My blog n'at

I haven’t missed an opening day in Pittsburgh since I started going in 1984. Pretty long streak given that I lived in Erie until 1998 but one that has brought me many great memories with my family and a tradition I plan to continue with my boys at PNC Park.

There’s something about Opening Day where even after 18 years of losing you still have a sense of hope. As much as people would like to write off the Pirates I just can’t bring myself to it. They’ve been a part of my family since my brother started working there in the 80′s and we still have close friends within the organization.

The park looked stunning yesterday from our seats in section 115 and if you click on the image above it will enlarge so you can see for yourself the beauty of America’s best ballpark.

Pirates played an incredible team against one of the best pitchers in the National League and came out on the short end with a 1-0 loss. If you want to read about the game check out the local coverage.  Lets get down to what’s important, the food and the beer. This will be a bit of a sneak preview of my upcoming article but this a bit more ummm how do I say, personal.

Food

There were quite a few upgrades to the food this year with gluten free offerings, Nakama has a booth with overpriced eggrolls ($9.50 for 2? really?) and the sushi is close to what you’d pay at Market District; but what I zoned in on were the new footlong dogs.

Smokehouse Dog by section 114 was a footlong with pulled pork, bbq sauce and an fried onion straws. Worth the $7.50?  I’d buy it again. There was also a Polish Hill topped with pierogies and a Reuben dog which, well was a reuben sans corned beef. The wait was about 15 minutes so hit it up before the game starts.

My brother picked up his staple Primanti’s cheese steak and his kids feasted on Quaker Steak wings. No matter how bad the game is you can always be guaranteed a descent meal to go into a food coma.

Beer

I found a new pre-game bar with Dominic’s Famous Deli located outside of PNC Park and next to the Pirates front office. All craft beers were $5 so that means I was able to feast on Bell’s Oberon and Victory Golden Monkey. Service was good, eye candy was better and the vibe was very comfortable.

A piece of advise for the Miller Lite girl that was trying to get dudes to buy her product, if you see someone drinking a craft beer you probably shouldn’t say “Why dont you drink something good like Miller Lite instead of that stuff”. I replied with “Aquafina is cheaper and has more flavor than your Miller Lite. I’ll stick with what I have.” She also started the conversation with “So… where’s your wife?” *ugh*

PNC Park did not disappoint with their overall selection but I do have to comment on the new Budweiser Bow Tie Bar. The only thing going for it is the short lines. Take a look at the layout below and tell me if you see something that doesn’t belong? Go ahead, click and see the full size.

That’s right a BUDWEISER bar is serving Harpoon, Brooklyn and even more ridiculous is Miller Lite and Coors Light. Yes, your bar is serving the competitors product. The prices are the same as around the park and the only thing different is you can find a draft of Shock Top *blech*.

Thanks for a great opening day Pirates. I hope to make it back again soon with at least Teaspoon and maybe a few night games with the guys. Having the North Shore Connector is absolutely fantastic.

This is the best thing about Steeler games in our house, the food. Today I had a craving for a taco salad dip and after a quick trip to Giant Eagle, Lushie whips this bad boy up. I like watching the games and I know our players but don’t try talking about other teams with me cuz I’ll just nod and say “oh yeah, of course!”  I’m not a big football guy but I’m a fan of the festivities. If a guy isn’t on my fantasy team I wont know who you’re talking about. However I will be able to give you some kickass food and serve up the finest craft beers.  Today is Erie Brewing Ol Red Cease n Desist.

I’m in between games of NHL10 so I have to keep this brief before some friends show up.

Go Steelers!

(check out the full gallery on Flickr)

I wouldn’t say that I’m an adventurous eater like my boy Phil but I am willing to try new things. Over the last year Phil and BuBBy have been all googoogaagaa about this dish called Pho. At the time I didn’t have a place by me or where I worked that fancied themselves in Vietnamese cuisine. Fast forward to today and a contract I’m working on put me downtown with a rumored fantastic Pho place present. What the hell, I’m game.

What is Pho? – Wikipedia

Lunch at Vietnam’s Pho is an adventure. If you’re going to feast here do not eat breakfast and don’t worry if you’re on lunch because the food is ready fast. Not realizing the size portions I picked an appetizer of Goi Cuon (Spring Roll w/shrimp, pork, vermicelli and fresh veggies rolled in rice paper) and a main dish of Pho Tai-Nam (Beef round eye and well done flank noodle soup). I should have paid attention to BuBBy and Phil about portion size. The soup may not appear large in that photo but on the table it’s wider than a dinner plate and as deep as a Chicago style pizza. The noodles were incredibly tender, the broth complimented the pieces of meat and the seasoning added a sensational final accent on a perfect bowl.

When I thought it couldn’t get any better I saw the bill. $12 for that feast and I can assure you that I was comfortably full for a good 5 hours.

Website: http://www.vietnamspho.com/

(photos from the google. photoshopped by me)

Last year I made a post offering a guide to Steeler Fans on what is and how to understand the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The feedback was incredible and since this city is coming off it’s 6th Super Bowl title I think a refresher may be needed. Especially when a backup quarterback’s contract is headline news.

It can’t go unnoticed that Penguins mania is all over Pittsburgh. As a lifelong Pens fan it’s refreshing to see people wearing something other than a Steelers jersey. If you’re not from the Pittsburgh area, a Steelers jersey is considered by many as acceptable form of clothing for ANY occasion even if it’s at a different sport’s event. After a recent walk through downtown I saw the trend start to shift as people in Pens jerseys were everywhere. Granted it is the Stanley Cup playoffs season but in the past that didn’t matter to yinzers.

Seeing this lead me to think, how is Yinzer Nation dealing with Steeler pre-pre-pre training camp news not leading broadcasts? Maybe some have seen the light that there is life outside the walls of Heinz Field. For those fans confused as to what Penguins hockey is about I’ve made this list to get you ready for the Flyers series and eventually the Stanley Cup Finals.

• Kenny the COTTON CANDY HERE guy and TC the Beer Guy have jobs outside Steeler games. Do not get confused when you see them.
• Pens Station is the main store for Pens swag. There is never enough room to walk around so do NOT go in after you bought that tray of nachos with double cheese.
• Those people in Pens sweatsuits are The Pens Patrol They’re the crowd motivators… we think. Honestly besides throwing t-shirts and smiling we don’t really don’t see them.
• While you may enjoy ripping your shirt off and pouring beer over yourself while in a cheering frenzy at Steelers games, please stay dressed here.
• Face fainting, body painting and wearing loud obnoxious clothes are perfectly acceptable. Just ask the Penguin Lady.
• Don’t try to open the roof.
• Average price for a beer at the arena is $8.25. A 30 pack of Beast Ice at the local distributor is $16.50. Do the math for the same quality of beer. (*hopefully at the new arena they have craft beers. Pens, call me. we’ll talk*)
• Eat like a champion – If you want loaded nachos and fries there is a stand behind the walking ramp on the South End. Want a burrito the size of your head? By the  B/C12 entrance think… don’t quote me, blame Stoosh. I will say from experience though these are the best nachos. E north by the stairs to F. Pizza Hut stand.
  
• Stay in your seat or in the entrance to your section until there is a stoppage in play. If you walk while game is in play you will be hauled up to F Balcony by fans and tossed off. Frankly this should be a rule in all sports. ESPECIALLY Pirates games.
• We have a mascot who is a Penguin, We love Iceburgh and will defend him to the end. Plus he’s no where near as freaky as that Steely guy.
• Cleveland to you is Philadelphia to us.
• If you don’t know what is going on that is perfectly fine but don’t compensate by yelling “SHOOT THE PUCK!”, “HIT HIM!” or “DO SOMETHING”.
• There are 4 lines in hockey just as you swap players on the field. Sidney Crosby won’t play a full 60 minutes. Don’t worry, you won’t even notice.
• The Stanley Cup is the most celebrated trophy in sports. Each member of the winning team gets to spend a day with it and the stories are legendary. It’s also the most accessible trophy to the public and like hockey fans, knows how to party.
• Remember Philly is orange and black. Any other mix is probably some version of a jersey that a player had in minors or high school. We’re obsessive like that.
• The Flyers havent won since 1975. What a joke.
• “There’s no wave in hockey!” – F2 Sign Guy. Start one and he’ll pound you.

There you go. Anyone else feel free to add to this list. Most importantly enjoy the game.

GO PENS!

We had traveled up this weekend to help my mom out around the house. Arrived late Friday night and spent it watching Lifetime movies. I went to bed early. Saturday we got an early jump on the day. It was the yearly Wesleyville block sale so the streets were crowded and I knew that if I needed supplies this is the time to get them. I laid 3 bags of mulch in the yard and headed to WalMart for more when Mother Nature would step in. As I’m loading my trunk with mulch the skies turned black and began to pour down rain. For me it was no big deal but for all of those people with yard sales, they were screwed.

The skies opened up long enough mid-afternoon that I was able to finish the yard work, fix some doors and cook dinner. The fist pic above is the dinner Lushie and I whipped up for mom. Aside from everything that went on with Erie County Farm we were able to pull out a tasty meal.  For the record I was hellbent to get seafood so I sucked it up and went to Giant Eagle. There were 2 Delmonico steaks with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, 2 fillets of salmon, 1 pound of shrimp, 4 mushroom caps, asparagus and small red potatoes. Everything we made turned out perfect and then the monsoon came back. Thankfully the cable didn’t go out as we sat in front of the TV for the remainder of the night.

Sunday came and I spent the morning working on my mom’s computer while she and Lushie chatted on the deck. Looked like it would be a perfect day for a drive so mom treated us to Sara’s. When I lived in Erie I avoided the place like the plague. Having been removed from it for 10 years I go back every chance I get. My dad was a regular there so when I found out they used to announce “turn the flames on high, Mr. D wants his dog” I couldn’t help but smile.  The second pic is of the footlong and rings I ordered (dad’s favorite).

The day wouldn’t be complete without a trip around Presque Isle. Lushie always jokes that she’ll never go in the water but I think all of that will change soon when we take Bella up there for her first ever visit to a  beach. I also know that I’ll be on sand castle detail. At least when we have kids I’ll have enough practice

I could tell you about what happened at the Country Fair across from Frontier Park but I won’t. I’ve bitched enough about the freaks I encountered and besides, I didn’t get a pic of this one. I will say this, once you prepay your gas and pump it, don’t come back in saying you deserve a discount. Get in your car made of bondo and quit holding up the line.

Big contest coming up on SIDT that I’ll announce here also. Yeah, it’s that cool. Plus making it into a national publication for doing apparently what I do best. Drinking a 20% ABV beer very very fast.

cheers n’at!

I admit that if I had to pick one fast food place to live off of it would BK and their Whoppers. Unfortunately the area I live in has 2 BK’s and they both suck. Not like “hey man you SUCK!” but “goddamn this food sucks.” Being a fair man I headed there this afternoon for lunch so that I can report back to you, my fellow readers who kill time at work on Fridays.

According to the BK site: “MASSIVE BK BIG Fish Sandwich commands satisfaction with a crisp golden breaded 4.3-ounce fish filet, tangy tartar sauce and fresh lettuce all served on a corn dusted bun.”

The Facts
No way in hell is this a) big or b) 4.3 ounces. It looked more like someone took what was once a bulky piece of chicken and laid it on the floor, stepped back a couple of feet and jumped on it heel first. BUT it was still crisp and golden. The tartar sauce was tangy and not all that bad. The lettuce is a fallacy and ranked up there with Wendy’s buffet quality.  Corn dusted eh? THAT’S what the crud was all over my fingers.

The Taste
Why is it that a renown BURGER joint can screw up every order I place for a Whopper but yet NAIL the fish. OK, aesthetically it was mediocre but this sammich is backed with flavor. The buns were light and moist (even though covered in corn crud). The fish had little to no “fishy” taste and when biting in could see that it wasn’t some cheap processed white mesh.

Grading: B+ (the visuals kept it from an A)