The Red Plastic Straw and Eating My Way Through Lawrenceville

Chocalate Paradise and the red straw

For the past several weeks, I have been house sitting in Lawrenceville, Pa.  A few weeks ago I wrote a few ideas about my stay here.  Lawrenceville is an eclectic section of Pittsburgh.  It was once very depressed in terms of the economy, but, it too has thought outside the proverbial box and has welcomed new types of businesses.  Lawrenceville has  the Children's Hospital, tech companies, contractors who are renovating run down properties and building new.  It is true that property values have gone up so the cost of living has as well, but what would one rather have?  New eating establishments open, close, stay for a long time, and welcome people from all around.  A movie theater and a bowling alley... right here.   Last week the movie theater ran The Wizard of Oz.  The bowling alley has a live DJ.

 I met people from Delaware in front of  Geppeto Cafe today as they were waiting and I didn't want to cut in front.  They told me they were waiting for take out.  After I ordered mine, we chatted. They were visiting Pittsburgh for a birthday party.  I told them of other areas too if doing a bit of sight seeing- downtown, the sports complexes, museums,  the Cathedral of  Learning on Pitts campus in Oakland, and the Strip District.   Streets are closed downtown for the filming of Mr. Rogers with Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers. These are all places I love in the Paris of Appalachia and the home of Mr. Rogers.  Thanks to Beth and Cousin Gerry for all those tours years ago.

I stopped at Frio, the Penn State Creamery, ice cream shop again today. It won't be on my regular  route home to my apartment, so I took advantage. Once I make room after having had a few sips of a truly rich Chocolate Paradise milkshake from Frio, I can see if the food from Gepetto Cafe is as good as the crowd waiting outside and full tables inside would indicate.  I stopped and got a coffee there this morning -  that was great!! Children would love the  decor of puppets.

So why am I writing about food-- well I have been eating my way through Lawrenceville on this vacation time.   So many people in years past used the expression "Love the one you're with."  Well, that advice got a lot of people in trouble.  So, I say, "Love the place you live."  This is not to take anything away from my NJ roots. They go deep-- 59 years deep. But Pittsburgh is a place I always loved once I visited Aunt Ann Rosinski.  Then Beth moved here with Keith so the visits were more often.   Our few years in Indiana, Pa. made it a favorite city- stamped in my heart.  My daughter went to Pitt-  visdom, visdom, visdom!!   ( My inner circle would get the spelling.)

The proprietor of Frio doesn't need a law to tell him that plastic straws can be an issue. His straws are large because without the large one, that is not paper, the chunks of brownies (or strawberries) would not travel to the direction of the mouth!!

So I am posting these pictures for those who would love to visit Paris but can't. There is a delicious French bakery too!! Come to Pittsburgh, Paris of Appalachia,  says an author.  Native Pittsburgher's and those from other countries who have chosen to invest in it are always welcoming.  The accents of those I meet often are not Pittsburgh accents.  I have brought my NJ accent with me too!!  But the Pittsburgh accent-  today in front of the restaurant a young woman was speaking.  I looked to see if it was my friend with whom I stood this morning in my advocacy.  

No law needed for Frio to think of the environment!!    I kept my pink straw to re-use.

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This customer got a waffle cone. The proprietor is from Turkey.  And the sign,

well, that tells me he doesn't need a new law.

A sign on the fence of a property in the local neighborhood.  I asked the owner if I could take a picture.  He said yes.





Marian R. Carlino  September 15, 2018

The Pink Straw and an Education

I had a most delicious milkshake from a new place of business last night.  The sweet smell of waffle cones being made drew me in. I conversed with the owner of the new establishment while the specialty shake was being made.  I learned a little about him and he learned a little about me. Our conversation was friendly, open and honest while remaining pedestrian.  Our accents determined that neither one of us were native of Pittsburgh.  I am a Jersey girl and he is from Turkey.  I asked how long the store had been open.  He said eight days.  So theoretically, I was one of his first customers.  Two younger people made the shake.  I went with the strawberry cheesecake this time!

The sign outside advertised "we have Penn State ice cream".  I joked that they needed a sign for Pitt ice cream also.  The owner educated me.  He said there is a creamery in the Penn State area that makes the ice cream. It is quite famous.  I did not know that.  I later googled the information.  Very true.  Penn State alumni would know that.

We joked about the rivalry and the selling aspect of sweet smells as one passes by. 

We connected over a sweet smell.  I drank my milkshake out of a wide pink straw while I walked along the main street.   The large pieces of strawberries could be sucked right up out of the creamy cheesecake shake.  When I got home I used that straw as a spoon to get every last drop of cream and topping that would not make its way through the straw. 

The large, pink, plastic straw- a happy color choice for a business to use.  Paper would not have worked.

Thanks FRIO creamery!!

I will have to walk a little longer today,  but my life is a little richer today because of that sweet smell and a conversation.



Marian R. Carlino
August 26, 2018