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2 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 3
COVER PHOTO LL BY HEATHER MU LIFE” SEE “THE SWEETR ON PAGE 07 FO MORE ON THE 1950 PHOTO WE USED TO CREATE THIS COVER
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EARNING HISTORIC INTEREST There was a time, not long ago, when a lot of people thought Pittsburgh ought to forget what made it Pittsburgh. A decade or two ago, civic leaders warned that we were lagging while the rest of the country prospered … so if Pittsburgh was to prosper, it should be more like the rest of the country. Lose the accent. Lose the attachment to old buildings. Get over the shuttered mills and get with the program. Pittsburgh had followed that advice before. Either it was publicsector “urban renewal” or private enterprise using up the water, air and land, or clear-cutting swaths of the city, erasing the past before building something new. But not this time. This time, Pittsburgh has been rebuilding itself by preserving the old without being interred by it, being itself while still competing with the world. Venerating the city’s idiosyncratic character is practically a cottage industry — ranging from “Pittsburghese” T-shirts sold in the Strip to Rick Sebak documentaries on WQED. But this isn’t about cashing in on nostalgia; it’s about properly valuing the past. It’s about finding new uses for old buildings, reinvigorating old recipes with new ingredients. Those civic leaders weren’t entirely wrong: Much of the 1990s economic boom did pass us by. But as the city’s likely next mayor says on page 10, that just meant we escaped the Panera-ization of America. Either because we didn’t sell out, or because no one wanted to buy us up, we found ways to hold onto, or to reuse, the things that set us apart. And we learned that sometimes, the clearest way forward is to remember where you’ve been. Connecting yourself to history can help ensure you aren’t forgotten by it. That’s the spirit of this year’s City Guide, our sixth. On the pages that follow, we’ve profiled some of the city’s “urban legends” — people and places that connect us to the past, while still shaping the present. And we also look at “history makers,” some of the change-agents who are helping to shape the city’s future. And throughout, we offer reminders of the city that was, while profiling the cultural institutions and nightlife destinations that are making a new city alongside it. In the pages that follow, we hope, you’ll find plenty of reasons to go out and make some memories of your own.
CONTENTS DINING 13 NIGHTLIFE 27 CULTURE 43 Special thanks go to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Gil Pietrzak of the Carnegie Library’s Pittsburgh Photographic Library for procuring the historic images used in this guide. And special thanks to Art Louderback of the Heinz History Center archives for all his help.
City Guide is a product of Pittsburgh City Paper. Contents copyrighted 2013 by Steel City Media. 4 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
NOV. 27, 1758 After ousting the French from the Point during the French and Indian War, Joseph Forbes names the settlement “Pittsburgh” — using the Scottish “h” — in honor of William Pitt. Pittsburgh linguistic weirdness, including such Scots-Irish words as “yinz,” is thereby enshrined.
APRIL 10, 1845 Much of Downtown Pittsburgh — some 50 acres and 1,200 buildings — is wiped out in a massive fire. Predictably, city leaders blame a poor Irish washerwoman.
MARCH 31, 1933
CIRCA 1792-1794 The city’s first blast furnace opens, on the current site of Shadyside’s Winchester-Thurston private school. The furnace closes down after a year. Maybe basic metals manufacturing just wasn’t meant to catch on here?
Charles H. Kline, Pittsburgh’s last Republican mayor, steps down amid ethics allegations. From here, Democratic rule of Pittsburgh is assured, though not an end to dysfunction.
APRIL 12, 1955 University of Pittsburgh researcher Jonas Salk announces a polio vaccine. The crippling disease is all but eradicated in the U.S. within a decade. UPMC still brags about it.
MARCH 17-18, 1936 The “St. Patrick’s Day Flood” deluges the city. In some places, the water is 20 feet deep; people travel Downtown streets by canoe. Pittsburgh had been flooded many times before — including an 1810 “pumpkin flood” where gourds supposedly washed up ashore — but this flood later encouraged a spate of post-war dam building to prevent a repeat.
JAN. 30, 1956
1846
A World War II vintage B-25 bomber crashes into the Monongahela River and is never found again — prompting decades of conspiracy theories about what was on board.
A Pittsburgh pharmacist, Samuel Kier, begins selling “rock oil” as a medicine. This humble act helps to launch the entire petroleum industry, whose early headquarters were in Pittsburgh.
STEEL THE ONE
HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF PITTSBURGH’S RISE, FALL AND REBIRTH 1868 Writer James Parton describes Pittsburgh as looking like “Hell with the lid taken off” — the most bad-ass description ever given it.
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
1890-1911 The federal government insists that Pittsburgh drop its “h” in an effort to make geographic spellings uniform. Pittsburghers object, and after two decades, the government reverses itself. It will not be the last time Pittsburghers desperately cling to their own idiosyncrasies.
JULY 21-22, 1877 A massive riot against the Pennsylvania Railroad breaks out in the Strip District. Militiamen from Philadelphia are called in, and predictably make things worse: Hundreds of railcars are burned, along with warehouses and depots. For the first time, federal troops are called in to quell a strike; more than 100 workers are killed.
NOV. 2, 1920 Station KDKA makes nation’s first commercial broadcast, announcing Warren G. Harding’s win in the presidential race before newspapers could report it. Things have been going downhill for newspapers ever since.
DEC. 24, 1979
Sports Illustrated names Pittsburgh the “City of Champions” as the Steelers and Pirates dominate their leagues.
JULY 14, 1997 LTV Steel announces it will shutter its coke plant in Hazelwood — the last remnant of the steel industry within city limits.
FEB. 28, 1985 Pittsburgh is dubbed America’s “Most Livable City” by Rand McNally. The news inaugurates a decadeslong local obsession with how we perform in highly subjective ranking systems.
SEPT. 1, 2006 After the untimely death of Mayor Bob O’Connor, Pittsburgh City Council President Luke Ravenstahl is sworn in as mayor, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity under his wise and benevolent rule.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 5
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MAP QUEST IN 80 YEARS, THE GROUND HAS PRACTICALLY SHIFTED BENEATH OUR FEET This map, from the December 1930 issue of Fortune magazine, shows Pittsburgh as it looked to the titans of the industrial age: a place for the rich to play, and the rest of us to work, with little of interest in between. Today, the mills are gone, but the city has learned to value the spaces Pittsburgh’s leaders once overlooked: the neighborhoods where the city is being reborn. The numbered circles correspond to the neighborhoods identified on the following pages. The graphic icons below will be used throughout the guide to help you locate the city’s newest attractions.
U = CITY: DOWNTOWN AND STRIP DISTRICT Q = CITY: NORTH OF THE ALLEGHENY R = CITY: SOUTH OF THE MONONGAHELA
DOWNTOWN
1
Downtown (U) was the original Pittsburgh, settled by the French and then the English in the 1750s. At various periods, the “Point” — where the Allegheny and the Monongahela join to form the Ohio — has housed colonial-era forts, warehouses, industrial slums, even an amusement park. Now it’s the city’s front lawn, recently reconstructed. (The fountain now has water in it again — we’re real proud of that.) The rest of the “Golden Triangle” 6 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
S = CITY: EAST OF DOWNTOWN T = CITY: WEST END M = NORTH SUBURBS
— a Downtown nickname that dates back more than a century — is the city’s commercial and cultural focus, with high-rise buildings and high-end cultural attractions and restaurants, many of which are described elsewhere in this guide.
HILL DISTRICT
2
For decades, the Hill District (S) was the first stop for waves of immigrants from every corner of the globe. In its 20th-century heyday, it was the heart of the city’s black community, and home
N = SOUTH SUBURBS O = EAST SUBURBS P = WEST SUBURBS
to its legendary jazz scene. But postwar redevelopment, namely the construction of the Civic Arena, erased that legacy, and the Hill fell into disrepair. Now that the Civic Arena has itself been razed, there’s a chance to try again. In the meantime, devotees of playwright August Wilson can make a pilgrimage to his childhood home at 1727 Bedford Ave. A short (but uphill) walk from Downtown is Freedom Corner, at the corner of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street, the stepping-off point for many a civil-rights march today and in years past.
STRIP DISTRICT, POLISH HILL 3
Despite its name, the Strip District (U) has traditionally been more about work than play. The mile-long expanse of riverbank, once home to an Indian settlement and later referred to as “Bayardstown” and “Denny’s Bottoms” — was a perfect location for sprawling mills and railyards. Those are gone now, but the warehouses remain, and today The Strip is Pittsburgh’s open-air market. Stop by on a Saturday morning, when
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
The Sweet Life The Dimling family came to Pittsburgh from Bavaria and opened a Downtown candy shop, and later a German restaurant, in 1875. The Dimling name was once common Downtown, as the corner of Fifth and Wood. But two years after this 1950 photo was taken, owner Herbert Dimling shut down the firm to end a two-week-old labor strike. The brand lived on, but never recovered. A Dimling advertisement or two survives Downtown today, fading in the weather, if you know where to look.
you can rub elbows with all of Pittsburgh. Don’t miss Wholey’s fish market (1711 Penn Ave.) or the cheese counter at Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. (2010 Penn Ave.) for local color. Looming above the Strip’s eastern end is Polish Hill (S). Though hard times and outmigration mean it’s no longer quite the ethnic enclave its name or welcome sign suggests, Polish Hill’s affordable space is drawing new arrivals. Among them, in addition to landmark rock club Gooski’s, are Mind Cure Records (412-621-1175) and Copacetic Comics (412-251-5451), both at 3138 Dobson St.
NORTH SIDE
4
The North Side (Q) was once a city unto itself — Allegheny City — until it was forcefully annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. There are still some hard feelings over that, exacerbated by some wrongheaded mid-20th-century urban redevelopment. But the so-called North Shore has become a destination, thanks to big-ticket draws such as Heinz Field, PNC Park, Stage AE, the Carnegie Science Center and the Rivers Casino. On the other side of the railroad tracks (literally) you’ll find the charming Mexican War Streets, named in the mid-19th-century after key battles and generals in the recently concluded Mexican-American War. The area also boasts a handful of cultural attractions listed elsewhere in the guide: the National Aviary, the Mattress Factory and the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum.
SOUTH SIDE
5
Like many other riverside districts,
the South Side (R) was long a manufacturing district — though it’s a little hard to tell now. The once-mighty J&L works, scrapped in the 1990s, have been replaced with an open-air shopping mall with a Cheesecake Factory and higher-end chain stores. And the South Side itself, once solidly working-class, is now regarded as a place to play. Bar-lined Carson Street has become almost too much of a destination, especially on weekends. But there are plenty of attractions to visit before the streetlights come on. A handful of shops recall a funkier age: patchouli-scented Culture Shop (1602 E. Carson St., 412-4818284), the “antifashion” outlet Slacker (1304 E. Carson, 412-381-3911) and the landmark Beehive coffeehouse (1327 E. Carson St., 412-488-4483). A handful of high-end boutiques are on hand as well. But there are still fears the South Side may be the victim of its own success.
MOUNT WASHINGTON
6
Originally known as Coal Hill — because guess why? — Mount Washington (R) began developing during the Civil War, evidenced by names like Shiloh Street, the area’s business district. (We recommend a visit to the offbeat Shiloh Grill, at 123 Shiloh St.) Much of the area behind the ridge is residential; but along the ridge itself runs Grandview Avenue, named because guess why? Grandview sports a series of white-tablecloth restaurants, and observation decks frequented by tourists and wedding parties. The city’s two inclines — all that remain in a city that once had nearly two dozen — join it to the South Side below. CONTINUES ON PG. 08
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 7
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
MAP QUEST, CONTINUED FROM PG. 07
a once-privileged past: green-domed Motor Square Garden was once a market for the wealthy, and East Liberty Presbyterian Church — one of the most liberal congregations in the city — was called the “Mellon’s fire escape” after the wealthy banking family that spent enough building it to buy a ticket out of Hell. For much of the 20th century, East Liberty suffered from blight and urban redevelopment gone wrong. More recently, a funkier crowd has adopted it, and their presence can still be found at hipster hangout Kelly’s Lounge (6012 Penn Circle South, 412-363-6012). But as gentrification sets in, many of those early adopters — like the muchlamented Shadow Lounge — have been clearing out. There are now fears that East Liberty’s business district could become, yet again, a preserve for the affluent — even as neighborhoods struggle just blocks away.
SHADYSIDE
Setting the Bar An undated photo of George Eisele’s bar on — you guessed it — the South Side’s Carson Street. We suspect, but cannot confirm, that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl may be somewhere inside. (We’re just saying — the guy LOVES oyster soup!)
OAKLAND
7
Named for the trees on the farm of early settler William Eichbaum, Oakland (S) has been the city’s civic center for more than a century, thanks to the creation of sprawling Schenley Park, the Carnegie Institute and three colleges: the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Carlow University. The cultural attractions here are described elsewhere in the guide, and much of Oakland has been given over to chain retail and eateries — brand names that will be familiar to a peripatetic student population. But the Craig Street business district has retains its local charm, and what bids fair to be the city’s best usedbook store: Caliban Books (410 S. Craig St., 412-681-9111), which also features an expertly curated music selection.
LAWRENCEVILLE
8
Named for War of 1812 naval Captain James Lawrence — he of “don’t give up the ship!” fame — Lawrenceville (S) has been a key industrial hub, sometimes at its own peril. (During the Civil War, an ammunition plant here blew up, killing 78 people — mostly young women who worked there.) Large industrial sheds along the Allegheny River attest to its role in helping launch global enterprises like Alcoa, and some have been converted to more high-tech use. But the real action is along Butler 8 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Street, which boasts so many bars (listed elsewhere) and boutiques that already there’s talk Lawrenceville might become “the next South Side” — and not in a good way. Still, there’s plenty to offer: Shoe freaks swear by Pavement (3629 Butler St., 412-621-6400) and Wildcard (4209 Butler St., 412-224-2651) offers up crocheted traffic cones and other crafty emblems of post-industrial Pittsburgh pride. Also worth a visit: Allegheny Cemetery (4715 Penn Ave.), a sprawling rural cemetery that’s the closest thing Lawrenceville has to a park, and the resting place of composer Stephen Foster, baseball great Josh Gibson, and other luminaries.
BLOOMFIELD/GARFIELD
institution: Kraynick’s Bicycle Shop (5003 Penn Ave., 412-361-0888), which takes all comers.
EAST LIBERTY
10
The skyline of East Liberty (S) is dominated by two structures that reflect
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
The Duquesne Incline is more historic, but remote; the Monongahela is functional, and within steps of the Station Square shopping/entertainment complex.
11
Strange as it may seem, Shadyside (S) was actually the home of the city’s steel industry: A blast furnace was first constructed here in 1794. And in more patchouli-scented days, its Walnut Street business district was Pittsburgh’s Haight-Ashbury. Today, Shadyside today is synonymous with old money and exorbitant rent, and Walnut is now an open-air mall for the affluent. Some neighborhood retailers do remain: We’re suckers for Shadyside Variety and its filled-to-bursting stock of toys and brica-brac (5421 Walnut St., 412-681-1716). And you’ll find a bit more local quirk and urban cool a few blocks away along Ellsworth and South Highland avenues. Ellsworth features some boutique and vintage stores, including longtime anchors Eons (5850 Ellsworth Ave., 412361-3368) and Hey Betty! (5892 Ellsworth Ave., 412-363-0999); Highland features a mix that ranges from hip-hop vendor
9
Bloomfield/Garfield (S): Bloomfield is less sylvan than its name sounds, and not quite as Italian as it might have you believe, except on Columbus Day. An array of ethnic restaurants lines Liberty Avenue, along with some old-man bars and one-of-a-kind shops like Sound Cat Records (4526 Liberty Ave., 412-621-3256), a great source for new music. Political solidarity also requires a shout-out to the lefty Big Idea Cooperative Bookstore (4812 Liberty Ave., 412-687-4323). Adjoining Garfield is named after President James Garfield, who was buried the day its first subdivided lot was purchased. Things have picked up since: Penn Avenue is home to music spaces and arts groups both big and small, which coexist, if at times uneasily, with struggling neighborhoods to the north. In the heart of it all is a Pittsburgh
Plenty of Polish Believe it or not, this is Shadyside’s Walnut Street — and not a Manolo Blahnik in sight! Harold Corsini photographed this shoe shop in 1953, long before anyone had heard of White House/Black Market.
{PHOTO COURTESY OF HEINZ FAMILY FUND, © TEENIE HARRIS ARCHIVE, CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, PITTSBURGH}
Key Figure Teenie Harris, the famed Pittsburgh Courier photographer who took this picture, is remembered for documenting Pittsburgh’s black community. Woogie Harris, the guy playing the mirrored piano and Teenie’s brother, actually shaped that community. Woogie ran a barber shop, was the Hill District’s reputed numbers king and was part-owner of the legendary Crawford Grill jazz club — where this shot was taken.
Time Bomb Spot (200 S. Highland Ave., 412-661-2233) to high-end furniture store Arhaus (235 S. Highland, 412-362-7005), with plenty of new eating and drinking opportunities in between.
POINT BREEZE/ HOMEWOOD 12
At one time, Point Breeze and Homewood (S) were the preserves of the wealthy, as industrialists like George Westinghouse and H.J. Heinz were attracted by the area’s flat acreage (unusual for Pittsburgh) and distance from the mills. Homewood itself was named after a mansion; Point Breeze (which bears the name of an early 19th-century tavern) houses the old Frick estate, Clayton (now the Frick Art & Historical Center). But as Homewood’s black population increased in the 1950s, white residents fled south, beyond the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. The communities’ fortunes have diverged since then. Outsiders who visit often come for the East End Food Co-Op (7516 Meade St., 412-242-3598), an organic grocer and lefty bastion, or Construction Junction (214 N. Lexington St., 412243-5025), a recycled-building-materials warehouse. Mac Miller fans may want to visit the real-life Frick Park Market (at 7103 Reynolds St., 412-243-6030), near the 561-acre park that once made up the Frick estate.
SQUIRREL HILL
13
You’d never guess it now, but Squirrel Hill (S) was one of the last city neighborhoods to be developed (maybe it took that long to get through the Squirrel Hill tunnel?), with farmland part of the landscape through the 1930s. Named for the squirrels that notoriously kept early residents up at night, it is now a sprawling neighborhood that includes students, old money and a thriving
Jewish community. Its Forbes/Murray business corridor includes Jerry’s Records (2136 Murray, 412-421-4533), a mecca for vinyl enthusiasts, and two pizza joints that inspire competing loyalties strong enough to tear families apart: Mineo’s (2128 Murray Ave., 412-521-9864) and Aiello’s (2112 Murray Ave., 412-521-9973).
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SOUTH HILLS 14
Pittsburgh’s South Hills neighborhoods (R) — those on the other side of Mount Washington and adjoining “hilltop” neighborhoods — have largely served as bedroom communities, opened up by the 1920s construction of the “Liberty Tubes.” And despite being served by the city’s light-rail line, the neighborhoods have had some bad luck: Beechview, for example, has been hampered by a real-estate scandal involving a cellist who fled to Brazil — perhaps the most exciting thing to ever happen there. But the city’s still-modest Latino community has established a presence here, as shown by Brookline’s Las Palmas (412-344-1131), which offers streetside tacos, and foodies are starting to make inroads as well; witness the presence of Beechview’s Crested Duck Charcuterie (1603 Broadway Ave. 412-892-9983).
WEST END
15
The West End (T) is so named because it’s in the West, and … um … this is the end of the article? Originally named Temperanceville, to honor a tee-totaling early settler, it’s never really recovered. Despite some neighborhood charm — and the West End Overlook (Rue Grande Vue, Crafton Heights) — the West End is itself, well, often overlooked. This is still one of those areas that is still blank on many Pittsburghers’ maps, though someday, someone will figure out how to fill it in.
Don’t Miss Kennywood’s Fall Fantasy. Come On, You Promised The Kids! PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 9
Bill Peduto in 2007, the year he stepped out of the ring by dropping a mayoral run
pittsburghzoo.org
Saturday, July 20 11AM–3PM {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
Macy’s
history maker
Bring your little ones to meet our
A CONVERSATION WITH
BILL PEDUTO
and enjoy fun activities!
Brought B h to you bby:
ill Peduto began working in city government, as a citycouncil aide, in the 1990s. He’s since become the architect of a progressive movement within city government. After failed mayoral bids in 2005 and 2007, Peduto won the Democratic primary this spring, positioning him as the prohibitive favorite to be Pittsburgh’s next mayor in 2014. So if there’s anyone who can point the way from where Pittsburgh has been, to where it’s going, it might be him.
B
DURING THE CAMPAIGN, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOUR PITTSBURGH ROOTS, THE RELATIVES WHO’D WORKED IN STEEL MILLS, AND THEN YOU’D SAY, “THAT PITTSBURGH IS GONE.” WHAT PART OF IT DO YOU MISS MOST? Family time. My grandfather lived with us, and I used to go to Mass with him on Sundays, and then we’d go to the Roma Dante club in Carnegie — a social club for the Italian guys who worked at Columbia Steel. And there’d be a big Sunday dinner, sometimes my uncles were there. Italian would be spoken around the table. By age 5, I spoke at least conversational Italian. There are parts of the city where you can still see that. It’s within neighborhoods, the generational families that are still there. It’s in Morningside, seeing the fest of St. Rocco, or the smell of Kennywood or playing bingo at the Allentown Senior Center. WHAT PART OF PITTSBURGH’S PAST SHOULD WE BE LETTING GO OF? The degradation of our environment, and the top-down structure for decision-making that came through an industrial age. The separation of people by race, ethnicity or income. I said on election night that our rivers are not oceans, and our hills are not mountains. We understand that [when the Steelers play] every Sunday at 1 p.m., but we forget it the rest of the week.
10 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
It’s a double-edged sword, because you don’t want to lose those tight-knit communities. Because that is what made the city unique — 90 times over. One benefit of not seeing an economic boom of the 1980s and 1990s is that we escaped the entire Panera-ization of America.
TR
AX
FARM S
{PHOTO BY LAUREN DALEY}
YOU’VE BEEN IN CITY GOVERNMENT FOR 20 YEARS. HOW HAS PITTSBURGH CHANGED IN THAT TIME? In the very first interview I ever gave, I said Pittsburgh will go from one of America’s oldest cities to one of the youngest, because we had a whole missed generation: When the steel industry collapsed, people my age just didn’t stay here. And as the older generation ages, it will be the younger people staying, and bringing new people here. I’ve seen that transformation actually occur. It’s not just taking place in Lawrenceville and Greenfield, but in Brookline and Brighton Heights. And it’ll be happening everywhere. When that happens, watch out. Because that’s when we don’t close schools but open them. And that’s when we’ll be able to enhance the previous Pittsburgh — which was the richest city in America, and left us all these wonderful treasures — and create the greatest city in America.
®
Bill Peduto in 2013, on the night he became the Democrats’ nominee for mayor
BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO TRY TO TURN US INTO PORTLAND, ARE YOU? No. I’ve been to Portland. It has the most incredible transportation model that I’ve seen in North America. But it lacks that character that makes Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. It misses the history and fabric that makes people love this city even when economically we were on our knees. There is something here that goes beyond the topography — that goes beyond that history, the culture and the people. There is an identity in itself that all of us can feel, though it is sometimes hard to describe. SO … WHAT IS IT, EXACTLY? I don’t know. But it’s why I decided never to leave again. In Austin, they like to say, “Keep Austin weird.” Here, it’s like, “Keep Pittsburgh screwy.” In the 1980s, when there were very few of us left, it was watching Frankie Capri [an Elvis impersonator whose not-entirely-convincing imitation was enhanced by an extensive stage show involving animatronic monkeys and audience costumes] at the Liberty Belle [a South Side bar]. There would people from the South Side down there to polka, while you had college kids donning donkey heads right next to them. AS MAYOR, WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF CHANGING? Three things: the Pittsburgh Left [a driving maneuver in which oncoming traffic yields to left-turners at stop lights]; the merging into a lane one mile before the merge point; and the mandatory wave and honk when somebody lets you go in front of them. BY CHRI S P OTTER / CPOT T ER@PGH CIT YPA PER . C OM
THE
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229 S. Highland Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206 412.661.5656
SHADYSIDE
Mediterranean
5847 Ellsworth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412.362.5656
SHADYSIDE
Pan-Asian
5849 Ellsworth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412.362.6198
SHADYSIDE
Japanese/Sushi
2000 Smallman St Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.261.6565
STRIP DISTRICT
Island
1150 Smallman St Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.201.5656
STRIP DISTRICT
Contemporary American
7 Locations madmex.com
PITTSBURGH
Funky Fresh Cal-Mex
bigburrito.com
With full service and drop-off catering, any of the award winning big Burrito cuisines will bring your event to life. 412.361.3272 x208
12 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
DINING Heinz Pickle tasters, 1905 Pittsburgh ketchup baron H.J. Heinz essentially created the packaged-food industry, and he relied on hundreds of women who packed pickles and did other work. Heinz — whose female employees were treated to free lecture series, horse-and-carriage rides and other amenities — prominently featured women in PR campaigns, as a way of reinforcing the purity and domesticity of his products.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 13
Fukuda {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
dining
TABLEHOPPING
THIS DINING GUIDE INCLUDES SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS RECENTLY VISITED AND RECOMMENDED BY CITY PAPER FOOD CRITICS, THOUGH IT WON’T TELL YOU ABOUT EVERY GOOD MEAL IN TOWN. CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE, WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM, FOR A FULL RESTAURANT DIRECTORY. LISTINGS KEY
ENTRÉE PRICES: J — Less than $10
K — Between $10 and $20
AMERICAN
AVENUE B. 5501 Centre Ave., Shadyside. 412-683-3663. This intimate corner restaurant has only a brief, seasonal menu, but its offerings are all tantalizing, each combining several pedigreed ingredients. Such selections have included piquillo-pepper lasagna with a different filling in each layer; green-bean and sweet-potato tempura; and fresh pasta topped with beef short ribs, chard and crisped cipollini onions. LFS
BAR MARCO. 2216 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-471-1900. At this former firehouse-turned-restaurant, a small but well-curated menu makes a perfect complement to the wine and cocktail list. The tapas-inspired roster ranges from charcuterie plates and classics, like patatas bravas, to smokedpork tamales and grilled radicchio and endive salad. KEU
14 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
L — More than $20
E — Alcohol Served
BRIDGE TEN BRASSERIE. 20 S. 10th St., South Side. 412-586-5033. This brasserie mines the rich core of sophistication in everyday French fare. The menu offers familiar dishes such as steak frites, escargot and cassoulet made distinctive with regional French inflections. Add a welltrained staff and a lovingly curated wine list for a fine-dining experience. LER
F — BYOB
By state law, smoking is not permitted in restaurants.
(724-553-5212). You may cringe at the “white trash” theme, or feel bemused at ordering sautéed shrimp and wood-grilled portabella on a faux TV-dinner tray. But there’s plenty of good vegan fare, beer and a fun filling-station-turned-restaurant ambience. KERM
E2. 5904 Bryant St., Highland Park.
of the Strip is noted for its innovative, contemporary American cuisine. Dishes are prepared with fresh, local ingredients and served in a classy modern space, to be complemented with an amazing wine selection. LE
JAMES STREET GASTROPUB & SPEAKEASY. 422 Foreland St.,
412-252-2595. Charcuterie specialties are just part of the locally inspired menu at this rustic-chic Lawrenceville restaurant. A short menu offers seasonal specialties (wild onions in spring), often combined with pork, but vegetables get a spotlight in dishes such as risotto with local mushrooms. LES
412-441-1200. The popular, cozy brunch spot has expanded, adding a dinner menu that refracts traditional, Old World recipes through the prism of the contemporary American kitchen (fresh, local, seasonal). It’s as elemental as cannellini beans with red-pepper flakes, or as elaborate as seared scallops with butternut-squash mash, fried leeks and Portobello, and truffled pumpkin seeds. KFS
North Side. 412-904-3335. This venue offers a nicely up-to-date selection of refined pub grub, including inventively dressed burgers (corn chips, salsa and ranch dressing), meatloaf and fried chicken. A relaxed gastropub, with fun appetizers, such as steak “pipe bombs,” live music on one floor and menus housed in old LP covers. KEQ
DOUBLE WIDE GRILL. 2339 E.
ELEVEN. 1150 Smallman St., Strip
Oakland. 412-621-2700. The former Regent Square bistro now has a more urbane Oakland location. To its inspired cuisine
CURE. 5336 Butler St., Lawrenceville.
Carson St., South Side (412-390-1111) and 100 Adams Shoppes, Route 288, Mars
District. 412-201-5656. This multi-leveled venue (with balcony) perched on the edge
LEGUME BISTRO. 214 N. Craig St.,
based on fresh, seasonal and local, Legume has also added a full bar and in-house butchering. The expanded menu might include: steaks, lamb kielbasa with celeriac puree, grilled escarole and lemon-verbena panna cotta. LES
THE LIBRARY. 2304 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-381-0517. The entrée list at this bookish-themed bistro is short, usually a good sign that the chef is focusing on the strengths of his kitchen and the season’s freshest foods. Dishes revolve around the staples of meat, seafood and pasta, but in fearless and successful preparations that make the menu a worthwhile read. KER
LOLA BISTRO. 1100 Galveston Ave., Allegheny West. 412-322-1106. This is a neighborhood bistro with an atmosphere you’d like to experience every night, and food good enough to do the same. The menu here offers “contemporary comfort cuisine” — it hews toward the familiar (meat and fish, pot pie, pasta Bolognese) while applying up-to-the-minute sensibilities to the details: house-cured meats, infused oils, coconut milk in the Moroccan vegetable stew. LFQ LUKE WHOLEY’S WILD ALASKAN GRILLE. 2106 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-904-4509. Expect fresh fish from this fine-dining but casual establishment. There’s a well-curated selection of mostly grilled fish with various sauces. Appetizers include favorites such as calamari, mussels and crab cakes, but also grilled corn with feta cheese. KEU
MEAT AND POTATOES. 649 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-325-7007. This restaurant combines several current trends, including revisiting staples of the American pantry, the gastro-pub and nose-to-tail cooking, all in a lively Downtown space. Expect everything from marrow bones to burgers, flatbreads and chicken pot pie, as well as pots of rhubarb jam and hand-crafted cocktails. LEU
MONTEREY BAY FISH GROTTO. 1411 Grandview Ave., Mount Washington (412-481-4414) and 146 Mall Circle Drive, Monroeville (412-374-8530). Because fish lends itself to endless preparations and dressings, the menu here is copious (and that’s not including the daily specials). The Mount Washington location, with its spectacular view of the city, is a popular venue for special occasions, out-of-towners and anyone who loves fish. KERO
NOLA ON THE SQUARE. 24 Market Square, Downtown. 412-471-9100. Offering a boldly refined take on straightup, traditional New Orleans food, NOLA’s menu is an invitation to kick back, relax and savor the flavors: cheesy griddle grits with a chunky tomato sauce and green beans; oyster stew; and catfish strips paired with spicy papaya. KEU
PENN AVENUE FISH COMPANY.
2208 Penn Ave., Strip District (412-4347200) and 308 Forbes Ave., Downtown (412-562-1710). These two fish restaurants fill the gap between humble lunch counter and snooty steakhouse — modern, funky and moderately priced. Much of the restaurant’s menu is casual fare such as sandwiches, sushi and tacos, with a rotating selection of higher-end dishes, particularly at the Downtown location. KFU
THE PORCH. Schenley Plaza, Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive, Oakland. 412-687-6724. An attractive wood-andstone structure set in the verdant heart of Oakland, The Porch offers cuisine that is modern without being stark, homey without being heavy. Consider a pizza dressed with butternut squash, pork belly atop roasted pumpkin, or lasagne with house-made chive pasta. KES ROBBIE’S SUPER-STUFF SUPER-LICIOUS BBQ. 1000 Ardmore Blvd., Forest Hills. 412-823-4003. This Forest Hills venue offers straight-up Southern barbecue of chicken, beef and pork, with all the sides you’d expect, such as greens (cooked in pork broth), macand-cheese and corn-filled corn bread. Get the sauce on the side to savor the smokiness of the meat. KFO
ROOT 174. 1113 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. 412-243-4348. The foundation of the menu is also a basic formula: fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. To this, add an adventurous selection of meat products, such as bone-marrow brûlée and smoked salmon sausage. Dishes have lengthy ingredient lists, but it all comes together in satisfying and surprising ways. LEO
ON THE TABLE The definition of marriage may be changing, but what Pittsburghers hath joined together — the “cookie table” — let no one put asunder. Laden with cookies baked by family members, the table is a fixture of local wedding receptions. Like a lot of things in Pittsburgh these days, this modest tradition has drawn the attention of The New York Times. “[E]ven amid the increasing “professionalization of the wedding,” the paper reported in 2009, Pittsburghers “haul their homemade cookies into the fanciest … wedding venues.”
SALT OF THE EARTH. 5523 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-441-7258. Salt embodies a singular vision for not just eating, but fully experiencing food. The everchanging but compact menu reflects chef Kevin Sousa’s hybrid style, combining cutting-edge techniques with traditional ingredients to create unique flavor and texture combinations. Salt erases distinctions — between fine and casual dining, between familiar and exotic ingredients, between your party and adjacent diners. LES SAVOY. 2623 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-281-0660. The Strip District now has a swanky spot for brunch and dinner. The artfully prepared cuisine suggests a cross between current fine-dining culture (locally sourced foods, sous vide meats), lounge favorites (sliders and fish
MONDAYS SPECIALTY BURGER & BEER $10 TUESDAYS FRIED CHICKEN WEDNESDAYS LOBSTER NIGHT THURSDAYS $10 OFF ALL BOTTLES OF WINE FRIDAYS LOBSTER ROLLS SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS BRUNCH 301 Freeport Road - Aspinwall, PA 15215 - 412.408-3420 www.cornerstonepgh.com
SUMMER AT SOERGEL ORCHARDS EXPERIENCE A FAMILY TRADITION
Corn Roasts, pony-ride birthday parties, farm petting zoo, Beer Tastings, Amish-made donuts and more great food and events all summer long!
Experience Soergels! Visit Soergels.com for hours and events! 2573 Brandt School Rd. Wexford, PA, 15090 724.935.1743
CONTINUES ON PG. 16
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 15
TABLEHOPPING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 15
tacos) and Southern comfort (chicken with black-eyed peas and greens, watermelon salad). LEU
HAPPINESS HAS ARRIVED
SPOON. 134 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty. 412-362-6001. A swanky restaurant offering American cuisine and focusing on locally procured, sustainable ingredients and seasonal offerings. What stands out is the sensitivity with which each dish is conceived — from flavor, texture and the creation of fresh combinations. Thus, ancho chilies and pork are paired with new, yet just-right blendings such as cilantro, lime and feta. LES TOAST! KITCHEN & WINE BAR.
PATIO NOW OPEN Dine in outdoor splendor Now serving Sunday Brunch
Happier Hours: Sunday – Thursday 4-6:30 p.m. Appetizer and Drink Specials South Hills, 1835 Washington Road, Upper St. Clair 15241 • 412-835-3239 www.bonefishgrill.com
5102 Baum Blvd., Bloomfield. 412-2242579. In this intimate restaurant, the emphasis is on local, seasonal ingredients simply yet inventively prepared. Menu items change frequently and feature combinations both straightforward (shrimp and grits) and unexpected (add habañero cheddar and brown-sugar butter to that). Or try the chef’s tasting, a unique four-course dinner just for you. LES
UNION PIG AND CHICKEN. 220 N. Highland Ave., East Liberty. 412-363-7675. This lively family-style BBQ venue hews closely to tradition. The smoked meats (ribs, brisket, pork shoulder and chicken) are “dry” (with sauces at table), and the sides are well-prepared classics: mac-andcheese, baked beans, collard greens and coleslaw. Prices are higher than a roadside stand, but the quality is top-notch. KES UP MODERN KITCHEN. 5500 Walnut St., Shadyside. 412-688-8220. This contemporary restaurant offers a sophisticated sensibility and eclectic approach to fresh, local and seasonal cuisine. The globally influenced menu ranges from “bites” to “small plates” to entrees, as well as soups, salads and sandwiches. The variety is such that it’s hard to imagine a diner unable to find something enticing. KES
a la carte approach, ideal for sampling a menu that spans traditional sushi, charcoalgrilled skewers, ramen soup and neatly prepared, sliced proteins. LFS
GREEN PEPPER. 2020 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill 412-422-2277. At this family-run restaurant, diners will find authentic Korean recipes refreshingly not reconstituted for timid Americans — no egg rolls or Chinese-American stir-fries. Dumplings contain kimchi, and the soup is pumpkin. Entrees include the morefamiliar bulgogi (barbecued beef), as well as bibimbap, in which meat and veggies are mixed with rice. KES MISS SAIGON 88. 256 N. Craig St., Oakland. 412-802-6388. This restaurant offers a full sushi bar and some Thai curries, but its Vietnamese specialties are the real reason to go. For appetizers, try shrimp mini-crepes or banh uot, a chicken and noodle dish. The salted lemongrass tofu entrée is a standout, as is the Spicy Miss Saigon soup, a wonderfully flavored pho. KFS
A HILL OF BEANS Pittsburgh isn’t as strongly associated with coffee as Seattle. But maybe it should be. In the late 1800s, Pittsburgh-born brothers John and Charles Arbuckle figured out how to package pre-roasted coffee and ship it anywhere. (They coated the beans in a glaze that prevented them from going stale.) Once the world’s biggest coffee shipper, the Arbuckles were later wiped out by a battle with the sugar industry.
ASIAN
ALL INDIA. 315 N. Craig St., Oakland. 412-681-6600. With more than 200 items, All India’s menu is both epic and exciting, including novel choices such as Goan coconut shrimp and green jackfruit curry alongside the old denizens, chicken curry and the tandoor. Here, a thali, or combination platter, is a great option for the culinary explorer who wants the experience of multiple tastes. KFS
NEW HOW LEE. 5888 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-422-1888. It’s an oddly signed storefront restaurant, but this is Sichuan cuisine that rises above its peers with food that’s well cooked, expertly seasoned and fearlessly spicy. The lesstypical entrees include cumin mutton, dan dan noodles, tea-smoked duck and Chendu fried dry hot chicken. JFS
THE CAMBOD-ICAN KITCHEN.
NICKY’S THAI KITCHEN. 856
1701 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-3816199. Having made the jump from street truck to modest sit-down venue, the owners retained their menu, so popular with the late-night crowd, of freshcooked Cambodian cuisine. Kabobs, fried wontons, chicken, shrimp cakes, curried vegetable bowls and fried noodles are among the restaurant’s staples, as is its distinctive in-house “moon sauce” and fresh limeade. JFR
Western Ave., North Side (412-3218424) and 903 Penn Ave., Downtown (412-471-8424). This restaurant offers outstanding Thai cuisine — from familiar options to chef’s specials that are truly special, such as gaprow lad kao (a Thai stir-fry) and salmon mango curry. The flavors here are best described as intense, yet without overwhelming the fresh ingredients. KFQU
FUKUDA. 4770 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. 412-567-5050. This neo-traditional Japanese restaurant excels at re-invention, with a menu that is inspired as much by modern American cuisine as it is by ancient Japanese tradition. Here, roasted beets are powdered, kale is crisped, and pork belly gets its own entrée. It offers a tapas-like,
NOODLEHEAD. 242 S. Highland Ave., Shadyside. www.noodleheadpgh.com. In a funky atmosphere, Noodlehead offers an elemental approach to the delightful street food of Thailand in which nothing is over $9. A small menu offers soups, noodle dishes and a few “snacks,” among them fried chicken and steamed buns with pork belly. The freshly prepared dishes are CONTINUES ON PG. 18
16 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
Tender Bar hostess Becky Mauro
BRING YOUR FRIENDS. LEAVE AN IMPRESSION. Whatever your special occasion is, it should be just that: special. Our dedicated staff will make your event as memorable as it is effortless. To reserve luncheonor ordinner dinner table table reserveyour you lucheon please call: please
412.471.4000 PITTSBURGH MARRIOTT CITY CENTER
urban legend
Scan to view Steelhead Menus
HISTORIC STORIC ACCOUNTS: ACCOUNT
TENDER BAR
box of old canceled checks, dated from 1895 to 1899, was among the most exciting artifacts Jeff Catalina .found while .renovating the former Arsenal Bank in Lawrenceville. And when Catalina set up Tender Bar & Kitchen in the space the bank once occupied, he hoped to compound the location’s historical interest. “We tried to capture as much of the history as we could, and move it into the forefront of the design of the space,” says Catalina. Located at 43rd and Butler streets, the posh cocktail bar offers a small-plates menu served late into the night. And its décor features many relics of the 19th-century building’s past — including those checks, a marble clock set perpetually at 5 o’clock and six safes installed in a backroom vault, probably in the 1920s or ’30s. The bar itself, dotted with bankers’ desk lamps, takes up the floorspace formerly occupied by the teller’s counter. The Arsenal Bank was founded by a local family, the Wainwrights, who also owned a brewery. The building itself dates to 1884; construction cost $17,000, according to Carol Peterson, a researcher hired by the building’s owner. Unlike many other financial institutions, Arsenal survived the Great Depression, staying in business through 1943. Its assets were bought by the Peoples-Pittsburgh Trust Company, now PNC Bank. Tender isn’t the first bar to reuse a historic structure: The nearby Church Brew Works, for one, is housed in a former Catholic church. But as Tender, the Arsenal building continues to draw the suit-and-tie crowd. On a Monday night, employees from UPMC and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh took up seating at the bar, alongside others from outside the neighborhood. Large, open windows allow visitors to feel the warm night breeze; the setting sun bathed the lounge and bar in natural light. While Mondays are typically quieter evenings, Tender espouses order and restraint all week long, enforcing a “no standing room” policy, seating every customer. “It’s a vibe that doesn’t exist elsewhere in Pittsburgh,” Catalina says. “Cozy, yet accessible — that’s what we’re shooting for.”
A
BY AMYJO BRO WN / A BROWN@PGH CIT YPA P ER . C OM
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 17
TABLEHOPPING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 16
garnished with fresh herbs, pork cracklings and pickled mustard greens. JFS
PUSADEE’S GARDEN. 5321 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-781-8724. Traditional Thai sauces and curries from scratch are among the reasons to stop by this charming eatery, which boasts an outdoor patio. Don’t miss the latke-like shrimp cakes, the classically prepared tom yum gai soup or the spicy duck noodles. KFS RAMEN BAR. 5860 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-521-5138. What’s not to love about a big steaming bowl of wheat noodles, flavorful homemade broth and plenty of meat and vegetable add-ins? Besides the traditional offerings, Ramen Bar also has an intriguing penchant for applying the ramen technique to a variety of classic dishes from across Asia, such as Chinese ground-pork dishes. JFS
ALL POINTS LEAD TO THE CITY’S BEST COCKTAILS
WORKING-CLASS FLAVOR The mills may be gone, but some area restaurants still allow you to order your meat “Pittsburgh rare” — searing the outside while leaving the inside tender. It’s so named because steelworkers supposedly used the exterior surfaces of metal furnaces to cook lunch on. As for Pittsburgh’s renowned habit of tossing French fries into everything? It’s said to have originated with the Primanti family, who sold sandwiches stuffed with fries to truck drivers working in the Strip District, because they needed a filling meal they could hold in one hand.
Mediterranean- and European-influenced California cooking with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce and excellently prepared meats. KFR
MARISQUEIRA. 225 Commercial Ave., Aspinwall. 412-696-1130. This finedining restaurant offers the bold flavors and confident preparations of classic Portuguese cuisine — from thick, meaty Iberian octopus tentacles, broiled with Portuguese bleu cheese, to sausage flambéed en route to the table. Entrees include steak in a red-wine sauce, chicken cooked with Portuguese peppers, pork with clams and, of course, fish. LEM PARIS 66 BISTRO. 6018 Centre Ave., East Liberty. 412-404-8166. A charming venue brings Parisian-style café culture to Pittsburgh, offering less fussy, less expensive everyday fare such as crepes, salads and croques, those delectable French grilled sandwiches. With fresh flowers on every table, specials chalked on boards and French conversation bouncing off the open kitchen walls, Paris 66 epitomizes the everyday glamour of the French neighborhood bistro. KFS PARK BRUGES. 5801 Bryant St., Highland Park. 412-661-3334. This Belgian-style bistro offers more than moules (mussels), though those come highly recommended, in either a traditional cream-wine preparation or spicy Creole. Rather than frites, try variations on French-Canadian poutine, such as adding chipotle pulled pork. Steaks, tarte flambée flatbreads and even a burger round out this innovative menu. KES POINT BRUGGE CAFÉ. 401 Hastings St., Point Breeze. 412-441-3334. This cozy neighborhood bistro reflects a concerted effort to translate the European neighborhood café — warm, welcoming, unpretentious yet delicious — to Pittsburgh. Despite bits of Asian fusion, the selections are classic Low Country fare such as Belgian beef stewed with beer, and Italian influences in risotto, sausage and polenta. KES TRUTH LOUNGE. 51 S. 12th St., South
CELEBRATING OUR th
10 YEAR
TAMARI. 3519 Butler St., Lawrenceville (412-325-3435) and 701 Warrendale Village Drive, Warrendale (724-933-3155). The concept is original and simple: blending the salty, citrusy flavors of Asia with the bright, spicy flavors of Latin America. Although the execution is high-end, individual dishes are quite reasonably priced, with lots of small plates. KESM
TEPPANYAKI KYOTO. 5808 Bryant
COME TO DRINK, STAY TO EAT... 971 Liberty Ave. Downtown 412-456-0460 www.tonicpittsburgh.com 18 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Side. 412-381-9600. A Mediterraneaninspired menu spans cocktail-hour noshes and light meals to full entrees. Pleasing appetizers include saganaki (Greek flaming cheese) and the novelty “lambsicles.” Flatbreads fill the spot for upscale pizza, with hearty meat and pasta dishes, such as short-rib ragu, rounding out the entrees. LER
ITALIAN
ATRIA’S. Multiple locations. www.
St., Highland Park. 412-441-1610. This Japanese restaurant offers fare drawn from the menus of lunch counters, train stations and family kitchens. From salads containing burdock root and rice balls to cabbage pancakes and stir-fried noodles, this diner-style venue lets casual eaters expand beyond sushi. KES
atrias.com. A local chain, Atria’s locations offer distinctly different atmospheres but the same quality steaks, chops and pasta menu. Suburban spots are for quiet casual dining while the North Side location is pure sports pub. Regardless of the ambience, the sherry crab bisque and the pasta fra diablo are superb. kEQMNOP
EUROPEAN
BIG JIM’S. 201 Saline St., Greenfield. 412-421-0532. Pittsburgh has seen a massive expansion of high-end dining. This cozy eatery — with bar and separate dining area — isn’t part of that trend. It’s old-school Pittsburgh: good food in huge portions, with waitresses who call you
CAFÉ DU JOUR. 1107 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-488-9695. This Euro-style bistro is “open-kitchen cozy” with a quaint courtyard for intimate outdoor dining. A modestly sized yet thoughtful menu offers small-to-large plates, highlighting
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
I NTR O DUCI NG DOWNTOWN’S
Finest
JOIN US ON OUR NEW ROOFTOP DECK
At Any Price This 1930s-era photo purportedly features a neighborhood grocer in the Hill District. It looks modest, but don’t blame Hill residents for getting nostalgic: Thanks in part to failed urban redevelopment schemes, the Hill has been a “food desert” for years ... though construction of a new grocery store is — finally — underway.
“hon.” The place you go to remember where you’re from. JES
CAFFE DAVIO. 2516 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-1119. By day, a tiny store-front diner, serving omelets and pancakes, and by evening, an authentic and delightful Italian restaurant. The menu — both prix fixe and a la carte — focuses on the authentic flavors of Sicily, such as pasta Norma and veal alla Palermitana, while occasionally invoking the short-order tradition, as with the hash of potatoes, peppers and onions. KFR
LA CUCINA FLEGREA. 100 Fifth Ave., No. 204, Downtown. 412-521-2082. The specialties of Italy’s Campi Flegrei are featured at this Downtown restaurant. The cuisine of this coastal region naturally offers seafood, but also vegetables and cured meats. Thus, a pasta dish might be laden with shellfish, or enlivened with radicchio and prosciutto. LEU
LEGENDS OF THE NORTH SHORE. 500 E. North Ave., North Side. 412-321-8000. Despite its name, Legends is no sports bar: It’s a familyfriendly restaurant with a local flavor. The menu is almost exclusively Italian: Offerings include classics such as gnocchi Bolognese and penne in vodka sauce, and more distinctive specialties such as filet saltimbocca. KFQ
OSTERIA 2350. 2350 Railroad St., Strip District (412-281-6595) and 100 Wood St., Downtown (412-586-7743). You won’t get better casual Italian cooking for your
money than here. The menu has been pared to the essentials of Italian cuisine: antipasti, pizza, panini and pasta — and their preparations represent a unique marriage of Old-World recipes and local ingredients. JEU
PINO’S CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN. 6738 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. 412-361-1336. The menu at this Italian eatery spans from sandwiches that hearken back to its pizzeria days, through pastas of varying sophistication, to inventive, modern entrees, some with high-end ingredients such as steak and shellfish. But don’t forgo the flatbread pizzas, many with gourmet options. KES
LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH • 245 4TH AVE. • 412.281.4345
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SIENNA SULLA PIAZZA. 22 Market Square, Downtown. 412-681-6363. This fine-dining spot brings an elegantly casual, European vibe to the renovated Market Square, leaning toward small plates and starters without conceding an inch to American pub-grub conventions. Starters include grilled octopus, beans and greens, and flatbreads, while the entrees (meat, pasta, fish) offer more sophisticated presentations. KEU
STAGIONI. 2104 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-586-4738. This cozy storefront restaurant offers a marriage of traditional ingredients and modern, sophisticated sensibilities. From inventive salads utilizing seasonal ingredients and house-made pastas to flavorful meat entrees and vegetarian plates, the fare exhibits a masterful combination of flavors and textures. KFR CONTINUES ON PG. 20
1701 Duncan Ave. North Hills www.bluedining.com - 412.369.9050 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 19
TABLEHOPPING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 19
VALLOZZI’S PITTSBURGH. 220 Fifth Ave., Downtown. 412-394-3400. The venerable Italian restaurant from Greensburg now has a Downtown outpost. In this elegant space, some classic dishes are updated; a few favorites, like turtle soup are retained; and the fresh mozzarella bar deserves to become a classic. Try the distinctive pizza, with a layered, cracker-like crust. LEU
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VIVO KITCHEN. 432 Beaver St., Sewickley. 412-259-8945. The fare is contemporary American with a vaguely European accent, featuring elegantly simple preparations of elemental, straightforward ingredients, such as roasted mushrooms with gorgonzola or scallops with blood-orange sauce. Flavorings such as lemon, garlic and fennel reflect the kitchen’s Mediterranean heritage. LEM
MEXICAN/ LATIN AMERICAN
AJI PICANTE. 1711 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-422-0220. There is no mistaking the Latin and Spanish themes on the menu of this Peruvian restaurant: Fried banana, guacamole, even paella are all on offer. Yet all the preparations are unique, from ceviche served with Andean fried corn kernels to a mildly Asian-influenced steak stir-fry. Distinctly native flavors include potatoes, quinoa and white-bean cake. KFS
ALMA PAN-LATIN KITCHEN. 7600 Forbes Ave., Regent Square. 412-727-6320. This venue offers a vibrant spectrum of African-Latin American fusion cuisine, riffing on common elements (lime, legumes and chilies) while bringing out distinctive identities (the rich, stew-like meat dishes of Cuba against the simple, citrusy seafood of the Peruvian coast). Indulge your sweet tooth with a cake filled with dulce de leche. EKS GAUCHO PARRILLA. 1607 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-709-6622. Wood-fired meat and vegetables, paired with delectable sauces, make this tiny Argentine-barbecue eatery worth stopping at. The beef, chicken, sausage and seafood is all infused with flavor from the wood grill. Add-on sauces include: chimichurri; ajo (garlic and herbs in olive oil); cebolla, with caramelized onions; and the charred-pepper pimenton. KFU
MAD MEX. Multiple locations. www.madmex.com. This local chain’s several lively, funkily decorated restaurants boast an inventive selection of Cal-Mex cuisines. Mad Mex is a good stop for vegetarians, with dishes such as chick-pea chili and eggplant burrito. It’s not genuine Mexican by a long shot, but if there were a country with this food, it’d be great to vacation there. JESMNOP
317 South Craig Street Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 412.682.3310
SEVICHE. 930 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-697-3120. This upscale Latin American-style tapas restaurant specializes in citrus-cured fish, while also offering a small selection of Latininspired tapas and finger sandwiches. And what better to wash down an empanada or mini taco than a refreshing capirinha cocktail? KEU SMOKE BARBECUE TAQUERIA.
luccaristorante.com
225 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. 412-2053039. This venue combines fantastically
smoked meats on freshly made tortillas, dressed with updated traditional toppings. The simple menu consists of a few tacos and sides: The meat — pulled pork, chicken, brisket and ribs — is uniformly tender and flavorful, and the sides (beans, potato salad, apple-jalapeño coleslaw) are top-notch. JFO
VERDE. 5491 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-404-8487. The menu here isn’t straight Mexican, but presents some traditional items, including tableside-prepared guacamole and grilled corn-on-the-cob, with reconceived classics, invented, fusion-y dishes like tacos with roasted sweet potatoes, fried chickpeas and Mexican-style tzatziki. There is also an extensive tequila list and a patio for warm-weather dining. KES
YO RITA. 1120 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-904-3557. This venue offers Mexican-inspired cuisine, through a variety of tacos. Inventive fillings might include: beans-and-greens, artichokes or mushrooms, as well as more traditional meats (fish, pork, beef). Combine with a starter, like grits or potatoes, and a craft beer for a full meal. JER
COLD FACTS The world-famous Klondike bar was developed in 1922 by Pittsburgh’s Isaly family, who owned a chain of deli shops and who sought to cash in on the new popularity of Eskimo Pies. Klondikes are still available in your grocer’s freezer, but the Isaly stores are gone, and much lamented by Pittsburghers who still recall Islay’s thin-sliced “chipped-chopped ham” … and who may give street directions based on “where the Isaly’s used to be.”
PUB GRUB
BENJAMIN’S WESTERN AVENUE BURGER BAR. 900 Western Ave., North Side. 412-224-2163. A casual-chic burger-and-sandwich joint is a tasty addition to the North Side. The menu consists of a matrix of burgers (two sizes, nine topping combos, beef or veggie patty), four other sandwiches and eight beer-friendly “snacks” (from nuts to a charcuterie platter). Prices aren’t diner-cheap, but then some burgers come with red-wine-braised onion and truffle mustard. KEQ
BRGR. 5997 Penn Circle South, East Liberty (412-362-2333) and 20111 Rt. 19, Cranberry Township (724-742-2333). This casual restaurant celebrates — and in many cases, imaginatively re-creates — America’s signature contribution to global cuisine. BRGR keeps its patties to a reasonable size, which allows for a variety of gourmet toppings — plus room for excellent fried sides (French fries, onion rings, pickles), or milkshakes (traditional or spiked). JESM CONTINUES ON PG. 22
20 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
history maker
HUNTER-GATHERER:
CAVAN PATTERSON rom the 16-foot refrigerated truck parked in front of his specialty-foods market in Lawrenceville, 35-year-old Cavan Patterson begins unloading wheels of cheese, frozen rabbits, chocolate milk, chocolate pudding, strawberries, red radish roots and 63 boxes of crimini mushrooms — all gathered from farms across Pennsylvania in the previous 32 hours. Later, Patterson’s staff will pack the mushrooms into 1-pound bags for delivery to a CSA organization while he hits the road again. He’ll be dropping additional flats of strawberries at nearby upscale restaurant Cure, then driving 30 miles out to Saxonburg to pick up half of a cow at a processing facility. The meat will find its way to plates at Dish Osteria and Bar on the South Side, among other city restaurants. It’s been a long journey from the day, more than a decade ago, when Patterson, now co-owner of local-foods distributor Wild Purveyors, went on a walk with his younger brother, Tom, and foraged 100 pounds of chanterelle mushrooms, which they then shopped around to Pittsburgh chefs. Back then, chefs were used to surprise knocks at the back door and cold calls from enterprising farmers hoping to sell garlic scapes or fresh corn. But the Patterson brothers, along with the nonprofit Penn’s Corner Farmer’s Alliance, were at the vanguard of sourcing more exotic local foods. And as that industry has expanded now to include the growers’ cooperative Clarion River Organics, the work has helped fuel a vibrant, and growing, local urban dining scene. Chris O’Brien, chef de cuisine at Restaurant Echo, remembers buying those first mushrooms from Patterson when O’Brien was executive chef at Hyeholde, in Moon Township. Now, he says, he rushes to his computer early in the week to place an order, hoping to beat other chefs to the punch. The fact that Wild Purveyors has grown into more than just a hobby gives Patterson confidence that his business is built to last. As long as he keeps moving. “I would like to take a vacation,” he says. “But I can’t.”
F
BY AMYJO BRO WN / A BROWN@PGH CIT YPA P ER . C OM
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 21
TABLEHOPPING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 20
Crazy Mocha Coffee House on Baum Blvd. in Friendship
BURGATORY. 932 Freeport Road, The Waterworks, Aspinwall. 412-781-1456. Nestled in an off-the-path corner of The Waterworks strip mall, Burgatory is in the running for best burgers in town. It starts with its own blend of ground sirloin, chuck, brisket and short rib, and buttery buns — then piles on the toppings. (There are prefab combinations and checklists for custom orders.) Add shakes, fries — or perhaps an extra-ordinary salad. JEM FRANKTUARY. 3810 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-586-7224. The longtime Downtown hot-doggery expands its menu here in an attractive sit-down space, with creatively dressed hot dogs, a variety of poutines (loaded French fries) and hand-crafted cocktails. The focus is on local and sustainable, with meats, veg and grains from nearby sources. JES
RIGINA NO
L
A
OVER THE BAR BICYCLE CAFÉ.
Pittsburgh CO
SINCE 2000
M PA
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www.CrazyMocha.com
2518 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-3813698. This two-wheel-themed café and bar offers a creative pub-grub menu (with many offerings named for bicycle parts). The salads are more impressive than those you’ll find at most bars, and the menu features vegetarian and vegan options. Try the battered zucchini planks wrapped around melty cheeses. JER
THE SMILING MOOSE. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-4668. The Carson Street bar and nightclub offers a top-notch sandwich and salad menu, by bringing creativity, quality preparation and a knack for well-selected ingredients to the burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. Options include: shrimp skewers with smoked peppers, cornand-black-bean fritters and a roster of inventive sliders. JER TESSARO’S. 4601 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. 412-682-6809. This immensely popular Bloomfield institution, set in an old neighborhood corner bar, has built its reputation on enormous wood-fired hamburgers: choice meat, ground in-house; fresh rolls; and a variety of toppings. Regulars sit at the bar, and, on busy weekends, diners line up to get in. KES
predominates: The omelets alone include smoked salmon, wild mushroom, roasted vegetable, sun-dried tomato pesto and four-cheese. (Coca also caters to vegans, with options like scrambled tofu in place of eggs.) JFS
DOR-STOP. 1430 Potomac Ave., Dormont. 412-561-9320. This bustling, homey family-run venue is everything a breakfast-and-lunch diner ought to be. The food is made from scratch: Alongside standards (eggs, pancakes, and hot and cold sandwiches) are also distinctive options, including German potato pancakes, ham off the bone and a sandwich tantalizingly called a “meatloaf melt.” JN
PAMELA’S. Multiple locations. www.pamelasdiner.com. There are many reasons to recommend this popular local diner mini-chain: the cheery atmosphere; the old-fashioned breakfasts featuring raisin French toast, fried potatoes and corned-beef hash; and light, crispyedged pancakes so good that President Obama had them served at the White House. JUSMN
COUNT YOUR CALORIES ELSEWHERE Western Pennsylvania ain’t exactly a health-food destination, but we attract attention from diner fanatics like Guy Fieri, whose TV show has visited numerous area eateries. No surprise, then, that the region spawned two staples of American overindulgence: the Big Mac, in 1967, and the banana split, in 1904. The former was created at a Uniontown McDonald’s by Jim Delligatti, the latter was devised in Latrobe, where it was created by pharmacist David Strickler.
WINGHART’S BURGER AND WHISKEY BAR. 5 Market Square,
Downtown (412-434-5600) and 1505 E. Carson St., South Side (412-904-4620). Big beefy burgers, wood-fired pizza and a selection of whiskeys make this an above-average bar stop, whether Downtown or on Carson Street. Burger toppings range from standard cheese and fried onions to arugula and truffle oil. Don’t miss the pizza with its excellent crust. JEUR
U ST “EVERYB ODY M E P P E RE D ! ” P E N O T S T GE DINE IN OR EAT OUT AT EITHER OF OUR TWO LOCATIONS UPPER ST. CLAIR 412-854-4264 1614 Washington Road
ROBINSON TWP. 412-788-0202 1200 Settlers Ridge Center
W W W. STO N E P E P P E RS . C O M
BREAKFAST/ QUICK BITES
CARMI’S. 917 Western Ave., North Side. 412-231-0100. A soul-food restaurant offers traditional home-style Southern cooking on the North Side. On offer: waffles and fried chicken; hearty chickenand-dumpling soup; greens, studded with smoked meat; mashed potatoes; spare ribs; and a stand-out Cajun shrimp paired with creamy grits. KFQ
COCA CAFÉ. 3811 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-621-3171. This café somehow hip but not pretentious. Variety
PASTITSIO. 3716 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-586-7656. This tiny storefront café boasts a Greek deli, complete with a steam table and a display cooler with salads. Its namesake bakednoodle casserole is a winner, but much of the menu changes daily according to what’s fresh. JS THE QUIET STORM COFFEEHOUSE AND RESTAURANT. 5430 Penn Ave., Friendship. 412-661-9355. Bike punks, young families and knowledgeworkers can all use a cup of joe, lunch or some homemade pastry. The Quiet Storm’s laid-back, familiar vibe welcomes all to chill. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunches cater to vegetarians and vegans. JFS
SPAK BROS. 5107 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-362-7725. A pizza, sub and snack joint with fare for all: vegetarians, vegans and carnivores. You’ll find vegan pizza with soy cheese, seitan wings, steak sandwiches, CONTINUES ON PG. 24
22 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Eden {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
NOT A GLUTEN FOR PUNISHMENT? IF YOU’RE AVOIDING GLUTEN BY CHOICE OR NECESSITY, FINDING A STORE OR RESTAURANT THAT OFFERS THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED ISN’T ALWAYS EASY. MANY RESTAURANTS CAN FULFILL YOUR SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS IF YOU ASK, BUT HERE’S A SAMPLING OF LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PROVIDE GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS.
RESTAURANTS
MANDY’S PIZZA. 512 Perry
Road, Wexford. 724-940-7777. This contemporary Italian restaurant has a gluten-free menu expansive enough to rival their regular menu, thanks in part to their use of brown-rice pasta. M
Highway, West View. 412-322-1102. Inspired by a child with severe food allergies, the owners of Mandy’s developed their own gluten-free pizza crusts, hoagie rolls and flat breads. They now also offer gluten-free chicken nuggets. M
BELLA FRUTTETO RESTAURANT. 2602 Brandt School
DOUBLE WIDE GRILL. 2339 East Carson St., South Side (412-390-1111) and 100 Adams Shoppes, Mars (724-553-5212). This popular eatery, already known for its vegan offerings, also offers several gluten-free options including a gluten-free bread and bun option for sandwiches. RM EAT’N PARK. Various locations. www.eatnpark.com. You may be surprised to learn that this local chain is a favorite among the wheat-free crowd. With more than a dozen gluten-free dishes and even more a la carte items, this easy-to-find eatery is an easy grab for those with dietary restrictions.
EDEN. 735 Copeland Ave., Shadyside. 412-802-7070. This restaurant specializing in fresh, farm-to-table recipes is extremely friendly to those with gluten and other food allergies. S
EL BURRO COMEDOR. 1108 Federal St., North Side. 412-904-3451. This taqueria doesn’t have a gluten-free section of its menu, but that’s because most of the offerings here already come that way. Fresh ingredients and corn tortillas make for a wheat-free paradise. Q
JUNIPER GRILL. 4000 Washington Road, McMurray (724-260-7999) and 2030 MacKenzie Way, Suite 800, Cranberry (724-591-8850). This eatery describes its wood-fired, Southwest fare as “cowboy cuisine” … and apparently some of those cowpokes can’t eat wheat. There are several fish, beef, chicken and pork offerings on this gluten-free menu. NM
LIDIA’S PITTSBURGH. 1400 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-5520150. This rustic-Italian restaurant offers several gluten-free entrees as well as gluten-free pasta. U
SEVICHE. 930 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-697-3120. This Cultural District spot is known for its tapas. And a complete gluten-free seviche menu, plus a dozen gluten-free tapas choices, ensure no one is left out. U
SKINNY PETE’S. 538 California Ave., Avalon. 412-415-0338. Those who live gluten-free often suffer most from the lack of pizza. This new lunch spot (open until 8 p.m. most days) offers gourmet, wood-fired pizza on a gluten-free crust. M
MERCHANTS
EDEN’S MARKET. 99 Alfred St., Mount Lebanon. 412-343-1802. This store is all gluten-free, and specializes in natural, organic products. N GLUUTENY BAKERY. 1923 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-521-4890. Usually if you can’t eat gluten, you’re likely to miss out on most decadent baked goods. Gluuteny and its wide array of gluten-free cupcakes, cookies, cakes and pies seek to satisfy. S GLUTEN FREE ZONE. 4430 William Penn Highway, Murrysville. 724-3275000. A store stocked with products for a gluten-free lifestyle as well as a deli featuring fresh sandwiches, hot pizza and soups in a gluten-free bread bowl. There’s also a bakery full of glutenfree treats. O SOERGEL ORCHARDS. 2373 Brandt School Road, Wexford. 724-935-1743. One of the region’s better-known farmer’s markets also offers one of the most comprehensive local stores for those with gluten and other allergies. Products here range from pantry staples to frozen foods, with some fresh-made dessert and food items. M
Thank you City Paper readers for voting us
2nd place Best Chinese in Pittsburgh
China Palace Shadyside Featuring cuisine in the style of
Peking, Hunan, Szechuan and Mandarin
100 VEGETARIAN DISHES!
Delivery Hours
11:30 - 2 pm and 5-10pm
5440 Walnut Street, Shadyside 412-687-RICE www.chinapalacepittsburgh.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 23
TABLEHOPPING, CONTINUED FROM PG. 22
pierogies — much of it made from locally sourced ingredients. JS
STATION STREET. 6290 Broad St., East Liberty. 412-365-2121. A neighborhood hot-dog joint with exotically dressed dogs, including: chili cheese (with curds), Hawaii (pineapple and bacon), kimchi, sweetbreads and “devil” (egg salad, Tabasco and potato chips). Also offers tacos. JFS WAFFLES, INCAFFEINATED.
JUST RIGHT SPICE, CURRY & GRILL
2517 E. Carson St., South Side (412-3011763) and 1224 Third Ave., New Brighton (724-359-4841). The fresh-made waffles here are a marvelous foil for sweet and savory toppings. Sweet options include the Funky Monkey (chocolate chips, bananas, peanut butter and chocolate sauce). The Breakfast Magic has bacon, cheddar and green onions inside, topped with a fried egg and sour cream. Or customize your waffles with a dizzying array of mix-ins. JRP
divided into tropas — tropical tapas — and entrees. KEU
TANA ETHIOPIAN CUISINE. 5929 Baum Blvd., East Liberty. 412-6652770. The menu offers a variety of stewed meats, legumes and veggies, all rich with warm spices. Order the sampler platters for the best variety of flavors, and ask for a glass of tej, a honey-based wine that is the perfect accompaniment. KES
THE ZENITH. 86 S. 26th St., South Side. 412-481-4833. Funky antique décor you can buy and a massive, convivial Sunday brunch make this a vegan/vegetarian hotspot. For the tea snob, the multi-page list is not to be missed. JFR
DESSERTS
ANTNEY’S. 1316 Poplar Drive, Green Tree. 412-920-1300. Looking for homemade ice cream in exotic flavors (Mexican chocolate with bacon, tiramisu)? This is your spot. P
THE CAKE & COOKIE SPOT. 2018
MR. YUK
PRIVATE PARTY ROOM
CATERING CALL 412-877-7731 (Didar Cell)
The dining section may be an awkward place to mention this, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that poison-label celebrity Mr. Yuk was developed by Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital in 1971. A team of physicians developed the sticker to replace the skull-and-bones — though the latter is still used by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who may also induce vomiting late in the season.
Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-586-4114. This new bakery specializes in “cake shots” — cake, filling and frosting layered in a shot glass. S
CHOCOLATE CELEBRATIONS/ THE MILKSHAKE FACTORY. 1705 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-488-1808. This quaint shop specializes in handmade chocolates and truffles, plus ice cream and milkshakes. R
CREPES PARISIENNES. 732 Filbert St., Shadyside. 412-683-2333. Somewhat buried beneath street level, Crepes Parisiennes serves ethereally sweet and savory crepes. S
DAVE & ANDY’S ICE CREAM.
Grand Dinner Buffet Sunday & Thursday Authentic Lunch Buffet
OVER
25 YEARS
EXPERIENCE
Didar, Chef-Owner
315 N. CRAIG STREET NEAR BOMBAY FOOD MARKET
OAKLAND 412-681-6600
allindiapgh.com 24 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
OTHER
EDEN. 735 Copeland St., Shadyside. 412-802-7070. The food here is inspired by the raw-food movement, but it’s hardly dreary health food. The menu is simple, with a few options in each category: starter, main (raw), main (hot) and sweet. Some dishes were frankly salads, while others were raw, vegan adaptations of cooked comfort foods. (Chicken can be added to some dishes.) There is also an extensive menu of freshly squeezed and blended juices and smoothies. JFS
ISIS CAFÉ. 815 Brookline Blvd., Brookline. 412-207-2485. The menu offers more than the Middle Eastern stalwarts of hummus and kebab, with less-common dishes such as stewed jute, samboussa (similar to samosas) and fava-bean dip. Vegetarian entrees, such as okra stew and a variety of lentil, comprise about half the menu; meat-eaters can savor pan-seared chicken or creamy meat-and-pasta casserole. KFR KAYA. 2000 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-261-6565. Kaya is a local culinary mainstay, offering inventive Caribbeaninspired contemporary cuisine. The menu, much of which is vegetarian, changes frequently. But it remains
207 Atwood St., Oakland. 412-681-9906. This Oakland institution serves up rich, homemade ice cream in a variety of rotating flavors. S
DOZEN BAKESHOP. 3511 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-683-2327. Still your source for exotically flavored cupcakes. Plus sandwiches and other pastry treats. S DREAM CREAM ICE CREAM. 539 Liberty Ave., Downtown. A good stop for a cone, plus you choose which local “dream” project your money goes to. U ENRICO BISCOTTI. 2022 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-281-2602. Big, crunchy, sweet biscotti made at a charming holein-the-wall bakery. U GLUUTENY. 1923 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-521-4890. The only local bakery devoted solely to gluten-free baking, with cookies and cupcakes that stand on their own. S
JEAN-MARC CHATELLIER’S FRENCH BAKERY. 213 North Ave., Millvale. 412-821-8533. A high-end French bakery in Millvale, specializing in cakes, croissants and macarons. M
LA GOURMANDINE. 4605 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-682-2210. This charming storefront French bakery offers crusty baguettes, breakfast pastries and tiny cakes. S
Experience the Flavors of France!
O PEN TABLE D INERS’ C HOICE AWARD W INNER! “Romantic” AND
“Notable Wine List” Open for Sunday Brunch and Patio Dining. WWW.BRIDGETEN.COM
20 South 10th St.
Southside
412.586.5033
Sienna Sulla Piazza {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
MERCURIO’S MULBERRY CREAMERY. 5523 Walnut St., Shadyside. 412-621-6220. This family-owned gelateria is more convenient than flying to Florence for sweet, delicious homemade gelato. S
KEEPING TABS Pittsburgh is also home to the other metals industry: aluminum. Alcoa was founded here, and while it revolutionized everything from aerospace to architecture, its major contribution to humanity was making it easier to consume beer. Alcoa partnered with Iron City to make the first beer can with a pull tab (or “snap top,” as IC called it) in 1962.
roster of locally made ice cream — including vegan options — and a blackboard full of mix-ins, you can go nuts. S
PAGE DAIRY MART. 4600 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-0600. This classic mid-century drive-up icecream place is only open seasonally, which just makes the soft-serve taste that much better. R PRANTL’S BAKERY. 5525 Walnut St., Shadyside (412-621-2092) and 438 Market Square, Dowscrentown (412-471-6861). Prantl’s is a neighborhood bakery whose burnt-almond torte is spoken of in adoring whispers. U SINFUL SWEETS. 901 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-235-7865. Newly relocated Downtown, this shop offers handmade gourmet chocolates and cake pops. U VANILLA PASTRY STUDIO. 1130 S. Braddock Ave., Edgewood. 412-361-2306. Vanilla crafts all sorts of sweet delights, including cupcakes and “lollys,” fabulous desserts on a stick. O
WAFFALONIA. 1707 Murray Ave., OH YEAH! ICE CREAM AND COFFEE CO. 232 S. Highland Ave., Shadyside. 412-200-5574. With a rotating
Squirrel Hill. 412-521-4902. This sliver of a storefront serves Belgian Liege waffles. Enjoy crisply sugared, or with various fruit and ice cream toppings. S
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 25
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26 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
{PHOTO COURTESY OF HEINZ FAMILY FUND, © TEENIE HARRIS ARCHIVE, CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, PITTSBURGH}
NIGHTLIFE Cross-Cultural Legendary Pittsburgh Courier photographer Teenie Harris is best known for his photos of civil-rights leaders, and for documenting the heyday of Pittsburgh’s jazz scene. But he photographed every aspect of black culture, including this photo — taken sometime between 1945 and 1955 — of cross-dressing performers who made their own often-overlooked contributions to Pittsburgh’s mid-century culture. Harris captured them participating in parades and other community events, preparing backstage, and performing — sometimes alongside jazz greats — at clubs like the Little Paris, and even the legendary Crawford Grill.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 27
Pig Hill Brewery {PHOTO BY RENEE ROSENSTEEL}
nightlife
DRINKS ALL AROUND SOME OF THE CITY’S FINEST BARS AND CLUBS
RUST-BELT CHIC
BRILLOBOX. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. 412-621-4900. Yeah, we listed them under music venues too, but even when the music stops, this is a required bit of local color for New York Times reporters who need a setting for their next story about Pittsburgh’s hip comeback. S
ELIXIR ULTRALOUNGE. 1500 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-481-1811. Comfortable couches, classy drink menus and a somewhat more sophisticated clientele put this experience a notch above the masses clamoring outside. R
HARVARD & HIGHLAND. 220 N. Highland Ave., East Liberty. 412-363-7675. This cocktail bar, just upstairs from Union Pig & Chicken, draws the city’s East End tech crowd. The bar program is directed by Maggie Meskey, of Salt of the Earth, and the space has other draws as well: natural light, a pool table and the ability to order BBQ from the downstairs menu. S KELLY’S LOUNGE. 6012 Penn Circle South, East Liberty. 412-363-6012. An old neighborhood bar transformed into a hipster neighborhood joint. The beer selection has been upscaled, classic cocktails abound and the menu isn’t your father’s bar food. S
NEW AMERSTERDAM. 4421 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-904-2915. This hip gathering place packs ’em in for recurring DJ nights; on quieter weeknights, sample the menu and people-watch through the open garage doors. S
MORE BARS APPEAR IN OUR MUSIC DIRECTORY ON PAGE 38
crafted by some of the city’s cocktailmixing pioneers. R
the steady clientele of pool sharks and punks, hipsters and musicians. R
PERLE. 25 Market Square, Downtown.
HAMBONE’S. 4207 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-681-4318. Cheap beer, a lengthy menu devoted to hearty bar food and plenty of locals on barstools. The space hosts local music and DJ nights regularly, adding another entry to Butler Street’s music venues. S
412-471-2058. Located in pedestrianfriendly Market Square, Perle specializes in champagne: choose your drink by the glass or mix it up with a cocktail list that includes the classic Bellini, Pimm’s Royal Cup and the Flying Frenchman. U
PARK HOUSE. 403 E. Ohio St., North Side. 412-231-0551. Old-school trappings — from the tin ceiling to smash-yourown peanuts — meet an up-to-date SPEAKEASY. Omni William Penn menu and a sizable selection of Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Ho microbrews both in bottles and Downtown. Pittsburgh’s most D on tap. There’s also live music, SEE storied Downtown hotel including a weekly bluegrass 6 0 E G PA now has a bar that reaches jam-session. Q FOR PHIC back to Prohibition and GEOGRA D N KEY A RGH before — both in its décor ROUND CORNER U B TS PIT and cocktail selection. U CANTINA. 3720 Butler St., MAP Lawrenceville. 412-904-2279. TENDER. 4300 Butler St., T A former old-school corner bar Lawrenceville. 412-402-9522. Set up now pairs modern semi-Mexican in a former early-19th-century bank, this fare with exotic cocktails (margaritas posh cocktail bar still draws the suit-and-tie with hibiscus?). The outdoor patio is crowd. Although the airy space features one of the city’s best, and if the servers many relics from its past and one of the can seem overwhelmed, the time city’s few late-night-menus, the investment passes easily. S is in the cocktails. S
LAVA LOUNGE. 2204 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-5282. A volcanolike interior gives this club a themepark feel, whether you’re clustered along the bar or tucked into the back room’s cozy craters. This is a dance hotspot, with occasional live music and a monthly burlesque show. R
RETRO CHIC
LE MARDI GRAS. 731 Copeland St.,
ACACIA. 2108 E. Carson St., South Side.
JUST PLAIN RETRO
412-488-1800. Acacia makes you work to find it: No sign marks its spot and the windows are boarded over. But it’s worth the trouble, with exquisite drinks
Side. 412-431-1314. Order a shot and a beer at this South Side hangout — a refuge for smokers — and you’ll blend right in with
DEE’S CAFE. 1314 E. Carson St., South
JACK ROSE BAR. 1121 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-3644. Dig some quarters out of the couch and you’re good to go for Jack’s, widely known as “Jack’s on Carson.” The drinks are cheap, the Pittsburghian crowd is friendly (if chaotic on weekends), and the back room offers pool and darts. R
Shadyside. 412-683-0912. What’s not to love? The vague naughtiness of the compact bar’s speakeasy vibe; the jukebox packed with tunes, new and old; the mural of old New Orleans; and the stiffest CONTINUES ON PG. 30
28 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 29
DRINKS ALL AROUND, CONTINUED FROM PG. 28
drinks in town, mixed with fresh-squeezed orange juice. S
Industrial Cocktails Craft Beer Artisanal Cuisine
SQUIRREL HILL CAFE. 5802 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-521-3327. Cram into an upright wooden booth with your buddies, and prepare to argue philosophy and video games in this smoky neighborhood institution known as the Squirrel Cage. Bonus: cheap burgers and a great jukebox. S
TIKI LOUNGE. 2003 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-381-8454. The drinks come with umbrellas and in tiki mugs at this kitschy tribute to lava-walled, tropicalthemed havens of yore. Cozy up in a nook by a waterfall. R
WILLIAM PENN TAVERN. 739 Bellefonte St., Shadyside. 412-621-1000. Its walls are covered with a hodge-podge of sports and Pittsburgh-related memorabilia and posters, and its menu is filled with a hodge-podge of barroom delicacies. S
likely won’t be cheap, but there’s a beer for you here, especially if you like Belgian labels. Once a quiet neighborhood bar, the Sharp Edge has become a small empire; find other locations at www.sharpedgebeer.com. S
THE WINE LOFT. 2773 Tunnel Blvd., SouthSide Works, South Side. 412-586-5335. A well-curated wine list, cozy seating options and an expanded menu make this a convivial spot for socializing. Food ranges from artisanal cheese boards to pizza, with entrée and dessert options, too. Wines include unusual varietals alongside more familiar picks. R
QUEER
941 SALOON. 941 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-281-5222. 941 has a laidback vibe and private booths for convos with someone you want to know better. A pool table, dart boards and touch screens help keep the crowd entertained; DJs, a small dance floor and lighted platform keep them dancing. U
5801 VIDEO LOUNGE & CAFÉ.
BOTTOMS UP!
4305 Butler Street. Lawrenceville industrypgh.com. 412.683.1100
25 CHURCH ST. - SALAMANACA NY 716-945-9900 - www.bssmokeshop.com
AUGUST SALE
“They cheered, they sang, they celebrated with a carnival spirit only duplicated in recent history by the Armistice night celebration of Nov. 11, 1918. ... Long before the zero hour thousands began to gather at the three breweries ready to dispense beer here. As midnight neared the throngs swelled to the proportions of small armies. Access to the breweries was practically impossible and taxed the police powers of the city and that of Sharpsburg, where the Fort Pitt Brewery is located. … Where 23 had appeared the day before for being drunk, only five were arraigned before Magistrate Ray E. Schneider today. All said they drank moonshine. … ‘In the future, drink beer,’ said the magistrate.” — The Pittsburgh Press on the end of Prohibition, April 7, 1933
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BLUE MOON ON BUTLER STREET. 5115 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-7811119. Leather daddies, drag queens and everyone else along the LGBT spectrum can feel at ease at this kitschy dive. Blue Moon offers cheap drinks and some Pittsburgh’s best drag: Sharon Needles has been a frequent performer. S
CATTIVO BAR. 146 44th St., Lawrenceville. 412-687-2157. Tucked among row houses, Cattivo has hosted some of the nation’s best-known drag performers, including recent RuPaul’s Drag Race runner-up Alaska Thunderfuck. The dark, smoky bar has two floors buzzing with action, an extensive drink list and an ample menu. S CRUZE BAR. 1600 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-471-1400. Burn some calories sweating to the hottest dance music around as the lights pulse to the beat above the dance floor. If dancing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of cozy lounge areas or a large outside deck to sit back, enjoy a specialty cocktail and watch everyone else get their twerk on. U
ALLEGHENY WINE MIXER. 5326
FRIENDS BAR. 5840 Forward Ave.,
Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-252-2337. A good wine list is a treasure in a city better known for celebrating beer. But the newly opened Allegheny Wine Mixer is at the vanguard of an effort to change that, while eschewing the stereotypes found in Will Ferrell comedies. S
Squirrel Hill. 412-422-5027. Friends Bar offers a friendly haven for ladies looking for love. The small bar has something to keep you busy every night of the week: a pool table, dance floor, and a diverse event calendar that includes karaoke, DJs and acoustic nights. S
CASBAH. 229 S. Highland Ave.,
IMAGES. 965 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-391-9990. It might not be as scandalous as the Liberty Avenue bars on Queer as Folk, but the newly remodeled Images bares its share of skin. A $1 cover will get you in the door for hot dancers strutting their stuff, Underwear Karaoke, DJ’s spinning intoxicating mixes and unbeatable happy-hour specials. U
Shadyside. 412-661-5656. This Mediterraneanthemed restaurant was an early adopter of the wine-bar approach. It’s still going strong, with a wine list offering scores of choices by glass, bottle or wine flight. S
SHARP EDGE BEER EMPORIUM. 302 St. Clair St., Friendship. 412-661-3537. It
30 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
5801 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-6615600. 5801 is the go-to gay bar for both men and women in the city. A newly expanded and updated deck brings the outside in, and three bars on three levels keep the drinks flowing freely. And if you’re hungry, the menu features classic Pittsburgh bar food. S
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ROGER HUMPHRIES oger Humphries, the 69-year-old dean of Pittsburgh jazz, lives with his wife Regina in a modest home on the North Side, just far enough up the hill toward Perry South to provide a stunning view of Downtown. He’s watched Pittsburgh change a lot from that hill. “Born and raised right here on this street,” he says. “We lived up the street a little, then I moved here.” He grew up in the time of the Crawford Grill and the Hurricane Lounge, in the Hill District’s mid-century heyday, when folks like Art Blakey and Max Roach would stop by. Humphries, who started playing drums at age 3, got into music early via older brothers and sisters; he played at Carnegie Music Hall at 16, and went on his first big tour when he was just 18. “When I was in high school, I was a senior, I saw Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott at the Hurricane,” he remembers. “And they asked me to sit in with them. I sat in and they heard me play, and they asked my parents, when I leave high school, if I could go on the road with them.” That led to years of touring with everyone from Turrentine and Scott to Horace Silver and, for a one-year stint in the late ’60s, Ray Charles. But family — and Pittsburgh — called Roger Humphries back. “By that time,” he says, “after having been other places, seeing other musicians play, I had it in my mind: I’m going back to Pittsburgh, but I’m bringing New York City with me.” In 1972, Humphries formed RH Factor, the band that he’s led ever since. He still plays more gigs than most musicians half his age; he leads a jam session every Thursday night at CJ’s in the Strip District, has a monthly spot at James Street Speakeasy on the North Side, and enjoys mentoring younger players. It’s a changing city, but Humphries likes the view from up there on the North Side. “It’s nice,” he says, “that we’ve been around long enough to see the city reinvent itself.”
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THE CITY’S
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Acacia {PHOTO BY RENEE ROSENSTEEL}
SPIN BARTINI & ULTRA LOUNGE. 5744 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412362-7746. Men of all ages regularly fill this stylish video lounge. The drinks are stiff, the music is fabulous, and if you need a breather or a smoke, you can escape to the small back patio. S
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32 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
412-260-6968. As befits a cider-making facility built in the owners’ basement, the ambience here is cozy and rustic, with nods to local history. There’s apple cider, of course, but cherry and other flavors too. You’ll have to buy by the growler, but it won’t be hard to finish. S
Works development is large enough to stage Wagner’s Niebelungenlied. The beer is excellent and served in massive thick glass steins. If the dirndlund-lederhosen trappings bother you, you can still enjoy the river views from the adjoining biergarten. R
PENN BREWERY. 800 Vinial St., North Side. 412-237-9402. This storied location — the granddaddy of Pittsburgh microbreweries — has had ups and downs in recent years, but offers Germanstyle beers and a cobblestone courtyard that is a perfect place to spend a summer evening. Q
EAST END BREWING COMPANY.
PIG HILL BREWERY. 1721 Lowrie St., Troy Hill. 412-897-6943. Pig Hill counts as a brewery in only a technical sense: It makes kombucha, a fermented tea that has just enough alcohol to interest the state Liquor Control Board. But who can blame them? Under its Red Star label, Pig Hill makes three different types of kombucha, including a “Zingerbuch” with ginger and hibiscus. The Brewery is open for takeout Saturday afternoons, and can also be found in cases and four-packs at distributors, or in some local bars. Q
147 Julius St., Larimer. 412-537-2337. It’s not a bar, but we couldn’t leave out the city’s most popular microbrewery. East End sells growlers at its new digs, and at its booth at the Pittsburgh Public Market in the Strip District. The Big Hop IPA — tastes like it sounds — is an increasingly familiar presence on local taps as well. S
PITTSBURGH WINERY. 2815 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412-566-1000. This winery imports grapes from California and Chile to produce a limited number of labels, including a popular malbec. A small tasting room is open WednesdaySunday afternoons. U
CHURCH BREW WORKS. 3525 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville. 412-688-8200. Set in a restored turn-of-the-century church, this restaurant and brewery features seasonal handcrafted beers, an altar of beer-making gear and stainedglass windows of saints. Pizza from the wood-fired oven is always a good choice. S
HOFBRAUHAUS PITTSBURGH. 2705 S. Water St., South Side. 412224-2328. This venue at the SouthSide
ROCK BOTTOM BREWERY. 171 E. Bridge St., Homestead. 412-462-2739. A chain brewpub located amid the sprawl
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
Over a Barrel Other than the nostalgia buzz from the old Fort Pitt beer logo, there’s really no historic significance to this photo, shot mid-century on Downtown’s Second Avenue. It does, however, prove Pittsburghers will seize just about any excuse to down a cold one.
of The Waterfront, Rock Bottom still keeps its surroundings in mind, with labels like “Uppity Jagoff.” N
WIGLE WHISKEY. 2401 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-224-2827. Not a bar, per se, but this distillery — which has re-established the frontier-era whiskeymaking trade in the city — has daily tastings in its modishly sparse digs. U
GOOD EATS
D’S SIX PAX AND DOGZ/D’S LOFT. 1118 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. 412-241-4666. D’s has long been a staple for hot-dog lovers and fans of craft beer alike. A more recent upstairs annex continues the craft-brew theme and adds the possibility of a cocktail. It’s a neighborhood gathering spot for the younger crowd, besides being a good place to wait for a table to open up downstairs. S
DISH. 128 S. 17th St., South Side. 412390-2012. While the food is the main attraction, you won’t be disappointed by the house cocktails or the wine list at this discerning and intimate Italian neighborhood restaurant, tucked off the South Side’s party drag. Reservations are recommended. R
FAT HEADS. 1805 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-7433. This place seems to expand every few years, with reason: terrific beer selection, chicken wings and industrial-seized sandwiches. There’s outdoor eating too, but timing is everything. No matter how many tables they add, you may end up waiting for one. R LOCAL BAR AND KITCHEN. 1515 E. Carson St., South Side, 412-431-1125. A lively spot for pints and pizza, bourbon
and burgers, with a thoughtfully designed interior that is several steps up from the sports-and-booze paraphernalia that too often doubles as décor. It boasts its rooftop deck is the largest in the neighborhood, with plenty of tables, its own bar and a view of East Carson Street. R
PIPER’S PUB. 1828 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-381-2797. Extensive scotch list? Check. Hearty food from the British Isles? Check. TVs showing football (hooligans and scarves, not Steelers and Terrible Towels)? Check. Piper’s is nearly perfect for enjoying boxty and beer. R
NEIGHBORHOOD VIBE
CARSON STREET DELI. 1507 E. Carson St., South Side 412-381-5335. The 21 taps (including cask) at this casual South Side bar and its bottle shop feature the city’s best craft beers, often including rare treats. A neighborhood place, Carson Street draws in regulars, particularly on Wednesday evenings, when brewers bring samples by to try. Don’t miss the back patio on warm nights. R ELBOW ROOM. 5533 Walnut St., Shadyside. 412-441-5222. This Shadyside fixture has relocated from Ellsworth to a wood-paneled second-floor spot looking out on Walnut. The convivial vibe is accented by weekend brunches and an extensive wine list. S HOUGH’S. 563 Greenfield Ave., Greenfield. 412-586-5944. It might be tempting to call any Greenfield bar a “neighborhood watering hole.” But Hough’s offers many reasons to go out of your way: numerous TVs for watching the big game, a surprisingly extensive bottled-beer selection … and now a chance to brew your own beer, under expert supervision. S CONTINUES ON PG. 34
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MONTEREY PUB. 1211 Monterey St., North Side. 412-322-6535. Relax in a hand-carved mahogany booth and admire this tastefully restored neighborhood bar, a secret treasure in the heart of the historic Mexican War Streets. Q
REMEDY. 5121 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-781-6771. This multi-floored venue is an arty Lawrenceville favorite, whether for dinner, cocktails or the weekly dance parties on the upper floors. S
SILKY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL. 1731 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-4219222. Somehow both cavernous and cozy, Silky’s attracts locals from all walks of life — proving that Pittsburgh’s taste for sports and draft beer transcends all barriers. Same vibe at the smaller Silky’s outpost in Bloomfield (5135 Liberty Ave., 412-683-6141). S
WHISKEY SHOTS History suggests that it’s unwise to come between Pittsburghers and their booze: In 1794, Pittsburgh spawned an armed insurrection against a whiskey tax. Whiskey was a cash crop, and everyone drank it. (“The minister partook of it before going to church,” one historian recalled.) During the “Whiskey Rebellion,” tax collectors were tarred and feathered, and homes were burned, before troops arrived and threatened to torch the city. And you thought Carson Street on weekends was bad.
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OUTDOOR DRINKING
HARRIS GRILL. 5747 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-362-5273. Beer and food are served with a knowing smirk here at this long-time favorite. The outdoor seating area is one of the city’s best, not a tacked-on afterthought but the bar’s public face. S
SHILOH GRILL. 123 Shiloh St., Mount Washington. 412-431-4000. Brought to you by the folks at Harris Grill, the Shiloh is more than twice the size of its older sister, but with the same offbeat vibe — and with a similar opportunity to imbibe al fresco. Located just off Grandview Avenue, the Shiloh is a sort of bridge between neighborhood folks and the date-night set, offering them all such Harris traditions as Bacon Night Tuesdays. R VILLA SOUTHSIDE. 1831 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-431-3535. This bar has a sleek interior and swank bar. But what separates it from a lot of other Carson Street clubs is an upstairs patio worth pushing through the crowd for. R
AFTER WORK
NICO’S RECOVERY ROOM. 178 Pearl St., Bloomfield. 412-681-9562. Tasty Greek
bites, weekend karaoke and drink specials make this corner bar a popular check-in with both the locals and workers from the nearby hospitals. S
OLIVE OR TWIST. 140 Sixth St., Downtown. 412-255-0525. After the cool kids get real jobs, they still need a place to hang after work. Welldressed folks quaffing from the massive list of pseudo-tinis fill this narrow Downtown spot. It can get a little crowded at happy hour — all the better to see and be seen. U
PAPA J’S CENTRO. 212 Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown. 412-391-7272. Why not sample a bit of history along with that after-work beer? A former brothel rumored to be the site of multiple murders, the building may have been an Underground Railroad stop. You’ll find more ambience at its massive bar, carved from a single piece of oak. U TONIC. 971 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-456-0460. Tonic’s got a full menu, but the mixed drinks ought to be enough to draw you in. Ample upstairs space is sometimes reserved for private parties. Plenty of traffic from the nearby convention center/hotel — a special treat when the Furries come to town. U
AFTER FINALS
BOOTLEGGERS. 403 Semple St., Oakland. 412-488-2668. Recently remodeled, this South Oakland staple is reminiscent of a standard house party but without the grime of a dilapidated duplex. Undergrads make up most of the crowd, drawn by dance music, pool tables, darts and an ambiguously delineated dance floor/bar area. With the right company, Boots is a party. S
GARAGE DOOR SALOON. 223 Atwood St., Oakland. 412-621-4842. Thanks to its central location and attractions like darts, pool and karaoke, a diverse crowd congregates at this bar, also known as the “G-Door,” this bar. And there’s an opportunity to people-watch through the open garage doors. S GENE’S PLACE. 3616 Louisa St., Oakland. 412-682-2158. Gene’s draws an eclectic but respectable crowd that creates a comfortable block-party atmosphere. There’s no judgment at Gene’s: Hell, one of the doormen keeps a copy of the Settlers of Catan board game behind the bar. S HEMINGWAY’S CAFÉ. 3911 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-621-4100. By day a family-friendly place, by night a bustling college bar with drink and food specials that appeal to students’ tastes and budget. Everything’s a little sticky, but that’s probably from the Dum-Dums and gummy worms that come with every specialty shot pitcher. S
PETER’S PUB. 116 Oakland Ave., Oakland. 412-681-7465. Peter’s Pub is the fraternity house of Oakland bars. There are two bars and a large dance floor, complete with a disco ball and a laptop that sometimes has a DJ behind it. Sometimes it’s overcrowded and stifling, other times it’s empty, but almost always, it’s a good mingling ground for students. S
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IN THE STARS:
INNERVENUS MUSIC COLLECTIVE he last decade has been tumultuous for the music industry. But while it’s impossible to say what the future holds for record labels, there’s a good chance many of them will end up looking like the Turtle Creek-based Innervenus Music Collective. When Scott Massie and his wife, Kimee, started Innervenus in 2001, it was for practical reasons: They were in a band, and wanted to put out a record. They’ve now put out 28 of them, including releases from local bands like Molasses Barge, Motorpsychos and Submachine. Working from their home office, they’ve shifted to a more collective approach in recent years, bringing promoters, visual artists and others into the fold. “We wanted to be an umbrella,” Scott Massie explains. When starting a new project, the Innervenus team sits down with the prospective band to figure out what they need, and what they don’t. “We try to do a lot of administrative stuff: getting records manufactured, making sure [bands] get press kits out,” Massie says. Frequently, Innervenus splits those costs with artists 50/50, he adds: “Bands should do more than play their instruments, but if they want to be successful, they shouldn’t have to do [everything] by themselves.” Flexibility is key for anyone trying to put out music these days. And as Massie sees it, the answer to distribution issues may lie in some balance of giving away music digitally, while manufacturing smaller quantities of a better physical product. “People who want a Submachine record are going to buy a Submachine record,” he says. “Whatever your hobby is, you’re going to spend a lot of money on it.” In other words, if you build it — and it’s a limited edition — they will come. But ultimately, Massie says, “it’s helpful to realize there aren’t any rules anymore.” That’s not to say Innervenus is profitable: Most of the time, the Massies are happy just to break even. Even so, Scott says with a laugh, “If Innervenus were to stop, we’d just end up starting a new label.”
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Punk Rock Karaoke at Howlers {PHOTO BY JOHN COLOMBO}
nightlife
ON THE BEAT WANT TO SAMPLE THE CITY’S MUSIC SCENE? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
Pittsburgh’s changing music landscape mirrors the city’s broader evolution: There are big, shiny venues in spots that used to host heavy industry, and there are clubs in transformed churches and old social halls. But when it comes to rock especially, the heart of the scene (and its attitude) is still in shot-and-beer bars.
ROCK BARS
Gooski’s (S, 3117 Brereton Ave., Polish Hill; 412-681-1658) is the archetype of Pittsburgh rock bars, catering to everyone from hardcore punks to pierogie-lovers. Nearby, slightly smaller but in a similar vein (think cheap drinks, punk rock and cigarette smoke) is the Rock Room (S, 1054 Herron Ave., Polish Hill; 412-683-4418). Down the hill in the Strip District is the 31st Street Pub (U, 3101 Penn Ave.; 412-391-8334 or www.31stpub.com). Its local and national acts focus mostly on punk, hard rock and metal. Now in its 10th year, The Smiling Moose (R, 1306 E. Carson St., South Side; 412-431-4668 or www.smiling-moose. 38 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
multi-task: You can watch the game on com) used to be a small punk bar itself, the bar side, then slide over to the stage but expanded a few years back to side for local and touring acts, mostly host shows upstairs and serve food rock. For a small room, the sound is downstairs. There are often two shows a great. And across the street at the night, the earlier being an all-ages event Bloomfield Bridge Tavern (S, 4412 — and you’ll find healthy dose of hip hop Liberty Ave.; 412-682-8611 or www. between the rock shows. If you’re on the bloomfieldbridgetavern.com), you can South Side on a Thursday night, there find mostly local bands on the are bands playing up the street at w weekend, and the long-running Lava Lounge (R, 2204 E. Carson FUZZ! drum-and-bass night St.; 412-431-5282 or SEE on Wednesdays. www.lavaloungepgh.com). PAGE 06 FOR Fans of blues and Lawrenceville is home IC H P A R G GEO AND bluegrass will want to make to a number of live-music KEY RGH a quick shot up the river to venues. The largest is PITTSBUP MA Blawnox: Moondog’s (M, Thunderbird Café (S, 4023 378 Freeport Road; 412-8283 Butler St.; 412-682-1214 or 204 2040 or www.moondogs.us) www.thunderbirdcafe.net), mostly hosts locals, but a good few where you’ll find anything from blues national-level performers, and wellacts to up-and-coming indie-rockers. known ones at that, take the stage there. Across the street at Belvedere’s (S, And while we’re on the topic of banjos, 4016 Butler St.; 412-687-2555 or www. we can’t not mention the Pittsburgh belvederesultradive.com), you can find Banjo Club’s weekly performances at Elks the occasional rock show, but it’s mostly Lodge #339 (Q, 400 Cedar Ave., North dance nights now (see “Out for a Spin”). Side; 412-364- 4739). Bloomfield’s Howlers (S, 4509 Perhaps the hottest small room Liberty Ave.; 412-682-0320 or www. in the city in recent years has been howlerscoyotecafe.com) lets you
Brillobox in Bloomfield (S, 4104 Penn Ave.; 412-621-4900 or www.brillobox. net); there are regular DJ nights ranging from drum-and-bass to queer-themed nights and Motown parties, plus national talent booked by Opus One Productions. Opus One also books Club Café on the South Side (R, 56-58 S. 12th St.; 412-431-4950 or wwwclub cafelive.com), a tables-and-chairs spot that’s fine for a rock show, but truly great for old-school lounge fare.
DIY SPOTS There are a number of smaller venues that share a DIY spirit and a willingness to nurture the not-yet-famous: The Mr. Roboto Project (S, 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield; www.therobotoproject.org) has been around (in one location or another) for over a decade, hosting small shows that skew toward punk and hardcore. 222 Orsmby (R, 222 Ormsby Ave., Mount Oliver; 222ormsby.tumblr. com) is a house venue that’s become an institution. The Shop (S, 4312 Main St., Bloomfield; 412-951-0622) is a more
recent addition to the landscape, and hosts shows fairly regularly. Garfield Artworks (S, 4931 Penn Ave.; 412-361-2262 or www. garfieldartworks.com) is a small gallery that’s as much about music as it is art; if you’re a regular, you’ll see next year’s hip acts before your friends hear about them. (You’ll also probably see your first harsh-noise artist.) The full-time venue that the folks behind VIA (www.via-pgh.com), the big yearly electronic-music-and-art festival, had been running recently closed, but the group still puts on shows year-round at a number of venues, and reportedly has plans to find a new full-time home.
BIG VENUES For those into a slightly more traditional atmosphere for electronic and house music, the Strip District’s Static (U, 1650 Smallman St.; 412-720-1396 or www. staticpgh.com) provides a big-club venue. Its sister club, Exit (U, 1630 Smallman St.; 412-720-1396 or www.exitpgh.com), is housed in the same building and plays more mainstream pop and dance music. The two can combine to become the biggest dance club in town. But the biggest rock venue around — not counting stadiums and arenas — would be Stage AE (Q, 400 North Shore Drive, North Side; 412-229-5483 or www.stageae.com), with its multiple indoor and outdoor configurations. Since its advent in late 2010, the venue has brought indie darlings who are too big for the smaller clubs, plenty of hip-hop acts and a fair number of traditional amphitheater shows like The Black Crowes. Altar Bar (U, 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District; 412-206-9719 or www. thealtarbar.com) is just one of a number of mid-sized venues that used to be something else. In fact, it’s one of two housed in a former church — Mr. Small’s Theatre (M, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale; 412-821-4447 or www.mrsmalls.com) being the other. There are also a few old library music halls that host a fair number of concerts; Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead (O, 510 E. 10th St., Munhall; 412-368-5225 or www.librarymusichall. com) is the most notable. Over on the South Side, the Rex Theater (R, 1602 E. Carson St.; 412-381-6811 or www.rextheater.com) gave up the big screen and seating years ago in favor of national touring bands. And across the street at Diesel (R, 1601 E. Carson St.; 412-431-8800 or www.dieselpgh.com), primarily a dance club, there are still occasional live shows that hearken back to the space’s days as Nick’s Fat City, a hub of the ’90s rock scene. Down the street at Station Square, home to plenty of chain bars, there’s the Hard Rock Café (R, 230 W. Station Square; 412-481-7625). In addition to a huge Aerosmith “Honkin’ on Bobo” neon sign, you can find some decent touring acts, often courtesy of Drusky Entertainment.
JAZZ CLUBS After some years where friendly venues were thin on the ground, Pittsburgh’s storied jazz scene has witnessed something of a resurgence. What used
to be the James Street Tavern on the North Side is now the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy (Q, 422 Foreland St.; 412-904-3335 or www. jamesstreetgastropub.com), a bar with a basement for music, chiefly jazz, including many of the Pittsburgh greats. Elsewhere on the North Side is Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (Q, 1815 Metropolitan St.; 412-322-1773 or www.mcgjazz.org), a nonprofit venue and recording studio that’s won multiple Grammy awards, and brings big-name talent to town.
“I WENT TO A CONCERT AND A RIOT BROKE OUT” April 25, 1851: A performance by world-famous singer Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale” is disrupted by rock-throwing Pittsburghers: Promoter P.T. Barnum auctioned off tickets, ensuring only the wealthy could attend and leaving working-class fans outdoors and out-of-sorts. ✦ July 18, 1956: Teenagers damage some 700 seats at the Syria Mosque by jumping up and down on them during a rock show featuring Chuck Berry. Officials there consider banning rock shows for good. ✦ April 3, 1989: Hundreds of Grateful Dead fans clash with police at the Civic Arena, prompting accusations of police brutality by George Trosky — who is today a police commander. “I don’t want those Deadenders ever back again,” says Mayor Sophie Masloff, referring to the fans, not the police.
Jazz heads also have plenty of choices Downtown, especially on weekends. Andys at Fairmont Pittsburgh (U, 510 Market St.; 412-773-8884), the wine bar at the swanky new hotel at Fifth and Market, has jazz — usually vocalistcentered — five nights a week. NOLA on the Square (U, 24 Market Square; 412-471-9100 or www.nolaonthesquare. com) has music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The oldest of the new Downtown jazz clubs, Little E’s (949 Liberty Ave., second floor; 412-392-2217 or www.littleesjazz.com) has jazz and blues Thursday through Saturday. CONTINUES ON PG. 40
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 39
ON THE BEAT, CONTINUED FROM PG. 39
Have you heard about
The Allegheny County Vacant Property Recovery Program?
It’s where vacant houses become loving homes and it’s working in Wilkinsburg. Fill out an application today— you could be living happily ever after—tomorrow For more information visit www.wilkinsburgcdc.org/vprp
Immunization… the Power to Protect
Your body is built to fight off harmful diseases llike measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, pneumonia, meningitis, and flu. Vaccines work with the body to protect against disease. It’s wise to immunize your It cchildren and yourself. Protect your family and the community. Talk to your health care provider about rrecommended vaccines for kids, teens, and adults. kid
Gene the Werewolf at Club Café {PHOTO BY JOHN COLOMBO}
ORCHESTRAL/ CHAMBER/ACOUSTIC The biggest music game Downtown is also the oldest: The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which maintains
EIGHT PITTSBURGHBORN JAZZ LEGENDS … AND THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA NATIVE WHO BROUGHT THE WORLD “UNSKINNY BOP” George Benson Art Blakey Billy Eckstine Erroll Garner Earl “Fatha” Hines Lena Horne Henry Mancini Billy Strayhorn Bret Michaels
Immunization strengthens what the body does naturally!
Heinz Hall (U, 600 Penn Ave.; 412-3924900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org) as its home base. But there are other 40 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
groups in town also doing old music right: Chatham Baroque (412-687-1788 or www.chathambaroque.org) is a nationally known resident ensemble that plays period instruments, while Pittsburgh Renaissance and Baroque (www.rbsp.org) brings other groups to town throughout the year. You can also find groups doing what they call “new music” — that is, music by contemporary composers. Alia Musica (www.alia-musica.org) presents a good number of works by local composers in its seasonal concerts; Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (www. pnme.org) presents a short season every summer at the South Side’s City Theatre; and Music on the Edge (www.music.pitt. edu/mote), which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh, brings unconventional contemporary sounds to town throughout the year. For those with more traditional tastes, Calliope, the local folk-music society, hosts a yearly series with local and national acts, some at the Carnegie Music Hall and others at the organization’s Roots Cellar space (6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside; www.calliopehouse.org).
OTHER VENUES/ OUTDOORS Unconventional sounds are the norm at The Andy Warhol Museum (Q, 117 Sandusky St., North Side; 412-237-8300 or www.warhol.org). The Warhol produces a Sound Series throughout the year that brings up-and-coming indie bands, old art-rockers and experimentalists of all ages to its theater. (In recent years, the Warhol has brought some of its shows
Tracksploitation {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
OUT FOR A SPIN
WHILE DANCE CLUBS AND VENUES COME AND GO — ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS — THERE ARE PLENTY OF LOCAL DJS WHO WILL ALWAYS FIND A HOME. HERE ARE JUST A FEW WORTH CHECKING OUT. HOUSE/TECHNO. Choices include: Humanaut, a collective of DJs that puts on regular dance parties (www.humanaut. net); Detour, a crew of young DJs and artists out of CMU (detourpgh@gmail. com); Honcho, a queer-friendly all-night party (www.honchopgh.com); and Pittsburgh Track Authority, a DJ/producer supergroup of sorts (www.facebook.com/ PittsburghTrackAuthority). BASS. Obvious presents touring artists and local DJs in different venues throughout town (www.obviouspgh. com); LazerCrunk (www.lazercrunk.com) is a long-running monthly show, currently housed at Brillobox. Its main DJs — Cutups and Keeb$ — DJ elsewhere too. CLUB/MIXED DANCE. DJ Nugget (www.djnugget.com) has been playing area clubs for more than a decade; DJ Zimmie (www.djzimmie.com) travels the country but still plays Pittsburgh on the regular; Pete Butta (www.petebutta.com) is an up-and-coming star.
HIP HOP. DJ Selecta and DJ Nate Da Phat Barber are longtime regulars who DJ all around town (both are best found on Twitter: @Selecta720Recs and @DJNateDaBarber). Tracksploitation
to the Carnegie Lecture Hall in Oakland, as well). And there’s some quiet stuff and some loud stuff at the WYEP Community Broadcast Center (R, 67 Bedford Square; 412-381-9131 or www.wyep.org), the studio and live-performance space at the nonprofit adult-alternative radio station’s building on the South Side. The space hosts monthly local-music shows, plus limited-audience daytime performances from touring bands that are playing bigger venues in the evening. During the warmer months, treat yourself to an outdoor show (and pray that the fickle Pittsburgh weather holds for you). The biggest outdoor
(www.tracksploitation.com) is a DJ/ production duo that does hip hop and plenty more, often in costume as robots from outer space — how can you go wrong?
SOUL. DJ Gordy G’s Title Town Soul and Funk Party (www.titletownpgh.com) is the longest continuous monthly event in town, but DJ Soulful Fella (soulfulfella. podomatic.com) also holds it down at a few venues regularly. WORLD. Pandemic (www.pandemic pgh.com) offers all kinds of global dance music monthly, with DJs who also play other events; Global Beats (www.love globalbeats.com) is the other go-to for world music at venues around town; Jamaican-born Fudgie Springer (www.reverbnation.com/fudgiespringer) DJs reggae regularly at Capri Ristorante and elsewhere. ’80S. For whatever reason, the ’80s have a hold on DJs and dancers alike. Neon at Belvedere’s in Lawrenceville, hosted by DJ Hatesyou, is a perennial favorite, as are nights hosted by the versatile DJ EZ-Lou (www.ezlou.com).
venue is the amphitheater in Burgettstown, Washington County, known these days as First Niagara Pavilion (P, 665 Route 18; www. firstniagarapavilion.com) — this is where stalwart acts like Jimmy Buffett and Dave Matthews, and younger stars like Wiz Khalifa, go to sell out shows. For a less crowded (and cheaper) evening, Allegheny County (412-3502528 or www.alleghenycounty.us/ summer) runs a free summer concert series at both South Park and Hartwood Acres (Indiana Township), usually well curated, with family-friendly acts that music aficionados won’t turn up their noses at.
JULY 13 ▼ BETHESDA (LATE) JULY 18 ▼ SAMANTHA CRAIN JULY 19 ▼ BRIAN HALLORAN (EARLY) JULY 24 ▼ BOB SCHNEIDER JULY 30 ▼ ANDREW BELLE AUGUST 01 ▼ JOE FIRSTMAN AUGUST 03▼ CLUB CAFE POP-UP DINNER W/ BILL DEASY (EARLY)
www.ticketweb.com/clubcafe | facebook.com/clubcafelive | twitter.com/clubcafelive FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF SHOWS VISIT clubcafelive.com PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 41
University Scholars Program at YSU Academic Excellence, Service, and Achievement
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{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
CULTURE Artistic Stand Off Henrietta Leaver with Pittsburgh sculptor Frank Vittor and his work. In 1935, Leaver, a Miss McKeesport and Miss America, posed for the statue, but objected to its nudity, which she said would damage her reputation. (She’d worn a bathing suit during modeling sessions.) She threatened to sue, but ultimately decided against it after a panel decided it was tasteful. “If you are not proud of your body,” one panelist told Leaver in an account by Mon Valley historian Jason Togyer, “you might as well close up shop.”
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 43
THE ROADMAP TO CLEANER AIR
As leaders of the Breathe Project, we are committed to pulling the Pittsburgh region out of the nation’s dirtiest-air ranks and into the top tier — to match where we are in many other categories. We are now charting our journey to cleaner air through four sectors that promise significant improvement: more efficient public transit and vehicular traffic management; cleaner emitting school bus fleets; more energy-efficient and health-promoting buildings; and more projects from business and industry that improve air quality. The path has been laid and now the journey begins. Join our Breathe coalition — 160 businesses and civic groups; 1,500 individuals and 20,000 followers through social media. Our lives — and way of life — depend on clean air.
A growing coalition working to improve our air quality
BREATHEPROJECT.ORG LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/BREATHEPROJECT Text BREATHE to 877877 Message & data rates may apply
Leaders in action: Clockwise from top left, Group Against Smog and Pollution Executive Director Rachel Filippini at press event for school bus retrofit program; U.S. Steel Corp. Chairman and CEO John Surma commissions a new coke battery in Clairton; Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at a building energy savings workshop; and PNC Financial Services Executive Chairman James Rohr praises traffic signal technology.
44 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Space Gallery {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
culture
PAINTING THE TOWN OUR DIRECTORY OF LOCAL ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
707 PENN GALLERY/709 PENN GALLERY. 707-9 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-325- 7017/412-471-6070 or www. trustarts.org. Contemporary paintings, prints, sculpture and photography by local (and sometimes international) artists in a wide range of styles are displayed in these adjacent storefront galleries managed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Closed Mon.-Tue. U
AMERICAN JEWISH MUSEUM. 5738 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-521-8011 x105 or www.jccpgh.org. This display space at the Jewish Community Center features documentary, interpretative and folk-art works in all media, usually exploring Israel and the American-Jewish experience. Open daily. S
THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. 412-237-8300 or www.warhol.org. Sure, there are plenty of celebrity silkscreens, Brillo boxes and other Warhol favorites ... but this is no mausoleum. The Warhol features a broad spectrum of often politically engaged exhibits and happenings, many of which take up such Warholian themes as gender and the role of the artist in society. Closed Mon. Q
ASSEMBLE. 5125 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-432-9127. This unassuming venue is less a gallery than “a community space for arts and technology.” The lively programming includes interactive exhibits, learning parties and workshops on everything from art to biology and robotics. Open Mon.-Sat. (limited hours). S THE AUGUST WILSON CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE.
resource for poster- and T-shirt-makers regionally. The gallery space features work by printmakers and a diverse group of area artists experimenting in the medium. Q
BORELLI-EDWARDS GALLERIES.
3583 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-687-2606 or www.begalleries.com. This gallery, on the first floor of a building housing live/work bu space for artists, features s E SE contemporary work in a sleek PAGE 06 setting. Closed Sun.-Mon. S FOR
980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-258-2700 PHIC or www.augustwilson GEOGRA KEY ANRDGH BOXHEART GALLERY. center.org. Named for PITTSBUP 4523 Liberty Ave., the famed Pittsburgh-born MA Bloomfield. 412-687-8858 or playwright, the center hosts www.boxheartgallery.com. w visual-arts shows reflecting This ambitious storefront gallery the black experience, including displays fine art in all media, including touring showcases and work by juried shows of international work. local artists. Despite continuing financial Closed Mon. S troubles, it also remains a performance venue. Open Tue.-Sat. and for events. U BREWHOUSE SPACE 101. 2100 Mary St., South Side. 412-381-7767. The ARTISTS IMAGE RESOURCE. hulking former Duquesne Brewery is 518 Foreland St., North Side. 412-321-8664 now an artists’ co-op that hosts regular or www.artistsimageresource.org. AIR shows by local artists in a barebones is as much a workshop as a gallery: Its but welcoming gallery space. Open low-cost screenprinting facilities and during events and by appointment. R other printmaking gear are a valuable
CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-3131 or web.cmoa.org. As the local art scene’s heavyweight, the MOA features a strong permanent collection with a special emphasis on modern and contemporary art. (Impressionism is well represented, but otherwise the historic collection can be spotty.) The museum’s quadrennial Carnegie International is the world’s second-oldest showcase of contemporary art, and Pittsburgh’s premier contribution to the global art scene; the latest edition runs October through March 2014. Open daily in summer; closed Mondays out of season. S
CHRISTINE FRECHARD GALLERY. 5871 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-4218888 or www.christinefrechardgallery. com. This commercial gallery spotlights emerging as well as established artists from America and abroad, and hosts a variety of activities, from live music to culturally themed language classes. Closed Sun.-Mon. S
CONCEPT ART GALLERY. 1031 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. 412-2429200 or www.conceptgallery.com. Elegant commercial showplace for paintings, CONTINUES ON PG. 46
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 45
PAINTING THE TOWN, CONTINUED FROM PG. 45
drawings, sculpture and photography. Closed Mon., and closed Sun. in summer. O
FILMMAKERS GALLERIES. 477 Melwood Ave., Oakland. 412-681-5449 or www.pghfilmmakers.org. Media-arts group Pittsburgh Filmmakers runs its own two-chambered gallery, which focuses on contemporary photography and video, often by local artists. Conceptual work and installations are also featured at the facility, which houses a screening room for foreign and indie films. Open Mon.-Fri. and during film screenings. S
FRICK ART & HISTORICAL CENTER. 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. 412-371-0600 or www.thefrickpittsburgh. org. Along with its historic mansion and grounds, the Frick features a tiny but expertly curated museum, with a permanent collection of artwork and antiques. It also hosts temporary exhibits, sometimes featuring more modern work. Admission to the art museum is usually free, though some exhibits may cost extra. Closed Mon. S
FUTURE TENANT. 819 Penn Ave., Downtown. www.futuretenant.org. This deliberately raw storefront space is run as a kind of art lab by folks associated with Carnegie Mellon University, and specializes in installation work. But it also hosts live performance, from karaoke to an annual fall festival of 10-minute plays. Closed Mon.-Wed. U GALLERY 4. 206 S. Highland Ave., Shadyside. 412-363-5050 or www.the gallery4.us. A storefront gallery featuring funky, accessible work by local and national artists. Closed Sun.-Mon. S
the bright side Greet the summer sun in a kaleidoscope of colorful capiz shell jewelry. Jubilee Capiz Necklace, $29 and Earrings, $18 HANDCRAFTED IN PHILIPPINES
GALLERIE CHIZ. 5831 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-441-6005 or www. galleriechiz.com. A fixture on a street known for its galleries, Gallerie Chiz is a lively showcase for paintings, drawings, sculpture and jewelry, with a special focus on outsider art. Open Tue.-Sat., Sun. by appointment. S
Bring in this ad to receive 25% OFF one item. Offer valid at participating stores until 8/31/13. Not valid with other discounts, purchase of gift cards, Oriental rugs or Traveler’s Finds. One coupon per customer per visit. 46 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
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Bloomfield. 412-924-0634 or www. irmafreeman.org. A mosaic of mirrorshards on the façade welcomes visitors to artist and educator Sheila Ali’s homage to her late grandmother, a prolific painter. The gallery and community center features Freeman’s vivid paintings; additional shows spotlight work in the outsider-art vein. Open for events, or Saturday afternoons during exhibits. S
JAMES GALLERY. 413 S. Main St., West End. 412-922-9800. This commercial gallery showcases an array of mostly contemporary work by artists from local to international, working in all media. Recent shows have ranged from abstract painting and contemporary quilting to “fire drawings” on paper. Open Mon.-Sat. T
URBAN HUB Impatient drivers won’t want to hear it, but Pittsburgh streets belonged to bicycles first. In the late 1800s, cycling was a national obsession, and Pittsburgh had at least three competitive cycling clubs. In 1892, local accountant Frank Lenz became a celebrity by trying to cycle around the world. Instead, he disappeared forever, somewhere in Turkey. Pittsburgh’s streets sometimes seem only slightly less treacherous — but new bike lanes and bike stands are cropping up, with a push from advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh. Check out bikepgh.org for cycling news, events, and even a bicycling map to the city.
GALLERY ON 43RD ST. 187 43rd St., Lawrenceville. 412-683-6488 or www.galleryon43rdstreet.com. Probably because it’s in a rowhouse, walking through this gallery is like visiting the home of someone who loves work by regional artists — ranging from painting and photography to pottery and decorative art. The space is even decorated with rugs woven by the gallery’s owner. Open Tue.-Sat. S
GARFIELD ARTWORKS. 4931 Penn
5824 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Mon 10–6, Tue 10–8, Wed 10–6 Thu 10–8, Fri–Sat 10–6 412-421-2160 pittsburgh.tenthousandvillages.com
IRMA FREEMAN CENTER FOR IMAGINATION. 5006 Penn Ave.,
Ave., Garfield. 412-361-2262 or www. garfieldartworks.com. Garfield Artworks was, by several years, in the vanguard of remaking its dog-eared stretch of Penn as an arts corridor, and it continues to exhibit contemporary work, most of it local. The gallery also hosts cutting-edge musical performances and other events. Open by appointment or during events. S
THE INN. 5601 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412-298-5703. This upstart gallery (formerly The College Inn Project) recently relocated to spacious new digs in a former tire plant. It exhibits contemporary art with a focus on local talent, and also the occasional classical-music performance. Open Wed.-Sun. and during events. S
MATTRESS FACTORY. 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side. 412-231-3169 or www.mattress.org. This internationally recognized museum is dedicated to contemporary installation art from artists from around the world. The Factory and a satellite facility around the corner, at 1414 Monterey St., feature a robust series of exhibits — as well as permanent works by artists such as James Turrell and Yayoi Kusama. Closed Mon. Q MENDELSON GALLERY. 5874 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-361-8664. After three decades in business, Steve Mendelson’s gallery is an Ellsworth Avenue landmark, but the owner/curator keeps it fresh with regular shows, typically featuring paintings and prints, and often highlighting local artists both established and emerging. Open Wed. through Sat. or by appointment. S
MILLER GALLERY. Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland. 412-268-3618 or millergallery.cfa.cmu.edu. Although CONTINUES ON PG. 48
{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
urban legend
TRAIL BLAZER:
THE RACHEL CARSON TRAIL ittsburgh’s history is steeped in sooty industrialism, but it also helped nurture the environmental movement. Rachel Carson, a scientist and author, most notably of Silent Spring, widely credited with starting the modern environmental movement, grew up in Springdale — about 16 miles from city limits. Pittsburgh’s Ninth Street Bridge has been renamed after her, but perhaps the bigger honor is this: Local environmentalists bestowed her name on a 35.7-mile walking trail that spans Allegheny County. The trail came about thanks to the Pittsburgh Council of American Youth Hostels, which worked in the 1970s to restore a portion of the Baker Trail that ran through Allegheny County but was disrupted with the construction of Route 28. The new section became the Rachel Carson Trail, which runs from Harrison Hills County Park in the northeast corner of the county to North Park, in the central part. The trail also passes Carson’s Springdale homestead. “It’s a fairly unique trail near a major metropolitan area,” says Steve Mentzer, events director for the Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy, a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization. “It’s still pretty remote.” That’s true even during the annual Rachel Carson Trail Challenge, a day-long ultra-endurance hike that was created in the 1990s by volunteers after the trail fell into a period of disuse and overgrowth. On challenge day, “there are 600 people on the trail,” says Mentzer, “and it’s possible for you to be in the woods by yourself.” Much of the trail is on private property. Terrain varies from paved roads and paths following pipelines and gas-lines, to primitive stretches that require crossing streams without bridges. But the trek provides a chance to survey the natural beauty of Western Pennsylvania, from steep bluffs to secluded valleys, with lots of pine and hemlock. The Carson trail even has a presence along Route 28, the expressway that disrupted it. From the road, “You look up and see tall cliffs and wonder what might be up there, and it’s the Rachel Carson Trail that goes up there,” says Mentzer. “It’s a different way of seeing the world.”
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PAINTING THE TOWN, CONTINUED FROM PG. 46
closed this summer through Sept. 20, this venue on the CMU campus is known for its cutting-edge work — everything from shows by newly minted BFAs to international artists. Installation pieces and works that engage directly with social issues are the norm. Closed Mon. S
MODERNFORMATIONS GALLERY. 4919 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-362-0274 or www.modern formations.com. This storefront gallery typically features work by younger local artists, often with one show in the front room and another in the back, where a stage regularly hosts literary readings and other live performances. Open most Thu. evenings and Sat. afternoons, or by appointment. S
MORGAN CONTEMPORARY GLASS GALLERY. 5833 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-441-5200 or www. morganglassgallery.com. Exhibits here feature a wide array of glass art from artists both local and international. The work ranges from abstract sculptural work to re-imaginings of the familiar teapot. Closed Sun.-Mon. S
MOST-WANTED FINE ART GALLERY. 5015 Penn Ave., Garfield. 412-328-4737 or www.most-wanted fineart.com. This venue on the busy Penn Avenue Arts corridor hosts shows of diverse contemporary art, as well as poetry readings, live music and more. Open Friday and Saturday evenings and by appointment. S
PITTSBURGH CENTER FOR THE ARTS. 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside. 412-361-0873 or pca.pittsburgharts.org. Located in a brilliantly yellow mansion, the venerable PCA usually houses several small-scale exhibits at once, focusing on regional talent, as in its signature Pittsburgh Biennial. It often hosts shows by the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and other area art collectives, though it shows artists from outside the area as well. Closed Mon. S
PITTSBURGH GLASS CENTER. 5472 Penn Ave., Friendship. 412-365-2145 or www.pittsburgh glasscenter.org. Not surprisingly, the focus here is on glass: Displays range from work by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists to awardwinning work by local schools. The center also features glassblowing demonstrations, classes and other events. Open daily. S
SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY. 1015 E. Carson St.,
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South Side. 412-431-1810 or www. silvereye.org. Pittsburgh’s premier exhibition space for contemporary photography — though work of historical import is also sometimes shown. Shows exhibit work of both local and international acclaim. Closed Sun.-Mon. R
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48 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Smallman St., Strip District. 412-261-7003 or www.contemporarycraft.org. Located at one end of a fresh-produce terminal, this airy gallery is Pittsburgh’s main art spot between Downtown and Lawrenceville. Inventive work in ceramics, metal, fiber and more by national and
international artists highlight the shows here. Closed Sun. U
SPACE. 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-325-7723 or www.spacepittsburgh. org. This concrete-floored space is among the edgier Downtown venues maintained by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Installation work is a favorite here, but works in all media, typically group shows by local artists, make up the provocative offerings. Closed Mon.-Tue. U
MAKING OUR BONES Oakland’s Carnegie Institute houses one of the world’s most important collections of dinosaur fossils … and assembling it required a voraciousness that would make a tyrannosaur blush. Spurred on by steelmaster Andrew Carnegie’s obsession with the fossils, Carnegie bone-gatherers battled unscrupulous rivals — who’d smash fossils they couldn’t collect, so others couldn’t find them — and exploited loopholes to bring fossils to Pittsburgh despite laws in other states barring their export. (In another story of curatorial intrigue, in 1940, Institute then-president Samuel Haden Church publicly offered $1 million to anyone who kidnapped Hitler.)
THE TOONSEUM. 945 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-232-0199 or www. toonseum.org. Proprietor Joe Wos, a cartoonist himself, curates shows in this double-storefront museum of cartoon art, with themes ranging from cereal-box art to manga. There’s also a small but well-curated bookshop, and frequent cartoon-related events like author and artist appearances and film screenings. Closed Tue. U UNBLURRED. 4800-6000 Penn Ave., Bloomfield, Friendship and Garfield. www.pennavenue.org. The first Friday of each month brings a gallery crawl to a 12-block stretch of Penn Avenue that touches on three East End neighborhoods. The Penn Avenue Arts District, as it’s called, is a neighborhood revitalization effort that builds on the area’s part-time storefront galleries and slick professional venues — many of which appear in this list. S
WOOD STREET GALLERIES. 601 Wood St., Downtown. 412-471-5605 or www. woodstreetgalleries.org. Yet another Cultural Trust gallery, this time located above the Wood Street “T” Station. WSG specializes in computer art and other electronic media, done by contemporary national and international artists. Closed Mon.-Tue. U
@rt
WESTMORELAND 30 MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
Sen. John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center {PHOTO BY RENEE ROSENSTEEL}
culture
-LIST EXHIBIT A YOUR GUIDE TO MUST-SEE MUSEUMS AND OTHER CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
ALLEGHENY OBSERVATORY. 159 Riverview Ave., Perry North. 412321-2400 or www.pitt.edu/~aobsvtry. Reservations are required to visit this astronomical research facility inside the city’s Riverview Park. Free tours are available Thursday evenings April through August, and Friday evenings April through October. Q
BAYERNHOF MUSEUM.
CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-3131 or www.carnegiemnh.org. Housed in the same building as the Museum of Art, this facility includes permanent exhibits on earth sciences, Native Americans and ancient Egypt. But the most popular attraction — especially with kids — is its justly esp famed dinosaur exhibit, which f SEE depicts the fossils in realistic PAGE 06 settings. Closed Mondays FOR PHIC between Labor Day and GEOGRA D N KEY A RGH Memorial Day. S BU
225 St. Charles Place, O’Hara Township. 412-782-4231 or www. PITTS P bayernhofmuseum.com. This MA was the home of Charles Brown CARNEGIE SCIENCE III, an eccentric who equipped CENTER. 1 Allegheny Ave., C his domicile with secret passages North Side. 412-237-3400 or and rooms, as well as a landscaped www.carnegiesciencecenter.org. indoor pool. At two hours, tours may Attractions include tours of a WWII test your endurance, but are worth the submarine and hands-on exhibits on effort; highlights include an eclectic weather, biology and physics. The Center’s collection of self-playing instruments. Omnimax Theater features large-format Open for mid-day tours all week, but films, while a model-railroad display is a advance registration required. M nostalgic favorite. Of special note are the
This summer, you will likely notice many changes at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Construction has begun on The Future Westmoreland, an extensive expansion and renovation project that will create new spaces for temporary and permanent collection exhibitions and community programming as well as shopping and special events. To learn more about the many exciting changes taking place at The Westmoreland, visit us at our temporary location, Westmoreland @rt 30 at 1000 Village Drive, Greensburg. This space will feature monthly popup exhibitions in addition to staple pieces from the Museum’s permanent collection as well as a wide range of education programs and an enlarged shop.
Beginning on August 7: @rt 30 will be open Wednesday – Friday noon – 7 pm Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. August 9th, Art on Tap 5.2.7 Our monthly casual happy hour, will be the grand opening of the new space. For more details on upcoming events at The Westmoreland and @rt 30, call (724) 837-1500 or visit us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
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PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 49
EXHIBIT A-LIST, CONTINUED FROM PG. 49
interactive Highmark SportsWorks display and SpacePlace, an astronautthemed exhibit installed last year and featuring life-size re-creations of modules in the International Space Station. Q
CENTER FOR POSTNATURAL HISTORY. 4913 Penn Ave., Garfield. www.postnatural.org. This unique (and surprisingly slick) storefront museum is dedicated to the effects of human tinkering with nature, especially genetically engineered organisms, from corn to salmon. Curator Richard Pell is a Carnegie Mellon art instructor with an abiding interest in the biological sciences; the hours are largely limited to Sunday afternoons (and by appointment), but there isn’t much else like it. S
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH. 10 Children’s Way, North Side. 412-322-5058 or www. pittsburghkids.org. This family destination specializes in hands-on exhibits that young kids can climb on, into or otherwise play with. Permanent attractions include an art studio, a replica machine shop and a newly refurbished “Waterplay” exhibit. Open daily. Q
FALLINGWATER. Rt. 381, Ohiopyle. 724-329-8501 or www.fallingwater.org. Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s worldrenowned house, built for the Kaufmann family. Closed Wednesdays, and in January and February, with limited hours in March and December. Call ahead for tour reservations. N
FORT PITT MUSEUM. 101 Commonwealth Place, Point State Park,
Downtown. 412-281-9284 or www. heinzhistorycenter.org. Operated by the Heinz History Center, this museum documents the history of the city’s famous “Point” and its role in the French and Indian War — all told through interactive displays and historic artifacts. The adjoining Fort Pitt blockhouse is the city’s oldest remaining structure. Open daily. U
FRICK ART & HISTORICAL CENTER. 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. 412-371-0600 or www.thefrickpittsburgh. org. Formerly the home of steel baron Henry Clay Frick. Visitors can tour the Frick mansion and grounds — tour guides are knowledgeable, if highly sympathetic to the controversial Frick. (Reservations recommended.) There is also free admission to a car and carriage museum, and a small-but-serious art gallery. Closed Mondays. S
KENTUCK KNOB. 723 Kentuck Road, Chalk Hill. 724-329-1901 or www. kentuckknob.com. The other Frank Lloyd Wright house, a “deluxe Usonian” seven miles from Fallingwater. Call ahead for tour reservations. N
MEADOWCROFT MUSEUM OF RURAL LIFE. 401 Meadowcroft Road, Avella. 724-587-3412 or www.heinzhistorycenter.org. This museum provides a look at the region’s early inhabitants, from pre-Columbian times to the 19th century. Its Meadowcroft Rockshelter is a still-functioning archaeological dig — said to be North America’s longest continual site of human habitation. Open Wednesday through Sunday between Memorial Day and
Labor Day, weekends only in May and September-October. N
NATIONAL AVIARY. Allegheny Commons West, North Side. 412-323-7235 or www.aviary.org. This facility is home to birds from around the world, from raptors to jungle-dwellers, with permanent exhibits and theatrical presentations. A favorite is “Penguin Point,” a 2,300-square-foot space that allows visitors to see penguins “fly” underwater. Other attractions include “Condor Court,” an interactive play space for kids. Open daily. Q
CULTURAL AMBASSADORS Everyone knows Mr. Rogers is from Pittsburgh, along with Michael Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, and special-effects wizard Tom Savini. But amaze your friends with these Pittsburgh cultural connections! ✦ Famed modern dancer Martha Graham was born on the North Side, as was impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. ✦ Famous atheist Madelyn Murray O’Hair grew up in Beechview, that noted den of godlessness. On the other hand, the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Charles Taze Russell, began ministering to flocks on the North Side. ✦ Lawrenceville’s Frank Gorshin played the The Riddler in the campy Batman TV series, while native son Lyle Talbot starred in two notorious Ed Wood vehicles: Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda.
NATIONALITY ROOMS. University of
Henry is looking for a loving family. He is sweet-natured, energetic and gets along with kids. (That’s Henry on the right.)
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Pittsburgh, Oakland. 412-624-6000 or www. pitt.edu/~natrooms. Scattered around the lower floors of Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning, these 27 rooms are decorated in various ethnic motifs, helping to tell the story of Pittsburgh’s immigrant past and present. Tours available daily. S
PHIPPS CONSERVATORY & BOTANICAL GARDEN. 1 Schenley Park, Oakland. 412-622-6914 or www. phipps.conservatory.org. This 14-room greenhouse — much of it built in the Victorian style — features exotic plants from around the world in themed rooms, with seasonal flower shows and other events. Long a champion of sustainability, Phipps’ Center for Sustainable Landscapes is a model of green building. Open daily. S
PHOTO ANTIQUITIES. 531 E. Ohio St., 50 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
North Side. 412-231-7881 or www. photoantiquities.org. This diminutive museum of early photography features a rotating display of Daguerreotypes, cameras and other artifacts. Civil War photos and archival images of Pittsburgh’s past are especially well represented. By appointment only. Q
PITTSBURGH ZOO & PPG AQUARIUM. One Wild Place, Highland Park. 412-665-3640 or www.pittsburghzoo. org. The zoo is home to 4,000 animals, including many endangered species. The habitats are naturalistic, and a highlight is a polar bear exhibit that allows visitors to see the bears underwater from a transparent tunnel. Open daily. S
RIVERS OF STEEL. 621-623 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. 412-464-4020 or www.riversofsteel.com. Rivers of Steel preserves the legacy of Pittsburgh’s best-known industry. On Saturdays from May through October, and on Fridays from June through August, it offers guided tours of the nearby Carrie blast furnaces (self-guided tours are available intermittently); reservations strongly suggested. Rivers of Steel is based in the Bost Building, the union headquarters during the famed 1892 Homestead Steel Strike, which also features exhibits on Mon Valley life. Open weekdays. O SEN. JOHN HEINZ PITTSBURGH REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER. 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-454-6000 or www.heinzhistory center.org. The History Center blends industrial history — somewhat boosterish exhibits tout Heinz ketchup and Pittsburgh’s once-great glass industry — with pop culture, French and Indian War memorabilia, and the recently opened African-American history exhibit From Slavery to Freedom. An adjoining sports museum helps feed Pittsburgh’s sports addiction, while documenting local community sports and lesser-known athletes as well. Open daily. U
ST. ANTHONY’S CHAPEL. 1700 Harpster St., Troy Hill. 412-231-2994, ext. 7 or www.saintanthonyschapel.org. This often-overlooked gem features 5,000 relics of Catholic saints, including complete skulls. A nearby gift shop/ museum features the thrown-away crutches of those said to have been healed here. Open 1-4 p.m. Tue., Thu., Sat. and Sun. Q ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH. 24 Maryland Ave., Millvale. 412-821-3438 or www.stnicholascroatian.com. This Croatian Catholic church is best known for the Depression-era murals painted by Maxo Vanka. These searing paintings — showing angels in gas masks, Christ being pierced by the bayonet of a modern soldier and the martyrdom of coal miners — are treated in a Mexican muralist style, expressing both faith and anger. M TRUNDLE MANOR. 7724 Juniata St., Swissvale. 412-916-5544 or www.trundlemanor.com. Trundle Manor is a self-conscious, and self-styled, offbeat shrine to roadside culture with a steampunk bent. On display are taxidermied animals, uncomfortablelooking medical devices and other oddball collectibles, including monthly art exhibits. Reservations required. O
{PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
Local
hops Vanessa German in her neighborhood, Homewood, with one of her sculptures.
history maker
HOMING IN:
VANESSA GERMAN e often imagine artists working in creative solitude. But that’s not always the way for Vanessa German. German — who’s as well known for her impassioned spoken-word performances as for her sculptures — believes art should do more than amuse gallery-goers. So when neighborhood kids started hanging around her front yard, which she was using as an open-air studio, she scrounged up art supplies for them. Then she got permission to use a neighboring abandoned house, and raised funds for more art supplies … and snacks. These days, after school, up to 20 kids of all ages (and even some adults) from Homewood, a poor African-American community, keep busy there with paints and paintbrushes. “It’s really become part of the fabric of the neighborhood,” says German. The Art House got so popular that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust built a big wooden shed so German could host a version of it Downtown, during this year’s Three Rivers Arts Festival. (The Homewood kids, German adds, said, “Yes, our art’s gonna be DOWNTOWN!”) German, 37, grew up mostly in Los Angeles and has lived in Pittsburgh since 2000. Her performances have included full-length solo works like 2010’s powerful “spoken-word opera” Root, and she’s even performed at a TEDx gathering. German’s distinctive, richly detailed sculptures incorporating found objects are inspired by both Central African “power figures” and iconic American tar-baby imagery — transforming once-stereotypical icons so that they foster viewers’ sense of self-worth. In 2012, she was named Pittsburgh Center for the Arts’ Emerging Artist of the Year; this fall, New York City’s Pavel Zoubok Gallery is hosting a solo exhibition of her work. Yet German is also known locally for her simple, anti-violence yard signs reading, “Stop Shooting — We Love You,” which adorn homes across the city, especially in her adopted neighborhood of Homewood. “The art that I make is made to do things,” she says. “It’s meant to be interacted with, so that the power that is in it can be moved.”
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Arcade Comedy Theater {PHOTO BY HEATHER MULL}
culture
CURTAIN CALL A GUIDE TO THEATER COMPANIES,
INDEPENDENT MOVIE-HOUSES AND LIVE-PERFORMANCE TROUPES IN TOWN
AMISH MONKEYS. Gemini Theater, 7501 Penn Ave., Point Breeze. 412-243-5201 or www.amishmonkeys.com. Long-running improv sketch-comedy troupe, performing monthly and at special events. S
Proceeds benefit homeless pets!
52 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
AUGUST WILSON CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE.
980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-258-2700 or www.augustwilsoncenter.org. Though named for the Pittsburgh-born Pulitzerwinning Fences playwright, the Center THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM. hosts more than plays. Despite its ongoing 117 Sandusky St., North Side. 412-237-8300 financial troubles, it presents everything or www.warhol.org. In addition to its from internationally known dance permanent exhibits, the museum screens companies — as well as its own dance Warhol’s pioneering films and videos daily company — and spoken-word artists. in its small auditorium, plus special al It also a houses a permanent showings of cult films, rarities, exhibit on African-American e contemporary avant-garde SEE life in Pittsburgh. U 6 0 work and art films, and PAGE FOR presents installments of its PHIC BAREBONES EOGRAN G cutting-edge Off the Wall KEY A RDGH PRODUCTIONS. www. U performance series. Q PITTSB P barebonesproductions.com. MA Adventuresome and highly ARCADE COMEDY regarded theater company whose re THEATER. 811 Liberty Ave., name says it all: edgy, stripped-down Downtown. 412-339-0608 or www. dramas, lately in residence at the venerable arcadecomedytheater.com. This brand-new New Hazlett Theater. storefront theater specializes by not specializing in any particular comedic BODIOGRAPHY CONTEMPORARY genre: standup, sketch, long- and shortBALLET. 412-521-6094 or www. form improv, comic magicians, touring or bodiographycbc.com. Established local — all are welcome, even live reads of modern-dance company performing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. U original and repertory works, often staged at the Byham Theater Downtown. ATTACK THEATRE. 412-281-3305 or www.attacktheatre.com. This dance BRICOLAGE. 937 Liberty Ave., troupe is known for multidisciplinary Downtown. 412-471-0999 or www. works incorporating original live music bricolagepgh.org. A resourceful company and collaborations with other local arts known for new and original work. Its organizations, in both conventional Midnight Radio series offers original theaters and borrowed spaces. S
and classic “radio” dramas, performed live and complete with sound effects produced live. U
performers in this weekly night of improv-comedy games, though the series goes on hiatus during the summer. S
CINEMA IN THE PARK. 412-422-6426 or www.citiparks.net. During the summer, free family-friendly movies are screened outdoors at several city parks.
GEMINI THEATER. 7501 Penn Ave., Point Breeze. 412-243-5201 or www. geminitheater.org. Community-based children’s theater company. S
CITY THEATRE. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. 412-431-2489 or www. citytheatrecompany.org. City stages contemporary work, including regular world premieres by talents like Adam Rapp and Jeffrey Hatcher, in a converted church. Smaller shows run in an adjoining black-box space. R
HOLLYWOOD THEATER. 1449 Potomac Ave., Dormont. 412-563-0368 or www.thehollywooddormont.org. This rehabbed (and spacious) single-screen theater runs extensive programming Wednesday through Sunday: classics, cult films, new independents and kiddie flicks. N
THE COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH.
KNOTDANCE. www.knotdance.com.
Carnegie, Pa. 347-229-2061 or www. facebook.com/TheCompanyOfPittsburgh. An upstart stage troupe with a mission to make musicals more intimate, its latest production is that Broadway classic Man of La Mancha, arranged for “an orchestra of acoustic guitars.” P
CONSERVATORY DANCE COMPANY. Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. 412-392-8000 or www.pittsburghplayhouse.com. Via Point Park University’s nationally recognized dance program, student dancers move to classics and newer work in modern, contemporary and more. S
2013-14 Children‛s Theater
Maddy Landi’s edgy “people-empowered movement” troupe, a favorite at big multi-genre events, is the only local company to regularly feature aerial work in its sets.
MANOR THEATRE. 1729 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. 412-422-7729 or www. cinemagic.com. This local institution is a newly renovated neighborhood movie house, with bar/café and digital projection. It’s a four-screen neighborhood movie theater showing first-run, foreign and independent fare. S
CONSERVATORY THEATRE COMPANY. Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. 412-392-8000 or www.pittsburghplayhouse.com. The student company of Point Park University, with its noted performing-arts program, stages professional-level productions of classics, contemporary work and the occasional world premiere. S
CORNINGWORKS. www.corningworks. org. Formerly of Dance Alloy Theater, artistic director Beth Corning has established her own multidisciplinary contemporary dance-theater company, whose productions marry high concept with frequent humor, typically at the New Hazlett. Q DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TAMBURITZANS. Duquesne University, Uptown. 412-396-5185 or www.duq.edu/ tamburitzans. Traditional Eastern European ethnic dance and music, in full costume, is the stock in trade of this venerable touring troupe.
EVOLVE PRODUCTIONS. 412860-1628 or evolveproductions.blogspot. com. As its name suggests, Evolve combines education with contemporary dance performance, offering student productions by “pre-professionals” alongside work by Continuum Dance Theater, its professional company. FILM KITCHEN. 412-681-5449 x231. A long-running monthly series for local and independent film and video, this event is held on the second Tuesday of each month at Pittsburgh’s Filmmakers’ Melwood Screening Room (see below). Each event typically features short works by two or more artists. S
FRIDAY NITE IMPROVS. Studio Theater, Cathedral of Learning, Oakland. www.fnipgh.com. The audience both generates the ideas and supplies some
WRITTEN UP Pittsburgh has been home to many famed authors — though the first thing many of them wrote was a ticket out of here. August Wilson spent much of his life in St. Paul and Seattle, though Pittsburgh remained a focus of his work. Other writers with Pittsburgh ties include historian David McCullough, Annie Dillard, Stewart O’Nan, John Edgar Wideman, expatriate modernist Gertrude Stein and poets WD Snodgrass and Robinson Jeffers. And, yes, PulitzerPrize winner Michael Chabon … though he never calls anymore.
MICROSCOPIC OPERA COMPANY. www.microscopicopera.org. This company focuses on short, fully staged contemporary chamber opera works by modern talents like Jake Heggie.
NO NAME PLAYERS. www.noname players.org. The theater troupe run by actors Don DiGuilio and Tressa Glover stages challenging contemporary work; this summer they’re Pittsburgh-premiering the rock musical Viva Los Bastarditos. P
OAKS THEATER. 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. 412-828-6311 or www. theoakstheater.com. A 1950s-era singlescreen neighborhood theater, with lots of charm; shows first-run films, plus the cult-film series Moonlit Matinees on weekends during the summer. O CONTINUES ON PG. 54
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 53
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25 W. Main St., Carnegie, Pa. 888-718-1253 or www.insideoffthewall.com. Small but well-regarded troupe focuses on contemporary plays like last season’s Gruesome Playground Injuries, by Rajiv Joseph, an edgy and offbeat romance. P
OPERA THEATER OF PITTSBURGH. 412-326-9687 or www. otsummerfest.org. Pittsburgh’s modern music-drama company (distinct from the Pittsburgh Opera) mixes fresh retellings of established work by Mozart and others with specially commissioned work. The group’s new, summer-only festival-style season was a hit last year, its first. The 2013 program will be staged at Oakland’s Twentieth Century Club. S
Sampsonia Way, North Side. 412-321-2190 or www.cityofasylum pittsburgh.org. This group, founded to shelter writers persecuted in their home countries, regularly presents readings by acclaimed international poets and authors. Most are free, as is September’s annual Jazz Poetry event, which combines the two disciplines in an outdoor spectacle. Q
PILLOW PROJECT. 214 Lexington St., Point Breeze. 412-225-9269 or www. pillowproject.org. Performer and choreographer Pearlann Porter combines dance, visual art and music in innovative ways. The more informal but still multimedia Second Saturdays series is staged in a renovated lounge-style space above a used-constructionsupplies outlet. S
HEMINGWAY’S SUMMER POETRY SERIES. Tuesday nights
PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATER.
at 8 p.m. from May through July, the long-running series offers an array of Pittsburgh’s best poets in a fitting location — the rear of Hemingway’s 3911 Forbes Ave. hangout, in Oakland. Admission is free. S
LITERARY EVENINGS. Carnegie
Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-8866 or www.pittsbugh lectures.org. This series’ upcoming season includes big names like Michael Moss, George Saunders and Ann Patchett. Presenter Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures also runs Black, White & Read All Over, a popular series for children’s and young-adult authors. S
PITTSBURGH CONTEMPORARY WRITERS SERIES. Frick Fine
Arts Building, Oakland. 412-624-6508 or www.pghwritersseries.wordpress. com. Nationally known poets and writers of fiction and nonfiction alike are showcased at this free University of Pittsburgh series, active spring and fall. S
THE NEW YINZER PRESENTS.
www.tnypresents.blogspot.com. This once-upstart online literary mag is now virtually an institution itself. Its monthly series at Garfield’s ModernFormations Gallery features local poetry and fiction talents, plus some visiting writers. Admission is free if you contribute to the pot-luck meal. S
STEEL CITY POETRY SLAM.
www.pghpoetry.org. Pittsburgh’s nationally competitive slam community gathers at Lawrenceville’s 720 Music Café each month, with competitors facing off for a panel of judges. S
WRITERS LIVE. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. 412-622-3114 or www. clpgh.org. Well-known local writers join emerging and established talent at this intimate series held at the Carnegie Library, co-sponsored by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. S 54 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
OFF THE WALL THEATER.
Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-281-0360 or www.pbt. org. Venerable company stages the classics alongside contemporary and even worldpremiere work, and brings out the crowds — especially with its signature holidayseason production of The Nutcracker. U
PITTSBURGH CIVIC LIGHT OPERA. Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-456-6666 or www. pittsburghclo.org. Touring productions emphasize classics like the upcoming Annie, performed at the grand old Benedum Center. CLO Cabaret offers shows year-round in a more intimate setting. U
PITTSBURGH DANCE COUNCIL. Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown. 412-456-6666 or www.trustarts.org/dance. An arm of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Dance Council is the city’s premier presenter of touring dance companies, most of international renown. Recent highlights have included New Zealand’s Black Grace and New York-based Mark Morris Dance Group. U
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST. 412-456-6666 or www.trustarts.org. In the 1980s, this nonprofit spearheaded the remake of Downtown’s Liberty-Penn corridor as a performing-arts destination. Its real-estate holdings include numerous arts venues. Working through groups like the Pittsburgh Dance Council, it also stages performances ranging from acrobatic troupes to nationally known comedians. Its periodic international showcases included the upcoming Festival of Firsts, featuring U.S.- and world-premiere performances and exhibits. U
PITTSBURGH FILMMAKERS. 412681-5449 or pfm.pittsburgharts.org. Begun in the ’70s as an artists’ co-op, Filmmakers has grown into not only a resource for local artists but also an accredited film school as well as the region’s main outlet for foreign-language and arthouse cinema. Its annual Three Rivers Arts Festival is held at its Melwood Screening Room (477 Melwood Ave., Oakland) as well as two
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Staging Comebacks East Liberty’s Regent Theater opened in 1914 as a movie house. Today, it’s the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, a live-performance space named after actor/dancer Gene Kelly and jazz great Billy Strayhorn, both Pittsburgh natives. The Regent continues a long city tradition of converting movie palaces to upscale culture — a tradition that includes Downtown’s Heinz Hall (formerly the Loews Penn Theater) and the Benedum Center (formerly the Stanley Theater).
other venues with their own year-round film schedules: Downtown’s Harris Theater (809 Liberty Ave.) and Edgewood’s Regent Square Theater (1035 S. Braddock Ave.). Call 412-682-4111 for showtimes. US
PITTSBURGH IMPROV. The Waterfront, West Homestead. 412-4625233 or pittsburgh.improv.com. This venue, located in a riverfront shopping district, is part of the national network of Improv comedy outlets. The Improv is best known for hosting touring, often nationally known comics like Tommy Davidson and Iliza Shlesinger for multi-day gigs, but also provides a showcase for locals. O
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S THEATER. 182 Allegheny Center Mall, North Side. www.pghkids.org. The group hosts touring productions of popular stage shows and programs, and a slate of international troupes for its annual festival, held in May. Q
PITTSBURGH IRISH & CLASSICAL THEATRE. 412-561-6000 or www. picttheatre.org. PICT consistently offers well-produced and challenging work from Shakespeare to Stoppard — not all
of it strictly Irish, or classical. One recent season included a festival of plays by Harold Pinter. S
e e k e e h h a k h a l h a h
PITTSBURGH MUSICAL THEATER. 412-539-0900 or www.pittsburghmusicals. com. Broadway fare like Jesus Christ Superstar is the métier of this group, which includes both a professional and a student company. Most shows are staged at the Byham. U
PITTSBURGH OPERA. Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. 412-281-0912 or www.pittsburghopera.org. As befits one of the nation’s oldest opera companies, the focus is on the classics, but with contemporary work regularly mixed in. U
PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER. O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. 412-316-1600 or www.ppt.org. Pittsburgh’s most established professional theater company is housed in the O’Reilly Theater. Artistic director Ted Pappas has a fondness for staging ancient Greek classics, but the Public focuses on contemporary work and American classics — the season always seems to include a Pulitzer-winner or two. U
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Do you have a medical condition that is not listed? Give us a call. Our studies change regularly and we may have a study thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for you. Please call 412-363-1900 for more information. 56 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
POP-ULIST HERO? Nowadays, Andy Warhol is Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite son, but he was less enthusiastic about calling it home. Though he grew up in Oakland, Warhol professed to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;come from nowhereâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or, worse, from McKeesport. A tough childhood was a factor: Kids called him â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spotâ&#x20AC;? because of a lack of skin pigmentation. But Warholâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production-line approach to art always connected him to the Steel City, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buried in a Byzantine Catholic cemetery in the southern suburb of Bethel Park. Cans of Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soup are routinely left beside his grave.
PRIME STAGE THEATER. New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, North Side. 724-773-0700 or www.primestage. com. Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top theater company targeting a young-adult audience specializes in professionally produced stage adaptations of literary works, from contemporary fare to classics like The Great Gatsby. Q
QUANTUM THEATRE. 412-362-1713 or www.quantumtheatre.com. Under founder and artistic director Karla Boos, Quantum has made a career of staging adventuresome work in nontraditional spaces, from empty warehouses to the inside of an old public pool. The repertory includes re-imagined classics, avant-garde originals and world premieres.
RAGE OF THE STAGE PLAYERS. 724-292-8427 or www.facebook.com/ rageofthestage. Fairy tales, gothic literature and various nightmares are the source material for this grassroots troupe specializing in the macabre.
RED MASQUERS. Duquesne University, Uptown.redmasquers.blogspot.com. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest amateur theater company, based at Duquesne, stages a mix of classics and originals. U THE REP. Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. 412-392-8000 or www. pittsburghplayhouse.com. The professional theater company of Point Park University stages a well-produced blend of new and classic work â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like a recent knock-out August: Osage County â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and regular world premieres. S
SOUTH PARK THEATRE. Corrigan Drive at Brownsville Road, Bethel Park. 412-831-8552 or www.southparktheatre. com. This community-based company does everything from light musicals to Proof. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is staged via the South Park Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre. N
STAYCEE PEARL DANCE PROJECT. www.staycee.com. This contemporary dance company continues to blend movement, lighting and sound design in inventive ways, as in the recent â&#x20AC;Ś on beingâ&#x20AC;Ś, an exploration of racial identity. S
STAGE 62. Andrew Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie. 412-429-6262 or www. stage62.com. This community nonprofit theater group has lately focused on musicals, from crowd-pleasers like The Producers to original work. P STEEL CITY IMPROV THEATER. 5950 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. 412-404-
2695 or www.steelcityimprov.com. Three nights a week, Pittsburgh’s only venue specializing in improv comedy hosts a variety of troupes devoted to turning the barest of suggestions into laughs, including troupes that improvise entire stage musicals. Q
and dance are what this company, a favorite at local festivals, is best known for — along with an annual summer arts & crafts-and-performance weekend.
UNDERCROFT OPERA. 412-4227919 or www.undercroftopera.org. This small outfit uses volunteer singers and musicians, but its productions are critically lauded. Its summer 2013 offering is Bizet’s classic Carmen.
THE SUMMER COMPANY. Uptown. www.thesummercompany.com. New and contemporary works season a diet of the classics (O’Neill, Shaw, Shakespeare) for this Duquesne University-based seasonal outlet for local theater pros. U
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH REPERTORY THEATRE. Stephen Foster Memorial, Oakland. 412-624-PLAY or www.play.pitt.edu. The professional company run by Pitt’s respected drama department, cast with both students and pros, stages an imaginative mix of classic works and contemporary plays. S
TERRA NOVA THEATRE. www. terranovatheatregroup.org. The company mixes well-regarded contemporary works like Lettice & Lovage with plays by local playwrights, and boosts the local scene with a reading series for unproduced plays.
UNSEAM’D SHAKESPEARE CO.
TEXTURE CONTEMPORARY BALLET. 412-552-3114 or www.texture ballet.org. Former Pittsburgh Ballet Theater principal dancer and soloist Alan Obuzor founded this company in 2011 to join classical ballet standards to a more diverse and contemporary range of work. Obuzor remains the resident choreographer of the troupe, a busy presence on the local scene.
Oakland. 412-621-0244 or www. unseamd.com. In its 20th year under founder and artistic director Laura Smiley, the troupe continues to specialize in adventurous reworkings of the Bard, including this season’s The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island — a contemporary adaption of a Restoration-era retelling of Shakespeare’s classic. S
THROUGHLINE THEATRE CO.
WÜNDERSTUDIES. www.
www.throughlinetheatre.org. This grassroots company stages a mix of classics like this season’s Oedipus Rex and contemporary fare like Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention. S
wunderstudies.com. There’s a mini-trend in town for improvised musicals — full-length musical-theater productions made up on the spot based on audience suggestions, complete with plot, characters and live musical accompaniment. Wünderstudies is the best-known practitioner to date, mostly thanks to regular gigs at Steel City Improv Theater.
UMOJA AFRICAN ARTS COMPANY. 412-290-0894 or www. umojacompany.org. Traditional drumming
Campbell ’s
R.S.V.P. 412-788-9960 • 412-788-4592 7750 Steubenville Pike, Oakdale PA 15071
•
www.fortpittmotel.com
12 Miles West Of PGH, 7 Miles From Airport PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 57
{CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH}
culture
TIME OUT RELIVE SPORTS GLORIES, BIG AND SMALL, AT STRIP DISTRICT MUSEUM
As you enter the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center, you’re greeted by a statue of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris making the Immaculate Reception. That 1972 playoff catch may be the most famous football play ever. But just over WESTERN Franco’s right PENNSYLVANIA shoulder is a SPORTS more important, MUSEUM if lesser-known, 1212 Smallman story: a display St., Strip District. celebrating the 412-454-6000 life of 18-yearor www.heinz historycenter.org old John Challis of Freedom, Pa. Challis died following a two-year battle with liver cancer in August 2008 — months after the frail pinch-hitter recorded his first hit in a high school baseball game and inspired the country with his refusal to give up. And for many Pittsburghers, such moments of inspiration are the whole point, says Anne Madarasz, who directs the Strip District sports museum. “Sports is very much a part of this region’s identity,” she says. “In a lot of ways, it’s how we tell the story of who we are. “We began as a strong, industrial city, and today we very much identify through education, health care and technology. But there were a lot of hard times in the middle, after the mills closed down, when we began to struggle for an identity. That’s when we became the City of Champions. It was something we could point to and be proud of.” In this museum, you’ll have no trouble finding reasons for pride. An entire section of the museum’s bottom floor is dedicated to professional baseball in the city, ranging from its storied Negro League franchises — the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords — to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The museum features a two-story mural depicting the Pirates’ still-lamented home at Forbes Field, as well as memorabilia and artifacts from the team’s World Series wins. There’s also an interactive display featuring radio calls from the team’s greatest broadcasters, including Bob Prince and Nellie King to Lanny Frattare. Just up the steps is an exhibit dedicated to one of Western Pennsylvania’s great loves: high school football. There are helmets depicting the area’s great rivalries, letterman jackets from area coaches and athletes like Steelers owner Art Rooney II, and even the semi-final Punt, Pass and Kick trophy won by former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (who grew up in Clarion County). There’s also a 58 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Head to Head This 1930 photo, taken in Oakland’s since-demolished Pitt Stadium, shows what “smash-mouth football” really looks like.
map that shows the numerous other local high school quarterbacks who moved on to the NFL, among them Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino. In the center of the museum’s second floor is the exhibit most visitors are looking for: the display honoring
the Pittsburgh Steelers and their six Super Bowl wins. Nearby is an exhibit about the team’s legendary founder, Art Rooney, a top-notch athlete in his own right who excelled in everything from boxing to football. Other Steelers memorabilia includes a size-19 shoe
worn by former Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks. The display also contains little-known facts from the team’s history. (Despite conspicuously not having cheerleaders today, for example, the Steelers were the first team to deploy them, during the early 1960s.) Madarasz says plans are under way to redo several sections of the museum, including the Pittsburgh Penguins area as well as space dedicated to boxing legends like Billy Conn and wrestling icons like Bruno Sammartino and Kurt Angle. And there are many other displays that delve into littleknown corners of the region’s sports history: track and field, power-boat racing, harness racing and golf. But many times, the most gripping displays feature memorabilia from athletes that you’ve never heard of. Will Cross of Highland Park has suffered with Type 1 diabetes for more than three decades, but in 2006, he became the first person living with the condition to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 2011, the Valley softball squad from New Kensington was 22-0 and embroiled in the extra innings of a playoff game. With a runner on third base, a controversial, but correct, call by an umpire against Valley’s catcher allowed the runner to advance one base, scoring the winning run on a technicality. Valley High’s season was over, but a few weeks later the team invited the umpire to speak at the school’s spring banquet, where he explained his decision. The umpire and the players were honored with a national sportsmanship award. “The major sports are a huge part of this city’s sports legacy, and they’re a big part of this museum,” says Madarasz. “But what I really like are the stories of people like John Challis, Will Cross or the Valley High School softball team. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things are what make our sports history so compelling.”
B Y C H AR L IE DE IT C H / C D E I T C H @ P G H C I T Y PA P E R .C O M
WHO NEEDS TWO? PITTSBURGH HAS A HOST OF SPORTS TEAMS MAKING HISTORY ON A NIGHTLY BASIS. IF YOU CAN’T FIND SOMETHING TO WATCH — OR DO — IN THIS TOWN, YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT LOOKING VERY HARD.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES. PNC Park, 115 Federal St., North Side, www.pittsburghpirates.com. As this publication went to press, the Pirates were on the right side of the .500 mark. Staying there has proven to be a challenge in recent years. PITTSBURGH STEELERS. Heinz Field, 100 Art Rooney Ave., North Side, www.steelers.com. The Steelers failed to make the playoffs in 2012, but a new year always brings the hope of a seventh Super Bowl win. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. Consol Energy Center, 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown, www.pittsburghpenguins.com. The Pens recently suffered an epic post-season collapse and will be ready for redemption. PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS. Highmark Stadium, 510 Station Square Drive, South Side, www.riverhounds.com. The city’s professional soccer team now has a premier stadium to play in; the season runs April to August. The city has two women’s professional football clubs competing in the same league from April to June: the PITTSBURGH PASSION (Highmark Stadium, 510 Station Square Drive, South Side, www.pittsburghpassion.com); and the PITTSBURGH (William Campbell Athletic Field, 2600 West Run Road, Munhall, www.pittsburghforce.net).
FORCE
PITTSBURGH POWER. Consol Energy Center, 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown, www.pittsburghpowerfootball.com: The city’s arena-league football team is co-owned by Steelers great Lynn Swann; the season runs March to July. And if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, check out: PITTSBURGH SPORTS LEAGUE (www.pump.org/psl) for a full array of recreational sports from dodgeball to Dek hockey; BIKE PITTSBURGH (www.bike-pgh.org) for a list of cycling routes and events; and VENTURE OUTDOORS (www.ventureoutdoors.org) for outdoor excursions from kayaking to rock-climbing.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 59
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Get Out of
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You don’t need to buy a plane ticket to escape from the city. Gather your family or friends together and visit any of these drivable destinations. Flip the pages to find your next vacation spot with this advertiser-sponsored section. Get out of town and experience something new!
American Mountain Theater 800-943-3670 www.americanmountaintheater.com You’ll find one of the top West Virginia attractions at the American Mountain Theater in Elkins, West Virginia’s historic Rail Yard. Our live music shows are guaranteed to entertain guests of all ages and are entirely family-friendly. Our various performances include our two regular season music & comedy variety shows, our spectacular Christmas concerts, and our special Southern Gospel and Bluegrass concert series.
So, if you’re looking for things to do in West Virginia, look no further! We can even help you plan your West Virginia vacation. Our friendly staff of vacation packaging specialists have a number of itineraries ready to choose from, or they can help you customize your perfect WV trip. Pair AMT’s “Freshest Sound in the Mountains” with a scenic train ride, lodging, and unique dining experiences to create your perfect mountain getaway.
at 800-943-3670.
Tickets for all performances and vacation package information are available on the website, www.americanmountaintheater. com, or by calling the box office
Enjoy a glass of wine at our lakefront wineries: The Old Firehouse Winery with live entertainment seven days a week and The Lakehouse Inn Winery while watching
Ashtabula County 800-3-DROP-IN VisitAshtabulaCounty.com Welcome to Ashtabula County … Our Lake Awaits! With thirty miles of Lake Erie shoreline and eighteen picturesque covered bridges, we have a lot to offer on your next vacation.
a spectacular Lake Erie sunset. Take a stroll through Ohio’s first Summer Resort, Geneva-on-theLake. Enjoy one of three public parks or the 18-hole public golf course, marina and the infamous mile-long entertainment strip. Take a spin on a go-cart, climb The Wall, ride a bumper boat or merry-goround at the premier family entertainment center, Adventure Zone. Mark your calendars for Vintage Ohio Wine Festival Aug. 2 & 3, Celtic Feis at Old Firehouse Winery Aug. 24 & 25, Conneaut’s RibFest September 13-15 & The Lakehouse Inn’s Clambake September 13.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 61
September 27 , 28 , 29 Over 150 Exhibitors in 3 Parks! Wine Tasting x Grape Stomping x Free Shuttle Buses x Wine Country Harvest Brunch x Bed Races x Fine Arts Show x 5K Run x Living History Encampment x Family & Children’s Activities x
Featuring Special Guest, Punxsutawney Phil and members of the Inner Circle
24 boutique wineries between Harborcreek, PA & Silver Creek, NY on the shore of Lake Erie
NORTH EAST, PA
New for 2013: North East’s Got Talent! Competition
Relax, Rewind, Refresh
Over 20 Bands, Including: The Stellanovas
Enjoy award-winning wines as you explore the largest grape-growing region east of the Rockies!
Small Town Revolution
Wine tasting, tours, gift shops, exciting festivals & special events all summer long!
Michigan’s premier Café’ Jazz Trio Country Rock
Rick Magee & he Roadhouse Rockers Hard Rockin’ Blues
The FlipSide Band
Nov. 1-3 & 8-10
The Porcelain Bus Drivers
HARVEST WINE WEEKENDS
Classic & Contemporary Folk Rock Cleveland’s Favorite Classic Rock Party Band
Tickets limited Order online today
See a full events schedule on our website.
Visit our website for complete event details www.nechamber.org 62 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
Facebook.com/LakeErieWineCountry
www.lakeeriewinecountry.org 1-877-326-6561
WV MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES! Adventure Packages start at just $124 pp/double occupancy! Available package activities include: canoeing, horseback riding, scenic chairlift rides, whitewater rafting, live theater performances, rock climbing, zip line tours, and much more!
SUMMER EVENTS: July 13: Mid-Summer Walk Between the Parks July 27: Smokin’ in the Valley Chili Cook-off Aug 9-10: Brew Skies Music Festival Aug 30-Sept 1: Labor Day Weekend
Visit us online for more details!
Celebration
800.622.4121 • CanaanResort.com
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 63
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Get out of town and experience something new! Escape to WineFest 2013 in historic North East, Pennsylvania, just 2 ½ hours from Pittsburgh on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie.
North East, PA 814-725-4262 www.nechamber.org Don’t miss North East’s 32nd Annual Wine Country Harvest Festival, September 27th-29th. Festival events include weekendlong wine tasting with 10 regional wineries, free winery tours, live music, grape stomping, bed races, 5K run, car show, fine arts show, and free shuttle buses between parks. WineFest hosts a myriad of food offerings and exhibitors, handcrafts by regional artisans, and the new North East’s Got Talent! Competition with cash prizes and fun for all.
Visit www.nechamber.org for a complete schedule.
Lake Erie Wine Country 877-326-6561 www.lakeeriewinecountry.org Relax, Refresh, Unwind... Experience Lake Erie Wine Country located on the southern shore of beautiful Lake Erie in both Pennsylvania and New York. Here you’ll step back in time as you explore the wineries, villages and beaches that are nestled among green rolling hills in the midst of 30,000 contiguous acres of
luscious, fragrant grape vineyards. Along the way you’ll enjoy visiting at any or all of our 24 wineries to sip, swirl and savor the true taste of our region. Wineries are open year-round, seven days a week. Go to www.lakeeriewinecountry.org for more information.
Mercer County Tourism 724-346-3771 www.VisitMercerCountyPA.com Mercer County PA is located one hour north of Pittsburgh at the crossroads of I-79 and I-80. It is the perfect location for an afternoon getaway, extended weekend excursion or a full-scale vacation. We have something for everyone! Known as a “shopper’s destination,” the county boasts three of the world’s largest stores: Grove City Premium Outlets, and many specialty shops. From skydiving to canoeing, Mercer County offers outdoor recreational activities for all to enjoy. Experience the 12 ½ mile hiking and biking trail at Maurice K. Goddard State Park. Paddle down the Shenango River in a canoe or kayak; tube, jet or water ski on Shenango River Lake where unlimited horse power boats are welcome. Challenge yourself at our many golf courses – greens fees are low and quality of play is high. The area has great dining options and a wide variety of affordable accommodations. Learn more at www.VisitMercerCountyPA.com.
Sharon, PA 800-637-2370 www.SharonPA.com Getaway to Sharon PA! Daffin’s has created quality homemade chocolates since 1949. Reyers offers 100,000 pairs of shoes, including hard-to-find sizes for men, women and children. The Winner features four floors of the latest designer fashions and acces64 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
sories. The original Quaker Steak & Lube®, America’s #1 motorsports themed restaurant, was voted “Best Wings USA.” Shop till you drop, then indulge yourself at one of the two world-class inns: Tara – A Country Inn, inspired by Gone With the Wind, and Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa, a 1890’s castle with a world-class spa. Both inns have lavish guestrooms that include fireplaces and Jacuzzis for the ultimate luxurious experience. New for 2013 is WaterFire, a daylong event of music, food and unique arts programming culminating with the lighting of over fifty sparkling bonfires on the Shenango River. Enchanting music and performers from around the globes will accompany the event. Event dates: August 3, September 14 and October 12. www.SharonPA.com.
Mon River Paddling Trips 412-481-9400 www.monrivertowns.com Did you know the Monongahela is PA’s River of the Year? Communities all along the Mon are celebrating with events and festivals. Join us for our paddling trips on August 17 and September 7. Beginners and experienced paddlers are welcome! Learn more at monrivertowns.com. VisitWashingtonCountyPA.com.
Washington County 1-866-927-4969 VisitWashingtonCountyPA.com There’s a special energy surging through Washington County, Pennsylvania. Energy for both The Meadows Racetrack and the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum to thrill visitors for 50 years. Energy at sports and concert venues. Energy along the trails and at festivals. Download our free app or contact us for a Destination Guide. For more information call 1-866-927-4969, or visit www. VisitWashingtonCountyPA.com.
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ADVERTORIAL
CRAWFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA Pymatuning P ymatuning L Lake ake, in in Pymatuning State Park was ranked in the Top 10 in the Nation for
“Great “G Great Family Family F Fishing ishing V Vacations” acations” Crawford County is a place where your busy work schedule stops and your relaxation begins. From our crystal clear lakes for boating or finding that perfect tranquil fishing spot, golf courses, to our scenic unspoiled nature trails all will calm your senses and leave you refreshed. Crawford has tons of events and festivals, for up-to-date events and attractions go to our website Visitcrawford.org.
Pymatuning State Park and Pymatuning Reservoir (17,088 acres) is the largest man-made lake in Pennsylvania, and is famous for “where the ducks walk on the fish”. So spend a day at the Spillway, Fish Hatchery and the Wildlife Learning Center. More people visit Pymatuning than almost any other Pa. state park. Take in the beautiful scenery at one of the wildlife viewing areas after a relaxing picnic at one of the many shelters available. Pymatuning was voted one of the TOP great family fishing vacations in the nation.
Conneaut Lake Park (121 years old) will be in full swing this year with lots of great events planned! The Park features rides that you will not find at any other ride park. You don’t want to miss the 23nd Annual Fall Pumpkin Fest or Ghost Lake. Pumpkin Fest include a parade, quality crafters & artisans, contests, games, live entertainment, and of course The Giant Pumpkin Drop. Ghost Lake has nine levels of fear, we dare you and you can double dare your friends! Make sure you ride the Blue Streak while you are here. It’s the 6th oldest wooden rollercoaster in the world and was ranked #44 out of 159 in the world by Amusement Today magazine. Take a train ride on the historic Oil City & Titusville Railroad “through the valley that changed the world” while enjoying the dinner theatre. In 1859, oil was successfully drilled in Titusville, resulting in the birth of the modern oil industry. Sleep over in a renovated Caboose Car. Drake Well is a must see. This is where the first successful “Oil Well” was drilled in the world.
Canoe or kayak on one of our spectacular 8 lakes or French Creek, which is nationally recognized as one of the most ecologically important waterways in the entire country. Whether it is Conneaut Lake, which is the largest natural glacier lake or Canadohta Lake, the second largest glacial lake in Pennsylvania, you are sure to see nature at its finest — maybe even perhaps one of Crawford Counties many Bald Eagles.
So what are you waiting for? VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.visitcrawford.org OR CALL Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-223-2338 Right Now and Start creating memories that will
“LAST A LIFE TIME” 66 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 67
for Hot Summer Fun!
Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa
Daffin’s Candies
Tara - A Country Inn
Reyers Shoes
The Original Quaker Steak & Lube®
The Winner
New for 2013 — WATERFIRE SHARON Saturday, August 3 ~ Saturday, September 14 ~ Saturday, October 12 Lighting occurs at dusk and continues until Midnight A day-long event of music, food and unique arts programming culminating with the lighting of over fifty sparkling bonfires on the Shenango River, accompanied by enchanting music and diverse performers from around the globe. *dates subject to change – visit WaterFireSharonPA.org for specific event information.
SharonPa.com ~ 800-637-2370 68 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
WISHING FOR A FEW DAYS AWAY... to play those perfect rounds of golf... experience an amazing outdoor adventure... or enjoy a shopping getaway... and afterwards relax at your choice of Mercer County’s diverse accommodations?
Tee off at “One of America’s Top Golf Destinations.” (Golf Digest Magazine) Enjoy shopping at a top rated outlet mall, three of the world’s largest stores and numerous specialty shops... tax free on most clothes and shoes! Experience an adventure on land, water or air! Relax at luxurious mansions, B&B’s, full or limited service hotels and campgrounds.
Mercer County PA is located at the crossroads of I-80 and I-79 in western Pennsylvania. To start planning your Escape to Mercer County, visit us on the web at www.VisitMercerCountyPA.com or call 800-637-2370 to request your free Escape Package.
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 69
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Get out of town and experience something new! Fallingwater 724-329-8501 www.fallingwater.org
Clearfield County 1-866-GOWILDS www.VisitClearfieldCounty.org Arrive, Revive, Repeat in the backwoods. backroads. backwaters. of Clearfield County. Get away from all of hustle and bustle of everyday life; our backwoods have miles of untapped beauty to explore by foot, bike or ATV. The backroads will lead you from town to town in search of the right ice cream parlor, quaint recreational park or even bump into a PGA rated golf course or two. Sail into the backwaters and enjoy 102 miles of the West Branch Susquehanna River. Visit our website at www.VisitClearfieldCounty.org.
Dramatically sited over a waterfall, Fallingwater was named “one of 12 landmarks that will change the way you see the world” by Travel + Leisure magazine. Open mid-March through Thanksgiving weekend, tours are offered daily except Wednesday. Advance tickets are recommended for all tours, contact Visitor Services, 724329-8501 or www.fallingwater.org.
Canaan Valley Resort State Park 800-622-4121 www.canaanresort.com Canaan Valley Resort State Park, a four season West Virginia destina-
tion, is located on over 6,000 acres of state park land in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern Tucker County – the highest mountain valley this side east of the Rocky Mountains. Pet friendly accommodations at the resort include hotel lodging, cabin/cottage rentals, and campground sites. The resort offers a variety of seasonal recreation activities including: 18 hole championship golf course, swimming pools, hiking/biking trails, scenic chairlift rides, and much more. The newest activity this summer season is the Sporting Clays Target Field. Each round offers 25 shots to strike soaring clays, available for ages 12 to adult. During the winter season, the area receives an average 180” of natural snow. Winter activities include: skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice
skating, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Conference/banquet facilities, gift shops, annual events, and various dining options are also available. Information: 800-622-4121 or visit www.canaanresort.com.
Beaver County Tourism 800-342-8192 VisitBeaverCounty.com Just minutes northwest of Pittsburgh in the rolling hills and river valleys of Western Pennsylvania sits Beaver County. With limitless events and activities, thousands visit Beaver County every year for its culture, ethnic festivals, historic sites, museums and outdoor recreation. Discover all that Beaver County has to offer at VisitBeaverCounty.com!
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70 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013
PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER CITY GUIDE 2013 71
Where To Find A Dollar dollarbank.com/locations
Proudly serving Pittsburgh’s communities since 1855. ®
DOWNTOWN
NORTH
ALLEGHENY CENTER 412-323-6545
BUTLER 724-283-3838
FOURTH AVENUE 412-261-7538
CRANBERRY 724-779-3800
GATEWAY CENTER 412-261-3098
FOX CHAPEL 412-782-4848
MARKET SQUARE 412-261-2343
NATRONA HEIGHTS 724-224-8500
OAKLAND 412-621-3178
NORTH HILLS 412-366-2626
OLIVER 412-261-8400
PINE TOWNSHIP 724-933-6900
SOUTH SIDE 412-431-4157
RICHLAND 724-443-0250
EAST
SOUTH
BRADDOCK HILLS 412-271-8400
BRENTWOOD 412-881-3777
EAST LIBERTY 412-362-7638
LEBANON SHOPS 412-344-6626
GREENGATE 724-832-8139
PETERS TOWNSHIP 724-942-2660
MCKEESPORT 412-673-7366
PLEASANT HILLS 412-653-8600
MONROEVILLE 412-373-7000
SOUTH HILLS 412-831-2584
MURRYSVILLE 724-325-4130
VIRGINIA MANOR 412-531-2422
NORTH HUNTINGDON 724-864-6635
WASHINGTON 724-228-3305
PENN HILLS 412-244-8589
WEST
SQUIRREL HILL 412-521-7031 WESTMORELAND 724-836-7455
CRAFTON 412-922-4208 MOON 412-262-1444 ROBINSON TOWNSHIP 412-788-1099
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SEWICKLEY 412-741-8310