Las Velas Mexican Restaurant

Las Velas Mexican Restaurant is located above Prantl’s Bakery and Mancini Bread Company. It has all the right elements for the perfect lunch, dinner or happy hour spot, including a fun atmosphere, excellent bar options, and a flavorful menu of recipes inspired by Mexico City and the Riviera Maya region of Mexico. Located in their lower level, the Las Velas Margarita bar is the perfect place to grab a few quick tacos for lunch, or to stop by for a late night bite to eat and a delicious margarita any way you like it. The margarita bar opens this Friday on Light Up Night! Las Velas feels it’s an exciting time in downtown Pittsburgh and are so excited to bring the workers, visitors, and residents a little taste of Mexico City and the Riviera Maya. For menus and more information, visit them online at LasVelasMexican.com.

Las Velas Opens!

Located above Prantl's and Mancini's, Las Velas is open today!  David and Ginny kicked off the opening with a party for friends last night.  Those of you that followed Ginny as PittGirl, will be pleased to know that the Mayor & Yarone Zober hold her in high esteem and dropped by last night to contratulate David & Ginny and welcome their business to Market Square.  Amid the diverse crowd of young professionals, familes with small children, and the Mayor, we also spotted Franco Harris.  Las Velas is the place to be!  See their menu options at LasVelasMex.com (there is a lunch menu but you can order the special dinner items any time of day).

In addition to the great food and welcoming atmosphere, Las Velas has a sweet view of the ongoing construction in Market Square.  If you stop by today for lunch, you'll see the crew is not working today.  They are working hard to get the sewer infastructure done.  Yesterday they set a catch-basin by Market Street.  The next step is removing the old catch basins that were along the old curb line.  Since this may disrupt traffic a little, the crew will be working on Saturday instead of today.  Check out the photos of their progress...

Those big metal squares get dropped in and situated just right...

The big circular unit behind the catch basin in a manhole.

Manholes and catchbasins used to be made of brick.  You can see a tiny bit of an older manhole here...

The new ones are being done with a metal core and cement structure around it.

There is a great view from the windows in Las Velas of the cement inside its box.  If you go at the right time you can watch them remove the wooden frames revealing the finished cement structure before it gets covered back up under ground!

The plaza isn't the only thing changing in Market Square...

As we prepare to bid adieu to summer, we have a few things to look forward to as fall advances.  In September, we anticipate some new businesses to open their doors and join the hubub at Market Square!

In the Market At Fifth building (a development by Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation which includes seven gorgeous apartments), we anxiously await the arrival of:

• The Nettleton Shop, featuring distinctive men's shoes, leather gifts and accessories from around the world
•  Heinz Healy's, gentleman's apparel where you'll find casual, business or formal attire

On Graeme Street, located between Nicholas Coffee and Costanzo's we are getting our taste buds ready for the opening of:

• Bella Sera on the Square, a new venture by Bella Sera and Greco's Catering, this member of the Green Restaurant Alliance will be a great place to stop for a glass of wine and plate of tapas after an evening at the Symphony--just across the street!

Also anticipated to open early this fall:

• Las Velas Mexican Restaurant, located in the space above Prantl's and Mancini Bread Company with a killer view of Market Square.

Stay tuned for more information on each business as we approach their openings!