Roadfood in Racine

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Roadfood Favorites in Racine Wisconsin

I love all the little lake towns found up and down Lake Michigan. I’ve taken the circle tour twice in life which allowed me to visit many of them. Though my favorite is just a short ride from home. Racine sits at the mouth of the Root River just 22 miles south of Milwaukee and 60 miles north of Chicago. It’s neighbors with Kenosha though Racine is typically looked at as the rougher of the two which is probably another reason I like it. Racine isn’t all that different from most Rust Belt towns but its location on Lake Michigan adds some prettiness to the grittiness of it. I’ve been exploring this area for a long time but never for more than a day at a time as it’s so close to home there’s no point in visiting longer than that. But I recently had a work related gig that had me in town for four nights which meant I got to hit up all the classics in one swoop. Racine is a big Roadfood town which is the main reason I like it so much. I always enjoy stopping in at the city’s iconic eateries but usually have to pick and choose as I’m typically only in town a few hours max. Racine has as good of a starting five of iconic eateries as you’ll find in a town of around 75,000. Four of the places we’ll visit have been featured on here before but never together in one swoop like this. Let's check them out. 

Pics from Racine
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Bendtsen's Bakery

The Kringle is Racine’s claim to fame in the food world so it’s only appropriate that we start out at the locally loved Bendtsen’s Bakery. The Kringle is said to have come to this area with the Danish in the late 1800’s. Racine would later earn the nickname Kringleville giving you an idea of just how popular the kringle is in these parts. The shareable rings of buttered and glazed pastry come in many flavors and are found all over town but my favorite comes from this fourth generation bakery. I just cant decide if it’s the cherry and cream cheese or the pecan - so I always get one of each. Since 1934. 

Kringle from Bendtsen's Bakery
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Kewpee Sandwich Shop

There’s just 5 locations left of this once thriving franchise that Dave Thomas frequented as a kid (he once credited Kewpee as the inspiration for Wendy’s). I’ve been to them all - three are in Ohio and another is in East Lansing - but the Racine location is by far the best of the bunch. In fact it’s one of the better burgers anywhere. Kewpee is the second oldest hamburger chain in the country having been founded in Flint Michigan all the way back in 1923. Named after the Kewpie doll it’s currently headquartered in Lima Ohio where their downtown location is a local landmark. Though both the Racine and East Lansing locations are separately owned meaning the burgers are a bit different at each of them. There’s a rumor they still grind beef hearts into the blend here in Racine but I don’t know for sure. What I do know is the beef tastes like it used to and the double cheeseburger here is one of my favorite burgers anywhere. They have some weird hours (8a-2p) and some even weirder dolls staring at you as you eat sit in their oldest of old school dining rooms, but this is a burger worth seeking out. Not just one of Wisconsin’s best but one of the best burgers anywhere. Since 1926. 

Double Cheeseburger at Kewpee Sandwich Shop
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DeMark's Bar & Restaurant

It only took me a decade since first learning of it but I finally made it to DeMarks Bar & Restaurant for their popular Pizza Burger for the very first time last summer. You may have had a pizza burger before but unless you’ve been here you haven’t had the original which is unlike all others. It starts with what they simply call “pizza sausage” but it isn’t just sausage like that on a pizza. It’s a full fledged patty that’s 100% pork but texturally it’s just like a thick and juicy burger. I don’t know how they get it like they do but my best guess is they grind their Italian sausage into a more coarse product than usual. The end result is a fennel forward flavor bomb that’s easily the best “bomber” I ever ate in Racine and or Kenosha - bombers are what they call Italian beef, sausage, and meatball sandwiches loaded with marinara, melted cheese and hot peppers on French bread in these parts. DeMark’s is a textbook tavern with a fully sized shuffle board and all sorts of cold booze available for there or taking out. They started serving drinks back in 1939 although the business itself goes all the way back to 1906. 

Pizza Burger at Demarks
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La Tapatia

Racine is a crispy taco town as evidenced in this post from 2016. But not the kind made of store bought shells, the type made crispy by frying them to order. There’s handfuls of spots around Racine making real deal tacos dorados but this family run convenience store with a restaurant in back was the first and is still the best. Get them with ground beef and be generous with the salsa. Since 1981. 

Crispy Tacos at La Tapatia
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Wells Brothers

What more can I say about this place? There was a time when there was little info online about the legend that is Wells Brothers Pizza. It was named one of the country’s best pizza spots in a random list in USA Today circa 2005 which sparked someone on LTHforum to ask about it but the thread went silent for four years until I visited back in 2009. I posted about it on here around that same time and have been hyping it up ever since then. No I’m not taking total credit for its popularity outside of Racine but I can tell you right now I’m the one that set it in motion as there was a time when my blog post would pop up as the first result when you searched Wells Brothers online as there was little coverage of it outside of that. Wells Brothers was also featured in a New York Times piece by Kenji Lopez who learned about it thru Steve Dolinsky who was taken there by me. The sausage pizza is why you’re here - it’s my favorite pizza anywhere. It’s pretty much the only thing I ever get but sometimes I’ll also add a side of spaghetti and meatball and yes meatball is meant to be singular in that you can get a side of spaghetti with a house meatball for like $3 and it’s pretty damn good. 

Spaghetti and Meatball 


Pizza Burger

The pizza isn’t quite as thin as that at Zaffiros in nearby Milwaukee but it’s still one of the thinnest anywhere and I love the cornmeal crust on the bottom. They almost always cook it perfectly which is a bit on the well done side resulting in a crispy crust throughout. Wells also makes the best Italian sausage so that’s what you should get as far as toppings. You can also try a pizza burger here which is made with that same incredible made on site sausage and it’s worth an order should you need something on top of the pizza. While not quite as good as DeMark’s it's different enough to stand out on its own. When I was working up here in December I knew I would be taking a pizza home with me so I was finally able to stop in and try their popular lasagna which is $12.25 with soup or salad on Wednesdays. On top of that you can add a piece of Italian sausage for a buck. What a deal! My only complaint was I wish they put more melted cheese on top but other than that it was peak red sauce Italian. I’ll always have a special spot for the 2009 inaugural winner of the “Roadfood Stop of the Year” which is why I almost always stop here anytime I’m near. The pizza reheats really well so I often take it home but dining in at Wells Brothers is an experience in of itself. Sit at the bar and get a large sausage pizza and indulge in a cold Spotted Cow or one dollar cans of Hamm’s for full effect. Since 1921 - though the pizza recipe came up from Chicago with some relatives post World War II.

Sausage Pizza at Wells Brothers
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See ya next time @chibbqking

BarTucci

-Grubbing in Chicago  
An Italian-American BYOB on Harlem

With freezing cold temps come craves for foods that will warm you up. Soup being the most obvious when it comes to a specific type of dish but what are the best cuisines for cold weather food? There’s way more than just one but Italian-American is a cuisine I crave when the first burst of cold comes upon the city. I’m on record saying I’m not a big fan of red sauce Italian but I only mean that from a commonly consumed standpoint. I don't eat it often as it’s not a cuisine I crave throughout the calendar year. But come winter I’m ready for a big bowl of pasta or massive plate of Chicken Parm to warm up with. This is how we ended up at BarTucci when that first blow of cold wind came howling. 

Locals Favorite on Harlem  

I’d always been meaning to try this place that sits in a strip mall on Harlem in Chicago’s other “Little Italy” neighborhood which stretches along Harlem from North to Lawrence. It's BYOB which means it gets busy on weekends with large groups out to celebrate. Like most Italian restaurants it’s popular for big portions of pasta and rightfully so as it all comes from the family’s fresh pasta shop next door called Pasta Fresh. I always like to start a hearty meal like this with a fresh salad of sorts. We opted for the Insalata Italiana which is made with romaine lettuce, cremini mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, bell peppers, oregano, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil. It’s a fairly standard offering as far as the ingredients go but each of them was crisp and fresh making it a good start to dinner.  

Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia at BarTucci 

The pasta portion of the menu is solid in size with 12 options to choose from. Each one of them is a substantial amount of food for a reasonable price as the majority are under $20 a plate. An order of Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia was my pick and it hit the spot in all the right ways. I don’t think that it’s a distinctly Chicago dish but it’s one that most spots in the city do right thanks in part to the abundance of quality Italian sausage available in Chicago. This was loaded with chunks of Italian sausage mixed into a flavorful vodka cream sauce clinging to fresh al dente pasta with peas. I had plans to bring some home but none of it made it back. We also tried Linguine Nere all'Aragosta which is squid ink linguine with a tomato cream sauce, brandy, and shallots with a lobster tail on top. I'll typically avoid lobster tail but it’s what the wife wanted and it was actually pretty good but the lobster tail was a bit tough as expected. Frozen warm water lobster tail isn’t that flavorful and never as tender as the fresh stuff but it’s not bad as part of a pasta. If you’re looking for a byob further west this is your spot. From the warm service to the comforting food it's your prototypical neighborhood Italian joint.

Linguine Nere all'Aragosta 

BarTucci 
3426 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 887-4416
Website

Cucina 3

-Grubbing in Chicago

New School Italian Food on the NW Side

Over the last five years or so the Italian food in Chicago has gotten extraordinarily better. From an outsiders view looking in Chicago has always been a great town for Italian food. Yes and no. Great for Italian beef which is really more of a Chicago thing (by way of Italians) and also both tavern thin and deep dish pizza (same thing). There's a few red sauce spots here and there but most of them are well past their prime. The new wave of places is offering more regionally focused food, pizza of all varieties, and pasta crafted by passionate pasta people and not just those looking for something with a good profit margin. Today's featured place describes itself as a purveyor of Italian Street Food but to me it feels like an updated version of the neighborhood Italian places that are fading away fast.

Locals favorite in Chicago / Norridge 

Cucina 3's location puts it in Chicago on the map but Norridge is basically across the street. The entire strip of Harlem up here is filled with Italian food purveyors such as Forno Rosso Pizzeria. The owners of the Neapolitan Pizzeria that also has a West Loop location are the owners of Cucina 3. It opened a little over a year ago. It's location in the corner of the city means it's relatively unknown outside the area. Though from what I could tell on my three visits they have a gang of regulars. Everyone seemed to know each other and now they all know me. The menu breaks down into quite a few sections hence my comparison to the old red sauce type spots. They got something for everyone. No pizza but they do make panzerotti which is the famous Italian style turnover (empanada like in prep though not in size) most popular in Southern Italy. They also got the Chicago style fried shrimp. I call it Chicago style bc they use a heavy batter which isn't my favorite but I still enjoy them.

Gulf Fried Shrimp at Cucina 3

I've only gotten to try one sandwich but it was good enough to where I'll be trying a few more as the days go by. Their chicken milanese is outstanding from the fresh lightly breaded chicken cutlet to the fresh Mighty Vine tomatoes and made in-house fries. I'm not sure where they get their bread but with so many Italian bakeries out this way it's not surprising to find it work so well. I usually don't pine for a chicken sandwich but this is one I've wished was closer since I first had it. Really well made. Same goes for the salads. No picture but I picked up dinner from here once and we got a chopped salad that was a good prelude to an order of pasta and some bakery sheet pizza from next door.

Chicken Milanese at Cucina 3

The pasta portion of the menu includes two sections. There's the house-made pasta which has a handful of classics like spaghetti alla carbonara and Gnocchetti con Pesto. Our favorite offering is the Orecchiette served with Italian sausage, rapini, peperoncino, pecorino. It's a simple pasta (all the good ones are) but not something I've been able to mimic at home just yet. They make really well rounded pasta dishes here. Sometimes at home I find myself wondering what I'm missing and honestly it's most likely the fact pasta taste better from restaurants (that know what they're doing) bc they have a wonderful silky emulsion of water that's constantly cooking the pasta. It tastes better. 

Orecchiette

On one trip we ate outside on the small patio in the middle of the strip mall parking lot. I'd overheard a regular contemplating trying something new or going with his standard order of "the best baked ziti there is." This convinced me to try it as it is also listed as one of the house specials. He gave me a good rec but sometimes I forget I make a really wonderful baked ziti myself and I like it a certain way so it's hard for me to find better. Though if you don't want to make it at home Cucina 3 offers a good version with lots of sausage and baked mozzarella. If you're ever out this way make it a point to stop here.

Baked Ziti at Cucina 3 

Cucina 3
4630 N Cumberland Ave Suite 1
Chicago, IL 60656
(773) 417-3301
Website

Torchio Pasta Bar

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

Chicago's pasta game has improved dramatically over the last calendar year. One of the spots most responsible for this uptick in quality is Torchio Pasta Bar near the border of Old Town and River North. This area of the near north side isn't exactly known for passionate openings but Torchio isn't like most other restaurants in the area. For one it's not from a restaurant group. The owner is a first time restaurateur who's basic experience in the kitchen was throwing pasta parties at his home.

Newly Opened in River North 

The spot Torchio sits in used to be a brunch spot I believe. It's a long and narrow space that the owner and his team gutted and then built back up to their liking. Seating is also available at the bar and outside on their patio surrounded by plants and flowers. It's a nice space that you get the feeling would be busy even if the food wasn't anything special. That's just the type of neighborhood it is.

Torchio Salad

Since it was still summer we started with a nice fresh house salad. This namesake salad is made of chopped lettuce, shrimp, crispy pancetta, mozzarella, celery, chick peas, cherry tomatoes, and red onion in a light red wine vinaigrette dressing. Pretty good but maybe better served with watercress or something other than iceberg lettuce. It felt out of place among the rest of the quality ingredients.

 Torchio Pasta 

We both opted for a pasta bc that's why we came. They have salumi platters and a few classic apps like shrimp scampi but it's the pasta that's gotten all the media and food peoples praise. I went in expecting to get an order of bucatini with clams but the menu had been switched up before our visit. The other pasta we planned to try was still the first one listed in the "Torchio Pasta". House-made Torch-shaped pasta pairs with sausage & cremini mushrooms in a brandy, thyme, cream sauce. Excellent work with one minor quibble in that I don't like when places leave big chunks of sausage in their pasta. The loose sausage used could've been broken down a bit more. We also tried the classic that is Bucatini all'Amatriciana. It too was really well prepared and right up there with some of the better versions I've had elsewhere. I look fwd to their next menu unveiling as I prefer pastas made for winter weather as opposed to those that work better when it's warm out. Reservations recommended.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana at Torchio Pasta Bar

Torchio Pasta Bar
738 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 643-0543
Website

Tempesta Market

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

It's time for me to give my two cents on Tempesta Market which opened right around the end of 2017. Located on the 1300 block of Grand avenue it joins a strip of spots offering some really good sandwiches. Places like Bari and Vinnie's have a loyal following so how does Tempesta stack up?

 Newly Opened on Grand avenue 

The answer to the question above is quite favorably. Opened by a Father/Son team from Franklin Park's Nduja Artisans Salumeria this is a new school spot to the core. But dont let that deter you from visiting bc it's also the closest thing we have to the fantastic butchers and delis of Europe. The star of the show is the meat case itself which features a variety of housemade deli meats and pate as well as local and international cheeses. As soon as you step up to the counter you're greeted with a free sampling of their house nduja which you can take home or eat there in a few different forms.

 Display Case with the menu up above 

One of the best bites coming from here so far has been the arancini rice balls which are stuffed with rice and that excellent nduja. These are as good as any of the little snacks we snacked on in Italy. While I haven't had a charcuterie plate from here I have been by a handful of times to buy meats out of the case and create my own little plate at home. Tempesta is the best of both meals and groceries.

 Arancini with Nduja

Off to the back they have a small case with fresh made pasta noodles for you to take home. They'll also have a pasta dish on special now and then and we tried one on one visit and the noodles themselves were nice but the recipe had way too much breading on top for my liking. Not my style.

 Pasta at Tempesta

There's a few shining stars at Tempesta and the sandwiches are one of them. The menu seems to switch slightly now and then with a few different sandwiches staying on permanently and a few making special appearances now and then. Should you see the 'Banh a Mia' on the board you may want to check it out. Made with pork and pistachio pate, Calabrian pate, kimchi pickled Fresno peppers, and aioli and cilantro it was a memorable sandwich. You gotta give love to original stuff.

 'Banh a Mia' Sandwich at Tempesta Market

Everyone is pretty high on their version of a classic Itlalin sub. I liked it but I'm not ready to put it on the same pedestal as the likes of JP Graziano's and Vinnie's. For me it's the bread that makes those places great and Tempesta uses what I believe to be Publican bread. It's a little too tough for me. Don't get me wrong this isn't a sandwich I would pass up if on the table. I just prefer the others.

 Italian Sub 

No pictures but the B. Franklin sandwich made with House Roasted Turkey, Hooks 2-Year Cheddar, Pickled Fresno, Avocado, Pea Shoots, Sofrito Aioli on Sourdough is maybe the best damn turkey sandwich I've ever had. Add the bacon and you will at the very least agree it's delicious. So is the St. Gennaro which comes with Hot Italian Sausage, Pickled Pepper Mojo, Roasted Onions, Lolla Rossa, and Aioli on a Brioche Bun. It's not an easy sandwich to share as it's a rolled up link but man is it exquisite as far as flavor profile goes. It's been a heck of a year for Chicago restaurant openings and Tempesta is one of the spots at the forefront on that list. Even the Traverse City made Great Lakes chips served with each sandwich are as good as it gets. They did their homework here for sure.

The St. Gennaro Sandwich at Tempesta Market 

Tempesta Market
1372 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 929-2551
Website

The Polenta Bar

-Grubbing in Chicago

Fast Casual Italian ft. Polenta

I met my wife for lunch one day a while back and we agreed to meet at The Polenta Bar. I think it opened a year or so ago and there honestly hasn't been much noise about it. This doesn't really mean anything but it was empty on our visit which was a nice Fall day. Not sure what gives.

Polenta Focused Plates in the West Loop

The Polenta Bar calls their food the "flavours of Milan". It's definitely a fast casual type place that uses the Chipotle model to an extent. However not all of the food is pre-cooked so after you order you will wait maybe 5 minutes or so. As the name suggests polenta is the focal point here. You can have it the traditional way in mashed-like form or you can get polenta cakes to pair with your choice of sauce and vegetable. I got the soft and creamy polenta topped with spicy Milanese sausage with a side of mushrooms cooked in red wine. It's a big ass plate of food and filling at that. I liked my lunch and while I haven't rushed to go back I would enjoy this option if I worked in the area. Beats Chipotle.

Polenta with Spicy Milanese Sausage at The Polenta Bar 

The Polenta Bar
1002 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 265-0207
Website

Stopping in at three Youngstown Favorites

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Exploring some old school stops in NE Ohio

Today we continue on with my series featuring the locally loved food spots found in America's Rust Belt towns. We head to Ohio where Youngstown has seen better days. It's in the same boat as many other once booming Midwest cities. Gary, Flint, and East St. Louis to name a few. Though none of them ever had the title of Bomb Town, USA given to them. A nickname earned from all the car bombs that killed local mafioso and others as there was a time when this was the most mobbed up / corrupt small town America has ever seen. The name is a play on Bomb City which is what Cleveland was called at the time, for the same reason. We weren't there to collect any debt or anything but rather on a roadtrip out east. As always I found myself fascinated with the history and that which is still left which in this case is very little. A couple of these spots are actually a town over.
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Rip's Cafe

This would the first stop we made on a roadtrip last summer to Pittsburgh. It was lunchtime and we were hungry for some locally loved food. Rip's has been serving the area since 1933 and they're known for their home cooked Eastern European food. As soon as we sat down we were asked "Yinz want a beer" and we couldn't help but chuckle. This place is old school, the type of spot that would be long gone if it was in a city like Chicago. Even so, we were right at home.

a peek inside

The star of the menu here is the "Hunky Platter" which comes with a few Eastern European favorites. Included are potato/cheese pierogi swimming in buttered onion, stuffed cabbage, and Halushki which is noodles and kraut cooked in lots of butter. Both the Cabbage Roll and Halushki were fantastic and honestly I cant remember if the pierogi was amazing or just ok but my mind tells me they too were also really good. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Hunky Platter

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Tringheses' Cornersburg Italian Specialties

Major letdown as I thought I was going to finally be able to try the locally loved Brier Hill Pizza. It's relatively unknown outside of Youngstown but I've been harassed for years now about going to Saint Anthony's to try it. It's basically a crispy thin crust pizza where the cheese, romano, goes on when it comes out of the oven. You can get them with or without sausage and or hot peppers which are grown by the nuns at the church. The same guy has been making the marinara for decades. Friday's only and you gotta reserve your pizza during the week leading up to Friday. Well we were headed thru and it was going to be a Friday so I thought it was finally going to happen only to find out they were taking a three week summer vacation when I called to reserve a sausage/hot. DAMN. Change of plan.

Locally Sourced Hot Peppers

Tringheses' is an old school Italian grocery where you can get stuff to make lunch/dinner or just buy either or there. The shelves were a little bare. I'd heard they have some not so common imports, but aside from a jar of locally sourced hot peppers I bought, I didn't see much that caught my eye. The bakery seemed to be stripped as there wasn't much fresh goods left for purchase. I wanted to try their pepperoni roll, a regional treat in Steel and Coal Country, but they were out. The prepared foods menu changes daily but I ended up with the always available sausage, onion, and pepper mix as the other Friday specials were fish focused. Their Italian sausage was very good and I really liked the little three bite links. The recipe seems to use a ton of black pepper. If you're passing thru the area and in need of a quick lunch you cant find much better or cheaper (less than $5). Though I would say the Hunky Platter is also a really good idea if you got the time.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion

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Jib Jab Hot Dog Shoppe

On the rebound home we were just about hot dogged out having done a little tour of the stands in Pennsylvania. Though this place was on the radar so we pulled in for a quick bite. Like so many other eating establishments in town this is a low key spot where one can eat for cheap. I don't have an exact date on this places creation but it's definitely old school despite the newer digs moved into.

Chili Cheese Fries 

In these parts people prefer their hot dogs dressed with chili. So thats what we would order. Usually people eat a few of them as they're smaller sized dogs and the price is something like a dollar and change. We tried an order of chili fries as well as a chili dog. The chili wasn't the best example we tried this trip and the dogs were cheap wieners but the fries were fresh cut and enjoyed.

Chili Dog

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Rip's Cafe
614 Youngstown-Poland Rd
Struthers, OH 44471
(330) 755-0057

Tringheses' Cornersburg Italian Specialties
3381 Canfield Rd
Youngstown, OH 44511
(330) 799-8650

Jib Jab Hot Dog Shoppe
313 S State St
Girard, OH 44420
(330) 545-1129

Eating BIG in Pittsburgh

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Where the locals eat in the Iron City  

What a Summer. I did some good traveling as always and the Chicago Cubs are finally back, and so it would seem, it's for the long haul. Despite sustaining the third best record in baseball the Cubs will have to travel to Pittsburgh to play in the National League Wild Card play-in game. Someone is getting screwed as the Pirates have baseballs second best record. I got to take a trip into Pittsburgh this past summer and did some good eating and drinking and figured now would be a good time to share the story. I thought Pittsburgh was pretty cool, and would like to go back for a baseball game.

Visiting the City of Bridges

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Triangle Bar & Grill

Our first stop in town was for a sandwich. The Triangle Bar & Grill was on both of our lists. It's a sub shop that doubles as a bar. Located away from the area most tourists make it to this place was all locals, mostly locals coming in and out for a sandwich to take home. The main draw here is the Battleship Destroyer sandwich. Its a 24 inch sub popular on Steelers gamedays. It fits 1.5 pounds of meat into a soft loaf that gets sprayed with oil. It's not on the level of some of the subs I ate in Philly but it was a good sandwich. We split a small which was still really big. It's substance over here. 

Italian Sub at Triangle Bar & Grill

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Cop Out Pierogies

Always on the prowl for popular regional eats I knew there would be pierogi in Pittsburgh. It was just a matter of where. I had quite a few places on my list and Cop Out won out. This place is a weekend only operation ran by a former Pittsburgh cop and his family. We stopped in and I decided to go with an order of the farmers cheese and onion. I was rewarded with the best pierogis I've ever had. The skin was so soft yet stable enough to hold the hot insides while the onion thrown on top was as good of a batch of fried onion I've ever had the pleasure of ruining my breath with. Seek this place out.

Cheese and Onion Pierogi from Cop Out Pierogi

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Big Jim's In The Run

Whenever on one of these trips it's near impossible to not get to a spot where the bleached blonde is on the wall. Guy Fieri and plenty other people have been thru this old school bar with a 1960's red sauce Italian menu to boot. They've been at it since 1977. The atmosphere inside reflects those times.

Big Jim is Watching

I like spots like these. They remind me of the good old days, before I was born. The menu item always mentioned here is the Veal Parmesan. It's easily split in two and half of one made for the perfect bar snack. One thing I noticed at the sub shop was how much better the bread was across the state in Philadelphia but the loaves from here were how I like them. Crispy with crunch.

Veal Parmesan at Big Jim's In The Run

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Nied's Hotel - What is it with gritty landlocked areas obsession with fish sandwiches?

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Fredo's Deli

This little Eastern European grocer seemed to cater to the neighborhood. We stopped in for a cevap sandwich and I was pretty satisfied with the results. The skinless beef sausage came from a plastic wrapped bag so I don't believe they were made on-site but the garlic buttered bread was a different story. It might not have been made there but it was wonderful. Crispy on the edges with puffy textures on the inside. As good of a piece of bread as I've had in sometime.

Cevap Sandwich at Fredo's Deli

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Ricci's Italian Sausage 

Pittsburgh has lots of old school red sauce Italian type places and as I perused through some of their menus it became apparent that both Hot Italian Sausage sandwiches are popular around town as are banana peppers stuffed with hot sausage. This spot on the outskirts of town was hidden in a strip mall, some of the best spots are these days. We stepped in and were greeted with warm smiles and a very grateful welcome by the owners. I couldn't help but order a piece of the days special lasagna, it looked perfect sitting in there. An excellent rendition indeed.

Italian Sausage Lasagna on Special

This little Italian style deli fit the description of so many others of it's type across the country. Display case of the days freshly prepared food was in front, fresh made sausage was also on display as were newspaper articles and family pictures on the wall. We were here to try their stuffed banana pepper which I mentioned is a popular eat in these parts. I asked the friendly owner how he stuffed the peppers and he told me they use the sausage machine. He got a tube that fits perfectly into a pepper and they fill them up using the machine. Brilliant. What it does is it keeps the texture of the sausage intact. Which I should add was a very good well seasoned recipe. I love the combo of banana peppers and sausage so this was one of my my favorite bites in town. You can get them as is or in sandwich for m where they put it in bread and top with sauce. Cheese is optional.

Stuffed Banana Pepper Sandwich

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The Original Oyster House - The city's oldest restaurant

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Tako

Always down to check out some of the hip, hotter spots in town I saw that this modern taqueria was supposed to be pretty good. It opens in the afternoon and when we got there just before service started there was already a line of people waiting. Despite being the second group in line we were told they weren't seating for the outdoor bar area yet which pissed me off because I didn't want to sit in the dark room inside. Not much good would happen after that. The cocktails were nothing to get excited about and the namesake taco (Tako means Octopus in Japanese) was just ok. It had potential but the octopus wasn't charred enough and the tortilla was mediocre at best.

Tako Tacos at Tako

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Sammy's Famous Corned Beef

This downtown spot is a lunchtime institution. They serve corned beef sandwiches with cole slaw as well as ice cold beer and other alcohol options. It has the feel of a place like Billy Goat here in Chicago. Not just that but the food is similar too. As in it gets the job done.

Corned Beef Sandwich

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Nadine's - Cool Bar with cheap beer and some good stick to your ribs type food

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The Pub Chip Shop 

This place was one of a select few on the list that was open late. So we made our way over one night and ended up in one of the more happening parts of town. There's always promise in a place specializing in fish and chips but that would be all there was here. Over fried was the fish and the batter still slid off. The chips were better but it wasn't a top notch batch like I had hoped for.

Fish and Chips at The Pub Chip Shop

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Kretzler's Tavern 

The sausage stuffed banana peppers really left an impression and the want for more. So we decided to head up into the hills and go catch some baseball and have a beer or two while eating more of this Pittsburgh preferred food. It would end up being a long extra innings game and that was good because the hot plate of peppers took a little while to reach the bar. While the combo of Italian sausage and banana peppers is hard to do wrong by, this visit showed us how good Ricci's was. Their technique made theirs so much better. This was more like mush or one big piece ala lasagna.

Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers

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 The Big O

A stop at the Dirty O was a must. Actually this place has many names with Essie's being another. I heard from reputable sources that it was maybe the best hot dog in the country. Heavy praise indeed. It's a late night favorite of all Pittsburgh people especially students from University of Pittsburgh nearby. The dogs here aren't cheap, and neither are the famous fresh cut fries. In fact a hot dog and fries will cost you about $10 so it's much more than Chicago folk are used to paying for a natural casing wiener and some fresh cut fries. A small fries feeds like 3-4 people and I've had plenty of good fresh cut fries which these looked to be but I passed opting to save stomach space. The wiener itself was most certainly the best quality on this trip and one grilled with sauerkraut and onion was very good but I'll still take the minimalist style we got going on over here. They do offer chili here and I heard it was good but I wanted a kraut dog so I passed on trying a chili dog. There's also beer and cheesesteaks. Fun stop.

 Hot Dog with Sauerkraut and Mustard

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The Strip District

Mural of The Strip

The Strip is always mentioned when talking what to do and see in Pittsburgh. In it's beginning days it was the base for many factories and produce drop offs. Then it turned into a place where one could do all the shopping they needed in one swoop. Fish Market, Butcher, Italian Deli etc. That part of it is still intact as theres tons of old school shops and also some new ones and even some bars and music venues and of course lots of stores to buy junk you'll never think of again after purchase.

Pics from The Strip

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Wholey's Fish Market in The Strip District 

One of PGH's most famous food stops this place is home to the famous fish sandwich. They love their fish sandwiches in these parts and this place serves the most well known one. You get two big old pieces of fish, we chose cod, and they're supposed to go in between a picnic style hamburger bun but I just ate my piece as is. Not bad, much better than the frozen pre-breaded shrimp we got. What was cool here was the ice machine that churned out 1000's of pounds daily so that all the fresh fish could be kept cold. It was hopping on this hot summer day. A fun locally loved spot so to say.

Fish Sandwich from Wholey's

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Primanti Brothers

Whats a trip to Pittsburgh without a stop here? I had to do it and I had to go to the original one. Which we got to right before the crowds in town to watch US woman's soccer team swarmed the place. This spot got its start in 1933 and is now the symbol for food in Pittsburgh. You can get them at the Steelers games and I'm sure Pirates games too. They take two thick pieces of bread and stuff their Italian dressing based cole slaw into it with fries, tomato, and your choice of meat. I tried the pastrami but think I should've gone mortadella. I liked this more than maybe I should have since it was early afternoon and it's best enjoyed after a night out in the District. That's it for this trip.

The Famous Primanti Brothers Style Sandwich

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Triangle Bar & Grill
2122 Monongahela Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412) 271-9885

Cop Out Pierogies
350 Butler St
Pittsburgh, PA 15223
(412) 973-0068

Big Jim's In The Run
201 Saline St
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
(412) 421-0532

Nied's Hotel
5438 Butler St
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
(412) 781-9853

Fredo's Deli
1451 Potomac Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
(412) 344-1060

Ricci's Italian Sausage
500 Pine Hollow Rd
McKees Rocks, PA 15136
(412) 331-9531

The Original Oyster House
20 Market Square
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 566-7925

Tako
214 6th St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 471-8256

Sammy's Famous Corned Beef
420 Smithfield St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Nadine's
19 S 27th St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 481-1793

The Pub Chip Shop
1830 E Carson St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 381-2447

Kretzler's Tavern
2240 Babcock Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
(412) 821-1606

The Original Hot Dog Shop
3901 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 621-7388

Robert Wholey & Co. Inc.
1711 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 391-3737

Primanti Brothers
46 18th St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 263-2142