Erie and Pepperoni Balls question (Pittsburgh, Edinboro: neighborhood, live, eat)

[Edinlake24]

Hello everyone, longtime member here but couldn't remember my old password to my old account.

I'm from Erie/Edinboro and I just had a question. To those of you outside of Erie County, have you ever tried a pepperoni ball/pepperoni roll? Reason I ask is because I just found out recently that these were a local treat and I am absolutely "shocked shocked shocked" that people outside of this area have never even tried one. I just cant believe it. I grew up with these my entire life and thought they were universal. I just cant believe it period ha. So have any of you guys outside of Erie had one?

[Ohiogirl81]

I make my own with frozen bread dough (cheating, I know, but it's nowhere near as bad as making them with refrigerated crescent rolls which you see in some "authentic" recipes).

I've heard of pizza places and/or bakeries here and there making them, usually owned by former residents of western Pennsylvania; I'm sure there are plenty of places that make them. They're also popular in West Virginia.

I've never had a pepperoni ball outside of Erie. I don't know too many people, either, outside of the area who have ever eaten one.

Dammit, now I'm hungry.

[Edinlake24]

Hi OhioGirl! Been reading your posts for several years and I just wanted to say you are a great representative of the Erie area. And yes I know they are popular in West Virginia (where they originated from) but I think they are called pepperoni rolls there. Its still the same thing I guess! lol

[badguykc]

I have lived in many other places outside of Erie, and nobody had ever heard of a pepperoni ball or a Greek dog (except for a guy from Pittsburgh that relocated to Columbus). I was surprised that people in Cincinnati HAD heard of city chicken, though.

[Edinlake24]

No Greek Dogs either. Oh my, what are all you people missing out on?! :'(

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by badguykc

I was surprised that people in Cincinnati HAD heard of city chicken, though.

I was surprised to find that as well. Not pleasantly surprised, though, since I grew up eating the stuff at least twice a week ... Mom bought it already on skewers from the butcher; she dredged it in flour, salt and pepper, and baked it.

Another Erie-Cincinnati commonality I found was four square. Not until I moved to Cincinnati did I meet anyone who knew how to play four square. That and box hockey were staple games of our neighborhood.

[perpetualcaster]

I remember having them in Pittsburgh when I was a kid. They must be a limited regional Pennsylvania thing though because I've never seen them outside of Pgh or Erie. The closet thing you'll find out west is in the Asian markets. Sort of a shelf style pig-in-a-blanket with a small sausage baked into a pastry dough.

Pennsylvanians get all sorts of treats that people in other states don't! =D

[trackstar13]

The Pepperoni balls and bread at Teresa's deli are pretty good.

[badguykc]

Arnone's had good pepperoni balls and bread...sadly, they're gone for good from the West Side now.

[Edinlake24]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I was surprised to find that as well. Not pleasantly surprised, though, since I grew up eating the stuff at least twice a week ... Mom bought it already on skewers from the butcher; she dredged it in flour, salt and pepper, and baked it.

Another Erie-Cincinnati commonality I found was four square. Not until I moved to Cincinnati did I meet anyone who knew how to play four square. That and box hockey were staple games of our neighborhood.

I remember four square! That was such a popular game us neighborhood kids played growing up. Although we played nine square, our neighborhood was big.