Restaurants in Penn Hills

Inspired by both local and international influences, the chefs of Cornerstone Restaurant & Bar prepare a menu of American cuisine that delights in seasonal ingredients and changes. Housed within a building that was originally a bank—complete with original vault doors—the restaurant has offered tastes of pan-seared scallops, served alongside barley risotto, pancetta, blood oranges and roasted brussels sprouts.

While they sit next to exposed-brick walls, diners can feast on risotto with wild mushrooms, duck confit, pomegranate seeds, and crispy parsnips. Lamb burgers are bedecked with goat cheese, arugula, and a balsamic-truffle vinaigrette, and roasted beets are thin sliced and served with fennel and arugula to make up a salad.

Accompanying these meals are a selection of beers, cocktails, and spirits. Domestic and imported beers reveal microbrew and seasonal tastes, and cocktails deliver everything from fruit-flavored vodkas to straight bourbons.

Inside a building that once sat vacant for several years, Barcelona at Rivers Edge transformed the empty space into a modern European restaurant that fuses flavors and styles of Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. The revamped establishment merges international bites with views of the Allegheny River, which are especially impressive from Barcelona’s top-floor lounge and summertime rooftop deck. In addition to its extensive food spread and riverside vistas, Barcelona offers a wide range of wines and cocktails, including house-made sangria.

Executive Chef Jim Brown whimsically incorporates new ingredients into traditional recipes, creating innovative flavor combinations that manage to make familiar dishes feel surprising. The Japanese pumpkin ravioli explodes with flavor, while an herbed filet and stacked chicken round out the menu. To accompany the eclectically inspired menu, Luma features an extensive list of internationally sourced wines that highlights the food-friendly vinos of California.

Bradlios Pizza's menu reads like the wedding vows of Italian and American fare. Kick off a culinary journey with a spicy order of a dozen wing dings ($8.99) followed by a red- or white-sauced regular pizza (large $9.99+) or gourmet pie (large $14.99) built upon a foundation of homemade dough. Square in shape, the Sicilian (large $11.99+) starts with Tomanetti's soft, thick crust and piles on toppings such as pepperoni and spinach ($1.75 each). The veggie stromboli arrives filled with warm sauce and melted cheese (large $9.99), and the Italiano hoagie flavors itself with Italiano flavors (whole $7.99).

A new pizza shop in the Verona/Penn Hills area

Dishing out saucy discs since 1979, Casa Del Sole Pizza treats diners to a multifarious menu of hand-tossed specialty pies. A medium tuscan club ($11.95) comes loaded with fresh-cut garlic, bacon, and grilled chicken, held down by gooey cheese in case gravity fails. Large italian-deluxe pizzas ($14.50) appease protein yens with pairings of pepperoni and sausage, and extra-large Calabrese pies ($15.95) invite green thumbs to harvest heaps of spinach, artichoke, garlic, and feta cheese. With a soft touch and carrot-and-stick technique, Casa Del Sole's dough masons also coax floured globules into customer-designed edibles ($7.95–$10.95), which can be adorned with choice toppings such as steak, mushrooms, or artichokes. Non-pizza gems include spring-mix salads ($4.50–$6.95) and oven-toasted hoagies, such as the Godfather hoagie, a fusion of steak, fries, veggies, and a special hoagie dressing ($10 for a whole).