Pittsburgh Foodies Thread (Wilson, Liberty: condo, expiration, developer)

[Salmonburgher]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Let us know what you think [of Meat and Potatoes]!

I thought it was good. Nice beer selection. I didn't try any entrees, and instead simply ordered two appetizers. The bone marrow was excellent, and the risotto was good, too. The people I was with all enjoyed their mains.

[Rocket88]

It looks like there will be a beer emphasized restaurant opening in 2 PPG. Bottleneck Mgt. is one of the top restaurateurs in Chicago. The one in PPG Place will be called City Works. 2 PPG Place adding restaurant, craft beer hub | Pittsburgh Post-Gazettehttp://www.google.com/url?q=http://w...sfKucFFvpy0Zkg

[PghYinzer]

And yet another great sounding place...

Pittsburgh native plans 'meat-centric' restaurant for East Liberty hotel | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by Rocket88

It looks like there will be a beer emphasized restaurant opening in 2 PPG. Bottleneck Mgt. is one of the top restaurateurs in Chicago. The one in PPG Place will be called City Works. 2 PPG Place adding restaurant, craft beer hub | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteBottleneck Management Restaurant Group - Best Chicago Restaurants |

With this and Poros, along with the existing places, it looks like Market Square is really going to be a serious evening destination soon...

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

And yet another great sounding place...

Pittsburgh native plans 'meat-centric' restaurant for East Liberty hotel | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As if there aren't already enough restaurants where you can eat meat.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by jay5835

As if there aren't already enough restaurants where you can eat meat.

I am digging the way they plan on procuring their various meats and it's better than a fro-yo shop....

[sskink]

Originally Posted by jay5835

As if there aren't already enough restaurants where you can eat meat.

Yeah. But we still don't have one of these.

I could do without yet another new burger place or another new craft beer place for that matter. But niches like Cure, Emporio, Texas de Brazil/Gaucho, etc. are nice to have. There's still room for a cuy stand!

[Rocket88]

Originally Posted by _Buster

With this and Poros, along with the existing places, it looks like Market Square is really going to be a serious evening destination soon...

Yeah. Don't forget when The Gardens opens Forbes Avenue will re-open and that will Make the Square Better with the Hilton Garden Inn and the new Garden's restautant Revel and Roost on Forbes.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by sskink

Yeah. But we still don't have one of these.

I could do without yet another new burger place or another new craft beer place for that matter. But niches like Cure, Emporio, Texas de Brazil/Gaucho, etc. are nice to have. There's still room for a cuy stand!

I just had to Google "cuy." Not sure what I was expecting, but that was definitely not it.

[UKyank]

Sadly we're losing Szmidt's Old World Deli; they had some tasty sandwiches

On March 3rd 2011 (my late Grandmas Birthday) I had my first Day operating Szmidt's old world Deli. I worked tirelessly towards my vision of operating a store that provided homemade comfort food that was just downright better than everything else out there. I saw my dreams turned into fruition as I began meeting and feeding all of you. It was such a joy to give you my art and for it to make you smile and fuel your days, Szmidts has had visitors from all over the U.S.and the globe for that matter.
As we grew we also out grew Greenfield and It was very apparent we needed a bigger boat. I looked at so many locations that I cant even remember them all. After a year of searching I felt like I found our new home. 957 Liberty Ave. was gleaming with potential as N.Y. Developers had purchased the August Wilson center and planned to put 15 floors of Luxury hotels right outside our front door. I was filled with excitement to get our project rolling. After signing our lease, the city of Pittsburgh blocked the sale and bought back the property and has no plans to do anything with it for at least 3 years. It made me very nervous but I felt we could overcome it.
Closing Greenfield on December 31st. I switched gears from cook to handyman. From early January, I worked night and day piecing together my dream. I shopped for equipment and picked it up as far away as NY and NC. I had it shipped in from all over the world. I tore Liberty down and then built it back up. I am so proud of how it turned out as it is one of the most unique beautiful restaurants I have ever seen. Full of excitement and hope we set sail. We had some growing pains as any new restaurant does. The hardest thing to wrap our heads around was the fact that our days were filled with business and or evenings were not. We shut down in the evening to keep from losing money. And began making plans to reopen our Greenfield location.
We started thinking that it was probably because we didn't have a bar that evening business was so bad, so we began taking the steps to investigate the costs to doing such. We figured it would be about $150,000 to get the license build it stock it and staff it. Before we spent that kind of coin we searched out well respected people in their field and asked their opinions. There was a repeating "No! Do not do that! From everyone we consulted. when we inquired as to why? All responses replied "you are in a bad location". I disagreed, but as time went on and sales decreased it was hard to disagree any longer.
As a result of low sales I had to take on many more responsibilities and as a result an overwhelming amount of stress. I turned into a person I never thought existed inside of me. I was a raw emotion all of the time. I couldn't sleep, I was quick and mean to my wife, my family and my employees, even worse I had no time for my 2 year old son. My wife was bearing all of the burdens both financially, and physically at home and I was running to go backwards at work.
Not feeling well, I visited the doctor and after telling him what and where i was feeling poorly, he said I was a prime candidate for a heart attack and I needed to take a break. I left the office thinking I was going to die if I kept up at the pace I was going. I dont want to leave this earth this way. I decided then and there if things didn't turn around and allow me the quality time I need with my family, that I was going to give it all up.
So that's exactly what I am doing. Effective immediately Liberty Ave is closed. As we run through our product in Greenfield I will be closing it as well.
This is by far the hardest post I have ever put up, I wipe tears away as I type, but the bottom line is..... I am just out of gas and I gotta rest. I love you all so much.... and who knows perhaps I come outta retirement some day... but for now...I must rest and relax. I love you all! I thank you all! Greenfield has a week or so of product to get through so if you want it come get it before i am gone.
Darren S Smith
Proprietor
Szmidt's Old World Deli