Axios Pittsburgh

March 09, 2026
🍦 Sweet, it's Monday. Page's Dairy Mart opens for its 75th season today!
☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, high near 70.
🎧 Sounds like: "I Can't Help Myself," by the Four Tops.
Today's newsletter is 832 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: 🏆 Help us name this year's top fish fry


Let's do this. Axios Pittsburgh is back for year two of our hunt for Western Pennsylvania's best fish fry.
The big picture: About 250 fish fry spots dot the Pittsburgh region, per Code for Pittsburgh.
- We narrowed that list to 16 churches, fire halls, social clubs and more via reader nominations and long-standing popularity.
How it works: Vote here in our tournament-style bracket each day this week to choose the region's best.
- Voting ends at 2pm, and winners will move to the next round until the champ is chosen on Friday.
- The victor earns a full year of bragging rights, right up to next year's showdown.
Flashback: Axios Pittsburgh readers named Community Kitchen's annual fish fry fundraiser the region's best last year. Can the nonprofit hold onto its crown for another year?
Here's this year's lineup (take a deep breath):
- 👩🍳 Community Kitchen in Hazelwood, Allegheny Elks Lodge No. 339 on the North Side and Swissvale Volunteer Fire Department.
- 🐟 St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church in Monroeville, St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church in Munhall and Brother Andre's Cafe in Uptown.
- 😋 St. Jude's Parish at Sacred Heart in Shadyside, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Polish Hill and Holy Trinity at the American Serbian Club on the South Side.
- 🎣 Croatian National Hall Javor on the North Side, St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Homestead and St. Malachy in Kennedy Township.
- 🍤 Corpus Christi Parish in Bridgeville, Holiday Park Volunteer Fire Department in Plum, Good Samaritan in Ambridge and St. James Church in Sewickley.
2. 🍵 Roaming Bean opens in Strip District
The region's hottest mobile coffee shop has settled into a storefront, bringing scores of fans with it.
The intrigue: The Roaming Bean opened a brick-and-mortar cafe in the Strip District in late January. It's been full of java heads since.
Context: The North Hills-based company has been running mobile coffee carts for about three years, co-owner Maria Folino told Axios during a recent visit.
- The coffee shop has a large following on social media.
🥤 Drink up: Roaming Bean is known for its signature lattes topped with flavored cold foam.
- We ordered the waffle cone latte (a top seller) with raspberry cold foam ($8), the matcha latte with lavender cold foam ($9), and a white chocolate mocha with raspberry drizzle ($8).
- All were indulgent, creamy, sweet and incredibly photogenic.
- I liked the floral notes of the lavender matcha the best.
Dig in: The storefront also offers scores of sweet and savory pastries, as well as breakfast and lunch items.
- The sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich ($10) is served on a fluffy Mancini's twist roll and satiated my hunger pangs.
The vibe: The bright space was packed with patrons when Axios visited on a recent Friday afternoon. A steady stream of customers filed in and out during our stay.
- "A lot of our loyal followers have visited us here," Folino said.
What's next: Folino told Axios that Roaming Bean is looking to expand beyond Western Pennsylvania soon — eyeing Columbus, Ohio.
📍 If you go: 1455 Smallman St., Strip District
- Monday-Friday 7am-2pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-3pm
3. The Bridge: ICE crackdown chills sales
📉 Pittsburgh entrepreneurs say a surge in ICE arrests last year and the ongoing immigration crackdown are driving down sales and deterring new businesses — with immigrant-owned shops that depend on immigrant customers hit hardest. (Technical.ly)
Former City Councilwoman Darlene Harris died on Friday. The North Side Democrat was known for her work in animal welfare, hands-on constituent service and a colorful career marked by periodic controversy. (TribLive)
- "Darlene led a life of service to her community as an advocate, school board director and City Council member that spanned over 40 years," Mayor Corey O'Connor said in a statement.
🌭 Costco said it would return any recovered tariff charges to members through lower prices, but it's still unclear whether retailers will receive refunds. (Axios)
🍺 USA Today readers ranked Pittsburgh the No. 5 best beer city in the nation thanks to our more than 40 breweries and famed Barrel & Flow Fest. The city placed No. 4 in 2025. (10Best)
4. 🏈 1 photo to go: Iron City Draft Day brew
Speaking of our acclaimed beer scene, collectors of Iron City's limited-edition cans have a new prize to track down designed by Pittsburgh illustrator Ron Mahoney.
Zoom in: Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is releasing an NFL Draft-inspired collector's can on shelves today. It'll also pour the special-release beer on tap at more than 100 area bars, restaurants and hotels.
What's next: All eyes are on Pittsburgh April 23-25 when the Draft comes to Acrisure Stadium.
- Pittsburgh Brewing is hosting an official Draft Watch Party April 23 at its Creighton headquarters, featuring every pick on big screens, food trucks and outdoor activities.
- Tickets start at $20.
Celebrating 5 years of Axios Local
🎈1 big thing: For five years, Axios has delivered smart, trustworthy local news to communities like yours — and we're just getting started.
Why it matters: Memberships sustain the journalism you rely on and help us keep delivering strong, independent reporting focused on what matters most.
Your newsletter helps you stay connected. Help us power the next five years of Axios Pittsburgh by becoming a member today.
🌕 Chrissy just learned that Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio.
🦩 Ryan is back from his mini vacay.
🍕 Alexis is looking for the best vegan cheese pizzas.
Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.
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