PO Lunch

I've seen Lawrence County, Pa referred to as the Hot Dog Capital of the World.  That's quite a claim.  Over the years there have been numerous discussions on foodie sites such as Chowhound debating the virtues of various hot dog shops in the New Castle, Lawrence county area.  Usually the talk centers not so much on the dogs themselves, but the chili sauce that they top them all with.

I was in New Castle last week and happened upon P.O. Lunch.  The P.O. stands for Post Office...Why, I don't know.  Anyway, P.O. Lunch is one of the names that I remembered being a favorite of the locals so I had to stop in for lunch.

The place is diner like, very bright and very clean.  The menu offers typical diner fare, and while I was temped to try a burger, I had to go with what made them famous, the hot dogs.  I order two dogs with everything.  In New Castle lingo that means mustard, onions and chili.  The following explanation of New Castle hot dog lingo (from the Lawrence County website) is described as:

New Castle Hot Dog Terms
     
Everything = Mustard, Onions,and Chili
Ketchup Everything = Ketchup, Onions, and Chili
Ketchup with Everything = Ketchup, Mustard, Onions, and Chili

I was told that they would put ketchup on my dogs, but that is frowned upon.  I was obedient.  The dogs were great and the chili really made them.  On top of that a couple of loaded dogs, and order of fries and a soft drink came out to less than six bucks.  Can't go wrong with that!

P.O. Lunch is located at 2402 Wilmington Road, New Castle, Pa.

The Log Cabin Inn

When I'm north of the city there are a couple of places that I really enjoy.  My favorite, the Iron Bridge Inn in Mercer is a close relative to The Log Cabin Inn.  Both restaurants are owned by the same restaurant group.  The Springfield Group operates a handful of pretty good restaurants in out of the way places.  While they don't qualify as a mom and pop operation, these places are not like chain restaurants in location, food or atmosphere.

The restaurant is built around an actual 160 year old log cabin.  The original cabin serves as a dining room and a room in the back overlooks a beautiful wooded valley.

The menu is simple, but very nice with a variety of appetizers and salads, steaks and at least a half dozen seafood selections.    Being lunch time, Stacy and I choose to order sandwiches.  She went for the classic Ruben and I decided on Sonny's Favorite which is smoked turkey, ham, Swiss, coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing on marble rye.  This sandwich was a monster!  The meat and fillings were piled about 3 inches high on a great tasting rye bread, and served with a side...I choose boring coleslaw.  This sandwich wasn't only quantity, the meat was lean, tasty and just a very good quality product.  Stacy was just as pleased with her Ruben.

Both of us decided that we need to get back here and try dinner sometime when our schedules allow.

The Log Cabin Inn is located on route 19, at 430 Perry Highway in Harmony,  just a few minutes north of Zelienople, Pa.

Texas Hot Dogs

Altoona is a regular stop for me on trips to central Pennsylvania.  One of my favorites if Texas Hot Dogs.  The place is kind of like a diner, where you order your food at the counter and sit at old time Formica booths.  I always get my dogs with onions, mustard and sauce.  The onions are very finely minced and the sauce is fantastic.  As far as sides go, the fried cheese is great, but I really like the mac and cheese.  They add the spicy dog sauce to the mac and cheese and it makes for a great, flavorful side dish.

If you go, Texas Hot Dogs is at 101 58th Street, Altoona PA, right down the road from the Hampton Inn.

Oram's Donuts

Oram's Donuts in Beaver Falls Pa

 

 

 I don't really care for donuts that much.  Just too sweet for me so it's kind of surprising how much I really love Oram's!  The quality is great, the cinnamon rolls are huge, like hubcaps.  They are also sweet, but for some reason I like them.  This place has been open since 1938, so they must be doing donuts right.  They are so good, I make the drive all the way from the city to get them.  You should too!

 

The picture below isn't all that good, but to put it in perspective, the cinnamon rolls are at least 6 or 7 inches across. 

Oram's is located at 1406 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls.  Their website says they are open from 5am to 2pm, but in my experience they usually run out of donuts well before 2, and close early.  Best to go early in the morning!

Max's Allegheny Tavern

One of my favorite places on the North Side has always been Max's Allegheny Tavern.  It's truly one of the old ethnic neighborhood places in Pittsburgh. 

 

The building is old and a lot of history is printed in the menu.  As you enter, the bar is on your right. It's a real comfortable place to have a drink, and the locals are always friendly.  They have a nice selection of German beers including Spaten Lager, Kostritzer Black Lager, Waresteiner Premium Ale, and Hacker Pschorr Weisse.  They also sell Penn Pilsner ad of course the usual domestics.

I'd be the first to admit that I've never found German food to be particularly exciting, although that may be because my knowledge about it is somewhat limited.  The menu includes soups, sandwiches, salads, schnitzels, sausages, a few seafood selections and a few desserts.

Check out the Schnitzel Liechtenstein , veal topped with ham, cheese, and green olives.

 

 

If you don't care for this type of food (which I understand) it's still worth it to stop and take in the ambiance over a German beer or a glass of wine.  Happy hour is Monday thru Friday from 5 to 7, and on Friday in the basement Rathskeller.

 

Max's Allegheny Tavern is on Pittsburgh's North Side at 537 Suismon Street.

Bristol Motor Speedway

So, you're wondering what's this have to do with food around the 'Burgh?

Nothing.  I just thought it was a neat picture.  Taken last weekend in Bristol Tn.

Coleman's Fish Market



 

 

 

Coleman's Fish Market has been a famous landmark in Wheeling for as long as I can remember.  That's why it's so surprising that I've never been there before!  This is a true fish market with a good selection of fresh fish to take home, and also a food counter where you can order a variety of sandwiches and sides but I went for the fish!  This is a place where you place your order at the counter and wait pick it up, and seat yourself.

 

 

We ordered a couple of fish sandwiches, and couldn't resist getting the onion rings.  The fish is served on plain white bread (think Wonder bread) and is perfectly fried, golden brown.

 



 



The sandwich was very good, although I'm accustomed to a much larger portion...If you look through this blog, you will see that I really love the traditional Pittsburgh fish sandwiches which tend to be huge!  That said this is a tasty sandwich and I wouldn't hesitate to stop again whenever I'm in the area. 

Coleman's is in downtown Wheeling in an area called Centre Market.  The building also houses a few other eatery's and shops and makes for a pleasant afternoon.

Franklin Inn

I stopped at the Franklin Inn today for lunch, and it hit me that while I've been there many, many times, I've never written about it.  For several years I actually lived in the neighborhood and it became a regular stop.  Since then, I've still managed to stop in fairly frequently.  I vividly recall my first visit which happened to be the only time I've been there and was disappointed...Not because of poor service or food, but because of my own perceptions.  It was probably 20 years ago...I was in the mood to try a new restaurant and I wanted a steak!  I recalled driving by and seeing the sign with a picture of Ben Franklin.  Any place named "The Franklin Inn" with a picture of Ben on their sign must have a great steak...Wrong!!!

The Franklin Inn is a Mexican restaurant, and no, I don't know the relationship between the name and the menu.  A funny note, a friend of mine who can't seem to remember the name started referring to it as Mexican Fiesta, and at least with us, that name has stuck over the years.  This has been a favorite stop for lunch over the years, but the bar, while small, is fun and the locals are always eager to talk to you. 

The menu contains everything from soup (the black bean is tremendous!), to sandwiches, to several house specialities, such as a chorizo burrito which is described as: A large soft flour tortilla filled with chorizo, cheese, tomatoes, and onions. 

Chips and salsa are brought to your table.  The fresh salsa is very tasty, but if you ask, they will give you a hot version that's really tasty.



The Franklin Inn is on Rochester road in Franklin Park, just North of Pittsburgh.

Drover's Inn

I've heard about Drover's Inn for years now.  It's a very unique old inn and restaurant but the reason it intrigued me was their reputation for wings.  I've had wings in a million places including a couple of stops at the birthplace of Buffalo Wings, the Anchor Inn up in Buffalo (yuk, not my favorite).  The reason I haven't make it to Drover's is that it's a bit out of the way, located in the northern panhandle of West Virginia in Wellsburg.  I happened to be staying close to there in Steubenville last week and decided now's my chance! 

Drover's doesn't open until 5:00, and that's when I arrived.  I'm glad that I got their early, because the cars started piling in as soon as the doors opened.  The Inn serves dinners in dining rooms on the first floor and their is a tavern in the basement.  The entrance to the tavern is through an old style basement door, the kind that lift up walk down a few steps and then enter the basement.  I had read that the basement is the place to go, so that's where I was headed.  It's unique, kind of like eating in a hundred year old basement...But the crowd was fun and the bartenders were great.

My thing with wings is simple.  I like them crispy.  Sauces are important, but secondary...No sauce can make up for mushy wings.  They offer six levels of heat from Mild to Hurt-Me, and you can also choose from Honey BBQ, Sweet and Hot Oriental, or Buffalo Garlic.  They will also add Cajun seasoning to any selection.  Orders are small which is one pound and is 7 to 9 wings.  A large order is two pounds.  I decided to go for an order of the Buffalo Garlic.  They came out with just the right amount of sauce but more importantly, crispy!  The sauce was spicy with a hint of garlic and the wings were cooked to a crisp which held up well under the sauce.


Check out this view of the basement Tavern:

Drover's Inn is on Washington Pike in Wellsburg WV.  It's a bit out in the woods, so if you go, a GPS or at least good directions are important.

Pork 'n Nat

BBQ is one of those foods that can be divisive among passionate fans.  I would guess that that's because it's prepared so differently in different regions, not only within the U.S. but the whole world.  I can hardly keep up with this country's variations on 'Q, so that's my only reference point.

Of course the southeastern part of the U.S. is the epicenter of BBQ for most of us with several styles ranging from the Carolina's with their vinegar based sauces, to Memphis where ribs are usually served either "wet" or "dry" and Cole slaw is typically served on sandwiches.  Texas BBQ is predominately beef while Kansas City leans toward the sweet sauce that we see dominating the sauce selections at local supermarkets.

Most BBQ places in this area serve a combination of the above.  I prefer to get my meat dry and add sauce as I see fit and at Pork 'n Nat that's how most of it is served.  We stopped in for lunch on a recent Sunday afternoon and while the atmosphere is lacking (after all, it is a BBQ joint!), we were quite pleased with the food.

The menu has four platters with chicken, pork, brisket or ribs that come with two sides and jalapeno cornbread.  They also have a number of starters, sandwiches and a kids menu.  Since it was lunch, we both decided on sandwiches.  Stacy ordered the Brisket Reuben which is described as "thin sliced brisket on marble rye with homemade sauerkraut, cheddar cheese and horseradish".  I went for the pulled pork.  Four different sauces are available, three are tomato based (sweet, hot, smokey) and the other was a Carolina style...Vinegar based with mustard and a touch of tomato.  I went for the Carolina on my pulled pork, not so much because because I don't like the others, but more because this type of sauce is harder to find around here.  The pork was tender but was clearly smoked, not baked and the sauce was a perfect compliment to the smokey meat.  Stacy (who used all the sauces!) could not stop raving about the Brisket Reuben.  I've always felt that if a BBQ place can make good brisket, the chances are good that everything else on the menu will be good also, so that's a good sign.

Pork 'n Nat is at 8032 Rowan Road in Cranberry.  Check out their website here: http://www.porknnatbbq.com/default.html

to see the menu or check hours.

Domenico's

I'm always on a quest for great pizza, and one that I've always is the Chicago style at Domenico's in Cranberry.  I usually can't stand Chicago style because I find that it's usually way too "doughy" for my tastes.  The pie at Domenico's isn't so typical.  The crust, while thick, is still crispy.  They use a sauce made with great tasting chunky tomato's and the cheese, while generous doesn't overwhelm the pie.  In my experience this pie takes a little longer than their standard pizzas, but it's worth the wait!

In addition to pizza, they offer a full menu with everything from salads to chicken, veal and seafood.  While the interior is a little dated, the place is comfortable and if you are interested they have a nice bar, with a few booths and tables.  Domenico's is on Route 19 in Cranberry, (just North of Walmart).

http://www.domenicoscranberry.com/

Union Grill, Turkey Devonshire

The Union Grill on Craig Street in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh has been a long time favorite of mine.  It's informal, open air in the summer, they have a nice friendly bar in middle of the restaurant, but what attracts me to the Union is the food.  I've had a number of meals here over the years and they have always been good.

One of my favorite Pittsburgh foods is Turkey Devonshire.  For those of you that are not familiar, Turkey Devonshire is usually bread, turkey, slices of tomato, bacon and then topped with a light cheese sauce.  The Union Grill makes one of the best.  Fresh roasted turkey, fresh tomato's, and a fantastic cheese sauce recipe makes this devonshire terrific.

Tomatoe Pie Cafe

Years ago, as I would make frequent treks to North Park to enjoy the summer sunshine and maybe an afternoon of swimming or picnicking, I was always curious about the Tomato Pie Cafe, which sits right as you enter the park. Since my first visit several years ago, I've made Tomato Pie one of my favorite summer lunch spots. A small restaurant consisting of an indoor dining room, a screened in porch, and a beautiful outdoor patio, Tomato Pie is a perfect location to enjoy a meal on a sunny day. The owner maintains a beautiful garden behind the restaurant, growing fresh herbs and vegetables to use in his recipes, and the patio is decorated with beautiful flowers and also pots of rosemary and fresh basil.

While I usually enjoy a pizza, the limited menu includes some very tasty dishes, with my favorite being penne pasta in pink leek sauce. Today though, we enjoyed a pizza and a pair of house salads. Standard pizzas are served, along with the signature Tomato Pie, and the DiPositano. The DiPositano is a wheat crust with sliced tomato, spinach and feta. We went for the Tomato Pie which has ripe tomato slices instead of sauce and fresh coarsely chopped basil topped with mozzarella on a crisp crust. Over the years, I've heard stories of poor service but I've never experienced that here. This is a very small space that can get very crowded on nice days. I'm sure those reasons could be contributing factors on occasion. I don't go to Tomato Pie when I'm in a hurry anyway! I go to enjoy the food and the outdoor patio, and the experience has always been enjoyable. If you go, keep in mind that they don't accept credit cards (although there is an ATM on premise), and due to their limited seating, I would recommend avoiding peak times. Tomatoe Pie is located on Ingomar Road just at the entrance of North Park.

Union Pig and Chicken

Kevin Sousa is well known by foodies in the Pittsburgh area.  His background includes work at the Duquesne Club, Soba, Bigelow Grille and Alchemy.  I met him during his short stint revamping the menu at Yo Rita on the South Side.  Since then, he has focused on the creation of his own restaurant, Salt of the Earth.  After a year of great success with Salt, he has now opened Station Street Hot Dogs and Union Pig and Chicken in East Liberty.

Union Pig and Chicken is strictly BBQ, as the name implies.  This is not a formal restaurant like Salt, although they do share the concept of comfortable communal tables, and a fairly limited menu but that's OK in a BBQ joint.  The menu offerings include ribs, brisket, BBQ and fried chicken and pork.  For lunch I ordered fried chicken with a side of potato salad.  I rarely order fried chicken, but I've heard great things about it, and I wasn't disappointed.  The chicken had perfect crispy outer crunch, and the meat was tasty and juicy.

 It was probably the best fried chicken I've ever had!   Stacy went for the pork BBQ sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. The sandwich and all the other meats here are served "dry".  Three BBQ sauces, a habanaro, sweet BBQ, and a Carolina vinegar sauce are on the table and are all exceptional. I expected a standard pulled pork, but as usual, Sousa surprised me.  The pork was flavorable chunks, so tender and flavorful that no sauce was needed.  You're gonna think that I work for Sousa (which I don't!) but the pork might have been the best pork sandwich I've ever had too!

Union Pig understands that the key to great 'Q is the quality and preparation of the meat, not the sauce.  They don't allow any substitutions to the menu offerings, which I know some people don't like, but I can live with that.  The only complaint we had has nothing to do with the food...It was freezing in there!  Couldn't have been over 60 degrees, but I'm sure that was just on this occasion.

Union Pig and Chicken is located at 220 N. Highland Ave, in the East Liberty area of Pittsburgh

Website:  .http://unionpgh.com/



Ramps!

It's ramp season in the Northeast. For those of you that are not familiar with ramps, they are a wild leek with a strong garlic/onion flavor. They grow throughout Western Pennsylvania, West Virgina, and Virgina. This time of year, there are a number of ramp festivals throughout the area. I've also noticed a number of local restaurants featuring ramp dishes on their menus.

Here is an easy recipe for Scalloped Potato's with Ramps:

6 cups sliced potatoes 3 cups ramps salt and pepper 1/2 cup chicken broth 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Spread a layer of sliced potatoes in a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole. Add a layer of ramps and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Keep repeating the layers, ending with potatoes. Combine chicken broth and heavy cream; pour over potatoes and ramps. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes, then top with grated cheese. Return to the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melted.