaurant review

In Pittsburgh – life is interesting; we grow up learning English but also understanding Pittsburghese. We are surrounded with a dialect that reverberates between a language and a way of life. Like many communities in Europe, they too understand English but choose to converse in their native tongue. So in Pittsburgh we experience the same thing – we understand Pittsburghese yet none of us will ever dare speak it.

When I heard of this new restaurant - J’eet Cafe – nestled in Upper Lawrenceville across from Children’s Hospital, I was unsure. I envisioned some ungodly mixture of hipster and yinzer – akin to a modern art gallery inside a steel mill. What I found instead of J’eet was a steady coffeeshop and to-go hotspot with a coffee bar and wooden benches and chairs. Sporting a flaky crust of slightly bohemian fast paced atmosphere, J’eet also includes a creamy middle of original space and décor. I even overheard that J’eet had an outdoor deck and free wi-fi. Of course in March to eat outside in Pittsburgh, one would need to sport most of the following*: a babushka, a bumbershoot, and rubbers.
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Looking Through the Kaleidoscope Café

Kaleidoscope Cafe Pittsburgh restaurant review by TableforOne

Restaurant Review: Kaleidoscope Cafe in Lawrenceville

Nestled on the back streets of Lawrenceville at the site of the former River Moon Café, the Kaleidoscope café is laying claim to new territory. Wooden chairs and a slate floor give the feel of old Pittsburgh, but the abundance of an artistic décor branches out from Pittsburgh past. What I now know was that the Kaleidoscope café’s secretive outer façade hides a more sinister device. Each table sports a singular kaleidoscope and by seizing this tool we can see what the future holds for Lawrenceville cuisine.
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“When the Rain Stops Falling” Show Review

When the Rain Stops Falling at the Quantum Theatre by Heather Mull

(Daniel Krell, Daina Michelle Griffith, & Nick Lehane by Heather Mull)

“Some people believe it’s the end of the world. That’s why I wanted to see you.”

This weekend, The Quantum Theatre premiered its latest play, When the Rain Stops Falling, by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, which is not to say that the play premiered at The Quantum Theatre. The play is being performed in Lawrenceville, at the former site of the Iron City Brewery. Those familiar with Quantum’s reputation will not find this especially unusual, just as the latest installment in Quantum’s long history of staging productions in unconventional venues.
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