Dig in With Graver: ‘Tis the Season for a Cemetery Stroll

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Earlier this month, I visited The Homewood Cemetery in Point Breeze to pay my respects to Marilynn Eastman, who played “Helen Cooper” in “Night of the Living Dead.”

Director George Romero’s black-and-white classic is the first horror movie I ever saw, so I hold it (and everyone in it) close to my heart.

I had only a vague idea of where Eastman’s final resting place was amid the nearly 79,000 other graves, but I found it quickly, as if guided by some kind of fangirl force.

Turns out, we share a birthday.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I guarantee you’ll make a serendipitous discovery or learn a historical fact when you explore the beautiful, 200-acre site. For a cemetery, the place sure is lively.

On Sept. 26, Prime Stage Theatre will hold its 4th Annual Homewood Cemetery Walk. Tickets are $25 per person and are available online. Held from noon to 4 p.m., the rain-or-shine event will offer eight one-hour walking tours. Actors will portray famous folks who are buried there, including candymaker David L. Clark and Charles “Teenie” Harris, a photojournalist who will get a star on Pittsburgh’s Walk of Fame on Oct. 13.

Before exploring a sprawling burial ground, I suggest you shovel food into your face. As a 47-year-old taphophile, I know it takes a lot of energy to tiptoe through the tombstones.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

En route to The Homewood Cemetery, I filled up at The Eastman on the North Side, where Chris and Roberta Acosta create an amazing New Mexican brunch every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The chilaquiles, crispy tortillas layered with chorizo hash, dos huevos, green chile sauce and creme, and served with rice and beans was a mountain of a meal that nourished my soul.

Dining at The Eastman with cherished friends felt like a fitting tribute to the Eastman I’ve admired most of my life.

In more food/movie/cemetery-related news:

There was a fire last weekend at 5 Generation Bakers in McKees Rocks. The makers of Jenny Lee Swirl Bread will be at 50 to 75 percent production for the next couple of weeks as repairs are made. According to President Scott Baker, the fire broke out in the flue system of one of the bakery’s ovens. Local stores are stocked and it will be business-as-usual at Jenny Lee Breakfast Nook, one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best New Restaurants. On Sept. 26, the Coraopolis eatery will host an Oktoberfest celebration and debut its new beer collaboration with Abjuration Brewing.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Binko’s Pymatuning Lake Chili Co., a local hot pepper sauce maker, recently partnered with Cookie Cookie Ice Cream in Kennedy to create three flavors of “Spice Cream.” This cool collaboration between local businesses melts my heart.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Kinder Being Cafe on the North Side is now selling bagels from Squirrel Hill-based Pigeon Bagels. The coffee spot will launch a new menu of sandwiches and seasonal beverages during its second anniversary party on Oct. 3. There will be bands, pay-what-you-want drinks, raffles and live music.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Be warned: Kinder Being is located inside The Government Center record shop, so it’s easy to spend an entire day waxing nostalgic about vinyl albums and other forms of analog media. The last time I was there, I left with a caffeine buzz and a VHS copy of “Freddy’s Dead,” the sixth installment in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” film franchise. The tape spent its past life as a Phar-Mor video rental, which makes me love it far more.

ALTERNATE HISTORIES STUDIO. PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Alternate Histories is also getting ready to hit rewind. From Oct. 2-31, the Greenfield studio will transform into a retro video store with movie posters, accessories, tapes and DVDs for sale courtesy of J. Malls and Flipping Records & Tapes. Events will be held throughout the month, including a grand opening celebration from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 3, with free screenprinting of a custom tote bag or T-shirt with Fio Avocado and the debut of new artwork from Happy Lil Canvases. For more information and to RSVP, visit the Alternate Histories website.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFANIE RAWLINS

I’m happy to report that chef Tiffanie Rawlins, a “The Silence of the Lambs” devotee, personally delivered a custom-made dessert to Brooke Smith, who played “Catherine Martin” in the 1991 film. Last weekend, the actor returned to Buffalo Bill’s House in Perryopolis, a primary filming location that’s now a tourist destination, to meet with fans.

Rawlins is also a fan of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and is hosting a three-course dinner dedicated to the 1975 flick on Oct. 11 at Rustic Roots Home and Body in Monongahela. Enjoy a gourmet meal in honor of actor Tim Curry, who died on Aug. 25.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Ongoing road construction projects in the Bloomfield-Garfield area are putting a lot of local businesses in the lurch — and the red. The Pleasure Bar, a staple on Liberty Avenue since 1941, closed its doors this week. Go buy some fruits and veggies from the Patron Saint of Produce at Linea Verde Green Market, grab a dog or burger at Dad’s Dog & Burger, have a beer on the patio at Two Frays Brewery, celebrate the start of soup season at brothmonger, buy some music at Groove Gallery and Records.

With a little patience (not my strong suit), I was able to find a parking space in the neighborhood and patronize Baby Loves Tacos, voted Best Taco in Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2026 Best of the ‘Burgh readers poll. My spicy snack kept me fueled during my trek through the 300-acre Allegheny Cemetery, where I also finished reading a spooky book by Pittsburgh native Ally Russell.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER