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The former St. John the
Baptist Catholic Church now
The Church Brew Works
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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:
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Heinz Ketchup is a native thing.
If you think Ketchup tastes delicious, you can make just about
everything you eat delicious.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A 'Pittsburgh Salad' is any salad
topped with French fries.
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“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.
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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.
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Pittsburgh Strip District: Dubbed
Pittsburgh’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/
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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.
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