Irreverent Pierogies,
Alchemy Dining,
Coca Cola in Ham BBQ, and
If Its Fun, Pittsburgh’s Doin’ It!
By Marty Martindale
Pittsburgh’s lofty Mt. Washington, once known as “Coal Hill,” took second place
recently in USA Magazine’s most beautiful view category. From it diners gaze at
the glittering sprawl of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers as they converge
to form the mighty Ohio River. The scene is brightly illumined by the lights
from Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle and more than 15 of the city’s 446 steel
bridges.
 Pittsburgh “was a steel makin’ town” for more than a century. Her exports
provided the sturdy spines of her country’s loftiest sky scrapers and attracted
workers from China, Poland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Syria, Thailand, Greece, Korea
and Ireland. Pittsburgh was top of the steel heap! This changed by the 1980s,
and along with it Pittsburgh’s new industrial direction: bioengineering and
robotics. Most wholesale merchants to the steel industry went retail with a wide
range of their world’s food favorites, frequently adapted over the years to
their hard-working trade. For instance:
- Heinz Ketchup is a native thing. If you think Ketchup tastes delicious, you can
make just about everything you eat delicious.
- Pierogies, (Polish raviolis) found at restaurants throughout Pittsburgh,
reflect Pittsburgh's eastern European heritage. Filled, then boiled, then
sautéed in butter, these delicious dumplings were usually filled with potato,
cheese or cabbage.
- Isaly’s original Klondike Bar first appeared in 1929. The vanilla ice-cream
bar dipped in chocolate then wrapped in silver paper cost only a nickel then.
- Wildly popular Isaly’s Chipped Ham was introduced in 1933. One recipe for
Barbecued Ham was a mixture of 2 lbs of the meat, a chopped onion, a cup of
ketchup and a cup of Coca Cola.
- A 'Pittsburgh Salad' is any salad topped with French fries.
- “Steak Pittsburgh,” or “steak black and blue,” is a quickly charred steak on
its outsides leaving the center rare. This steak preference came about when
steel workers threw steaks onto the side of massive, smoldering foundry
furnaces, then repeated for the second side. Steak done.
- Currently Pittsburgh is home to Kevin Sousa’s geniusly-inspired Alchemy
Dinners, served by special arrangements with Kevin at the Bigelow Grille in the
Doubletree Hotel Downtown.
-
 Pittsburgh Strip District: Dubbed Pittsburg’s new “Main Street,” is a mix of
restaurants, night clubs, specialty grocers and boutiques. Find everything from
tapas bars to Irish pubs. It starts just across from the new David L. Lawrence
Convention Center and runs along Penn and Liberty Avenues, extending to the 16th
Street bridge. http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com
In and away from the Strip are a variety of restaurants visitors are bound to
enjoy:
COCA CAFÉ:
This is a personal attention place for breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunches.
Weekends, one of their specials is a Butternut Rissoto. Omelets are abundant in
size, juice glasses generously tall. The Coca’s famed for its Wild Mushroom
Omelet, Almond French Toast, Brie Salad and Honey Maple Ham and Cheddar Wrap
made with apple butter, cream cheese, cheddar and caramelized onions. Fun décor.
http://www.cocacafe.net/
CAFÉ ZAO:
This is the showplace of Portugal-born, chef-restaurateur Toni Pais. He has
partnered with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in Theater Square, the heart of
Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. The Zao specializes in the foods of Portugal,
Macau, Timor, Brazil and Mozambique. This is carried out with their crusty,
white Portuguese bread made with corn meal, rather cake-like in consistency. Be
served this along side Kangaroo with Fig, Fresh Sardines, a Portuguese Clam
Soup, Spinach Raviolis, Duck Syrahmisso, Corvina Portuguese, Chicken Hungaro or
a special Zao Timbale. Some evenings evenings folks enjoy Wine Flight nights or
the Craft Beer School.
 THE CHURCH BREW WORKS:
In the former St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the restauranteurs at this
on-site microbrewery serve up irreverent interpretations of the classic
Pittsburgh Pierogie which may be Rattlesnake, Cactus or Buffalo & Chili
Pierogies. They also offer a Pizza Pierogie from a wood-fired oven. The Works
also proudly serves Morgan Ranch Kobe Wagyu steaks. Special brews are Celestial
Gold, Pipe Organ Pale Ale, Pious Monk Dunkel and Rotating Blast Furnace Stout,
each hand-crafted. http://www.churchbrew.com/
ENRICO BISCOTTI:
Everyone should wish an Enrico would set up shop in their town. Great bakery out
front churning out giant macaroons amid big decorated crusty breads and
specialty biscotti. Enrico’s great café is down a small walkway to the back
featuring Italian Beans with Greens, Homemade Soups, Big Fat Salads plus Cannoli
from Sicily, Ricotta Pies, his Chocolate Macaroons and more!. Every last Sunday
of the month register for breakfast and stay for Enrico’s bread baking school,
“about 900 tricks of the trade,” he promises. Sign up for First Fridays each
month, bring a bottle and enjoy an Enrico’s First Friday Dinner surprise from
his woodburning oven. http://www.enricobiscotti.com/ .
THE LE MONT:
Positioned near the Duquesne Incline atop Mt. Washington, on Grandview Avenue,
the LeMont affords the dinner the City’s prize-winning view. She’s also
recipient of the AAHS’s Five-Diamond Award and AAA’s Four Diamond Award. The
LeMont is a perfect setting for Tableside Steak Diane or Chateaubriand for Two
on any very special occasion.
http://www.lemontpittsburgh.com/LeMont/index.htm
PAMELA’S P & G RESTAURANTS:
Breakfast and Lunch at four locations where early Pittsburgh funk is the décor
of the day here. However, it in no way detracts from the elaborate
mouth-watering crepes filled with fruit, topped with whipped cream, fancy
hotcakes, their Devil’s Carb Corner, popular Dinnerburger, Jane T’s Slow Roasted
Pork BBQ, LaFeria (Peruvian) Veggie Tripple Sandwiches and more.
http://www.pamelasrestaurants.com/
 PENNSYLVANIA MACARONI COMPANY:
Call this “Italy Central.” There’s no tables here to sit down and eat, but
opportunities galore to carry away a quick snack or ingredients for fancy
Italian dishes. Established in 1902, “PennMac” is a mammoth, bristling Italian
emporium stacked to the ceiling. Find their huge olive bar, olive salads,
cheeses from around the world and posted by country, cheese cakes, giant dried
filets of salt cod and much, much more. http://www.pennmac.com/
 PIMANTI BROS. RESTAURANT & BAR (5 locations):
The famed Primanti Bros. Sandwich is a sandwich with fries, coleslaw, tomato and
onions inside it. Fried egg on top? Optional. They were invented during the
Depression so workers could hold their entire lunch in one hand and continue
working with the other hand. Try their side of Smallman Street Fries, French
fries topped with chili, cheese, bacon and sour cream.
http://www.primantibros.com/
WHOLEY WHALER FISH STORE AND RESTAURANT:
Wholey’s is noted for serving the “Best Fish Sandwiches” and famed for this for
generations. They ask only three questions when you order the “Big Fish”: Fried
or Broiled? Cod or Whiting? Bun or roll? Part of their success is their secret
breading process. Some days they serve 400 pounds of fish in sandwiches. While
this goes on, the fish-buying crowd is entertained by unexpected fun visitors,
dynamic fake animals and sometimes live music. http://www.wholey.com/
For restaurant details including meals served, times, addresses and phone
numbers, check this website:
http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/listings/index.cfm?catID=11¬ify=1 .
Your can reach Marty at: FOOD SITE OF THE DAY.
|
|
