Tag Archives: Mt. Washington

National Hot Dog Day: The Hot Dogs of Pittsburgh

It was quiet morning in the super secret iheartPGH headquarters until one intern abruptly cried out “It’s National Hot Dog Day!” The Yinzterns rejoiced and it was decided that they would take a crawl through the various hot dog vendors of Pittsburgh. Here, we share our ups, downs, and general stomach aches after consuming multiple dogs.

 

Name Hours Cost Fun Fact

Steve's New York Hotdog Shop on Urbanspoon

Breakfast & Lunch

Monday-Saturday

$ The proprietors of Steve’s were on vacation at the time of the crawl. We will be back for you Steve…
Yovi's on Urbanspoon

 Lunch & Dinner

 

 $ An interesting hybrid of Chicago and Pittsburgh, they serve up a mean hot dog. They are also located in a basement, so keep your eyes peeled or you will miss a delicious spot. It’s also cash only.
Franktuary - Lawrenceville on Urbanspoon Lunch & DinnerMonday-ThursdayLunch, Dinner & Late NightFriday-SaturdayBrunch

Sunday

 $$ Franktuary is now offering a Sunday brunch at its Lawrenceville location. They also have trivia Tuesday nights!
Station Street on Urbanspoon

 Lunch & Dinner

Everyday

$$$ Station Street has been open since 1915.
Packs & Dogs on Urbanspoon

Lunch, Dinner & Late Night

Everyday

$ Decent beer collection, pop in for a hot dog.
D's Six Pax & Dogz on Urbanspoon Lunch & DinnerSunday- WednesdayLunch, Dinner, & Late NightThursday-Saturday $$  Over 1,000 types of beer with a wide offering of food beyond just hot dogs.
Dormont Dogs on Urbanspoon

Lunch & Dinner

Monday-Saturday

$  This dog joint packs in a lot of character. Cash only.
Wiener World on Urbanspoon

Lunch & Dinner

Monday- Friday

Lunch

Saturday

$  Beyond selling dog hots, Wiener World is known for its fish sandwich.

 

Steve’s New York Hot Dog 

This place has great reviews on Urban Spoon. Unfortunately, Steve decided it was a good idea to go out of town during one of the most important hot dog related holidays on the year. We yelled out in agony as we drove by, vowing to return at a later date.

Yovi’s

Unassumingly tucked into a basement right outside of Market Square, Yovi’s brings Chicago dogs to Pittsburgh. It’s simply decorated with both cities’ memorabilia and they also offer sandwiches and deep-fried pizza puffs. The token all-beef Chicago dog was topped with mustard, green relish, diced onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt, on a poppy-seed bun. It’s a great, cheap, and friendly place to pop in for a quick lunch while downtown.

Franktuary

The new Franktuary location in Lawrenceville is charmingly rustic and beautiful, not to mention very spacious compared to the original downtown location. They have a variety of unique hot dog styles (including vegan tofu dogs), plus salads, poutine, pierogies, desserts, and more. We loved the Memphis dog (slaw, barbecue sauce, and crunchy potato sticks) and the Pittsburgh dog (smooshed pierogi and slaw). Their bar is fully stocked with tasty cocktails and craft beers, and you can sit at the open garage door windows when it’s nice out.

Station Street 1069151_10152063507612892_425551302_n

This hot dog joint has opened and closed a few times since it’s creation in 1915. The latest version is run by restauranteur Kevin Sousa. Bringing food science down to hot dog level, Sousa includes a couple crazy combinations on the menu. I went out on a limb and ordered the Kimchi Dog, topped with seaweed, kimchi, and tangy mayo. I was pleasantly surprised how delightful the tastes were together. The beef hot dog is delicious stand alone, but I’m anxious to try a few more combinations. Station Street also offers Vegan doggies for those less inclined to meat  The only downside? It’s a bit pricey for your everyday hot dog–save this spot for special lunch occasions (like National Hot Dog day).

Packs & Dogs

The first thing you notice when you enter this shop in Mount Washington is its expansive beer collection. The bar is lined with bottles and two plasma screen tvs.  You have to go to the far back to order your hot dogs.  The varieties have canine-themed names, such as the German Shepard (sauerkraut and spicy mustard) or the Chihuahua (chili, cheddar cheese, and onions). Beer is definitely Packs and Dogs’ forte.  There was not much outside seating, as there were only two tables outside, but there are a nice number of booths and bar seating.

D’s Six Pax & Dogs992822_10152063996622892_1121186585_n

Located in Regent Square, D’s is the perfect place to pop in for a dog. While you are there, make sure to check out the legendary Beer Cave, where you will find over 1,000 different brews. The Chicago Veggie dog was a classic that didn’t disappoint with relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, sport peppers, and yellow mustard. D’s offered some interesting varieties, such as the Big Ben with fries, creamy cheddar and coleslaw and the Angry Tiki loaded with fries, creamy cheddar and coleslaw.  We can’t forget to mention how great the poppy-seed buns were, which can also be substituted for whole wheat.

Dormont Dogs

Dormont Dogs was one of our favorite stops of the day. Located a bit out of the city, it was worth the voyage. When you first walk in, you are taken back in time with the lovely decor. The hand written menu and little colorful tables added to the character at Dormont Dogs. The dogs were very good, as well as the buns. The menu featured hot dogs styled after different states (and streets in Dormont), from Louisiana in the south to Wisconsin in the west to Connecticut in the north. We also learned that in addition to being a hot dog shop, the area used to be a barber shop and a waffle/pottery shop.

Wiener World1075327_10152065147047892_1440397719_o

Wiener World is located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh on Smithfield St. and you can’t miss the giant neon sign. This place is a hot dog shop. This is a take out spot or stand-at-the-counter-and-eat-your-hot-dog place, no tables, chairs or restrooms, just hot dogs (or a hoagie). We ordered the all beef hot dogs with all of the fixings, well ok most of the fixings, which was more than filling enough. We’ll have to try the fries on a return visit. The beef hot dog was great and next time I’ll limit the fixings to one or two and let the hot dog take center stage.

 

We know there are a ton more hot dog spots in Pittsburgh, but we couldn’t stomach another after a full day of chowing down. Where do you think the best dogs are in Pittsburgh? Check out our Facebook album for more pictures of our day-long crawl.

3 Events to Check Out Neighborhoods – Mt. Washington, Bellevue, Point Breeze

One of the best parts of Pittsburgh, as you probably already know (but since it is back to school season – I know we have some new to Pittsburgh readers – bare with us as we educate them on why Pittsburgh is amazing) – is the Neighborhoods.  The city of Pittsburgh has 88 neighborhoods – you can check out a map and a list here.  Outside of the city – there are even more neighborhoods and boroughs in Allegheny county.  Three of these neighborhoods have orgaized events this week to invite others to come to check out their neck of the woods.

These three events give you a chance to check out Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods – South, East and Northwest.

MT. WASHINGTON: A Taste of Mt. Washington

  • Thursday, September 29 5-9pm
  • $15 per ticket gets you specials and discounts at participating Mt. Washington businesses
  • a great way to check out Mt. Washington and to support the Mt. Washington CDC’s Main Streets Program
  • Facebook event link – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204919659569779

BELLVUE: Artobert Fest

  • Saturday, October 1
  • 1-6pm Free block party on Lincoln Ave
  • 5-8pm “Art and Wine Walk” down Lincoln Avenue.  Ticket prices are $12 for a single ticket, or $20 per couple. Participating businesses will become individual art galleries as ticket holders enjoy live music, art exhibits, hors d’oeuvres, and complimentary wine tasting.
  • 8-10pm Artober Fest After Party at Bite Bistro
  • Facebook event link – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179562568778542

POINT BREEZE: Annual Bonfire

  • Saturday, October 1 4-10pm
  • Street Classical Academy, Corner of Reynolds and Lang
  • live music, hayrides in Homewood Cemetary, food vendors (including s’mores)

Links Worth a Look – February 3rd

Here are some links/articles/blog posts that are worth a look:

  • Sausalido – Modern European Food in Bloomfield – 4 Stars from Local Yelpers – Pittsburgh, PA – Yelp is a website where anyone can submit reviews about food, shopping services – local Yelpers agree that Sausalido – located on Liberty Ave in Bloomfield – is worth a visit.
  • Final approval given for rezoning: $90M One Grandview hotel/condo clears another hurdle – Big news for Mt. Washington – a new hotel will be coming soon to the space next to the incline.
  • The New Orleans Saints: A Benediction – Here is a blog post from a friend who is from New Orleans, but now lives in Brooklyn. Nick's post got me thinking about football and fans and cities and places – can football lift up a city? From the blog post, "Which is to say: we’re not really the kind of people who care about football. And excuse that “we” if you care deeply; you know what I mean. But, for a lot of New Orleanians this Saint’s thing isn’t really about football. It’s about Katrina and vindication and not losing" – I know, very well from recent travels – that the there is a strong Steeler nation out there. I have often wondered if there is any other team that evokes that kind of passion and friendship that black and gold jersey's and a terrible towel can create. I hope the Saints can be for the residents of New Orleans, what the Steelers have been for Pittsburghers near and far.

Follow IheartPGH on Twitter – we share more links there almost daily!

Light Up Night Squared

A number of light sculptures feature in this e...
Image via Wikipedia

There are now two great places to celebrate Light Up Night tomorrow in Pittsburgh – Downtown and Mt. Washington.

Mt. Washington Light Up Night

More info including a list of Light Up Night Specials available at VuPlus.org

Schedule of Events

  • 5-7pm Decorate a tree with Santa – Charles Lewis Park (next to the Firehouse)
  • 6-7pm Duquesne University’s Performance Notes Ensemble holiday sing along
  • 5-8pm Tour 221 Shiloh Street’s newest storefront and luxury apartments
  • 6-9pm Mt. Washington’s indoor art marketplace
  • 5-8pm Strolling musicians along Shiloh Street

Info on Light Up Night Downtown – http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/light-up-night-2009

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Grandview Park Celebrates 100 Years – Celebration Saturday, October 3!

Pittsburgh in 2009
Image by Jeff Pang via Flickr

For the past 10 year a group of dedicated volunteers has been working to bring back the grandness to Grandview Park – and the timing is perfect.  The park will celebrate its 100th birthday this Saturday, October 3rd with a big community birthday party.

From 15211.org:

The Friends of Grandview Park will host a birthday celebration in the park (499 Bailey Ave., Mt. Washington, 15211), on Sat., Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be activities for all ages ranging from artists and food vendors to musicians and children’s entertainment. Kids will be able to climb to the top of a life-size fort to see the city.

More info on the Park and the birthday Celebration from the Post-Gazette and the Green Tree Times

Grandview Park is part of the larger Grand View Scenic Byway Park.

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