What Do They Eat In Pittsburgh?

[rickmcdaniel]

Greetings, foodies of the Keystone State-

I have been ordered by my editor to put together a food front on the foods of Pittsburgh and Seattle this week to run before the Super Bowl.

In North Carolina, we have pork Barbecue, grits and country ham. Philly has the cheese steak. What are the native foods of Pittsburgh? Please educate this southern boy.

Thanks a heap!

[CoolPapaBell]

Granted someone who lives there should supersede me but when I went to school just outside of the ‘Burgh it seemed to me pirogues were about the only thing I remembered being somewhat indigenous.

Of course Primanti Brothers is perhaps the quintessential Steele City blue collar place to eat, and their signature is putting the fries on the sandwich. I remembered that a hoagie/sub was ALWAYS cooked and while perhaps is was more of a college thing than a southwest PA tradition, I remember most pizza places had “pizza boats” essentially a poor man’s pizza made on French bread rather than pizza dough.

The Big Mac…or was it the Quarter Pounder was invented just down the road from my alma mater in lil' Uniontown, PA. That’s probably 35-40 miles outside of the Burgh.

[Jambalyle]

I am going to be disappointed if someone says "Seahawk"... broasted, roasted, fried or otherwise!

[BrentKulman]

Chipped beef on toast, Saxonburg baloney, Cope's corn, Pittxburgh style steak (charred on the outside/raw in the middle)...I'll try to think of some others.

[herbacidal]

Chipped beef on toast

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Oh, it's originally a 'burghian thing?

That's interesting.

[jeniac42]

Primanti Brothers sandwiches, and/or coleslaw plus french fries on any sandwich. Hoagies (Eye-talian only). Chipped ham, chipped ham BBQ. Pirogies, of course. Haluski. Fish fries on Fridays. Pork and sauerkruat? Hot dogs at The O (which may be out of business soon, but which has a sign advertising that Dan Marino has been eating their hot dogs for 35 years). Cheese and meats from Penn Mac.

ROETHLISBURGERS, heh. These vary depending on where you go; at the place near my house, I think they're just bacon double cheeseburgers with pepper jack, but other places have monster sandwiches with ham and eggs and crazy stuff on them.

Pittsburgh is kind of not the best city for food.

[ludja]

Some traditional foods associated with the city according to this web site: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq4.html#pittsburgh

City chicken, cookie tables, Italian wedding soup, & Pittsburgh-style steaks (black on the outside, red on the inside)

True???

[=Mark]

Pittsburgh, Pa. Gateway to the Midwestern culinary wasteland...

[rickmcdaniel]

Thanks for all the great info, guys. The working title of the page (it may change) is Super Bowl Food: Sushi Versus The Big Sandwich."

Our food stylist is making a copy of a Primanti Brothers sandwich, and we have salmon and sushi for Seattle.

[elswinger]

Don't forget the greatest ketchup in the world!

[Artistic Sugarworks]

Klondike Ice Cream bars (Invented by Islay's)

Islay's Chipped Ham

Clark Bar candy bars

Devonshire sandwiches (open-face chicken or turkey sandwich invented here in Pittsburgh by Frank Blandi in 1936 at his first restaurant, the Stratford in Oakland)

Iron City beer

Pierogis

Parma Sausage

Heinz ketchup

Frizzled Ham Sandwiches

Fried Bologna Sandwiches