Saying goodbye to downtown Pittsburgh’s Six Penn Kitchen will be hard but we still have until February 17 to savor the unique flavors. Part of the Eat N Park Hospitality Group the restaurant has been a downtown Cultural District staple for nearly a decade. The company cites the need to focus on their other restaurants as the reason for the closure. As someone who has been to all of the branded establishments,  I will admit they are awesome at creating separate concepts with their own identities.

Six Penn Kitchen doesn’t feel like its sibling restaurants as its more the older sophisticated sister than both The Porch at Schenley and Hello Bistro. Every recipe I tried at Six Penn Kitchen was made with love and each dish seemed to tell a story. Some standouts from my Six Penn experience were the Ahi Tun (it had olives, avocado, and egg in it), the white chocolate cranberry pistachio mousse bomb was an unforgettable experience. The mousse bomb was an explosion of flavor in all the right ways. It made me feel like a big kid and I could devour a bowl of it. Speaking with the chefs gave me a bigger appreciation for the food.

I understand that they’re closing but I must follow the chef that makes the homemade zucchini bread as I could eat that by loaf!  It’s moist, it melts in your mouth, and it’s a perfect balance of savory and sweet. It pairs well with their wines on their never ending wine list. Sure, it’ll be weird walking past once they close their doors but I’m an optimist who will remember the flavorful food, family like staff, and the dinning experience. Do check it out for yourself before February 17th as Six Penn was the beginning of The Cultural District culinary culture.