Pittsburgh Dish

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Doggie Doings

Local group seeks help

Four-legged dispatch:

Hello Bully is a Pitbull advocacy group serving the greater Pittsburgh area and beyond. We are a Non-Profit corporation registered with the state of Pennsylvania. Our 501c3 status is filed and pending with the IRS.

We support spay/neuter, responsible ownership, and education. In short, we believe that the “Pitbull problem” in not a problem with dogs, but a problem with humanity. Our “PITBULL 101” educational program is suitable for all ages and is available for your group or organization at no cost. Hello Bully also has a small network of foster families who work with us to rescue Pitbulls in need and assure that they are placed in responsible, loving homes. No breed is as misunderstood, abused, neglected or euthanized due to overbreeding. Pitbulls desperately need our help.

On Saturday, December 1st we will hold our Hello Bully Brunch & Boutique Benefit. We are looking for donations for our auction as well as vendors to table at our event and donate a portion of sales to our organization. This will be a great opportunity to promote your business at a time of the year when we are all looking for unique gifts for friends and fur-kids.

Thanks for all your support.

Please contact us on MySpace or email us at hello@hellobully.com if you can donate or participate.
Daisy
Hello Bully
www.hellobully.com

Hello Bully Brunch & Boutique Benefit
Saturday, December 1st, 2007
Noon - 3pm
The Creative Treehouse
517 Lincoln Ave. 2nd Floor
Bellevue, PA 15202

The Dish on Dish: Geno's Restaurant

Warm, delicious and friendly

by Michael Vivar

The night was frigid and the wind tunnel effect on Butler Street seemed to give me and Katie an extra shove through the door of Geno’s in Lawrenceville. We sidled up to the bar and joined the Dish Duo for a drink and to take in the surroundings. The bar area has a cozy “slump your shoulders” feel to it with a relaxing dim lighting scheme. After the rest of the party finished their various drinks and I a perfect martini (stirred so as to not bruise the flavor), we were led into the dining room, which was a bit jarring.  After getting used to a bar atmosphere, I was surprised to enter a lovely family-style dining area. I liked that this was a place where you could toss a few back after work and bring your family.

We sat in the midst of empty tables at first, but as another hour wore on, people began pouring in, greeting each other with familiarity, which lent an atmosphere of warm neighborhood dining. 

Katie and I started with what was advertised as a baked brie. We were expecting some batter dipped concoction drizzled with fruit sauce.  What we were presented, though, was much more savory. Thin wedges of brie were wrapped in ham slices and served on unleavened flatbread. The ham did an excellent job of keeping the gooey brie goodness together. Mr. and Mrs. Dish shared an order of fried calamari. We weren’t impressed with the looks of the serving at first as it appeared to be brown and overcooked. Upon biting into the morsels, we were duly impressed by its perfectly cooked flavor and texture. I suspect that it was cooked in moderately used oil, which provided the brown color, but this method infuses a stronger taste from the fried fabulousness that have gone in before. Also a hit was the tomato basil soup; a rich, complex mixture that left us a full yet wanting more.   

Having been told that the owner of the restaurant is a native New Englander, they opted for seafood dishes. Mrs. Dish had a shrimp scampi pasta. The pasta was nicely al dente and the pedigree of the owner did not disappoint as the shrimp tasted as if they’d been plucked from the nets that morning. Mr. Dish ordered a seafood medley over pasta.  The scallops were of the same high quality, but the mussels were a touch overdone and rubbery.

Katie had spaghetti with meatballs and sausage. It’s an excellent staple dish for one not feeling all that adventurous. When I ordered a rib-eye steak, I requested that it not be trimmed too much as I prefer a fatty cut. Lisa Giguere, our waitress and Geno's co-owner informed me that they never trim their steaks as “fat is love.” At this point I was entirely won over and the actual steak didn’t disappoint. It was cooked to my discerning and bloody standards with yummy fat glistening on its edges.

In all, it was a lovely experience that blunted all of our distaste for crossing the river.

Geno's Restaurant and Big Belly Deli. 5147 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, 412-781-3432

Milking it for all it’s worth

Local moo juice is udderly spectacular

Pennsylvania’s pretty big time in the dairy world, but pales in comparison to Wisconsin (says so right there on their license plates “America’s Dairyland”). So, when a local milk-maker makes the grade at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisc., Dish feels obligated to stop and smell the dairy air.

(Ed.: No further milk/diary puns will be forthcoming. Dish apologizes for letting it go this far. Also, Dish knows this piece is a bit pr-intensive, but we like local food and don’t mind honoring the people that produce it.)

Turner Dairy Farms of Penn Hills (estd. 1930) netted the coveted “First Place, White Milk” award, bestowed by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association at the annual Championship Dairy Products Contest, at this year’s expo. This is the third time in the past four years Turner achieved this distinction, based chiefly on taste, with other factors such as sediment, bacteria count (low=good), and packaging. Turners does not use milk from cows fed artificial growth hormones.

Turners buys milk only from farmers within a 75-mile radius of its Penn Hills hub and employs 150, mostly in the manufacturing and delivery departments. The dairy’s marketing coordinator, Nicholas Yon, says Turner Dairy prides itself on using local milk, local labor and in being committed to the value of eating and drinking locally-produced food.

“We continue to try and educate anyone who will listen about the importance of supporting local agriculture and local farms,” he said. “Being able to literally shake the hand of the farmer whose lettuce or tomatoes or milk you’re consuming is an extremely powerful act.”

Fighting the cold

Animal Friends' free straw program heats up

Four-legged dispatch:

Animal Friends is helping to keep companion animals warm and dry this winter with an annual Winter Straw Drop. Beginning November 10 and continuing through the month of January, Animal Friends is offering free bundles of straw to anyone who owns or cares for outdoor pets. Straw delivery is also available for those without transportation or are unable to pick up the straw from Animal Friends' Camp Horne Road location. Interested individuals should call (412) 847-7066 to reserve a bundle. Every request will be answered. Because blankets, towels and pillows will only get wet and freeze, straw is the best insulation against the cold and wet winter.

Animal Friends encourages pet owners to make their pets part of the family and keep them inside the home. Dogs, cats and rabbits are social animals, and just like humans, they get bored, lonely and depressed without interaction and companionship. However, recognizing the reality that many pets do live outside, Animal Friends urges those pet owners to obey the law by ensuring that outdoor pets have access to proper food and warm, dry shelters. A car mat or rug should be used as a flap over a doghouse door to keep the inside free of wind, snow and rain. Extra care must also be taken to provide drinkable water and extra food at all times during freezing temperatures.

Frequently check your pet's paws, ears and tail for signs of frostbite, a very common occurrence. If you suspect frostbite, your dog or cat will need to see a veterinarian immediately. Check your dog's chain often to make sure it is not frozen to the ground or tangled. A tangled, too-short chain can cost your pet his or her life in bad weather.

Animal Friends is located at 562 Camp Horne Road in the North Hills, just .5 miles west of Exit 15 off I-279. For more information, call Animal Friends at 412.847.7000 or visit www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

Photo: Cora the Love Piggy and Dish Puplisher Shirley the Docile bundle up on the coldest day in Dish history.

Hey, asshat, that’s my Bobcat

Local moron swipes construction device

Photos by Frank Kownacki

A Skid Loader Super Boom Turbo construction device, commonly known as a Bobcat, was absconded with from the site of a Mexican War Streets home construction project. The Bobcat, which can be used in the manner of a front loader or forklift, was misappropriated around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The thief didn’t get very far very fast. Despite the fancy, powerful-sounding name, the Bobcat’s (or, rather, the Skid Loader Super Boom Turbo’s) peak speed is approximately 5 m.p.h.

Upon discovering that his Bobcat has been removed without authorization, the equipment’s owner hopped into his pickup truck, found the Bobcat as it was being driven away, and called 911. He was told nothing could be done to assist him in the recovery of the Bobcat. “But it’s a $30,000 piece of equipment,” he responded. The dispatcher was not swayed.

He called the state police, still pursuing the Bobcat thief. Not their jurisdiction, he was told. State police connected him with a police station in Squirrel Hill. The dispatcher told him that though amusing (in an O.J. Simpson/Al Cowlings/White Ford Bronco sort of way), the situation could not be remedied by officers at his station.

Finally, after minutes of not-so-hot pursuit up Perrysville Avenue, the owner and friend located police vehicles near the Woods Run library branch. The law enforcement officers, notified of the crime in progress, sprung into action, surrounding the misused construction equipment and its driver. The driver and a companion were then arrested. The Bobcat was recovered and put back to work.

Photo: The Bobcat in happier times. Man in photo not said moron.

Election wrap-up

Two more years of Ravenstahl

Luke Ravenstahl won. He will be mayor for two more years.

Illustration by Karl Huber

Stillers v. Nevermores

Stellar defenses on tap tonight

by Jody DiPerna

We’ll find out just how good Mike Tomlin’s Steelers really are when they host the Ravens tonight, which won’t be as easy as last Sunday because that orange and black roadkill you see in the rearview? That there is a train wreck of a football team.

Still, Ray Lewis’ presence on the North Side shouldn’t inflate the heinous amount of gunplay we’ve witnessed in the last six months (reference video below), but I am in hiding for fear of a potential shiving. (Is shiv a verb? Or do you use a shiv (n.) to shank (v.) a potential victim? These are the things I need to know.)

The point is, as much as the Ravens may miss Adalius Thomas, this defense is still ferocious and it wasn’t Thomas, but Bart Scott who hit Ben Roethlisberger so violently I felt pain in my own spleen. Looking at Roethlisberger lying on the Baltimore turf during that 27-0 drubbing, I thought he might actually be dead.

In tonight’s meeting of the defenses currently ranked one and two in the NFL, maybe the Steelers give the Ravens a little taste of their own medicine. You know, what’s good for the goose, is good for the largest species of passerine birds.

I'm not much of a numbers cruncher most of the time, but if the Pats-Colts can be billed as Super Bowl XLI ½ (the dumbest thing I've heard since, well, since somebody gave Paris Hilton a TV show), it’s worth seeing if we I can tease anything out of the stats for tonight’s match up.

The defenses are both stellar. The Steelers and Ravens are one and two, giving up an average of 257 and 268 yards per game, respectively. Teams have attempted 30 more running plays against the Ravens than Steelers opponents, which is just stupid, because while the Steelers yield just 3.8 yards per attempt, the Ravens have been even stingier, giving up just 2.9 yards per attempt.

The Steelers have caused ball carriers to drop, mishandle or otherwise, you know, fumble the ball, 12 times, six of which have been recovered by the Steelers. (Although I think probably five of those were attributable to Charlie Frye, thus throwing off the stats.) Baltimore has caused just five fumbles and recovered three. But still, it's pretty likely that it'll be tough sledding for both Willie Parker and Willis McGahee. Glad I could help get that bit of obviousness out of the way.

Add to that, neither team has shown a propensity to self-immolate on defense. The Steelers have drawn the fewest defensive penalties in the league, with just 26 flags for 201 yards; the Ravens have only been flagged 33 times this year, so they won't be of much help to Ben & Co. much, either.

As to the passing games, one team starts a guy who ranks 4th in the NFL in passer rating behind a couple of guys I never heard of and Jacksonville's David Garrard. The Ravens injury report lists Airless McNair as probable, and he ranks 19th in the league; back up and former first round draft pick, Kyle Boller, ranks 23rd in the league. So there's that. Even with defensive backfield injuries (Bryant McFadden will be running on a bum ankle and Ryan Clark is out), that looks like a huge advantage to the Steelers.

But ... every time I think about Ben dropping back to pass, I think about Bart Scott and honestly, my spleen hurts just thinking about it. The Steelers converted only three of 26 third downs in the two Baltimore smack downs in 2006. I know it’s a new year and Roethlisberger is playing better, but the line isn’t. Add to that, Carey Davis is not the blocking back that Dan Kreider is and Kreider’s gonna go on a bum ankle.
In short, the Ravens D still scares me.

How can the Steelers overcome a defense which has allowed the fewest first downs in the NFL (94) and the fewest via the air (59), [only one-third of the third downs they’ve faced]?

Roethlisberger is back to his old tricks of shaking off and stiff-arming defenders, running around to buy time, and probably even holding on to the ball a little too long from time to time, confident in his abilities to make a play down field. He probably won’t have much time tonight, even with his own physical gifts. The best way to beat the Nevermores is to hit quick, short passes over the middle. Which should mean that Matt Spaeth and Heath Miller have huge games. If Miller doesn’t have five catches in the first half, start to fret. It’s their best hope to keep Roethlisberger upright.

But maybe there’s another advantage. The Steelers cut Ricardo Colclough after the Bengals game (and I'll just let that speak for itself.) With Ravens regular return B.J. Sams on IR, maybe the real advantage will be to the Steelers newly revamped special teams?

Weather or Not

Got Mittens?

By Kevin Cei

Monday: Enjoy the rain today, because it's not snow. High 55, low 35.
Tuesday: That's not pollen, its a flurry of snow. High 44, low 31.
Wednesday: Freaking freezing. A little snow. A little rain. Just a terrible day. High 40, low 27.
Thursday: More rain, a little snow, this is one shitty week. High 45, low 30.
Friday: Another crappy Friday? Oh, yes, right now it's looking like more rain with a little snow. High 45, low 30.

Photo by Flint Knits

Neighbors walk for peace

Story and photos by Frank Kownacki

Click images for larger views

Call it All Souls Day or Dia De Los Muertos, either way this past Friday was a time set aside to remember those who were killed by gunfire over the last year. With this in mind the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church held their annual candle light vigil through the Mexican War Streets. Led by bagpipes and escorted by a Police cruiser, the procession of about 35 made its way to various sites of violence to lay flowers, most infamous of which was the July 23rd murder of Trevor Greer.

The procession, which grew in size as it moved through the neighborhood, ended with prayers for the dead and a hope for an end to violence that has plagued our city.