Collier’s Weekly: Giving Thanks for Small (and Big) Things

THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT PLAYS AT JERGEL’S RHYTHM GRILLE | PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

I spend an inordinate amount of time — in this column and otherwise — complaining about things I wish were better about Pittsburgh. We yinzers are a fiercely proud but endlessly aggrieved bunch; we will take any perceived defamation of our fair city as fightin’ words, but we have a complaint of our own for every hour of the day.

What with Thanksgiving upon us, however, I thought I’d set my regularly scheduled curmudgeonry aside and find some small things to be thankful for. Sure, there’s health, friendship and family — but those don’t impress anyone while you’re dining over turkey. Instead, I have some very specific areas of gratitude.

Kennywood has really stepped up its merch game. For decades, the shirts and hats you’d find at Pittsburgh’s signature amusement park looked like the stuff you’d get at a boardwalk souvenir stand: park logos (and an “Est. 1898”) on tees and hoodies, bland ballcaps and so much tie-dye. Those garments are still there — hey, give the people what they want — but they’ve been joined by striking and often colorful attire celebrating specific rides. I have a bright-green shirt celebrating the Turtle and a trucker’s cap bearing the ominous “Don’t Stand Up” warning that tops the Racer. I wear them constantly.

The Hollywood Theater is open — and restored to its former glory. Neighborhood theaters are almost extinct in the region, and most have suffered ignoble fates. The Kings Court is a cell-phone store; the Bellevue Cinemas turned into a Family Dollar; Penn Hills Cinema is, I believe, a laundromat. (It might be a Painting With a Twist — I’m not sure exactly how that shopping center is laid out.) Dormont’s century-old Hollywood Theater came within a hair’s breadth of suffering the same fate several times; instead, Row House Cinemas bought it and expanded it, with an interior that hearkens back to its glory days and a second screen opening soon. It was always a treasure; now it shines.

The fish entree at Flavor of Puerto Rico is delicious. You can choose grilled or fried, but c’mon. Get the fried fish, and opt for the rice with pigeon peas. Make sure they include the house tartar. When you get home, dump the sauce straight into the rice and mix it around. Take each bite of fish with a little bit of the saucy rice. Unbelievable. (Add several empanadas to your order, if you’ve got the appetite.)

There’s a trio of affordable, fun concert venues I love. I made the difficult decision to forgo seeing Sir Paul McCartney weeks ago … because I wasn’t keen on dropping $500, the going rate for a seat with an actual view of the stage, to see a decently well-preserved Beatle. Outlandish though marquee concert tickets have become, there’s a trio of alternatives I love. In Warrandale, Jergel’s Rhythm Grille hosts fun shows in every conceivable genre — and offers them on a nearly nightly basis. The Crafthouse Stage & Grill in Baldwin offers a variety of interesting shows (I’m planning on seeing alternative mainstays the Supersuckers next month). And the Funhouse at Mr. Smalls brings cutting-edge artists to a venue that’s as intimate as it is resonant. Smaller venues might not have any Beatles, but a night of entertainment is a night of entertainment — and you can afford many more of them, thanks to these venues.

Arts Landing is going to transform Downtown. I visited the site last week, and I was struck by how much of the Golden Triangle the new area takes up. It doesn’t feel like a bit of open space; it feels like a park, right in the middle of the Cultural District. With luck and proper shepherding, this will become not just a place for music and events, but also a backyard for the whole neighborhood — something the core of Downtown has been lacking.

The song “Take Me to the Moon” by my favorite Pittsburgh band, Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, is fantastic. Seriously. Listen to it: