Combine the hustle and bustle of a Turkish bazaar, the nightlife of Las Vegas, some of the finest ethnic cuisine, the fun of a street carnival, and the atmosphere of days gone by. Add to this a thriving commercial center, and what do you get? Pittsburgh’s Strip District, a place like no other. Since its founding, the Strip District has been a distinctive and vital part
Read the Full Article →
You may remember the Patty Duke Show, which debuted on television in the 1960s and still attracts new viewers decades later in syndication. The program detailed the antics of identical cousins, Patty and Cathy Lane, and how, though they may have looked alike, their personalities, styles, and tastes were different. If Pittsburgh had a Patty and Cathy Lane, they’d be the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines.
Read the Full Article →
There is a lot about Pittsburgh, PA, that no one would guess is true. Who could imagine that a city in southwestern Pennsylvania would be such a key to the waterways of the nation? Or that Pittsburgh is home to the oldest cable car operation, even predating San Francisco’s famous cable cars? Yet both of these pieces of Pittsburgh trivia are true! Pittsburgh holds the
Read the Full Article →
Before making a visit to The Wooden Nickel in Monroeville, I looked at their menu and prices online. While the entrees looked to be top shelf, the cost was somewhat more than this frugal diner is accustomed to spending. “Is it a value?” I asked myself, as I often do. In order to find out, it’s off to The Wooden Nickel. Located at 4006 Berger
Read the Full Article →
The sign outside the restaurant read, “Our Reuben Sandwich is good enough to go to jail for.” Ridiculous? Silly? A bold marketing ploy? Well…it is said that each legend holds a kernel of truth. The Reuben Incident While in the process of committing a few, what might be considered “minor” crimes, a man entered Seib’s Pub one day and sat at a table. After receiving
Read the Full Article →
When tough times come, where do you turn? If you live in Pittsburgh, there are numerous charitable and community services ready to help. One of our favorites is the Rainbow Kitchen Community Services, founded in 1984. The Steel City is no stranger to economic turmoil. In the 1980s the bottom fell out of Pittsburgh’s industrial base when the steel industry collapsed, displacing thousands of workers
Read the Full Article →
For decades, Pittsburgh has been known as a “shot-and-a-beer” town, but that reputation may be changing as more people are turning to wine for their alcoholic beverage of choice. More wineries are opening in the area to accommodate this changing palate. Wine consumption is increasing all over the nation. According to the Wine Institute, consumption was up 5.4 percent in 2010 over 2009, with each
Read the Full Article →As it seems that every culture likes soup, soup may be the lingua franca (common language) of the culinary world. Pittsburgh is fortunate to have two remarkable cooks, Linzee Mihalcin and Sara Raszewski, who speak soup language better than anyone else. The women are the owners of Soup Nancys, and their business has been “piping hot” since they arrived on the scene at the Pittsburgh
Read the Full Article →
The Franklin Inn is a Pittsburgh restaurant specializing in Mexican food. Franklin Park, PA, where the Franklin Inn can be found, is a very comfortable, mostly residential section of Allegheny County located about 20 minutes north of downtown Pittsburgh. My first visit to the Franklin Inn came on a Friday evening, which I discovered is a very busy time for the restaurant. From my chair
Read the Full Article →
My first trip to the Empire Palace took place a few months ago. A friend called to ask if I would meet him for lunch. He was a bit surprised that I didn’t know anything about what he described as one of his favorite restaurants. While I wasn’t in “review mode” at the time, I can tell you that I left feeling that the food
Read the Full Article →
