Return-Path: Received: from GS80.SP.CS.CMU.EDU by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa20839; 3 Jun 96 15:39:22 EDT Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 15:32-EDT From: Phoebe.Sengers@GS80.SP.CS.CMU.EDU Reply-To: phoebe@cs.cmu.edu To: bovik@CS.CMU.EDU Subject: steelworker's bars Message-Id: <833830339/phoebe@GS80.SP.CS.CMU.EDU> Hi Harry, I don't know if you take restaurant-type recommendations, but I thought this information might be of use to other people who have guests from out of town or other reasons to want to get into contact with some real Pittsburgh culture. Here is my original post: >I have 12 Dutch relatives coming to visit me in 10 days. I want to take >them to a place where they can appreciate some "Real Pittsburgh Culture" >in the form of a working class bar with pierogies, Haluski, etc. My >first choice is Chiodo's but with 15 people total that will only work >if it's not raining. Does anyone know of other steelworker type places >that have enough indoor room for that large a crowd? I've been thinking >about Big Jim's but the decor is not so delightful. >Answers posted to Bovik for the benefit of future tourists. >Thanks! >Phoebe >phoebe@cs.cmu.edu Here are the responses I got: To: phoebe+@GS80.SP.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Re: "Steelworker's" Bar? Date: Tue, 21 May 96 16:01:04 EDT From: tp0x@KANGA.FAC.CS.CMU.EDU Consider the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern ... although there might not be quite enough room if you visited on a weekend night. Tom Price | gourmet falafel cart tp0x@cs.cmu.edu | GOURMET FALAFEL CART To: phoebe+@GS80.SP.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Re: "Steelworker's" Bar? Date: Tue, 21 May 96 16:20:06 EDT From: bnoble@BACH.CODA.CS.CMU.EDU Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. (Though the atmosphere is only a little better than big jim's) Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 11:14:55 -0400 To: phoebe@cs.cmu.edu From: Jim Skees Subject: Re: "Steelworker's" Bar? Phoebe, You might want to give Chiodo's a call. In recent years, they've done a number of special things for tour groups. Generally, if you are looking for places with better decor than Big Jim's, you are not going to find it in a "steelworker's bar". I call them "southwestern Pennsylvania piss bars", mostly because of their lack of postive restroom ventilation. You'll find lots of those places in Lawrenceville, Millvale, and some more remote areas of the South Side. There used to be some of those places in Oakland (like Sam and Bernie's on Semple Street; now called Philip D's). They would open up at 7:30 a.m. for the guys coming off the midnight-to-eight shift in the mills and the CS Operator's Station. But most of those places have either closed or remodeled. One stretch that might be worth doing some research in before your visitor's arrive would be on and near Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield. Some possibilities there are the Bloomfield Bridge Cafe and Nico's Recovery Room. --Jim From: Robert Frederking Date: Wed, 22 May 96 13:10:07 EDT To: Phoebe Sengers Subject: "Steelworker's" Bar? I vote for Big Jim's. Bad decor is part of the atmosphere. I think the BBT in Bloomfield has peirogis, but it would be packed on a weekend night, and isn't all that mill-hunk. If it's *not* a weekend, you could probably fit 15 people into the dining room part of Chiodo's. (Did you know that Chiodo's ranked #3 in a book on the best bars in the world? I saw it on the wall of Vesuvio, in SF [#10 on the list!].) The O, if they're not easily scared. It's more working class and less collegey in summer, I think (at least it used to be). Would the Squirrel Cage count? Chief's in Oakland, but again it's pretty small (maybe that's one of the characteristics?) Pray for no rain and go to Chiodo's? Take them to DeLuca's for brunch? (There's no such thing as brunch in most countries.) There's always the drive-through pierogi place on Rte. 88... Bob ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The conclusion to the saga is that I made a reservation and went to Chiodo's. We sat out on the deck and drank local beer and ate pierogies, fried ravioli, etc. until our cholesterol counts were sky-high. Joe Chiodo came out and entertained the crowd with wild tales from his long life and tours of the inside of the bar. The bartender was an opera singer and serenaded us with "O Sole Mio". Later the Mendelssohn Choir stopped by and gave us a soaring rendition of Handel's Alleluia Chorus. My relatives were suitably impressed. - Phoebe