Since I moved to Pittsburgh five (!) years ago, no neighborhood has changed more than Lawrenceville. I remember my first venture to the neighborhood: I was going to a meeting at a now-defunct coffee joint called Emma's at the corner of Butler and 44th. The rain conspired with the copious dive bars and empty store fronts to make Lawrenceville seem, well, a little grungy.

Not anymore.

Now Lawrenceville is home to a mildly shocking number of stylish places to nosh, from Dozen Bake Shop at one end to Sweet Basil at the other. Snuggled into shabby-chic-ly renovated Main Street-style storefronts, you can almost imagine these restaurants' chefs living in apartments over their kitchens. As you might expect in a neighborhood undergoing such flux, a number of establishments have changed hands over the years since I first arrived - Regina Margherita is now Piccolo Forno (where you can get a gourmet wood-fired pizza for two and a sharable salad for less than $20) and Ray's Marlin Beach is now Remedy, among others. What you won't find are any chains. Yay.

Another thing that's the-same-but-still-different is this weekend's Joy of Cookies tour. The 9th annual event started on Thursday (way to be on top of things, LB) and runs through Sunday. 18 (non-foodie) business are waiting to share their favorite holiday cookies with you as you peruse their wares.


According to Nadia Diboun from the Lawrenceville Corporation, the Joy of Cookies Tour gets people acquainted with everything the neighborhood has to offer, from the antique shops you might expect to the new theater and floral design shops that are just starting to spring up.

"Some of these non-retail businesses will be offering activities and gift certificates instead of just shopping, and there will be live music at several of the 'take a break stops,'" said Nadia. "There are a lot more activities than before, plus the Cookie Mall on Saturday at the Teamsters Temple, which is basically a huge bake sale to benefit 15 different charitable organizations."

Long-time cookie tour organizer Mary Coleman, who owns the Gallery on 43rd Street, organizes the actual cookies. Recipes have come from many places over the years, but this year's show features the favorite recipes from each of the participating businesses. Since the shopkeepers could not possibly bake enough cookies to keep up with the crowds, Bernadette Ogurchak from Heaven's Scent Pastries is in charge of producing the 11,000+ cookies* that draw the crowds to Butler Street the first weekend in December. And there are recipes, too - a card you can grab at each location.


Visit the Lawrenceville Corporation website for the full run-down of the Joy of Cookies tour. You can also download a map that lists all participating businesses and rest stops.

My only question is how to decide where I'm going to eat lunch.

*Though they expect about 3,000 attendees, you can be sure that most people eat more than one... I know I will!