Pittsburgh Dish

Nuisance bar now cafe

Celebrate a North Side success story

Click image for larger view

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, New Hope for Neighborhood Renewal will celebrate the transformation, community-building and reclamation of a neighborhood at the grand opening of New Hope’s Cafe ‘n’ Creamery in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s Northside, 2700 Shadeland Avenue.

Open to the public, the kick-off and ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. The event will feature special guests and freshments, including Zelienople-based Beecher’s house-roasted coffees and homemade gelato. The Cafe ‘n’ Creamery is one of several social enterprises the Social Innovation Accelerator is assisting.

The family-friendly Cafe ‘n’ Creamery is housed in a former nuisance bar in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood and was purchased by New Hope Church in early 2007. New Hope for Neighborhood Renewal, the church’s development arm, spent the last year redeveloping the space creating both a cafe and community gathering space for the neighborhood. Featured performers, artisans and musicians will provide entertainment and a family-centered environment year-round. In addition to serving specialty coffee drinks, gelato, and homemade baked goods, the cafe will serve as a job readiness-training program for teens in the community.

For more information please contact Accelerator’s special events director Katherine Harrell at 412-325-2202.

Potluck poetry & art

Bring a dish, dig some art

Dispatch from Beleza Community Coffeehouse in the Mexican War Streets:

This coming Friday, April 4th at 6:30 p.m., we will have our next art opening potluck:

Chronicles: Collages by Richard Schnap

Schnap's simple, thoughtful collages are sometimes social commentary, sometimes simply intriguing. Browse his work here. Come this Friday with food, family and friends to see some new art!

"I use surrealist and pop methodologies to create what I feel are like stills from imaginary films where viewers are encouraged to create their own impressions from the works ranging from the specific to the abstract," said Schnap.

Also, come this week to Beleza to experience a poetry BLITZ! April is National Poetry Month and thus, Beleza has poems covering her walls, tables and trash cans. Stop in and read your heart out.

For more information on our events, go to our website belezacoffee.com

The Dish on Dish: Hoi Polloi

A Joy

by Emilia Boehm

So, by now you’ve probably driven by or hopefully even visited the newest legitimate business in Allegheny City, the lovely vegetarian café/coffeehouse that is Hoi Polloi, owned by Jessica Burgan and Sandra Telep (pictured). You should have at least read the earlier Dish coverage on the Hoi, but if you haven’t done any of these things, here’s your motivation, slackers.

Should you be as linguistically challenged as the taller half of these sometime Dish correspondents, you’ll need to know that “Hoi Polloi” means “common people,” and is indeed Latin and not some branch of Pacific Islander speak. (Sounds like it could be, though, right?) This is relevant because Hoi Polloi has a friendly, comforting vibe in a relaxed setting—a welcoming spot for the “common people,” and all the rest of us North Side rabble. It’s the kind of place you can grab a coffee and a snack and veg out for a bit.

Hoi Polloi’s small menu consists of simple, familiar dishes made with quality ingredients. And the fare is—gasp—vegetarian. This of course thrills the shorter correspondent, who, while a recovering vegetarian, continues to be quite fond of meatless meals. As a dedicated carnivore, I was considerably skeptical, but have been repeatedly and pleasantly surprised. On a number of trips to the Hoi, we’ve enjoyed tasty treats such as grilled cheese sammiches, tomato and mozzarella quesadillas, and vegetarian chili (one neighbor mentioned it was the best veggie chili they've ever tasted). The mango wrap is a favorite, filled with scrumptious fresh mango and red onion salsa, black beans and rice. Daily specials and soups of the day spice up the menu; the corn and zucchini soup was smooth, fresh, and not ruined by an overactive salt shaker.

Should you find yourself at the Hoi in a more breakfasty mood, you’ll find the classics: bagels, muffins, oatmeal, bottled juices and smoothies. We shared a lovely yogurt parfait, for which we were given our choice of fresh fruit (we chose blueberries and red pear) served over a slightly sweetened plain yogurt and a dried stone fruit laced granola. The grilled Nutella left the shorter smiling through the smathering of creamy Nutella topped with sliced banana, served open-faced on chewy, toasted farm bread. The coffee and espresso from fair-trade, organic Dean’s Beans in Massachusetts are strong yet non-acidic and can be made into the standard assortment of caffeinated beverages.

Perhaps the most soothing feature of the Hoi is the prices – almost everything on the menu can be acquired for less than $5, with only the salads drifting slightly above the head of Mr. Lincoln.

If you’re looking for large quantities, head to Eat’n Park. If you want fancy, reserve a table at Lamont. But if you’re looking for foodstuffs that are affordable, light and healthy, Hoi Polloi is your woman.

Hoi Polloi
1100 Galveston (corner of W. North), North Side

Mon.-Thurs: 6 a.m. - 9 pm.; Fri: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat: 7 a.m. -10 p.m.; Sun.: 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Scoop du Jour: Beleza & the Benedum

Art, food on stage

ART OPENING POTLUCK for Assemblages, this Friday, Jan. 18 from 6:30 to 10p.m. at Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista, North Side, 412-321-4210).

Assemblages will feature works from our neighborhood's very own Nathan Nissim, an avid collector-turned-artist who creates unique and often humorous assemblages from anything and everything. For those unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia explains that "Assemblage is an artistic process in which a three-dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects. Assemblage is the 3-dimensional cousin of collage." These pieces combine new and old, tacky and beautiful, strange and common; ultimately composing intriguing little works of art.

Bring food, friends and family and check out some great local art!

Read about Nissim here and here.

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Muriel’s restaurant (856 Western Ave., Allegheny West, 412-322-0476) will host their first Dinner & Theater event on Wednesday, Jan. 30, for "The Lion King" at the Benedum.
This package is less than the cost of an individual ticket. Check out the seating chart.

$125.00 per ticket will include:
1. Ticket to the show.
2. House salad
3. Choice of any entrée on the menu.
4. Coffee/tea Service.
5. No corkage fee.
6. Limousine to the Benedum
7. Pick Up after the show.
8. Coffee and dessert at Muriel's après theater.
9. All taxes and gratuities

The following seats are available…….
EE 21, 23(Sold)
FF 21, 23 (Sold)
H 101 (Sold), 102 (Sold), 103 (Sold), 104 (Sold), 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110
M 113, 114, 115,116
P 115, 116

The tickets for this event must be pre-paid by cash or credit card when they are ordered. Muriel's will accept your phone order. Send Muriel’s an email with your phone number if interested.

Also, Muriel's delivers lunch to several North Side neighborhoods. Visit their website for details.

A new bean in town

Peet's perks Pittsburgh

The coffee Mr. Dish is consuming costs $50 a pound. It is excellent. Mr. Dish is much, much swanker than you.

"Swanker?" you say. "Perhaps. But this Dish fellow is not smarter. Who the hell would pay that kind of scratch for coffee."

Au contraire mon frere. Mr. Dish didn't pay a dime for the half pound of Peet's Panama Esmeralda Geisha he brewed this morn'. He and the missus had been invited to the Strip District's Eleven by Peet's people for a "cupping" at which many fine coffees were paired with three Eleven-produced desserts (chocolate-caramel candy bar, banana cream pie, and blackberry tart, all divine).

To curry favor, the Peet's rep sent the Dishes home with 8 ounces of the Esmeralda Geisha and another 12 ounces of Peet's Sumatra. It worked. Dish is that cheap. (Also we really liked the coffee.)

So why were Peet's "coffee educator" Erica Hess and Big Burrito (institutional papa of Eleven) corporate chef Bill Fuller being so nice to the Dishes? Well, as regards Fuller, he loves Peet's coffee and is a regular mail-order client. Hess was there to herald Peet's arrival in the Pittsburgh market.

The California-based coffee roaster opens few of its coffee shops outside the west coast. Peet's freaks only option was to mail order their beans. In the last month, Peet's has arranged to sell its delicious beans in the region's Giant Eagle supermarkets.

Here's the rundown on the three coffees Dish tasted at Eleven.

* The Panama Esmeralda Geisha. Strong but clear flavor with citrus tones. Very fragrant.

* The Sumatra. Mighty.

* The Major Dickason's blend. Flavorful yet mellow. Kinda soothing, actually.

So, the Geisha was spectacular, alright. But why so expensive? Well, the beans are grown in one tiny area high in the Boquete region of Panama, so there's not much of it. When coffee roasters came across the stuff, they found it amazing. In 2007, only 215 50-pound sacks of the stuff were produced. Peet's got 50 of them.

One of the things that makes Peet's Peet's is that they roast no coffee before its time. Their fancy new Bay Area roasting plant receives orders, roasts the requested batches and sends them out the same day. Roasted coffee is not warehoused by Peet's. For this reason, Hess used the word "fresh" no fewer than 1,382 times during Dish's tasting.

Founder Alfred Peet, the "grandfather of specialty coffee" who died in August, would have it no other way. Peet tutored Starbucks in the early 70s and the Seattle owners considered themselves kindred spirits with Grandpa. Now the two chains are considered rivals, even though Peet's focus is retail, not coffee bars.

High quality + limited availability = costly. Simple, right?

Dish, as impressed as we are with Peet's, had to inform Hess that we must remain loyal to our local shop, Beleza. Dish can only be rented. It cannot be bought.

For more on Peets, go to www.peets.com

Caffeinated Samaritans

Something good on the North Side

Last Sunday, while most Pittsburghers were gritting their teeth during the Steelers game, an employee at Beleza Community Coffeehouse took a bite out of crime.

At around 5 p.m. two thieves snatched up a laptop belonging to a customer who was sitting at an outdoor table. The customer stepped inside to use the restroom and left the computer unattended. The culprits ran off with the computer, a purse and a bag and headed toward Sampsonia Way.

Beleza’s Garret Cassidy, the victim and another customer chased the bandits and cornered them near Sampsonia and Buena Vista.

“It was beautiful,” said Lee Hodsoll, the neighborhood’s Zelig for North Side crimes. “I saw the whole thing go down and thought ‘with all the shootings lately, these kids weren’t afraid to chase after them.’”

The good Samaritans not only retrieved the stolen items, they also made the culprits lift their shirts to see if they had stolen anything else.

Cops arrested the thieves minutes later a few blocks away.

Karl's Krap for sale

Pastel lunacy available for purchase

Photos by Frank Kownacki. Click photos for larger view.

The artwork of Dish cartoonist Karl Huber is on display at Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista, North Side, 412-321-4210) until the first or second week of June. A potluck closing reception will be held on Sunday, June 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The public is invited to bring food and drink to share. You'll get to meet Karl and hug him. He likes that. Can't you tell from his drawings?

For further info, contact Kimberly at Beleza kwalkenhorst@gmail.com

Beleza will be open on Memorial Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Scoop du Jour: Caffeine & Cupcakes

The best cupcake: Dozen? CoCo? No. No.

Also: North Side Coffeehouses

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Amani International Coffeehouse & Café (507 Foreland St., North Side, 412-537-5510) is hosting "Midnight Moods Cafe" from 9 p.m. to midnight this Friday featuring Tony Campbell (saxaphonist) & Friends. Complimentary wine for the first hour; entertainment begins at 10; $5 cover. On Monday, April 30, meet candidates running for office: Robin Miller (City Council); Cathy Bubash (Judge); Heather Arnet (School Board); Joe Williams (Judge). Call for start time.

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Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista, North Side, 412-321-4210) has introduced a Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Any latte is now $1 cheaper. But the coffee and good company are always rich. Try their cinnamon buns (pictured above).

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Last December, the press slobbered over the cupcake craze that iced Pittsburgh. Dozen Cupcakes (pictured left) in Squirrel Hill and CoCo's Cupcake Café in Shadyside became the Ali/Fraizer fight of frosting. Who had the better selection, the creamier frosting? It all became very tiresome, especially since there are other cupcakes in the Burgh that are far more toothsome.

If you haven't yet, try the cupcakes from Food Glorious Food (5906 Bryant St, Highland Park, 412-363-5330) and you might be less enchanted by The Big Two. Sold only on Saturdays at their little bakery, these cupcakes are extremely moist and, unlike Dozen’s, the buttercream frosting actually tastes like buttercream, not just sugar. Inside is a velvety injection of vanilla buttercream that flows like warm caramel. FGF’s bakery opens at 10 a.m. and offers all sorts of tarts, cakes, and yummy French- sounding desserts. They also sell kitchen items, offer cooking classes and cater. Call to make sure cupcakes are available.

Marching forth?

Progress reported on North Side nuisance bar

Things are finally moving forward on the demise of the bullet-riddled Manitka bar at 1410 Monterey in the Mexican War Streets. Sources say that an architecture firm has been hired to help birth a purposed café and bookstore and that firm’s lackeys have been seen taking measurements.

Susan Meadowcroft, the Howard Hanna realtor who brokered the deal, is now an agent at Coldwell Banker. No word yet on who will represent the property. Sources say despite the glitch, progress will be visible by summer.

Owner Henry Reese intends to transform the Mantika into a cafe with a liquor license and outdoor seating. He also plans to renovate the neighboring house at 1406 Monterey (1408 Monterey is a vacant lot that will accommodate the cafe's outdoor seating) into a bookstore. Apartments and office space are planned above these businesses.

Neighbors have been on pins and needles since last July, when the sale of the troubled bar was announced. Since then there have been numerous incidents inside or on the sidewalk involving the police, most recently a stabbing on February 21.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Amani Cafe wraps neighborhood in warm embrace

Inside Terra Jones' new North Side coffeehouse

Pittsburgh native Terra Jones stands behind the counter of her recently opened East Allegheny coffeehouse with pride, enthusiasm and a smile to match.

The University of Pittsburgh grad has created a neighborhood gathering place in East Allegheny that is comfy and warm and lives up to her motto: "Uniting cultures with one cup." Amani which means “peace” in Swahili, draws all ages and races, not just the typical hipster looking for free wireless.

The coffeeshouse, located a block from East Ohio Street, is tucked into a neighborhood in desperate need of a meeting place where you can relax with friends over coffee, tinker on your computer or grab a salad and read the paper. With a gallery space adjacent to the cafe, it's roomy enough to accommodate larger groups but without the feel of a cavernous Starbucks. Revolving art exhibits and live jazz are in the works for the larger space.

Amani offers fair trade coffee, teas and a menu that includes soups, salads and wraps.

Jones, with assistance from the Northside Community Development Fund, has the focus and drive needed for a small business. She's created a hip place out of an empty space that most developers might overlook.

She has every reason to smile. As will you.

Try the Grilled Chicken Caesar wrap!

Amani International Coffeehouse & Café, 507 Foreland St., North Side, 412-537-5510

Happy Birthday Beleza

Come celebrate the first anniversary of the caffeination of the North Side. Beleza Community Coffehouse is one year old tomorrow and to celebrate they'll be giving away free coffee (check your mail slot for  coupon) and all sorts of fun activities are planned. 

Beleza Community Coffeehouse, 1501 Buena Vista, 412-321-4210

Mon-Thur. 6:30am-8:00pm; Fri 6:30am-10 pm; Saturday 8:00am-10:00pm; Sunday 8:00am-6:00pm

Amen: Amani Coffeehouse & Cafe opens Monday

Cool beans.

Allegheny East’s newest coffee shop and café will open Monday, Nov. 6 at 6 a.m. Owner Terra Jones is excited to finally fling open her door and beckon in her North Side neighbors and hungry AGH employees.

I’ve been on the go for so long,” laughed Jones, “I’m thrilled that it’s finally here.”

Amani International Coffeehouse & Café hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature fair trade coffee, teas, Italian sodas and a menu that includes soups, salads, panini and wraps.

Amani International Coffeehouse & Café

507 Foreland St., North Side, 412-537-5510

North Side coffee pots working overtime this weekend

Threaten to strike.

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista St., North Side) will be closed until Monday, while its proprietors attend an out-of-town wedding. You'll have to wait til then to melt over one of their hot cinnamon buns. In the meantime, word of is that ALF-CIO organizers are planning to meet with the Central North Side's Mr. Coffees and their percolating, drip brewing kin in an effort to spare them the extra work Beleza's temporary closing will entail. One Cuisinart model with a built in grinder and water filtration system was overheard singing a medley of "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night," "The Internationale," and "There is Power in a Union."

The Dish on Dish: The Vault Coffee & Tea Bar

Steam of consciousness.

by Michael Vivar

Author’s note: I understand the following may seem a bit touched. I seem to be suffering from the croup or consumption. While it was my intention to nurse myself back to health, the lashings (both verbal and literal) from Miss Pitt were too much to bear. So, readers, this is how my mind works when I feel like I have Welsh people living in my head.

Coffee: proof that in their infinite wisdom, the gods enjoy balance in the Universe. They torment us with “7:30 Monday morning,” but they also provide an invaluable tool to for dealing with this abominable trial. Like anything divine subject to the machinations of mortals, coffee can be butchered in a fashion that will make a weekday morning feel more disastrous than the fall of Lucifer. Fortunately, The Vault in Brighton Heights is not one such betrayer of the bean.

Though the façade unassumingly peeks out into California Avenue, its large proportions and high ceilings give away the location’s former pedigree as a bank. Normally, the vivid reds and blacks used to color the café would be tantamount to physical assault on a groggy morning, but the space is suited to the palette. The clientele is divided quite evenly between school children getting their first taste of caffeine addiction, locals coming in for their morning cup, and those taking advantage of free wi-fi to show off their spiffy laptops.

I ordered a multi-grain bagel. Being a native New Yorker, I tend to be a bit snobbish when it comes to bagels (oh hell, I’m snobbish about a whole mess of things). This one was quite good, being crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. I asked the coffee slinger behind the counter from whence this bagel came, but he didn’t know. I do not trust this fellow. His prompt service and affable demeanor confuse my pre-conceived notion of what a barista is. I suspect he is some sort of DeBeers of bagels. How manychildren have lost their sight and the use of their limbs in his nefarious bagel mines? Maybe Madonna will adopt one of them. I also had the Chai, which they make from scratch. Do they have a venerable Indian man sitting in a back room carefully meting out the spices? Though I enjoyed my tea, I need to find this man and tell him that I prefer a little more ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg to ward off the chill of this damned weather and sickness.

Katie, not being too adventurous in the morning, had the house blend, which is darker than most coffees. It is, though, smooth and doesn’t have the burned flavor you find in darker roasts. She also had a homemade raspberry scone that was still warm. Its flavor gently took the hand of the coffee’s and they skipped pleasantly down the country lane of our taste buds. Skipping, skipping, skipping.

Bow not to the false prophets as Starbucks and Caribou Coffee. They preach a corrupt gospel with their over-caffeinated swill. Come to The Vault and ward off the morning demons with dreamy steamy drinks, good food and a venue where you're not accosted by bears. Look, they have a MySpace page Add them as your friend. The more friends you have on MySpace the more complete you will be.

The Vault Coffee & Tea Bar, 3619 California Ave., Brighton Heights, 412-734-1935

Page one photo: Steve Mellon, for the Post-Gazette

New coffeehouse & cafe opening on the North Side

East Allegheny neighborhood boasts caffeinated meeting place.

A construction crew rattled away inside 507 Foreland Street in East Allegheny this morning. Later this month their handiwork will be unveiled at the grand opening of new coffeehouse.

Former Starbucks employee Terra Jones enlisted the help from the Northside Community Development Fund to set into motion Amani Coffeehouse & Cafe. Amani, which means peace in Swahili, will offer fair-trade coffee, teas, soups, salads, smoothies and Italian sodas. Steps away from Allegheny General Hospital, the coffeehouse is sure to draw plenty of foot traffic and parking is available in an adjacent lot.

North Side no longer caffeine free, grouchy

Long-awaited coffeehouse opens tomorrow.

Lines of jittery residents are expected to form outside Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista St., North Side) hours before their 8 p.m. opening tomorrow night (UPDATE: Actually, it opened at 8 a.m., contrary to what was written in a Beleza email forwarded to Dish. Sorry for any confusion). Even if you don't reside on the North Side of Pittsburgh, imagine not having a take-out coffee/breakfast joint for miles. It's uncivilized.

But no more. The little peacenik coffee shop, located on the corner of Buena Vista and Jacksonia street in the Mexican Streets neighborhood, will offer Peace Coffee, Rishi Tea, Jones Soda, Sabio Springs Water and juices. They will also serve goodies from local bakers, bagels, toast and fresh fruit.

Business hours will be 6 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays; 8a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.

North Side residents thank you from the bottom of their empty cups. Welcome.

The Little Deli debuts on the North Side

Dean Zotis is a little worried. About three weeks ago he opened a (much needed) deli just off Western Avenue and business has been slow. His renovations took months but the pay-off is worth the elbow grease and expense. And his timing couldn't have been meatier.

Zotis has opened a squeaky clean take-out deli with an impressive selection of lunch meats, cheeses, breakfast items and sandwiches (Reubens, folks!). Many of the side items have a Greek flair: stuffed grape leaves, marinated Kalamata olives, Pita Land meat & spinach pies. The menu boasts deviled crabs and industry standard deli items such as coleslaw, macaroni salad and spicy wings.

"I listen to what customers want," said Zotis. "They say 'what about this' and I try to provide it. That's why I got the biscotti." He also brews fresh coffee and cappuccino.

But business is measured up to Zoti's expectations. However, a city plan announced in today's Post-Gazette may alleviate Zotis's concerns.

Reporter Rich Lord reports:

Efforts to create a business improvement district for a two-block area of Western Avenue got a boost from Pittsburgh City Council.

Council on Wednesday tentatively approved the transfer of $1.29 million among various Urban Redevelopment Authority programs. Among other things, the transfers allow the URA to commit $500,000 to Western Avenue improvements between Brighton Road and Allegheny Avenue in Allegheny West.

Business owners in the district would partially match public funding by assessing themselves a special tax, as Downtown businesses currently do.

The combined funds would support improvements in the streetscape, curbs and lighting, said John Canning, a North Side historian who supports the designation.

The funding shifts also move money from an under-utilized loan program for assisting businesses with equipment purchases, to a more popular program that backs commercial real estate transactions, said Robert Rubinstein, the URA's director of business development. The real estate purchase loan program, known as the Urban Development Fund, makes loans ranging from $25,000 to $250,000.

A final vote could come Tuesday.

In the meantime, Zotis shouldn't fret so much. Once the word gets out, North Siders should flock. Finding a good neighborhood deli is as rare as good roast beef.

The Little Deli

910 Galveston Ave., (near the Modern Cafe) North Side, 412-231-2678

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Open for Steelers home games.

Bra Rah Rah: The fat lady ain't singin'...yet

"From error to error, one discovers the entire truth." - Sigmund Freud.

by Jodi DiPerna, sports editor

Did you ever have one of those thoughts that you try to push away, but you just can't shake; a  thought so awful in it's totality that you cannot let it fully bloom? Yet this same thought just won't stop nagging and keeps knocking at the back of your brain incessantly? It's the kind of thought that you try to suppress or at the very least sublimate. My therapist girlfriend would say those are the kinds of thoughts you have to give voice to, that you have to face in order to deal with them, or they will consume you. Me, I'm much more a fan of ignoring them and having a Guinness.

But I have this thought that just won't go away. About midway through the first quarter on Thursday, just as I was saying, "Cowher ought to check his offense for a pulse," wham the thought was there. And I pushed it away because it's so grotesque, so horrifying in nature, that I could not face it. But it keeps yelling to be recognized, demanding my attention, demanding to be heard. And this horrible thought can be summed up in two words: Kordell. Stewart.

For the past two weeks, Ben Roethlisberger has played like Kordell Stewart. And I don't merely mean that he's put up Kordell like stats, which he has, but more frighteningly, he's actually looked like him out there. Either that, or he's imitating Steve Martin's "Happy Feet" dance from the 1970's, because I haven't seen Ben set his feet once in the last two preseason games.

I was reminded of the 2002 season when Cowher benched Kordell midway through the Cleveland game and Tommy Maddox engineered a comeback which won him the starting job for the remainder of the season. Aside from falling instantly, madly, insanely in love with Tommy Maddox (yes I fell and I fell hard, I'm afraid) I remember Tunch Ilkin talking about the difference in the mechanics between Tommy and Kordell. Now, let's face it, Tommy doesn't have half of the physical ability that a player like Kordell Stewart has. He's not fast, nor is he particularly strong. He does have a good arm, but otherwise, on the field of play, nobody would argue that he's a better athlete than either Ben or Kordell. Hell, he's got chicken legs.

But Tunch kept talking about Tommy's footwork. And for the layperson, such as myself, it's hard to remember that there are fundamentals to playing the game at every level that even the pros might forget. Most passing plays are designed as 3 step drops or 5 step drops or 7 step drops. Tommy's footwork is as precise as Nijinsky. One-Two-Three, boom the ball is released; one-two-three-four-five, zip, the ball is out of there. Moreover, he often throws to the spot on the field where his receiver supposed to be even before the wide out makes his cut.

Now before you all start calling for my head, or at the very least, calling me a Cassandra, let me say that in spite of the first play on offense which included Ben holding on to the ball too long and dropping a dying quail just beyond the line of scrimmage just before getting drilled from behind, the words "quarterback controversy" never entered my mind.

And to be even clearer on this, I believe Ben is both talented enough and smart enough to play his way through this and to come out the other side a better, more complete quarterback.

But it does make one wonder, doesn't it? Given that I've seen this on numerous occasions from Steelers QB's - the Steve Martin happy feet that is, it makes me wonder if it's a problem with the Cowher coaching staff. I mean, Kordell lit the league on fire his first year as a starter and then, feh. Ben looks frighteningly tentative and like he's thinking too much. He's skittish. He holds on to the ball so long. Ben's got a problem with his trigger finger. And by that I mean, he seems to be unable to pull the trigger. So is the problem Whipple? Whisenhut? Cowher? Or is it simply growing pains?

I'm sure a game plan will help tremendously. None other than Ben himself has said so. And I'm wondering if Whisenhut and Cowher will just let him run, run, run and run some more. There's nothing wrong with a QB as young and physically gifted as Ben running, although he will eventually have to learn better timing and integrate more of the passing offense. No, he's not as electric as Mike Vick, but he is just as effective running the ball, I think. And if it worked for Steve Young and John Elway, it can work here.

Also, the O Line has got to get him a second longer without the pocket collapsing. Alan Faneca even missed a block on Thursday, but I don't expect to see that again this decade.

So, with all those concerns, and probably a few more, I'm looking forward to my game day routine this Sunday. Up about 9:30, coffee and the Sports Reporters at 10:00. Then ready the game day fete and spend a little quality time with the New York Times crossword puzzle. There is comfort in routine. Which makes me oddly confident all this will work itself out. Or not.

I Said Decaf

Apparently Aldo Coffee Company in Mount Lebanon was mistaken for a cave in Tora Bora.

Witness the rather sizable military truck armed with a rather sizable chunk of weaponry. Turn that turret around 180 degrees and, well, there's no longer much of a need to grind coffee beans. Dish is told that the truck was part of an antique car show on Washington Road last weekend.

The offices of Pittsburgh Dish anticipate a visit from an M-1 Abrams tank any day now.

Photo courtesy of the good folks at Aldo Coffee.