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Eating out

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Eating out

For many people, "eating out" is the highlight of an evening's activity. Gathering over food can have a formal and refined flair, or be social and silly. Western Pennsylvania, with its many distinct neighborhoods, boasts a variety of restaurants to satisfy even the most outrageous cravings.

In the 1700's, when Pittsburgh was a frontier outpost populated by fur traders and military men, "having fun" was a relative term. Often, food was the foundation for a "social" event built around sharing coffee and a meal with a traveler who could provide much-appreciated news from "civilization" back East. Sharing food is a highly communal custom. Whether the dishes are traditionally ethnic, regional specialties, or an excuse to try out a new recipe, gathering around the table for fellowship is one of the most socialized and ritualized of customs.

Churches provided a foundation for community gatherings and activities as the village of Pittsburgh formed around Fort Pitt, and many of the region's ethnic groups established houses of worship to reflect their individual beliefs. Communities were reliant on walking to get from place to place, so each neighborhood was a closely-knit entity that took on the air of its inhabitants, and the customs and traditions of the church influenced the goods in the local markets. Even today, one is likely to look for a kosher deli in the Squirrel Hill section of the city, Oktoberfest on the North Side, and Indian and Asian marketplaces in the East End of town. Church basements on the South Side and in Lawrenceville offer the allure of homemade pierogies, and vendors in the Strip District supply the seven traditional fishes for an Italian Christmas Eve feast.

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But our ways with food extend beyond ethnic traditions. Ask anyone from the northern states to explain a "southern fried steak" and you are as likely to encounter a blank stare -- as if a Pittsburgher walked up to a deli counter in Georgia and asked for "chipped chopped ham." In a culture becoming increasingly homogenized by national fast food chains and corporate "theme" restaurants, regional food specialties help to define an area.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks

A trip to the Strip is more than just getting the grub!

Long before "golden arches" graced every community in the country, one Pittsburgh fast food chain was well-known and heartily patronized. In fact, the chain's slogan -- "Winky's makes you happy to be hungry" – captured the spirit of the restaurant whose spotlight sandwich was called "The Big Wink."

The Jiffy Foods Corporation owned Winkys, and by the end of the 1980s, both the parent corporation and the chain were out of business. Before then, however, the distinctive white and orange Winky's logos were seen all around the region, and everyone could claim to have eaten one of their famous fifteen cent hamburgers at one time or another.