Pierogi in Pittsburgh

East Coast Trip Part 4

From Washington, DC, we drove northwest to Pittsburgh, PA, to visit our friends Dave and Becky.

Dave and Larry were childhood friends who lost touch when Dave moved from eastern PA to western PA after grade 5. Last year, through the wonders of Google, they reconnected. And we made a point of seeing them on our east-coast tour.

They took us to a ball game at PNC Park, on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh. The tickets were four rows behind home plate, and came with a pre-game buffet in the Home Plate Club.

For a vegetarian, it was a step up from Dodger Stadium. I had to search, but I found a mixed-greens salad and a beautiful heirloom tomato salad.

I filled out the meal with fettucine alfredo, and a token pierogi when I was assured that it was filled with potatoes and onions - no meat. Pierogi are Eastern European dumplings. They are a big deal in Pittsburgh.

What amused me most was the guys filling their plates with beef medallions and fettucine alfredo. No vegetables for them.

Outside in the stadium, young men swarmed Primanti Brothers, a Pittsburgh institution whose signature sandwich is grilled meat, coleslaw, tomato slices and french fries between two pieces of Italian bread. The story is that in the 1930s, busy truckers needed to be able to eat with one hand while driving.

During the 7th inning stretch, I watched giant pierogi race around the field.

It was a memorable trip to Pittsburgh.