Pittsburgh Short Stories

 

 

1.  The Goldman Family Restaurant Monopoly (Stevan Goldman’s Restaurant Recommendations)
2.  On Thin Ice (“Poker Night in America” Visits the Home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins)
3.  Random Musings and Images (Miscellaneous Snapshots of Pittsburgh)

 

 

1.  The Goldman Family Restaurant Monopoly  

Who in their right mind visits Pittsburgh and then goes to eat Mexican food?

Seriously.  Have you heard of anything more ridiculous?

Well, on this, my final night in the steel city, I come to learn almost too late that Stevan Goldman has relatives here, and they own several ethnic restaurants which are supposedly very good.

Now, you have to know more about “Goldie” — as we call him — in order to connect these imaginary dots as to why I’d do the unthinkable and seek out a Mexican restaurant among all the excellent choices to eat in Pittsburgh.  It’s pretty simple, really.  Over the years, Goldie has never steered me wrong.  He’s batting 1.000.

Once, Marieta and I were visiting New York City (where he lives) and we asked for his favorite restaurant in the city.  He sent me a three-page e-mail recounting just about every detail he could remember about all of his favorite places to eat in midtown.  I think he picked at least a dozen.  Naturally, we were left with the impossible task of choosing just one, but that experience still ended up as one of our most memorable ever.

This time, Goldie’s list includes about five restaurants.  His family actually owns 14 different local places, but he’s narrowed it down to a more manageable number.  I decide to go with Mad Mex.

In short, if Goldie makes a recommendation, I’m going to try it.  This is even more compelling since his relatives actually own the joint where I’ll be eating tonight.

So, now you know why I’m eating Mexican food in Pittsburgh.

On with the with the story.  My destination is called “Mad Mex.”  There are three locations.

I pick the closest restaurant to my hotel and end up driving through a maze of clustered side streets, over several hills, until about ten miles later I’ve come to a quaint little brownstone restaurant on a street corner with the neon “Mad Max” sign out front.

Trouble is — there’s no parking.

I mean, NO PARKING WHATSOEVER.  The neighborhood reminds me of living back in the District when every single parking space filled up for miles after about 6 pm.  Not a single parking space is to be found anywhere.  Not even a parking lot.  I dash back and forth up and downside streets for what must have seemed like half an hour.  Each time I saw a gap in the line of parked cars, thinking I’ve found a free spot, there would inevitably be a fire hydrant or a loading zone.  So, after using up a quarter tank of gas and exhausting every conceivable curse word and combination thereof — “fuck it” becomes my bon voyage to Goldie’s restaurant recommendation.

Frustrated beyond being hungry at this point, I use MapQuest to seek out alternatives.  To my great delight, there’s another Mad Mex location, which is about 5 miles away.

Off I go.

This second Mad Mex location is close to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University.  Fortunately, there’s plenty of free parking.

On my way into Mad Mex, I can’t help but notice another restaurant located across the street.  It’s called “Casbah.”

I’m a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, and this place sure fits the bill.  I’m tempted to ditch my prom date and go with the prettier girl I meet at the party.  Such a tough choice.  But instead, I opt to remain loyal to my intent and stick with the original plan.  I’ve gone through all this trouble to eat at Mad Mex, and I’m not going to be swayed now from my mission.

The Mad Mex meal turns out to be very good.  Not great.  But a slid 7 or 8 on a 10 scale.  The margarita and salad were both phenomenal.  The main entree, I would simply describe as “very good.”  But, as I’m enjoying my platter of beef enchiladas, I’m peering out the front window and looking across the street at the Casbah restaurant.  Indeed, this is the “slow dance” part of the night where I’m still stuck with my prom date, but am obsessed with the ravishing beauty now dancing with another guy.

This just isn’t fair.  Maybe seeing Casbah was a distraction and caused me to enjoy my meal less at the Mexican place.  The grass is always greener, as they say.

I can’t feel too badly about this, can I?  After all, I promised myself that I would eat at one of the Goldman Family-owned restaurants.  With Mad Mex, my mission was accomplished.  Forget the Casbah.  Take it out of your mind, Nolan.

Back in the car, I decide to send Goldie a quick thank you note.  As I type it out, I can’t help but notice his original list of restaurants.  There, listed beneath Mad Mex is — you guessed it — CASBAH.

Yes indeed, the Goldman-Family owns the Casbah, too.

I guess I’ll just have to make another trip to Pittsburgh.

***************

 

II.  On Thin Ice (“Poker Night in America” Visits the Home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins)  

You already know of my fondness for stadiums. Read more HERE.

However, one thing I’ve never done is walk on the ice of an NHL arena.  Well, we did that a few days ago when “Poker Night in America” — consisting of invited players and staff — not only stepped on the ice.  We were also given sticks and pucks and shot goals.  Make that, tried to shoot goals.

Invited poker players included Greg Raymer, Joe Cada, Steve Dannenmann, Darvin Moon, Dan O’Brien, and Larry Ormson.

 

2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up Steve Dannenmann, the class clown of “Poker Night in America,” gets defensive.  By the way, congratulations to Steve for getting engaged to the lovely Dawn!  That’s what I call a real score!

 

Joe Cada, the 2009 world poker champion out of the ice, looking like a natural.

 

 

Joe Cada also plays defense.

 

 

Dan O’Brien, the angle shooter.  I sure as hell don’t see anything wrong with his wrist, especially when there’s money on the line.

The two best athletes in the bunch by far were O’Brien and Cada.  Those two also happen to be the youngest in the crowd, which is no coincidence.  However, not everyone agreed with my assessment of hockey talent.  O’Brien didn’t think much of Cada’s hockey skills.  I thought Cada was the best shooter by far since he was the only one able to put the puck in the air and then fire it into the net.  Of course, Cada resides near Detroit, home of the Red Wings.  So, he’s from hockey country.

As for O’Brien, he played on what you might call “injured reserve.”  It seems the 2010 “Player of the Year” in poker had wrist surgery recently.  Yeah right, Dan.  Who gets wrist surgery?  Me thinks the only thing O’Brien was shooting that day was a clear angle because at one point he was betting $1,000 a shot at 4-1 that he could make a goal from the opposite length of the ice.  Wrist surgery, my ass.  He even had a fake scar.

The worst hockey player was a much easier decision.  It was a four-way tie between Raymer, Moon, Dannenmann, and Ormson.  Poor Raymer, in particular, looked like a buffalo trapped out on a frozen lake.

 

Todd Anderson takes in the scene near center ice.  He’s the man at the center of things.

“Poker Night in America’s” founder and president, Todd Anderson held his own for a while.  But when the Minnesota native slapped a shot and then took a nasty fall to the ice, he fell out of contention for our mini-version of the Stanley Cup.  Were up to me, Chris Hansen, our show’s host who hails from North Dakota would get the top prize.

 

 

Chris Hansen, not to be confused with NBC’s Chris Hansen who busts the child predators, stands in goal.

As for me, I was really bad.  So bad, in fact, they threw me in the penalty box.  But I did get to body check Dannenmann into the glass once, which made the whole boards rattle around the ice.  It was well worth getting thrown in the box.

 

 

3.  Random Musing and Images (Miscellaneous Snapshots of Pittsburgh)

Here are some assorted photos I took while in Pittsburgh this past week.

 

 

The home of major league baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

 

I had no trouble sneaking into the baseball stadium.  It was a breeze compared to the Steelers’ home stadium.

 

 

I wonder who his favorite football team is?

 

 

Across the river from downtown Pittsburgh.

 

 

With Steve Dannenmann watching football at Jerome Bettis’ sports bar on Sunday.

 

 

This was the first time since 2009 that Joe Cada (center right) and Darvin Moon (center left) had faced each other at the same table, since their 1-2 finish in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.  Here they are walking along the three rivers en route to the casino.

 

Hey, I only dropped one “f-bomb” in today’s column.  Can I get out of the penalty box now?