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Street FoodWhat is street food? Street food is good food that's not fancy. It's a great meal you can order quickly, yet without feeling like you're supposed to leave fast. It's food the locals usually know about--food that you don't feel strange eating by yourself, but are always glad to reveal to a special friend. Street food costs less than $10 per person. You order it at the counter, or at least pay for it there.
A Neighborhood Retreat on the Parkby Eric Miller
The Park House gets its name from its proximity to the urban treasure known as Allegheny Commons, which comprises East Park and West Park. Originally used for animal grazing in the old city of Allegheny, the park grew to become an urban retreat from the industrial city that rose around it in the late 19th Century. Parks are one retreat from the realities of life, and beer is another. After a long day in the mills, or a pleasurable afternoon in the park, you can go to the Park House and enjoy its long tradition of serving up good beer and hearty food. The City of Allegheny was incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh long ago. Today the Park House is still a popular place for neighborhood residents to go to find a good meal and a tasty beverage. The people in the Park House range in age from 21 to as far up anyone will admit to. It isn’t a place for any identifiable type of people, race or ethnic background. The Park House is popular with most everyone from professionals to police officers and day laborers. Go twice and you will see many familiar faces. The large wooded doors invite one into a friendly atmosphere. Once inside, it’s not hard to believe the place has been here a while. Stained glass panels set in a decorative tin ceiling crown the wooden booths and peanut-shell laden floor. In recent years the Park House has been a popular place to go before or after football or baseball games. Those who can’t afford the tickets can watch the games taking place blocks away on the televisions that hang on the walls above the bar. Sports are a part of the decoration as much as they are on the minds of the patrons, and the walls are lined with photos of sports figures who have likely known the Park House as well as their team. The Park House offers an impressive array of food considering it’s all made in a small area behind the bar. Hamburgers, burritos and fish sandwiches complement hearty, hot soup. If you’re worried about the health value of bar food, this may be the place to go. Because there is no grill, nothing is fried. Don’t look for french fries, the sandwiches come with homemade potato salad or cole slaw. Prices range from $6 and up. The salads are also popular. If you just want a snack and a beer, the Park House offers complimentary peanuts and a variety of brews. A favorite is the Penn Dark, brewed at the nearby Penn Brewery. When you are in Pittsburgh, do as the Pittsburghers do and stop by the Park House for a hearty food, great conversation and good beer.
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The Park House has been a part of Pittsburgh as long as most any other place has. The receipts bill the place as “Pittsburgh’s oldest tavern.” The charm of age is there certainly, but there’s more than antiqity to make the place attractive for a drink, meal or destination for neighborhood socializing.