MMM-mmm-MUSTARD!
Hello, it certainly has been some time since my last post. This time I would like to rave about one of the best condiments I have ever laid eyes (and tastebuds) on. Not THE best, mind you—the best condiment I have ever encountered is El Torito salad dressing. I mean, my god…it’s green! How could it not be good??
I digress. Aside from this amazing dressing, probably the best condiment I have ever tasted comes right from Pittsburgh—and it’s not Heinz! (Though for the record, Heinz > Hunt’s. That’s just how it is.) Anyway—best condiment, local, mustard, yadda yadda: PENN BREWERY PUB STYLE MUSTARD! The taste is amazing!
I am not a mustard-lover by nature—as a child I would shy away from mustard, even yellow. As we all know, though, a person’s tastes change over time. Within the last few years I have begun to incorporate plain ol’ yellow mustard (French’s, sorry Heinz) into my backyard barbecue palate, all the while staying away from ‘that spicy brown stuff’ that COULD be bottled baby poo.
I don’t know what possessed me to buy Penn Brewery’s Pub Style mustard one day—I think I was at the store with a friend and we were having the spicy brown versus yellow argument. I backed down and agreed that we would go the spicy brown route—IF AND ONLY IF I was the one who made the final selection. So amid a sea of spicy brown mustards, I chose the Penn Brewery variety—we’ll just say it was in an effort to stimulate the local economy. Hey—every little bit helps, right?
BOY, DID I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION! This mustard has BEER in it (Penn Gold Lager)—beer makes everything better. Usually. In careful moderation. Ok, maybe beer doesn’t make EVERYTHING better, but it sure as hell makes brown mustard better. In addition to the beer, the variety of Penn Brewery mustard that I selected is ‘Stone Ground with Peppers.’ That’s good, too! One thing I noticed about this mustard versus other mustards is that it had richer, tastier-looking color, and the scent is wonderful, as well. The other mustards were wimpy-wimpy. This one is HEFTY-HEFTY!
My only rant (and really, this is not a legitimate one—we’ll get to why in a second) is that it only has a shelf life of about two months. I would have to use mustard three times a day, daily if I wanted to use the whole bottle in that amount of time, as one person living alone and not having people over a lot for mustard-based meals. However, as I said, this is kind of an unfounded complaint, as a shorter shelf life usually equates to a shorter list of ingredients (and fewer preservatives). That is true in this situation; the ingredient list is delightfully short and easy to read and pronounce.
Long story short, you should definitely buy this mustard.
Oakland Housing Series Continued…
“Current zoning permits Multi-Unit Residential Moderate Density (RM-3), which makes it difficult to control the spread of substandard rental properties: landlords can legally increase the occupancy of the properties up to the maximum allowed by the Zoning Code” – Meyran Ave study.
Overcrowding in Oakland (Pittsburgh)
A problem in Oakland, the home of the University of Pittsburgh, is the over-crowding of off-campus student housing. The 2000 Census defines overcrowding as 1.01 people per room fit for human habitation and severe overcrowding as 1.51 or more people per room. In renter occupied units in South and Central Oakland, 3.2 % of units are overcrowded and 1.6% are severely overcrowded, contrasting with owner occupied units where 1.6% are overcrowded and none are severely overcrowded.
Strangely, one archaic Pittsburgh law says that no more than three unrelated persons may dwell in the same building. Yet, many landlords circumvent this law by having students sign more than one lease, or only asking three residents to sign the lease. Stacey Papa, Esq, advises that students run away from these dishonest landlords as fast as they can should this happen…and, to be safe, stick to 3 maximum occupants in a rental unit. One Oakland resident who was worried about overcrowding asked Robert (bob) Eckenrode (the notorious Oakland slumlord with the most complaints against him - and ALSO one of the top 5 keywords driving traffic to this site - via Google Analytics), “’[H]ow many people do you have in your apartment?’
Bob Eckenrode replied to this older Oakland resident (occurring to an OPDC study), ‘I don’t know, the check just comes to my house. Oh, I’ll check it out tomorrow to see how many is in my house.’
The Oakland resident said, ‘He didn’t check it out. As long as he’s getting that rent and paying his bills, he’s fine.’”
Lax Building and Health Code Enforcement in Pittsburgh
The residents of Oakland also believe the lack of landlord property supervision results from the lax building and health code enforcement by the city of Pittsburgh. Many believe that landlords do not keep their properties up to code and do not respond to complaints on time due to the lenient code enforcement. The new zoning code, RM-3, allows a mix of housing and rental units in urban areas. It allows for single-unit detached residential, single-unit attached residential, two-unit residential, three-unit residential and multi-unit residential. Full Story »
My family and I have recently outgrown our 2 bedroom duplex. While it’s really a great house and we have the best landlord in the world, we just need some more room (and a better backyard for our little one). So, we are (once again) performing the rental search. We need another year or two to save to buy and we all know it will be a buyer’s market for a long time, so we decided to just rent for another year.
Well, I forgot how painful the renting process is. Not only is it hard to find a 3 BR house right now, but we supposedly need to worry about scammers from across the world tricking us. Within only one week of looking at a small number of properties online, I have received two scam offers and thought I should share my experiences with everyone in the area so no one else is scammed. Luckily, I was smart enough to do some heavy research the first time, which saved me a large sum of money, but I am afraid that others have been scammed, which is why I’m writing this. Keep reading for the whole story and what you can do to avoid being scammed. Full Story »
A Pittsburgh Parade to Remember…or Forget!
Pittsburgh is well-known for its exciting St. Patrick’s Day Parade [official site] held each year (rain, sun, snow, or shine), which is noticed as one of the largest in the country. Due to many reasons (my honeymoon, broken leg, etc), I have only celebrated St. Patrick’s Day one time in Pittsburgh - and it certainly was one to remember (despite the fact that I forget most of the day LOL!).
But, a TYPICAL St. Patty’s Day in Pittsburgh may follow a similar schedule to this:
- Wake up - 5:00 AM
- Jello Shots - 5:30 AM
- Party - 6:00 AM
- Keg Stand - 6:30 AM
- 6 Green Beers Later - 8:30 AM
- Head Downtown - 8:45 AM
- Bar - 9 AM
- Wait…was there a parade?
Okay, so this may be an exaggeration (although I’m sure some of my readers could share some crazy stories and schedules that are worse than this one). But, you get the point - this is an adult parade and the Irish like to drink - and so do the Pittsburghers!
I am really excited for this year’s parade and will definitely be capturing some footage to re-post on this site. Be careful what you’re doing downtown when my video camera comes around! The parade starts at 10 AM this year (as always) and you can continue reading this post for more info on the parade this year (and past years too!)
Here are some fun facts about the Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: Full Story »
So, while trolling the Pittsburgh Bloggers site, I came across an article about Pennsylvania potholes. “Potholes!” I exclaimed out loud (hey, I hit relative ranting writer’s block and was very excited!). I read the blog posting, which was interestingly enough from “Edgar Speaks Out” or the blog for Edgar of Edgar Snyder’s law firm. The article cursorily explained how to recover damages from Pennsylvania potholes. But, the part that really GOT me and made me want to really RANT is that you can not claim property damages on PA (PennDOT) roads (although you can sometimes recover some injury damages).
So, you get into an accident that was not your fault and PennDOT refuses to take any liability. Did I mention that Pennsylvania has consistently been named the state with the worst roads in the United States (I almost started typing Universe and you know…I think the roads in Pittsburgh ARE actually comparable to the crevices on Mars, so this may be an entirely accurate comparison). We actually get hit with a double whammy here in PA because not only does the terrible wintry weather we’ve all been experiencing so frequently erode potholes, but our road system is seriously screwy and the potholes barely get fixed.
I guess we all have to learn to be super careful when approaching potholes - being that the responsibility for an accident caused by one may fall squarely on your shoulders. Edgar Snyder says:
“You can’t recover property damages on PA state roads, but you may be able to receive compensation from PennDOT for your injuries. For roads in local municipalities, you may be able to collect both property damages and compensation for personal injuries from local governments.”
Check out another helpful feature of good ol’ Edgar Snyder’s Web site: A Q&A section where you can find all the answers to hazardous road questions you may have. And, Pittsburghers will surely agree with me that we unfortunately have many - hazardous roads AND questions (especially for you PennDOT employees….boy, have we got questions for you).
A Pittsburgh Bar For the Kid At Heart
This Pittsburgh nightlife rave is long overdue. My friends and I have been fans of BAR 11 since discovering the South Side long, long ago. The bar, located at 1101 Bradish St [Google Maps], right on the corner of South Side’s 11th St. and Bradish. The bar is hard to find and doesn’t even resemble a business from the outside. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you’d miss it in a heartbeat. But, once you get inside, it’s hard to imagine that the outside could even contain and conceal the color, noise, and fun that fills the inside!
There are fire-breathing costume-wearing bartenders (oh yeah), toys galore, blacklights, strobelights, and any other kind of lights you can picture and a very eclectic music mix (P-Funk to Backstreet Boys) which suits the very eclectic crowd perfectly. There are LOTS of Pittsburghers here: young and old, hippies and preppies, men and women - all quite drunk - all having the time of their life. And they’re all housed behind a nondescript stone gray wall…
Even better, the bartenders are quick and skilled (and the drinks always pack a punch for a low price). In fact, I asked Rob, the owner, about drink price hikes after the Pittsburgh drink tax - and guess what? Minus a 25 cent increase in mixed drinks, BAR 11 prices stayed the same (which were always very good to begin with) and this equals many very happy Pittsburgh night owls!
My production crew (okay, my girlfriends) and I spent a Friday night at BAR 11 with my banging new camcorder and we got great footage (coming to a Web site near you soon!) and even better, some EXCLUSIVE interviews with the BAR 11 staff: Bartenders Howdy & Dave and Doorman 2T. We heard some uncensored stories and even got the answer as to why they were all wearing raincoats (It was a theme because it was raining outside). Read more to find out what we learned and keep an eye out on Pittsburgh Rants and Raves for the VIDEO Exclusive! Full Story »
So, I just learned upon visiting some of my favorite Pittsburgh blogs that Pittsburgh Blogfest 13 (although it’s only the 3rd year…so I’m still working on figuring that one out) will be held this Friday evening. The details below come from Cynthia Closkey, blogger of MyBrilliantMistakes.com.
I’m excited to go and network with fellow Pittsburgh bloggers and would love to see others (non-bloggers welcome too) who have the interest. Thanks to the organizers for a great idea to get together some smart Pittsburgh minds!
Here’s the info:
“BlogFest is an informal and friendly quarterly gathering of local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and anyone who enjoys life on the Internet. It’s more happy hour than meeting: No talks will be given, no credentials required. There may be nametags, but that’s only because I’m terrible at remembering names.
WHAT: Pittsburgh Blogfest 13
WHEN: Friday, February 22, 2008, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond
WHERE: Finnegan’s Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters (and their friends!) and Pittsburgh Bloggers
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Finnegan’s Wake, as always. Arrive when you like, leave when you must.
UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: Please note that our events in the Pub Room are smoke-free. The main bar area at Finnegan’s Wake, just on the other side of the door, allows smoking of course.
Please note that we’re gathering on a Friday evening this time around. We’ve received requests to vary the nights of these events, so that people who can’t go out on a work night can join in the fun, so we’re eager to see any new faces. And we’re equally eager to see old faces. Wear whatever face you have handy, and you will be welcome.
As always, if you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to “blogfest@ closkey.com”
Not the amusement park but…your fly?!
I just had to write about a little piece o’ Pittsburghese slang I heard today that I found hilarious!
So, turns out Pittsburghers say “Kennywood’s Open” to let you know your fly is open! I thought I’d write to help those of you who are being told Kennywood’s Open. It doesn’t mean the amusement park…so, look down! And, being that I grew up on the other end of the state, I found this super funny and was hoping someone could shed some light on WHAT this saying means and/or where it came from. Share if you know!
So, there’s this really cool Web site for Pittsburgh party-goers that should be pointed out to all those interested in the nightlife scene. Barjumper.com is actually more than just a guide to nightlife in Pittsburgh, it’s actually a very cool social network (or, as the Web site says: A Nightlife Community) that you can join and receive member benefits.
There are three membership levels - two are free and the third all-access level costs 5$ to join. Not too tough to scrape up - even for you poor college students! What you get with your memberships are access to special contests (there is currently a contest to win a South Side barcrawl). And, discounts…access to private events…specialty drinks…line privileges…reduced or no cover…and, did I mention coupons? Full Story »
Funk It Up with Pittsburgh Band JAZZAM
And, once more, I have to write about my favorite Pittsburgh band, JAZZAM. After the loss of their lead singer a few months back, the future of JAZZAM was uncertain. I spent many a night listening to their “It’s About Time” album and praying to the music gods that the band could work it all out.
Needless to say, as you could tell from a prior post, New Year’s Eve brought this amazing funk jam band back to Pittsburgh. And, you could say that this past weekend has re-established their rank as one of the most popular regional bands in Pittsburgh. Music fans from around the city showed up to Thunderbird’s Cafe this Saturday to see JAZZAM, with Morgantown, WV opener, Symmetrical Kickboxing. In fact, the band was so missed that the Thunderbird sold out + 10 people!!
I’m just glad the band is back and touring again. Keep an eye out for them in the near future in Pittsburgh and other (relatively) local dates. AND, for you festival-goers - keep an eye out for this summer because JAZZAM will be out and about!
- Molly Brannigan’s - February 8, 2008
- Docksider’s (Erie, PA) - February 9, 2008
- The Shadow Lounge (with Ryat) - February 29, 2008
- The Empty Glass (Charleston, WV) - March 7, 2008
- The V Club (Huntingdon, WV) - March 8, 2008
- Agora Theater with Ekoostik Hookah (Cleveland, OH) - March 28, 2008
- Thunderbird Cafe - March 2, 2008
And stay tuned for more! This is my favorite band in the whole wide world and I want to share them with as many people as possible!
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Rant and Rave!
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