Best bar in the Burgh?

What’s the best bar in Pittsburgh? My vote goes to Duke’s, located in that no-man’s land between North Oakland and Bloomfield. Why?

1) It’s dirt cheap.

2) The clientele is a mix of tattooed lowlives, bicycle punks, homeless people, and grad students.

3) The jukebox isn’t exactly a music snob’s iPod, but for a bar, it’s good.

4) It’s dirt cheap. (amazingly, they carry good beer as well as the usual (delicious) crap– Arrogant Bastard or Franziskaner for way less than the Sharp Edge)

6) I’ve almost gotten into a fight there at least three times.

7) One time I roll in a midnight to find the bar packed with people, staring silently at the TV and watching… Lord of the Rings!

8) The current bartender looks like a short The Rock.

le sonique


I was just clicking around some other Pittsburgh blogs and found this gem of a site le sonique – there isn’t a whole lot of info about Jeffery on this site but that is okay. He seems to like Pittsburgh and he likes music and he looks like he is having a heck of a good time in this picture on the website so that is enought for me.
Check out the cover song contest – his rendidition of Kelly Clarson’s is definitly worth a listen (even if you aren’t an American Idol fan).
Jeffrey (or anyone can answer this) – are there any popular songs about Pittsburgh that we could submit to the cover song contest?

The Squirrels in Squill

Ever wonder how the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill got its name? According to the Squirrel Hill Historical Society:

“Before the advent of the Europeans, Squirrel Hill was a wilderness area used as an Indian hunting ground. During the 1760’s, Squirrel Hill was a pioneer farming community that also included Indian traders. Its main attraction was that it was a wilderness area where land was free, there was wild game to hunt, etc., but it was nonetheless not too far from the protection of Fort Pitt.

“Squirrel Hill has always been known for its abundance of gray squirrels in the days of the early pioneers, the squirrels were so numerous that their chatter created a din.”

Find more than you ever wanted to know about the pioneer days of this neighborhood from the group’s web site. The site is regularly updated with news and events, and the group meets regularly at the Sixth Presbyterian Church on the corner of Forbes and Murray Avenues.

Your vote can help the Steelers beat Green Bay

Show your support for the STEELERS! It only takes 5 seconds & end world hunger

Go to http://www.chunky.com/clickforcansvote.aspx and vote for the
Pittsburgh Steelers! This year, two NFL teams will earn donations of
Campbell’s soup to the food banks of their choice. For the team with the
most clicks, Campbell’s will get the stats for all the players on the
team’s official roster and donate the team’s total weight in cans! So
far, the Green Bay Packers remain the undefeated Click for Cans champs
will they stay on top, or will they get a run for their money this year?
It’s up to you! Take a moment and click and pass it on to others to
help fight hunger in The Burg.

The place for Sunday brunch

When you think of the finest in Pittsburgh cuisine, you tend to think of delicious foods that go straight for the old ticker. Perogies and onions dripping in butter, sandwiches stacked six-inches high with fries. You probably don’t think of organic vegetarian fare served up on thick painted glass inside an antique store. The Zenith Café on 26th and Sarah in the South Side serves up some amazing grub. Sunday brunch done right. For 10 bucks, you get a choice of entrée, coffee, and access to the buffet. My recent Zenith experience was all about their egg and veg creation. Not sure what it was but damn was it good. Now there’s all sorts of stuff on the buffet, but the cake and pie selection is phenomenal. Vegan chocolate cake, peanut butter pie…

So the food is amazing but the vibe is what makes the place. I recently brought an out-of-towner to Sunday brunch and we sat at a table with four others. We shared eggs with two artists, a computer engineer, and bartender/singer. Good people, some hilarious stories, and helpful info (I learned about Free Ride — a non-profit recycle-a-bike shop in Point Breeze.).

Yeah, Pamela’s knows pancakes, and the egg sandwich at Ritter’s is immortal, but Zenith is worth a visit. Go there once and you’ll be back.

Check out their website at http://www.zenithpgh.com.