🍕 National Pizza Day in Pittsburgh

New Rule Could Curb Local Air Pollution

Allegheny County, including the Mon Valley, has work to do. The Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulations cut the allowable level of soot pollution by 25%, and the county only met the EPA’s current standard of 12 micrograms of soot per cubic meter in 2021. The Biden administration says this new rule will “prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays.” [The Allegheny Front]

• 🏭 Pollution doesn’t just hurt your lungs; it affects your mental health, too. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

The Hill Has a Grocery Again!

Salem’s Market, a Middle Eastern and international foods store, held its grand opening at Centre Heldman Plaza yesterday, giving the Hill District its first grocery store in five years. Salem’s fills the former Shop ‘n Save, which sat empty since it closed in 2019. [TribLIVE]

• 😋 Hear more on this and other yummy news in our food roundup podcast. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

See a Pro Women’s Hockey Game

Tickets go on sale at 2 p.m. today for the PWHL hockey game visiting PPG Paints Arena on March 17. The puck drops between Montreal and Toronto at 12:30 p.m., then our Penguins will take on the Red Wings at 6 p.m. [NHL]

• 🏒 We want a women’s team! When the league kicked off its inaugural season, Pens leadership expressed interest in bringing a team to Pittsburgh. [$$ The Athletic]

It’s National Pizza Day, and Pittsburgh is blessed with dozens of delicious ‘zas, but how do you choose?! We tapped Pittsburgh’s favorite pizza journalist, Dan Tallarico, for his top recommendations to satisfy any craving.

First, his bona fides: Dan first fell in love with pizza as a little kid at a birthday party at Luciano’s; as a teen, he delivered for Bellisario’s; he rooted on now-shuttered restaurants during Pittsburgh’s culinary renaissance around 2009; and now he’s a full-fledged pizza connoisseur through his Substack and website pizzawalkwithme.com.

We brought him categories, and he served up his faves! 😍🍕

🧀 Basic Cheese

Dan agrees that there IS such a thing as too much cheese, so he leans toward the classics — Angelo's and Fazio's, both in Bloomfield, as well as Mamma Lucia's in Downtown. But he’ll make an exception for Driftwood Oven's summertime four-cheese specialty pie in Lawrenceville.

🪵 Wood-Fired

Dan is still wistful about Pizza Taglio, which closed its East Liberty spot in 2020, but recommends Driftwood for its family-friendly atmosphere, Mercurio’s in Shadyside and Fox Chapel, and Gus Franco’s in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

🥖 Thin Crust

Check out Mamma Lucia's classic, thin traditional pie, or consider this local hack: Dan says that if you ask nicely, Fazio's will take their medium pizza dough and stretch it out to a large, yielding a delicious cracker crust. Or if it’s just the crispy edges you like, no one does it better than Bedamo’s in Dormont or the North Side.

🍄 Speciality

For a greasy slice open late night, City Cast producer Sophia Lo loves Fazio’s Hawaiian pizza. “​​It’s very salty, very acidic, very sweet. Really, chef’s kiss.” Dan loves Iron Born for all its decadent options. For a cozy date night, add Market Square’s Pizzaiolo Primo and their Neapolitan menu to your long list. Beto’s Ohio Valley-style pizza with its cold toppings can be divisive, but Dan still recommends you give it a try. (Pro-tip: If you get it as takeaway, the steam from the box will melt the cold cheese on your way home). For an authentic New York option, Dan says Rockaway in White Oak is a must-visit.

Body Cams, Tiny Homes & City Programs Come and Go

Attorneys released police body camera and cell phone footage from the night Pittsburgh police officers repeatedly Tased Jim Rogers in 2021. The 54 year old died shortly after. City Council is proposing a tiny home village as one possible solution to houselessness, and the city’s free spay and neuter program is being paused because of suburbanites. Plus, there’s a new full-time emergency medical training program for city residents that pays homage to the city’s past.