From indulgent desserts to inspiring art and heartfelt community support, Pittsburgh offers experiences that nourish both body and soul. Whether you’re savoring a chocolate soufflé, admiring a one‑of‑a‑kind painting, or supporting local causes, these moments remind us of the beauty in everyday life.
What’s Delicious, What’s Beautiful, What’s Hot
Chocolate Soufflé for Two
Poulet Bleu
Lawrenceville
The rebirth of the DeShantz Restaurant Group’s Poulet Bleu feels like getting an old friend back. The original dining room and bar are still warmly and bustling, but the old front courtyard is now an additional dining space. You can dine there accompanied by the trickle a fountain. Classic bistro dishes remain, made with the precision and simplicity required of good French cooking. Order freely from the menu: everything is si bon. The dish everyone is talking about again, however, is the chocolate soufflé. Baked to order for two, it arrives towering and aromatic, its delicate crust giving way to a cloudlike interior. A trio of sauces and ice cream turns each spoonful into a small event—rich yet surprisingly light, and exactly the kind of celebratory finish this reopening deserves. Order the soufflé when you order your meal. Reserve a table well ahead of the day you want to go.
A One of a Kind Work of Art
Painting by April Ryan
Available at Shoppe B, Brenda Friday Design Lawrenceville
Our onscreen lives overflow with targeted ads and algorithm-driven repetition. How do we remind ourselves of the depth and sensualism of our very own humanity? With a deep cleansing breath of originality and delight. April Ryan’s intimate little paintings at Shoppe B/Brenda Friday Design are just what the doctor ordered. Each small work is a singular object: brushstrokes you can trace with your eye, color choices that reveal a human hand and mood, surfaces that hold light differently every time you walk past. These are not files to be swiped away or scrolled past but companions for a desk, a bedside table, a favorite corner. Owning one becomes a quiet daily ritual, a reminder that offline beauty can be personal, unrepeatable, and inspiring—an analog antidote to the all too often bland, unsatisfying nature of digital life.
Compassion
Support a local human services group and help make our world a place for us all
Compassion is having a moment—and not a superficial, hashtag version, but the real thing: daily, deliberate, and quietly radical. In a news cycle that pounds us with outrage and despair, choosing kindness is a form of dignity that is a gift to ourselves and to others. Maybe we can’t control global headlines, but we can soften the edges of our own corners of the world. Help someone else’s proverbial garden grow, even when your own day feels rocky. It’s up to us to build the world we want to inhabit, one generous act at a time. We admire Action Housing for its work to provide decent homes for people trying to get a safe foothold in our region. We love the Foster Love Project because every kid deserves to grow up with dignity. And Family Links helps families and individuals face their challenges with counseling and care.
Recipe by Keith Recker
Photography by jeff Swensen
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