All Clad Sale

The All Clad factory is in Cannonsburg PA. Two times each year, they hold a sale of seconds where you can get pretty good deals on great quality cookware at deeply discounted prices. I've gone for many years and have been able to put together a pretty complete set of cookware without spending the kind of cash they want in the department stores. The pieces are seconds, but I've always been able to find pans where the imperfection is so minor you can barely see it. This years All Clad winter sale will be held on December 2nd and 3rd at the Washington county fairgrounds. The doors open at 9am and it does get crowded, especially on Saturday, so I'd recommend going early!

Primanti Brothers

I don't usually write about, or even go to chain restaurants but I really think that Primanti's deserves special attention. I've been going to the Strip District restaurant for decades. I recall that they were open for breakfast and all night long, and they would be closed each afternoon for a few hours. In those days, the waiters and waitress's would yell orders and insults at each other from across the dining room, as they impatiently waited for your order. You could request a sandwich without fries, the waiter would politely nod, and then show up at your table with the sandwich stuffed with fries. They would usually be holding a very large knife, and offer to cut your massive sandwich in half if you desire.

Since then, Primanti's has opened many other restaurants around Pittsburgh and also a few in Florida. I've been to several of the "newer" stores, but still gravitate to the Strip District location. Maybe it's memories from the past, or just the fact that I really enjoy a trip to the Strip, but it's still my favorite Primanti's.

For those of you that don't know, Primanti's offers a wide variety of sandwiches from my favorite, steak and cheese, to many others. Pastrami, kolbassi, capicola and jumbo, all with cheese of course, and also good choices. These are served on two slices of thick Italian bread, along with a big handful of french fries and topped with tasty coleslaw. The slaw is not mayo based, but gives the sandwich a good crunch with a taste of sweet vinegar. Tremendous!

This is the kind of place that many people love, and many just don't understand the attraction. I happen to think they make great sandwiches...with one exception. The cheese steak. The menu refers to the cheese steak as the #2 best seller, but it's the only sandwich that I despise! It should be labeled as a cheeseburger, not a cheese steak.

If you go, try to make it to the Strip District location, and don't be judgemental about fries and coleslaw on your sandwich, at least until ya try it!

Click on the title above to read about the history of Primanti's.

The Perrytowne Draft House

Perrytown is a small community that sits on route 19, just north of Westview. Years ago, the Perrytown Tavern was quite popular and always seemed to be packed for happy hour. On more recent visits, the place, now named the Perrytowne Draft House, has been practically empty. Last week, due to an appliance malfunction at home, Stacy and I were forced to find a laundromat and located one right next door to the Perrytowne.

I haven't been there for quite a while, and although it was lunch time, the place was practically empty. We both had sandwiches that were very good. In my quest for Pittsburgh's best fish sandwich, I found the Perrytowne's to be one of the better ones, and the proper size...Huge. Served with your choice of fries, coleslaw, or homemade chips, I found the chips to be very good, seasoned with a taste of Cajun flavors. Although I didn't try it, Stacy's Italian Hoagie really looked good, with generous portions of salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese.

Please note that the bar area is smoking, although it was so empty that didn't matter to us. I'm not sure why the Perrytowne no longer seems to attract the crowds it use to. Smoking could be a factor, but who knows.

Bigham Tavern

Mount Washington is known as a great place to view the city of Pittsburgh. Hard to believe, but USA Today actually chose it as the second best view in the entire country. The view makes the perfect setting for a number of glass walled, up-scale restaurants that sit on the edge of Grandview Avenue.

Those restaurants are great for tourists and special occasions, but it's always been a struggle to get an informal, moderate priced meal up here. Within the past couple of years, Redbeards Tavern and the Shiloh Inn have changed hands and both are greatly improved in both food and atmosphere. Now the Bigham Tavern (formally Kaibs) has done the same. I always liked Kaibs, but the food was just OK, the draft beer was slightly warm, and the TV's while large, were all placed in the corners of the room, making them hard to see. In addition, the place always had a big, irritating echo when the crowd was a bit noisy.

The new owners have really cleaned the place up and really improved the menu. While still pub-fare, the grub is a pleasant surprise. The burgers are great, and they offer some inventive toppings such as bologna, pepperoni, and capicola. And the curly fries are tremendous! Kaibs had great wings, and The Bigham smartly kept Wednesday as wing night, and I'm told they are using the same proven recipe. A bunch of new HD TV's makes it enjoyable to watch a Pens/Steeler game.

The Bigham Tavern is a great addition for Mount Washington. The crowd is friendly, the food is good and the TV's can be seen by the patrons, not just the bartenders. I only wish they would add some cloth wall hangings, and get rid of that damm echo!

If you would like to visit, take McArdle Roadway to the top, turn right on Grandview and make a left at the first stop sign.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp!

Oysters, muffaletta and po-boy sandwiches and BBQ shrimp are all great foods from New Orleans. I like all of them, and one of my favorite simple recipes is for BBQ Shrimp. BBQ shrimp from NO doesn't really have anything to do with BBQ...There's no sweet ketchup based sauce and no grill or smoker involved. Mr. B's Bistro and Pascal's Manale are a couple of restaurants that are famous for their BBQ Shrimp.

This recipe is one of my all time favorite recipes. It's very similar to the famous ones, and is real simple to prepare right on your cook top. Some use an entire stick of butter, but I prefer this one because it uses olive oil instead. If you want, just substitute a stick of butter in place of the olive oil...That will make it even better!!!

1 pound of shrimp, I like 21/25 count. Heads on or off, peeled or not, whatever you prefer.

1 tablespoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter

French bread

Measure out all of the ingredients. This cooks fast!
Wash the shrimp and pat dry. Put the shrimp and a little of the oil in a hot skillet. Add all of the dry ingredients and the Worcestershire and hot sauce.
Cook over medium high heat for about 4 minutes. Slowly add the remaining oil and wine, boil and cook a couple of minutes more until the shrimp is pink. Don't overcook!

Serve in bowls, pour some sauce over and eat with lot's of French bread for dipping!

The Shiloh Grill

The old Shiloh Inn on Mount Washington had been serving meals on Shiloh street for many years. I recall having several good meals there and a fun and lively piano bar on the weekends. In the last few years, it seemed to go downhill a bit.

Most of you that read this blog know that I don't often make negative comments about peoples restaurants...I don't consider myself a professional food critic, and don't want to affect the way these people make a living. Since the Shiloh INN is now gone, I can say that the last two meals that Stacy and I had there were awful!! On our last trip, everything from service to food, to cleanliness to service was a huge failure. That's why I was thrilled to see that the folks from the Harris Grill in Shadyside were taking over. They kept a similar name, the Shiloh Grill, but that's about it. The place is cleaned up, the bar area improved and the menu totally changed. Last week I had a business meeting on the outdoor deck with a few folks visiting our city from Atlanta. All four of them were nicely impressed, not only with the restaurant but also with our beautiful city.

The food here is not up-scale dining. I'd call it up-scale bar style. Very good and very reasonable. You can make a meal out of a variety of appetizers or choose from a selection of sandwiches or dinners. We went with a combo trying the fish tacos, calamari, chicken quesadilla, and a Buffalo chicken dip. All were big hits with my guests. The calamari was really good, described on the menu as "all dressed up in a seasoned breading and quickly flash-fried, then tossed in a sweet and spicy chile drizzle of Dutch and Indian influence". Yum!

Many selections are noted that they can be prepared vegetarian, not so much vegan though...Of course if you are vegan, you probably aren't reading this blog!

The Allegheny Mariner

Years ago, I would stay over night in the Kittanning area on occasion, and my favorite place to have a meal or just grab a drink and relax was the Allegheny Mariner. I was in the area the other day, and decided to stop. The restaurant is built on a steep hillside and actually hangs out over the Allegheny river, which creates a tremendous atmosphere and the view is beautiful. They also have a comfortable outside bar and a few tables on a deck that affords the same beautiful views.

While I didn't eat on this visit, I remember the food as being very good and the prices are very reasonable. This is a bit of a drive from the city, but it's a really nice trip for an afternoon and really worth it for such a unique place.

Coney Island Niko Lou's

I've been reading a lot about the Greek hot dog shops that seem to be prevalent North of Pittsburgh in the New Castle/Sharon area. Chowhound has a tread called "Coney Island Hot Dogs in the New Castle area" that has over a hundred replies, from all over the country!

We stopped in Sharon Pa to do a little shopping and have lunch and when I parked the car, I recognized Niko Lou's right across the street. Even though we were on our way to lunch, I decided that I had to at least try one of their famous Coney's! Stacy rolled her eyes, and went to the department store, while I went to the counter and ordered a dog the traditional way, which is with hot dog sauce (a type of chili sauce), yellow mustard and onion. I'm not even a big hot dog fan, but I really like these. The good quality Coney combined with the unique sauce make these a winner.

If you care to try this type of sauce at home, a couple of years back, I posted a similar recipe that you can access by clicking on the post title above.

Bettis Grille

I really like the Bettis Grille on the North Shore. They have a pretty good menu, with up-scale bar food and everything from fresh salads to a deep fried cheeseburger. Yep. Deep fried cheeseburger. The whole thing is battered and fried....It might be the only thing on the menu that I won't order, but I bet I'd like it!

Check out these specials from their website:

Monday
Curry Chicken Pita Pocket
curry chicken on grilled pita, house made tzatziki, shredded lettuce & diced tomatoes Soup - Cheese Burger

Tuesday
South American Seared Barramundi
one quarter pound filet seared with fresh tomato, sweet peppers & plantains in a parsley, lime juice & olive oil
Soup - Buffalo Chicken

Wednesday
Poached Pear & Gorgonzola Salad
sliced poached pears, arugula & a raspberry vinaigrette sprinkled with gorgonzola cheese topped with fried onion crisps
Soup - Chicken Noodle

Thursday
Vietnamese Meatball Banh Mi
oriental style pork meatballs on a toasted hoagie roll with siracha mayo and marinated asian slaw
Soup - Wonton

Friday
Asian Noodle Bowl
soba noodles tossed with shitake mushrooms, green onions, carrots, celery & napa cabbage, sauteed with sesame oil, garlic, shallots, ginger & red pepper flakes in a hot & sour sauce topped with grilled teriyaki chichen thigh
Soup - Stracciatella

The bar area is very nice and seperate from the dining room. Several hi-def TV's make it a nice place to watch sports and the prices are very reasonable. If you can stand the heat, they have a nice outdoor seating area although they recently removed the umbrellas from the tables. One of the waitresses told me that the wind kept blowing them away, and they got tired of chasing them.

One more aspect that's a little quirky:

Brgr Bar

There are a lot of new burger places popping up around Pittsburgh. All of them are serving up good quality, inventive burgers. I've wanted to try Brgr since they opened late last year. The offerings include spiked milkshakes and floats and full bar service with a nice selection of drafts on tap.

The burgers are tasty, and exceptionally moist due to the mix of sirloin, NY strip and ribeye that they use. Their creations are more inventive than the standards found at Tessaro's, and while I love the flavor of the beef and the creativity, I miss the tasty char that Tessaros wood grill provides. Selections range from The Average Joe, which is a basic cheeseburger to a Kobe Beef Burger, and the Locavore, which is Jameson Farm lamb patty, onion, pepper relish, feta cheese, curry aioli, and mint. The Fire In The Hole burger has jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo and a smear of guacamole. Also on the menu is a salmon burger and a couple of salad choices.

This is known as a pretty busy place, and lines are common, although we were promptly seated on a recent afternoon. You can also take advantage of the covered rooftop deck on a nice day.

Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh

Hofbrauhaus, located in Pittsburgh's South Side is a large bier hall, modeled after the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany. Following is a good description taken from their website:

"Fun and friendly is the atmosphere in the Bier Hall, with live music and about 350 soon to be close friends. There is also a quiet dining room for those who want to simply come and enjoy the delicious Bavarian fare. Many dishes are prepared with ingredients specially made for the Hofbräuhaus or imported from abroad. The Bier Garden view is of the waterfront with the Pittsburgh skyline as its backdrop.

The heritage of Hofbräuhaus is the beer. Over 500 years ago the first Hofbräuhaus beer was crafted. Hofbräuhaus has a Brew Master from Germany supervising the production of four varieties plus Seasonal Specialties of the authentic Hofbräuhaus beer. For those of us accustomed to American brews, Munich has developed a recipe for Hofbrau Light."

I've been here a couple of times, and while I'm a beer drinker, I don't claim to know much about brew pubs, or anything about "finer beers". That said, I know what I like! I've tried three of the beers here and have really enjoyed all of them. The Hofbrau Premium Lager is the beer that they claim made Hofbrau famous, and I can attest that it's very good. Their dark lager, the Hofbrau Dunkel is my favorite. Most dark brews are just too filling and strong for my tastes, but the Hofbrau Dunkel is tremendous! It has a light body (for a dark beer) and is easy to drink. They also brew a light beer and a different seasonal beer each month throughout the year. Beers are priced at $8.00 each. Sounds high, until you see the size of the mug! These things are massive.

Although I have a bit of German heritage, I've never been a fan of German food, (beige sausages...yuk!), but I did try the Schnitzel sandwich and found it to be quite good. Lightly fried with a great beir cheese sauce, this sandwich and a big Dunkel makes for a great lunch.

They also have entertainment at night and a one man German band during the day, singing traditional songs and hoisting his mug for German toasts. While I've never been there when it was crowded, I've been told that it's a fun time!

Rivertowne Pour House, North Shore

Every year I like to take in the great Three Rivers Regatta, and this year was no exception. We went twice this year, first on Sunday afternoon and then again Monday evening, taking in the various boat races, the spectacular sand sculpture, the food booths, the local bars and restaurants and of course the fireworks.

The Rivertowne Pour House has several locations around Pittsburgh. I've been to the Monroeville location, but the newest is located on the North Shore in the Del Monte Building right on the river next to PNC Park. The heat was unbearable on Monday, and we stopped in as much for the air conditioning as for the food and beer. The food and beer both turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

The Rivertowne supplements its own beers with those from other microbreweries. While I don't have a vast knowledge of microbrews, I noticed Sierra Nevada Glissade Spring Bock, and Victory Hop Devil, which is considered by many to be one of the best. True micro fans should be content here. We ordered a cold one and some food. The menu is simple, but varied. Scotch Eggs caught my eye...(Check out Pipers Pub on the South Side or read about my visit somewhere here on BurghFeeder!) Appetizers include steamed mussels, calamari, and an order of nachos consisting of tri-colored chips, aptly named Zambelli Nachos. Wraps, subs, sandwiches and salads round out the menu. We just wanted a snack so we ended up splitting a bucket of fish and chips. The fish was beer battered and very tasty. At about six inches long, this wasn't a typical portion for Pittsburgh fish, but it was very thick and quite filling for a "normal" sized portion. They also offer a Cajan Catfish and a Salmon and Chips bucket.

While admittedly this one stop wasn't much of a test, I was really surprised at the quality of the food that we had and other orders that we spied coming out of the kitchen. I've been to most of the establishments in the area and while I like the Bettis Grille, none of the others have been very impressive. This is a place that I'll go back to, even if it's not specifically for an event on the North Shore.

Bob's Diner

I just happen to really enjoy a good diner. It just so happens that my most current two posts are both diner related, although that wasn't planned. A few days ago, Stacy and I took my sister to the airport early in the morning, and decided to get breakfast somewhere out there. I wanted to go to Janoski's on route 30, but since it was the weekend we knew that it would be packed. We ended up trusting the GPS, which took us to Bob's Diner just off of Stubenville Pike in Imperial.

Bob's is bright, with tacky but comfortable diner decor. They have a small counter where you can watch the cooks prepare the food and a number of tables and comfortable booths. It was pretty busy, but we were seated right away in a booth by a window. The menu has a weekday special of two eggs, toast, 2 slices of bacon or sausage for $4.95. Not bad. When it was time to order, Stacy did as she usually does, and chose the same thing that I was going to order, Bob's Eggs Benny ($7.95). I didn't want to order the same thing, so I went with another diner classic, Corned Beef Hash and Eggs ($6.95). The service was friendly and prompt and the meals arrived fairly quickly, despite the crowd. The Eggs Benedict were classic, with a great tasting hollandaise and a delicious slice of thick ham. My meal of hash and eggs came with great red skinned potato homefries, homemade hash that included a touch of grilled green peppers and onions and two slices of Mancini's toast. Both of us thought that our meals were exceptional.

My favorite diner in the Pittsburgh area has always been Gab'n Eat in Carnegie...Mostly for it's quirky nature, good food, hodgepodge coffee cups (like I have in my kitchen) and of course, it's name, but Bob's Diner gives Gab'n Eat a run for the money! I'm sure we'll be back very soon.

Adzema Pharmacy (click here for their web site)

Neighborhood pharmacy's with lunch counters have been pretty much extinct for twenty or thirty years now, but not Adzema Pharmacy. Here the lunch counter has been a part of the business since it opened in 1959. I can remember going to these type of stores when I was a kid...Woolworths comes to mind. The Adzema still looks like one of those places, with an old fashioned counter that will seat about forty, and a couple of nice, older, and sometimes cranky waitresses.

They are open for breakfast and lunch everyday. I stop for breakfast fairly often and take advantage of their daily specials...How about an egg, bacon, and toast for $1.99? Be aware that it's only one egg, about the thinnest slices of bacon that you have ever seen and some thin white toast, but what do you expect for two bucks! It's a great little breakfast, and if you want more, and have another dollar or two, you can get more. Lunch continues in the same manner with burgers and sandwiches priced from $2.75 for a 1/3 pound burger, all the way up to $4.95, for chicken wings with fries. I haven't tried it yet, but I've been told that their fish sandwich is great. Maybe I'll get that next week.

The Adzema Pharmacy is located at 8105 Perry Highway in the North Hills.

Summit Diner, Somerset Pa

Years ago, when I was working selling medical products to hospitals, I would travel through Somerset on a regular basis. This small town is charming, but doesn't have a lot to offer when it comes to food. There is a nice little restaurant called the Pine Grill, a little bar called Maggie Mae's, an Eat'n Park, and a great diner called the Summit Diner. One ominous memory that I have is eating breakfast there, getting in the car to travel back to Pittsburgh, and learning that the attacks of 9/11 had just occurred, with one of the plane's crashing in a Somerset field.

A couple of weeks ago, Stacy and I were headed to Cumberland Md for a family visit, and stopped for lunch at the Summit. The place has been updated since my last visit, but still holds the great charm of a Pennsylvania diner. The waitstaff were dressed in '50 attire and they were just getting ready for an afternoon car cruise, with car owners arriving in their classic cars and parking them behind the restaurant.

The menu was diner typical, in a good way. Basic home cooking and a great selection of pies. Stacy ordered a chicken salad, and I went for the club sandwich. When the food arrived the salad looked bland and Stacy looked disappointed, but that soon changed when she tasted it. The greens, while mostly "diner iceberg" were fresh and crisp, the dressing homemade, and the flavor was great. My club was also a winner. We didn't try dessert, but the pies looked really tasty, and I'm sure we will make it a point to sample them on our next stop.

I highly recommend this as a good diner experience if you find yourself traveling the Pa Turnpike in need of a good, quick and fun dining experience.