I was recently home in Pittsburgh visiting family. We decided to meet for a late lunch at Rivertowne Pub and Grille in North Hungtingdon on Route 30.
Pittsburghers are known for the eastern European inspirations of their fare. This usually means lots of butter, onion, and potatoes, as well as kielbasa. Everything is prepared in some way that seems as if it will intentionally clog your arteries. Our lunch was no different.
Since I hadn't been home in a while I thought I would start with what the menu called a "Yinzer Salad." For those that don't know, Pittsburgh has it's own dialect, called Pittsburghese. Folks are known for saying "yinz" when southerners would say "y'all," and so now we affectionately call the most Pittsburgh-ish of Pittsburghers Yinzers. Anyway, where I come from a salad means a bed of lettuce, covered with grilled steak or chicken, french fries, shredded cheese, ranch dressing, and maybe some tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. A more fancy salad would include a hard boiled egg and bacon, as well.
My dad and I split the Yinzer salad. This is what half of the Yinzer salad looked like:
With that refreshing appetizer out of the way, my dad and I moved on to something slightly more substantial. We also split the Rivertowne Gambler. This is a burger topped with Pittsburgh's favorite, Kielbasa:
Both were delicious. Both are great examples of how Pittsburgh does food.
And, somehow, my heart continues to beat...
