Pittsburghese

Perhaps the biggest thing that makes up the character of the United States is the many different regional accents or topolects. (regional dialects). One could never confuse a person from rural Louisiana with someone from Brooklyn for instance. As much a part of the fabric of the US it’s also part of the Pop Culture. Go to your local Books-A-Zillion and you can find many, many dictionaries on the subject.
In the American Rust Belt there are a few variances on a certain dialect and one can be found in and around Pittsburgh. The fine folks of Steeltown have a speak that while similar, is different from those of Buffalo or Chicago. Affectionately known as “Pittsburghese.” Of course not all residents speak it and in fact, it’s considered more how people think Pittsburghers speak than how they actually do. But if you find yourself faced to face with some speaking this local tongue, just use this handly little translator.

Playing on this topolect in Pittsburgh is Eggs N’At. The little breakfast and lunch place “with plenty of home made recipes and a jaggin' around (fun) kind of atmosphere.”
Sometimes I think the single best word you can use to describe a breakfast place is “Solid.” Since they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it gives you a solid foundation for your day. Without that, it’s just a house of cards. Couple that with a very friendly staff. You’ll have a happy tummy and mind as you set out for the day. (or continue your day if it’s lunch you’re after) Walking in the door you’ll immediately be confronted with your first Pittsburghese question, “Jeet jet?” If you haven’t, you’re in the right place.


Eggs N’at’s dining room is comfy and cozy. Which is to say not very big. Two dozen or so seats if you don’t  count the ones on the back deck. The place is clean, bright and decorated with framed Classic Rock album covers. For someone of my age, it was a trip down memory lane. There’s also a couple flat screen TV’s for your entertainment pleasure.

So let’s have a look at these solid breakfast items. Or as the say in Steeltown, “a looky at dese solid breffis items.”

Mrs. Sippi's sausage and eggs were straight on good. There's not really much to say about the eggs. Over easy, cooked to perfection they were just as they should be. The link sausage was quite nice. Not overly seasoned but with a hint of country breakfast sausage but tasting mostly of pork. The whole wheat toast was really nice. Fresh made every morning from a local bakery. The best part was the home fries. Chopped up potato griddled on the flat top with some onion and a bit of bacon. Ya, I said that, BACON!!! How could they possibly be bad??

 My Corned Beef Hash was very good. Again, prepared on the flat top for a nice crust it was pretty much a 50/50 mix of potato and meat. I'd like to have seen some onion but I won't complain. The eggs were just as Mrs. Sippi's. My toast however was excellent. Caraway Seed Marble Rye. It was fantastic. Nicely toasted with a nice taste of rye and caraway seed. Just terrific.

You can find Eggs N’at at 8556 University Blvd. in Moon Township, Pa.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Woll ats alls fer now folks, see ya next time in da food court

Davwud

 

Flagship Niagara

On June 18, 1812 the United States of America, for the first time in it's short history, declared war. President Madison saw unsettled business with Great Brittan and attacked while they were distracted by Napoleon. Less than a month later General William Hull ushered his small forces across the Detroit river into Upper Canada (now Ontario) and captured a small town in what is now part of Windsor. The US believed that they'd be welcomed by the majority American born population and this first engagement further fueled that belief. Such rationale proved fool hearty and ultimately costly.
While the war would rage back and forth for 32 months before a treaty was ratified in February of 1815. It was, for all intents and purposes a stalemate.

Among the significant engagements was the Battle of Lake Erie. On September 10, 1813 US forces led by Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry battled the British and Commander Robert Heriot Barclay around Put in Bay. Perry's flagship, USS Lawrence suffered heavy damage and was eventually abandoned. He was rowed under heavy fire to the USS Niagara where he picked up the fight. At the end of the day the British fleet was surrounded and surrendered.

The Niagara survived the war but was ultimately scuttled. To honour the centenial of the battle she was raised and restored. Following the celebrations the Niagara fell into disrepair. Over the next number of years she was shuffled around from one governing body to another. Finally in 1963 for the sesquicentennial she was restored as a museum piece. In 1973 she was placed in the National Register of Historic Places. By the 80's she was to see one last restoration. Unfortunately years of neglect rendered her unfit. She was completely torn apart and rebuilt with new materials. Some old wood was salvaged and reused but the ship is essentially a replica. Officially the state ship of Pennsylvania her home is now Erie. She's one of two ships remaining from the war with the other being the USS Constitution. She's had some modern electronics added recently and still sails Lake Erie during the summer months.

Perhaps no trip to Erie, Pa could be considered complete without a visit to New York Lunch. "Serving Erie's original Greek Sauce and Greek Dogs" New York Lunch was opened in 1927 and now 85 years later is still going strong. As much an Erie tradition as people flocking to the beach.
From the outside the place looks every bit it's 85 years. It's yet another of those places that scares off the easily intimidated. As I've mentioned before, I don't see a shabby building, I see character.

Inside it looks like it hasn't seen a health inspector in decades. Not to mention a renovators hammer. It's just part of the charm though. A few tables line one wall and stools are pressed up against the counter. While there is evidence of some rudimentary renovations those are long in the past. Fortunately they've left one architectural feature in tact. The pressed tin ceiling. You see fewer and fewer all the time sadly.

Well all that is fine, it's the food we're interested in here right??

The Greek style hotdogs are really quite a tasty treat. Greek sauce (which makes 'em Greek obviously) is an all meat chili sauce that's rather similar to Cincinnati Chili however not quite as intense a flavour. There also seemed to be a bit more of a traditional hint to it although just faintly. As for the dogs, well they were your run of the mill type on a soft bun and a slather of mustard. The chili just pulled the whole thing together. I quite liked them, Mrs. Sippi loved them.

Sadly the Greek style burger wasn't nearly up to the example set by the dog. A thin patty that looked like cardboard and tasted about the same. It came with some ketchup rather than mustard which really only added some sweetness which I didn't care for. The chili sauce and ketchup just really didn't work on the burger IMHO. I didn't hate it but wouldn't order again.

NYL serves up some pretty basic looking breakfast fare that according to the guy sitting across the way from us was declared "Good"!! Sausage and eggs, bacon and eggs, that kinda thing.

So there you have it folks, the next time you're in north west Pennsylvania looking for some history or a nice sandy beach, check out this neat little place serving Greek inspired food.

You can find New York Lunch at 1005 Parade St, Erie, Pennsylvania.

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You can also find them on the web.



Well that's all for now folks, catch ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Enriching the Lives of Others

The mantra for Pittsburgh restaurateur Nadine Voelker is "No one has become rich unless they have enriched the lives of others. I thank my
staff and customers for enriching my life." From where I was sitting the customer can say the same thing. And the customer is of course, always right. The owner of Nadine’s Bar, the little tavern on Pittsburgh’s South Side has been enriching the lives of patrons since 2001. 

Pittsburgh’s South Side neighbourhood, formerly Birmingham,  is so named for it’s location on the south bank of the Monongahela River across from Downtown. It’s divided up into two areas. The Slopes (where the houses and streets cling precariously to the side of the bluff) and the Flats (what is essentially the flood plane).The proximity of South Side to three Universities (Carnegie Mellon, Pitt and Duquesne) has made it a bit of a “College town.” Rife with students and night life. Not long ago it was the site of urban decay. A victim of the decline of the steel industry and the closure of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company. Historic preservation stepped in and saved the “Flats” and it’s impressive collection of Victorian Era buildings. It has been designated a Historic District.

Much like with our visit to Slows in Detroit it was like someone was trying to tell us something. We had just decided when to head out on Summer vacation and thought a stop over in Pittsburgh to take in a Pirates game would be fun. We could find a place to eat and make a nice evening of it. The very next day we turn on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and where is Guy?? Nadine’s in Pittsburgh. Had to be divine intervention right?? We had found our dinner spot.

Honestly, if you didn’t know it was the place you may not believe it. A very non descript building set just off the main drag in what almost seems like an alley. There is a big sign on the side of the building where the parking lot is but when you walk around front the only indication you’ve got the right place is a small neon sign in the front window. The front door isn’t exactly inviting and maybe even a little intimidating. It all just adds to the charm of this place though. 

Inside it's smoking all around. In fact, it’s like a poker game in there. Mostly men, drinking, smoking and swearing. If you put some money on table and dealt cards you had it. While Guys’ visit had increased the transient traffic immeasurably this place is really still all about the regulars. This cast of characters lends to the personality of the place. A little rough around the edges but with a heart of gold.  

Nadine wasn't around so her son Matt was in charge of things. He helped sort through the many tasty options on the smallish menu. The man as you might figure knows his stuff as he went 3 for 3. So let’s have a look shall we??

The meatball sandwich was really good. Home made meatballs and sauce on a nice hunk of baguette. What really made the sandwich for me were two things. The sauce had a nice, bright tomato flavour and it was well garnished with grated Parmesan cheese. I find a lot of places just put a bit on. This gave a nice pronounced flavour.

Even better was one of the house specialties. The fried baloney sandwich. Almost a half inch of fired baloney piled on nicely griddled bread with cheese and peppers. I loved the sandwich. The meat and cheese provided a meatiness and saltiness with the pickled jalapenos providing some heat and tang while the bread provided the crunch. An all 'round great sandwich.

Mrs. Sippi knew what she was gonna order 3 weeks ago. The Hot Roast Beef Sandwich. Featured on Triple D she's been anticipating this moment ever since. Quite a build up that inevitably ends in disappointment. Well not this time. She loved, loved, loved it. I managed to sneak a taste and it was good solid Sunday roast beef and gravy on bread. Simply delicious. The mashed potatoes were exactly  as I like 'em. Lumpy. I like when there's little bits of potato for texture and these had a nice flavour on their own. Even better with the silky gravy smothering them.

So there you have it folks. Great eats in a thriving neighbourhood on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

You can find Nadine’s at 19 S. 27th St. Pittsburgh, Pa.

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You can also find them on the web.



Well that’s all for now folks. See ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Battlefield Fries

You probably had to have been living on Mars, in a cave, under a rock for the last hundred and fifty or so years to have not heard of the battle of Gettysburg. THE iconic battle of the Civil war. What you might no know however is why Gettysburg. What brought two massive armies to a small town that was little more than a way point on the road to somewhere else.
While there are various reasons for the Confederates venturing into the north and the Union maneuvering north to defend Washington, the simple fact is this. To move massive, marching armies you had split them up and move them along congruent roads. Well, in south central Pennsylvania at that time, all roads lead to Gettysburg. So well laid out and positioned it was, 10 roads culminated at or around the town square. The two armies were literally on a collision course that had them slam into each other outside the tiny hamlet of 2,400 in early July, 1863.
The 3 day battle would open to the north east of town.  The Union would be pushed back to defensive positions south of town for the second and third days fighting. The main part of the battle and of course battlefield park lay to the south.
The town of Gettysburg today would all but not exist if not for the battle. Virtually every business is there to support the tourist industry. Outside of hotels, banks or gas stations, pretty close to every proprietor sells either souvenirs, food or kitsch.
And speaking of food, that brings me to Hunt’s Café.

A short walk up Steinwehr Ave. from the battlefield sits Hunt’s. Much like many of the businesses along the road it occupies an old house.
One part restaurant and one part souvenir shop Scott Hunt is serving  up some of the best eats in the town. Featuring fresh cut fries, great burgers and “The best darn cheesesteaks out side of Philadelphia.”
The interior as you can see is small and cramped. Plastic outdoor furniture outfits the dining room and the smell of beef cooking on a flat top hangs in the air. As does the smell of fries cooking in hot oil. The walls are concealed by head shots of famous guests, hats, posters and just about anything else they sell.
A neat place doesn’t always translate into good food but in this case, Hunt’s delivers the goods. The sign outside advertising fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice was to portend the goodies inside.

The lemon and orange ‘ades were great. So fresh tasting (go figure) and nice to refresh ourselves after a morning in the heat at the battlefield.

The double cheeseburger had a really nice beef taste but was somewhat overcooked and a little too weighed down with condiments. For instance, there’s no need for tomato on two different levels IMHO. I’d give it a passing grade but it could be a lot better. Next time I’ll ask to have it more streamlined and tuned into my tastes. Less tomato, lettuce and I’d ask for it cooked to medium. That will probably kick up its grade a few ticks.
The cheese steak was beyond good. We don’t really have them in TO so I don’t have much to judge it against but this was easily the best I’ve had. We had ours with onions and mushrooms and the beef had a nice peppery taste. It was simply incredible.
The fries were good. Really good in fact but ultimately not a paradigm shifting experience. I don’t know whether my life long exposure to frozen fries has ruined me for fresh cut or I was expecting too much. I just wasn’t blown away. Perhaps there’s only so much you can do with french fries. Perhaps french fries just don’t move me.
All in all a really good place to eat that could still do better I think. I look forward to a return trip.

You can find Hunt’s Battlefield Fries and Café at 61 Steinwehr Ave in Gettysburg, Pa.
 
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You can find them on the web here or on facebook here.
 


Well that’s all for now folks. See ya next time in the food court.
 

Davwud

Lincoln’s Other Gettysburg Address

By the mid 19th century, Edward Everett was at the apex of his oratorical career. Well known as an educator and politician Everett was bestowed the honour of “Featured speaker” at the Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Everett’s speech would last just over two hours. Charged with the task of following Everett, President Abraham Lincoln would say “A few appropriate remarks” in officially dedicating the cemetery. Lincoln spoke but a couple minutes and retook his seat. Feeling his address was a “Total failure” the President is said to comment that, like a bad plow, his words “Won’t scour.”

The following day in a letter to the President, Everett would pass along the greatest of compliments. “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes" he would write. 

The president was in Gettysburg for only 24 hours. He arrived the night before and spent the night at the Willis house as a guest of David Wills. A local lawyer and the man responsible for the creation of the cemetery. It’s unknown where he took his meals but if his namesake diner was around back then, he’d have done a lot worse than to have eaten there.Located just north of Lincoln Square and directly across the street from the very train station that began and ended Lincoln’s time in Gettysburg the Lincoln Diner gleams. The polished stainless steel and neon eatery is a shining example of the great American diner.

Inside, like all diners there’s counter service and booths along the windows. The colours are those of a different era and like most diners now, its had a large dining room added.

Diner’s first appeared around the turn of the last century in the guise of lunch wagons. Eventually the Worcester Lunch Car Company would sell lunch wagons with seating all over New England.

The Jerry O’Mahoney Diner Company would build about 2,000 “Rail car” style diners between 1917 and 1952 with about 20 still remaining. They’re often credited with having created the first diner.

Prefabricated buildings would follow with more seating and still allow proprietors to set up a food service building cheaply. 

While the depression of the 30’s would be hard on the industry the diner more or less held its own selling meals at more affordable prices than other restaurants. With the end of WWII and a return to prosperity the diner thrived.

Like many good things though, the diner suffered from the advent of the Interstate system and the proliferation of the fast food chain. They remain a part of American pop culture occupying their own special niche. Their menu and (mostly) Art Deco style seem to transcend time.Among the many things diners are noted for is their desert case. A great diner will have it’s own bakery and a glass “trophy” case in which to display its wares. The Lincoln Diner is no exception. Their desert case was chock full of tantalizing treats. Sadly we were both too full to partake. Perhaps next time.So enough of the history lessons and let’s have a look at the food shall we??

We both ordered off the specials board with chicken croquettes and baked mac and cheese with ham. She had a side of mac and cheese and I had cucumber salad and we split the corn fritters.

Even from the picture you can tell the mac and cheese was kinda dry and pasty. It tasted okay and was certainly helped where some juice from the ham dripped on it. Which brings me to said pig product. It was great. Not too salty and a little smokier than most. I think I’d have preferred one thicker piece rather than two thinner pieces but that’s just splitting hairs.The accompanying cucumber salad was great. More or less sliced cucumbers in a creamy slaw dressing. I used the dinner roll to soak up as much dressing as it would hold. I really liked it and it’s caused me to make cucumber salad at home now.Mrs. Sippi’s chicken croquets were very tasty. She’d never had them and I hadn’t in years so we don’t really know how good they were. Other than we enjoyed them.The corn fritters tasted exactly as my mom used to make but with one significant difference. These were tossed in some sort of breading. I didn’t much care for that part so all in all I’d say good but could’ve been great.

You can visit the Lincoln Diner at 32 Carlisle St. in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

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Well that’s all for now history buffs. See ya next time in the food court.

Davwud

Stuck in the 50's Since 1987

In 1987 a group of investors purchased the old diner on S. Garner St. in State College, Pennsylvania and turned it into a 50's diner. Complete with saddle shod waitresses the new owners would pay homage to the diner's roots.

Trucked in from Patterson "Silk City" New Jersey the gleaming diner now serves up a menu straight out of Happy Days. Baby's 50's theme carries throughout the place. A Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner. Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis music filling the air. Even the wait staff is dressed the part. The whole idea was to get back to the basics. Home made food at reasonable prices in a family friendly atmosphere. On that, Baby's delivers.

So how's the food you may ask...... Well, it was good but didn't over achieve. Not the food anyway.

Our drink orders were taken first. A root beer float for Mrs. Sippi and a double chocolate shake with Oreo for myself. Our drinks were brought to the table along with the excess shake in the mixing cup. I grabbed my straw to tear it open and I heard "Oh god." I turned and looked and Mrs. Sippi had already taken a sip and was immediately rendered all but speechless. It was as good as a shake can be. Thick and rich, it was practically a meal in its self.
The float was good but unfortunately had to stand beside the milk shake.

Mrs Sippi had the Reuben. It was the standard corned beef on rye with Swiss, kraut and 1,000 Islands dressing. It was a fine sandwich but did not create a new paradigm.

I opted for a cheese burger. It was a solid diner style burger. Nicely crusted from the flat top (mmm flat top) and had a good beef flavour. It did not however make me forget all about Blimpy Burger.

The "5 Alarm"chili was somewhat disappointing. First and foremost, if it says "5 Alarm" it should be hot. Even with all the peppers piled on top it could only muster 2 bells. It's actually chili mac and had a fatal flaw in my mind. The chili was pretty tight. With the addition of macaroni I think it needs to be a little soupy. The pasta is then able to soak up some of that tasty gravy for an even better dish. As for the taste, it again falls into the "Fine" category. It wasn't hot at all and was very mildly seasoned. A little cumin is all I got from it as far as seasonings. I'm not saying that was a bad thing either. Just sayin'.

Would I eat there again?? Absolutely. Good solid fare is always welcome and the shake was worth the 7 hour drive.

You can find Baby's at 131 S. Garner St. State College, Pa.


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You can also visit them on the web.  


Well that's all from the food court for now.

Davwud