WHAT’ S NEWS IN MONROEVILLE
ESTA ESTA NAMED MONROEVILLE’ S BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT BY BUSINESSRATE
Nick Marie’ s Esta Esta Restaurant has been recognized as the Best Italian Restaurant in Monroeville for 2025 by BusinessRate. It is based on verified data from Google reviews, as analyzed and certified by BusinessRate.
The recognition is part of the BusinessRate Best of Monroeville 2025 Awards, which identifies local leaders in customer satisfaction, brand reputation and service excellence using publicly available Google review data.
Esta Esta has been a family business for 71 years.“ We are proud to be a part of Monroeville,” said Michael Marie, part of the second generation of ownership.
Visit the restaurant to enjoy truly authentic Italian cooking. It’ s open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and reservations are recommended.
412 FOOD RESCUE RECEIVES GRANT
412 Food Rescue received a $ 15,000 grant from Bayer Fund to support its Good Food Project and its Grocery Bagging Program, which work to reduce food waste while addressing food insecurity across the Pittsburgh region.
The grant marked the fourth year that the Bayer Fund has supported the Good Food Project, which transforms surplus high-quality food into nutritious frozen meals distributed to nonprofit partners for community members in need. The organization produces about 1,300 meals each month through this zerowaste kitchen initiative.
The Grocery Bagging Program, in which volunteers pack and deliver bags of fresh produce and pantry staples to local housing authority sites, distributes roughly 1,500 pounds of groceries each week— with expanded capacity during the holiday season.
Leaders from both programs emphasized the partnership’ s role in creating sustainable, equitable food systems by turning food that might otherwise go to waste into vital nourishment for families facing hunger.
’ TIL DIRT DO US PART
The Professional Bull Riders( PBR) will return to PPG Paints Arena Feb. 13 – 14 with the PBR Lovestruck Buck-Off, which follows a sold-out Steel City debut in 2025.
The Valentine’ s Day weekend event will feature the world’ s top bull riders and animal athletes, along with a uniquely Pittsburgh celebration of love.
A highlight of the event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14, when Pittsburgh Steelers legend and two-time Super Bowl champion Brett Keisel will officiate the weddings of eight couples( a nod to the sport’ s iconic 8-second ride) on the dirt inside the arena.
Couples were invited to apply through a video submission, with selected pairs receiving a complimentary ceremony,
VIP access, Ariat boots for each bride, a wedding photo with Keisel, and other special experiences.
Keisel— who has deep ties to both Pittsburgh and ranch life— called the event a one-of-a-kind way to help couples start their next chapter.
Tickets for both nights are on sale through Ticketmaster and pbr. com.
PBR is preparing to transform PPG Paints Arena with hundreds of tons of specially blended dirt, more than 50 bucking bulls, and a full-scale production for two nights of high-energy competition and celebration.
KEYNOTES MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION 2026
Keynotes is accepting applications for its music scholarship competition, set for May 9 at the Fine Arts Theater of Mt. Lebanon High School in the South Hills. More than $ 16,000 in cash awards will be available for outstanding young musicians.
Eligible applicants include instrumentalists under age 26( as of June 1, 2025) and vocalists under age 30. Students must be full-time music majors at a college, university, or music school— or graduating high school seniors who have been accepted into a full-time music major program.
Applicants must also be legal Pennsylvania residents for at least one year, or out-of-state students who attend school in Pennsylvania and can provide proof of a Pennsylvania address( such as a campus address, university mailing, or utility bill).
Applications are available online at keynotesmusicscholarship. com. You may also request one by contacting scholarship chair Lori Walter at 412.260.6972 or houdini5 @ hotmail. com.
The application deadline is April 30, 2026.
For more information, visit keynotesmusicscholarship. com or find Keynotes on Facebook at Keynotes Music Scholarship. n
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