Dig in With Graver: A Foodie Tribute to Rob Reiner

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

“I‘ll have what she’s having.”

I’ve heard and said that line a lot in my career as a food writer.

The quote, from 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally,” delivered by director Rob Reiner’s mother during a (ahem) climactic scene at New York City’s Katz’s Delicatessen, is part of the pop culture lexicon.

There are a lot of memorable foodie moments in that flick, from the complicated way Sally orders pie à la mode to the way Harry pronounces “pecan pie.” I’ve watched it twice since hearing about the death of Reiner and his wife, Michele, earlier this month. I needed to laugh through my tears while eating a star-shaped Smiley Cookie.

I also watched Nigel Tufnel throw a rock star-sized tantrum backstage over miniature bread in “This Is Spinal Tap” and Annie Wilkes obsess over Spam in “Misery.” I also heard 12-year-old Vern in “Stand By Me” professing that, if only permitted to eat one food for the rest of his life, it would be cherry-flavored Pez.

Sometimes, out of nowhere, I’ll bellow “Anybody want a peanut?” in my best Andre the Giant voice to see if any other fans of “The Princess Bride” are in the vicinity.

Row House Cinema owner Brian Mendelssohn would undoubtedly answer my call by uttering another line from that iconic film. “The Princess Bride” is his favorite, which is why he hosts a screening of it every June to commemorate the Lawrenceville theater’s anniversary.

Row House Hollywood, the century-old movie house Mendelssohn restored in Dormont, will host a Rob Reiner Retrospective this weekend.

Make it a dinner-and-movie date night by visiting Moonlit Burgers across the street from the theater.

Co-owner Mike McCoy, who grew up eating In-N-Out Burgers in Southern California, wanted to create a Pittsburgh version of the fast food chain that’s beloved by Hollywood stars. In 2021, he and fellow chef Derek Stevens opened their joint on Potomac Avenue. Since then, additional locations have opened in Uptown and Sewickley.

I’m sure Sally would order her Moon Sauce on the side.

My favorite Reiner movies, “Stand By Me” and “Misery,” were adapted from the work of author Stephen King.

As an early Christmas gift to booklovers like me, the revamped Northland Library has reopened in McCandless, complete with a Commonplace Coffee cafe, where I plan to do a lot of my own writing.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHLAND LIBRARY

Located in the new lower-level library building extension, Commonplace Coffee Northland serves coffee, tea, smoothies and shakes, scratch-made baked goods and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The cafe is open Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. during Northland’s regular schedule — a.k.a the weekend after Labor Day through Memorial Day weekend, when the library is open on Sundays.

Go to Commonplace’s website to watch “Craft and Care: The Story of Commonplace Coffee,” a film that celebrates the company’s 20th anniversary.

Movies, like food and coffee, are my fuel — and Rob Reiner’s brilliant catalog will keep me chuggin’ along for the rest of my life.