An update of goings-on that reflect the continuing verve and vitality of the Strip District and Lawrenceville

Create Your Own Charcuterie with Penn Mac, Then Order a Yinz Burgh Gift Box

Penn Mac describes their special Charcuterie-Make-Your-Own package: “Enough for 10 to 12 people. We will include some tips on how to make a charcuterie; shipped in a styrofoam cooler box; store-to-car delivery will be in a Penn Mac picture gift box for gift giving.”

The package incudes 13 Items: 2 pkgs. (12 oz. each) of Beretta Antipasto Meats, sliced (black pepper salami, Italian dry salami, dry coppa, prosciutto) … 1/2-lb. pc. Auricchio provolone … 1/2-lb. pc. Salva Cremosa … 1/2-lb. pc. fresh Asiago D.O.C. … 8 oz. Ciliegine mozzarella … 9 oz. Nutra Figs … 6 oz. Bedillion infused honey … 8-oz. container fire-roasted tomatoes … 8-oz. container Sweety Pepps … 8-oz. container mixed olives … 2 pks. Bruschetta Crackers …1 pk. breadsticks.
Then there’s their Yinz Burgh Gift Box—shipped in a styrofoam cooler with a Penn Mac picture gift box.

The box incudes 13 Items: 2 pkgs. (1-lb. each) Isaly’s Chipped Chopped Ham … 16-oz. jar Isaly’s Original BBQ Sauce … 5-oz. bottle Pittsburgh Sports Sauce … 4-oz. container Pittsburgh Rub … 2 dozen Pierogies Plus potato/cheese pierogies … 12-oz. bottle Jagoff Barbeque Sauce … 5 lbs. Ricci’s hot sausage … 32-oz. jar Penn Mac’s Sweet Pepper Sauce … 25.5-oz. jar Oliverio medium/hot peppers in sauce … 2 pks. (3-pcs. each) Pittsburgh Rub’s Beef Sticks.

Everything from the Burgh! This will take you down memory lane!

All items originated in the Burgh, or can only be bought in the Burgh!Perfect gift for anyone who lived in Pittsburgh and misses home, and the foods they remember from their childhood.

Pennsylania Macaroni Co. (Penn Mac)
2010-12 Penn Ave. / 412-227-1982
pennmac.com
pennmac.com/items/9589//Best-Gift-Antipasto-Charcuterie
pennmac.com/items/4402//Yinz-Burgh-Gift-Box-Best

Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea’s New City Light Roast Coffee Collection

Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea has added a new line to their 200-plus coffee selection: the City Light Roast Collection. Currently, their collection of light roasted coffee beans includes Brazil Summer Solstice, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Mexican Chiapas, and Tanzania Peaberry, which offer intense fruity apricot and tangerine flavors, heavenly nutty pecan and hazelnut notes, and pristine floral tones.

If you love coffee, you might want to try light roasted beans for a refreshing and flavorful experience. These beans are roasted for a shorter time than darker ones, which preserves more of their natural characteristics and nuances. They also have more caffeine, antioxidants, and acidity than darker roasts, which can give you a boost of energy and health benefits. Light roasted coffee beans are ideal for brewing methods that highlight their delicate and complex flavors, such as pour-over, French press, or cold brew. And continue to check for upcoming additions to Prestogeorge’s ever-expanding City Light Roast Collection.

Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea
1719 Penn Ave. / 412-471-0133
prestogeorge.com

Bella Notte’s Crushable Pilsner

Bella Notte has begun serving its own Crushable Pilsner in addition to its many other beers on tap. They offer their house beer for $4.00 all day and every day. Their pizza slices are authentic-Italian and huge (and in the case of the Monster Slice, with plentiful toppings), and whole-pie varieties (eat in or take out) include Buffalo Chicken, Margarita, White, and Cheese … or choose from an impressive selection of Italian sandwiches. They’re open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Friday and Saturday until 9:00 p.m.). Stop in for a tossed pizza or wings and enjoy a cold one!

Belle Notte
1914 Penn Ave. / 412-281-4488
orderbellenotte.com

Lawrenceville Artists Event

What is billed as a Sixth Annual History Event is presenting a series of talks spotlighting such important Lawrenceville artists as Romare Bearden, Henry Bursztynowicz, Olive Turney, and Clarence Johns. The “Artists of Lawrenceville” program takes place at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church on that neighborhood’s 37th Street on September 17, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Melanie Groves, lecturer in museum studies at the University of Pittsburgh, will be discussing Romare Bearden, a painter who lived in Lawrenceville and depicted and celebrated everyday African-American life. Other lecturers are well-known painter Ron Donoughe and Gary Grimes, a local art historian who has lived in Pittsburgh since 1976. Admission is free.

Artists of Lawrenceville Event (Sept. 17)
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
237 37th St. / 412-621-2720

Allegheny Coffee & Tea’s Nitro Coffee on Tap, Self-Serve Barrels, and 40 Tea Varieties

Classics and rotating specials, including fresh-brewed coffee, specialty drinks, smoothies, micro-brewed draft coffee from six rotating taps, and seasonal favorites—these are always at Allegheny Coffee & Tea, which features more than 40 varieties of teas from all over the world (including loose and hand-bagged for brewing hot or iced). Their self-serve coffee barrels allow you to choose your flavor, variety, and amount, and grind it quickly and conveniently onsite. Gourmet coffees are available in these categories: Blends, Christmas, Flavored, Dark Roast, Decaf, Fair Trade, Fall Flavors, Honey Process, Light Roast, Medium Roast, Natural Process, Organic, Rainforest Certified, Shade Grown, and Single Origin.

Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange
2005 Penn Ave. / 412-471-5557
alleghenycoffee.com

Highlights of the Pittsburgh Opera’s Upcoming Season

Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, at the Benedum Center in October (photo [by Jeff Stout] courtesy Pittsburgh Opera and New Orleans Opera).

The Strip District is home to the Pittsburgh Opera, which mounts its productions at several venues, including the Benedum Center, and which has scheduled the new season’s operas. Over the next several months, opera lovers can enjoy superior productions of: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (October 14, 17, 20, 22, Benedum Center) … Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman (November 11, 14, 17, 19, Benedum Center) … Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride (January 20, 23, 26, 28, 2024, CAPA Theater) … Proving Up (February 17, 20, 23, 25, Bitz Opera Factory—“an American Dream is as fragile as glass for a family of Nebraska homesteaders in the 1870s”) … Verdi’s La Traviata (March 16, 19, 22, 24, Benedum Center) … The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (April 27, 30 and May 3, 5; Byham Theater).

Pittsburgh Opera
2425 Liberty Ave. / 412-281-0912
pittsburghopera.org

Pittsburgh Sports Medicine Innovations Exhibit at Heinz History Center’s Sports Museum

The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum in the Heinz History Center is currently presenting “Sport and the Body,” a new exbhibit which highlights Pittsburgh’s role in the fields of sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. The work of visionary Pittsburgh doctors such as Dr. Albert Ferguson and Dr. Freddie Fu built an international reputation in sports medicine that trained practitioners in every corner of the world in the innovative treatments and techniques developed locally. The exhibit explores advances in nutrition, hydration, prevention, treatment, and more. The long-term exhibit introduces the stories from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancers who demonstrate strength and stamina, and champion athletes who have built their bodies for success.

Exhibit highlights include: An arthroscope used by Dr. Freddie Fu, who innovated the surgery for ACL injuries … the shot put used by Knoch High School’s Jordan Geist to set state records … a weight bench used by the 1970s Super Bowl Steelers to train in the Red Bull Inn restaurant basement in Upper St. Clair … a Guardian Cap worn by Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson for preseason practice in 2022 … and interactive stations featuring touchable equipment, a “Make a Plate” nutrition activity, a ballet barre to practice “turnout” technique and positioning, and more.

The Heinz History Center / Sports Museum
1212 Smallman St. / 412-454-6000
heinzhistorycenter.org

New Owners Revitalize Pho Van

The Strip’s Pho Van Vietnamese Noodles & Grill has a new owner, and its family-run business is reaching new heights. Since Steve and his daughter have taken the reins, the crowds have been flocking to the restaurant every day. The menu has changed for the better and you won’t want to miss this delicious “experience”—which includes such exceptional dishes as Papaya Beef Jerky Salad; Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) of brisket, soft-shell crab, grilled pork, and more; Pad Thai; vermicelli buns; and many varieties of Pho (hot noodle broth with meats or seafood—or vegan). And for dessert there’s mango sticky rice, flan, and green tea ice cream!

Pho Van Vietnamese Noodles & Grill
2120 Penn Ave. / 412-281-7999
orderphovanpgh.com

Allegheny County Competes at 2023 National Marbles Tournament

For the 100th edition of the National Marbles Tournament, families from all over the country traveled to Wildwood, New Jersey, to watch 45 children ages 7 to 14 playing a total of 1,100 games. Heavy rains drove the tournament off the Wildwood beach and into the Wildwoods Convention Center. This was the first time since 2016 that “mibsters” (marble shooters) had to compete indoors. The Allegheny County contingent had difficulty with the changeover and failed to make the semi-final round. Tournament president Dan LaGamba (of Shaler Township) acknowledged that shooting indoors was “a little unconventional, so it can be a bit harder.” The eventual boys’ division champion, Isaiah Garcia, wasn’t bothered by the change of venue. As Isaiah told the Press of Atlantic City, “Some people think it’s harder to shoot inside, but I shot hard already, so it’s easier.”

Isaiah Garcia, 13, of Philadelphia, and Jessica Thompson, 14, of Middletown Valley, Maryland, were crowned the 2023 national champions of the National Marbles Tournament on Thursday, June 22. This was the first win for a Philadelphia boy since 1929.

National Marbles Tournament
Dan LaGamba (of Pittsburgh area), President
nationalmarblestournament.org
Lawrenceville Historical Society (Tom Powers)
lawrencevillehistoricalsociety.org