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Who here has had a Primante Bros. sandwich?

My mother used to go when she was a nurse in Pgh, working nights, and the place was open at night to cater to the produce workers at the Strip. That's been a few years....

It's worth the almost two hour drive to take out-of-town friends down there, and gives me a great excuse to go myself.

Primanti's was recently awarded the #1 spot in a national "best of" sandwich survey.

Well worth stopping by if somebody is passing through Pgh.

Every time I get out to a stillers game, it's the first stop

I've had one once. I don't get the french fries in the sandwich. You guys in 'burg ina hurry? They make a good side to any sandwich.

Initially, yeah, the guys that Primanti's catered to WERE in a hurry.

They were the dock workers unloading produce. They'd grab a quick bite when they got a chance. Bread, meat, toppings, fries, and slaw, all served on waxed paper. You could eat fast, everything with one hand, no silverware, and just wad up and toss the "plate" afterwards. Pretty smart actually.

I was born in Herndon, P-AY. Dad went to Shamokin High School, Mom went to Dalmatia High School (which was converted into Dalmatia Elementary that I attended). Great-grandfather worked in the Glen Burn Mine for a while back in the 'teens. My grandfather told me the story of when he was a boy watching the miners' shift change at night. With all of the glowing miners lights coming up, and going down, the hill it reminded him of fireflies in the dark. "Grampaw's" nickname was "Fats" and his best friend was "Polack Johnny". Those two guys took me on the Glen Burn mine tour one time. I think it was done to instill in me the fear of ever going to work in a coal mine. It worked. Pop used his grandfather's miner's lamp when he was a kid checking his trap line in the pre-dawn hours. I still have it hanging on a hook in my gun cabinet.

When our family migrated to Western Maryland in 1963, my ten year old sensibilities were affronted by the thick West Virginia-style accent prevalent among the local kids. I couldn't understand what they were saying at first, and they had a hard time understanding me. We were constantly having to "import" such staples as good Lebanon Baloney, properly smoked sausage, and Yuengling beer (for the old man).

In our neck of the woods- Herndon/Dornsife/Dalmatia- the older generations were truly bilingual. Pennsylvania Dutch was heard as much as English. In fact my grandparents spoke more "Dutch" than they did English, especially between themselves. (Don'tcha know?)

Vincent's Pizza aka a Vinnie Pie.

The Original aka the Big "O".

Mineo's Pizza: About as good as it gets in the Burgh.

The "Chiefs": At one time 7 Iron City drafts for a Buck. If they knew you they would throw in a shot of some rot gut whiskey. Or 7 shots of rot gut for a Buck with a beer thrown in. Your choice.

The Bucktail and Kelly Hotel in Marienville.
Shot a Bear and we went to the Kelly to celebrate. It turned into a zoo. This was when around 300 Bears were taken in Pa. The people left the bar to look at the bear in the trunk and the party was on. I think 1/4 of Marienville got a look at that Bear.

Vince's tavern in Leeper.

The Vowinkel Hotel in Vowinkel

The Benezette mall: You get extra points if you get that one.

The Willows in Sinnamahoning.

The Sykesville pre Deer Season pancake breakfast.

Best place to eat in the Burgh at 3AM.




Been to Benezette many times but don't recall that. My aunt and uncle had a camp up Trout Run. We turned up some dirt road in benezette, then had to pack everything in the last bit over the "swinging bridge" and up the other side.

The Benezette mall is the one little store in Benezette that sold just about anything you would need. Thus it became known as the Benezette mall.

Used to go to a camp outside of Benezettee that was on the other side of the creek with no bridge over. You parked the truck along the road and they had a tram that went across. Unloaded your gear onto the tram and pulled yourself and gear across the creek. When done you would pull the tram empty back across so the next guy in could do the same. Big-time mistake to not do so.

Went in to "O" one night and some guy had just picked up an order for $100 worth of "O" fries. Don't think I will ever see that many fries ever again. They had a couple boxes the size of which would hold a clothes dryer filled with fries. It was late naturally.

I remember Sam's Restaurant in Titusville, PA. Is it still
there?

Had a great lunch there with my dad one day last year.

I'm sure I've been there, but my brain needed that space for remembering something else. I'm thinking we did most of our shopping in St. Marys.

Sounds like the "swinging bridge" was a step up though if you were humping something heavy across and someone got it to swaying a bit it could get exciting. Now I'm wondering if this could have been the same place; the bridge we used was supposedly not that old but I can't recall how they described the previous iterations. This was late 60's I would say.

The thig I always thought was interesting about the "O" was the "Oktoberfest" seating. You never knew who you'd end up sitting beside. I mean, usually it was some drunk Pitt students but a number of times I recall sitting beside some big group of blacks down from the Hill dressed to the nines, after church I guess. Funny time to be in church but there you go.

Also remember going to German Hill and seeing the animals
when I was a kid.

Like a beacon in the night that pops up out of the darkness. I know I'm almost there when the Vowinkel shines.

Dang, Im getting homesick for PA, but the weather is usually
pretty ugly this time of year.

Do you miss the humidity in the summer as well?

No, not really. Just some of the cool places that I used to
visit when I lived there.

Went to the "O" (The Original) one time when I was working night turn. I ordered a large (big mistake.........and I was forewarned). Thee fries came in a biox the size of a shoebox....lotta fries!!!