Downtown visitors could hear the Pittsburgh Steeline drumming for blocks as it kicked off the Taste of the Draft fundraiser Wednesday evening.
Considered to be an unofficial start to the 2026 NFL Draft, the philanthropic and tasting event drew about 700 people to sample food from more than 20 local restaurants at The Tower at PNC Plaza, the headquarters for PNC Bank and Taste of the Draft’s presenting sponsor.
Event proceeds support GENYOUth, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing school nutrition access and physical activity, and will fund grants for 91 schools across the region.
“One in five children in Pennsylvania, and across the country, wakes up every single day wondering where their next meal will come from,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, CEO of GENYOUth. “For those children and more, school meals are a lifeline.”
State and local leaders, as well as Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, made remarks praising the event and getting the crowd in the NFL Draft spirit with 24 hours to go.
“This has become our Super Bowl off-season event, and to bring it to Pittsburgh is something for someone who spent five years of his life in this area,” Roger Goodell said, referring to his time as a college student at Washington & Jefferson College.
But with tasting stations set up across three locations, including a block party area, food was never far from the conversation.
“You can put french fries on absolutely everything while you’re here,” advised Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Taste of the Draft selections included classic Pittsburgh foods such as mini sandwiches from Primanti Bros., a cookie table with treats provided by six bakeries and 1,000 Prantl’s “take-out” desserts, including samples of the bakery’s famed burnt almond torte.
“We just had a gentleman say he’s going to take one and eat it for breakfast,” said Prantl’s catering coordinator Kathy Samek.
The event’s marquee dish — bigos, a hearty Polish stew — also had deep Pittsburgh roots. Created by celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, the stew was served over a roasted potato and made with kielbasa, mushroom, sauerkraut, bacon, pork, parsley and dill.
Other dishes included picks from Downtown eateries such as crab cakes from the Original Oyster House — known as Pittsburgh’s oldest restaurant — steak au poivre from Del Frisco’s and fried chicken biscuits from The Speckled Egg, both nearby in the Union Trust Building.
More than 25 Steelers players and NFL alumni including Doug Flutie, Will Howard, Jack Sawyer and Vince Williams posted up at food stations to autograph footballs as part of the event, which included a silent auction.
For some vendors, the chance to share food was also generational.
Aunt Cheryl’s Cafe in Braddock served its signature Sweet Potato Pie, made from a 100-year-old family recipe.
“This here is what we call 4G, four generational pie,” said the cafe’s owner Cheryl Johnson, noting Yelp users voted it Pittsburgh’s best. “There were only so many restaurants, and we have a small restaurant, so we feel it’s an honor to be here.”
Krautheim estimated, ultimately, Taste of the Draft will increase access to over 13 million student meals, impacting more than 50,000 children in the region.
On Tuesday, former Steelers players Charlie Batch and Arthur Moats visited Duquesne City middle school for a rally to distribute GenYOUTH equipment including “Grab and Go” meal carts and equipment for an NFL flag football in-school program.
This is the second annual Taste of the Draft event, which was held in Green Bay, Wis., last April ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It’s such a great way to kick off Draft week,” Krautheim said.