By Edward Master
One of the programs I adore with public television is the series out of Pittsburgh (WQED) on "things that aren't there anymore."
I was fortunate that my dad liked taking us places. We did the Buhl Planetarium for a Christmas show, the Carnegie museum of arts and sciences (art and dinosaurs), a train display at Christmas time, and Forbes Field (1960 when Bucs were world champs). I also got to visit Pitt Stadium in junior high school (courtesy of John Pager our principal) as Mr. Pager, I believe, was an ex-Panther footballer. Pitt beat Washington that day in a stellar season. We got to witness Freddie Mazurek at quarterback and Paul Martha at running back.
What about around the valley up here? What has gone the way of the dodo bird?
I was of driving age when I stopped at Curry's Lunch Room in Foxburg on weekends, and met up with my friends from school. We'd park across the street at the gas station. Ditto for the Rosebud on the Parker Hill going toward Bruin. The Bud had yellow lights outside, with lots of bugs flying around.
In Emlenton, there was the Hot Dog Shop. How many dogs with chili/meat sauce were chased down with an ice-cold mug of root beer in a frosted glass? Remember, the dog shop provided an evening meal to overtime workers at the refinery. We also had Weller's restaurant for daylight and evening dining, and also a source at times for the overtime at the barrelhouse.
When I was much younger, however, my mother was a fan of stopping for a lunch on a shopping trip to the A&P in Clarion. This was before the Riverside at the east end of town. One lunchtime stop was at the Dew Drop Inn (name/spelling?) at the west end of the old 322 bridge across the Clarion River, not much for parking but a scenic view of the river. The other was in town at the Clarion restaurant on 6th Avenue. Steps went down from street level, past a huge fish tank on the left. A little more recent eatery was at the corner of 5th and Main, Don's Dairy, where Bob's Subs burned down. Don's was the home of the 19-cent hamburger. At each of Mom's haunts a favorite piece of pie usually ended lunch, often the pie was lemon merengue.
Dad was not averse for a nite out for repast either. I remember one trip meant a voyage to Clarion and east to Johnny Garneau's smorgasboard, a companion to the owner's duplicate fare in downtown Pittsburgh. We also did a food feast in Oil City at Kay's eatery on the South Side.
Over the past few years my fave soft serve for ice creamery has changed hands a couple of times. Hartman's, just east of Knox, became Renninger's, which in turn is now something with strawberry I think. Hartman's was the champ--most soft serve, for the lowest possible price. I gave up trying to eat the 'large' size; I actually dropped to a small. The closest cone in terms of quantity/price may have been at Bea's Dairy Wheel just east of Clintonville. Bea's is gone and is now 'The Eating Place' or something close.
My wife and I would stop for a cone on trips between home and Grove City. She dropped to the 'baby' size for the frozen treat. I stuck to a small but no larger than a medium. I think I had a key chain or some additive to a key ring from Bea's for a bit.
I wish I could remember an eatery, I think, on route 322 west of Shippenville but not near the distance to Van. It was a real "hang out" at one time, probably in my very early days behind the wheel. That name escapes me; I know it had nothing to do with the Oak Grove area. I've also been to a diner with my brother (probably home on leave from the Navy) where the Shippenville fire/rescue now sits.
McCleary's had an eatery at the corner in Knox across from the NW bank and 5&10. I'm really dating myself with that McCleary's place. I used to buy my 'classic' comic books at the 5&10. I believe the pizza shop in Knox followed a diner on that rise in the land, just down street from Dascomb's hardware. My Grandpa Master used to take my cousin Bobby Dunkle and me there for a hamburger. We were little tykes then.
Once, on a trip home from Indiana, my wife and I ventured on a side journey into East Brady. We stopped at the St. Cloud and we enjoyed a memorable meal. It turned out the St. Cloud was changing owners and thus menus. I had (maybe) flounder stuffed with crab; I had never had anything close to that kind of meal; it was deee-lish! My wife equally enjoyed her collection of shellfish. Unfortunately, never again. We just happened to hit the day the owners were trying to rid themselves of some inventory and boy were we the lucky ones.
Another eatery to pass into history was Bonello's in West Kittanning, up on the hill. Remember the cow outside? My wife and I often ended our lunch with some bread pudding 'to go' for my mother as she loved that treat. Those owners also ran Dizzy Lizzie's in downtown Kittanning. The Cadet was on the east side of Kittanning, an early stop for onion rings and at one time a humdinger of a drive-in for eats.
It's been too long, but I miss the Friday fish at the American Legion outside St. Pete. No matter whether fried, broiled, or baked there always seemed room for one more piece of fish with some of Mrs. Page's mac-n-cheese. I actually became a social member just for the fish. The eateries are gone, but the memories remain along with the waistline.
Speaking of sports and blather
I'm not sure what will be more boring to endure the winter doldrums on the internet--reading about the Steelers and their many attempts at solutions to their problems or the political blather coming out of the Donald's misfortunes in court? The football solution(s) won't be easy, especially with all the Monday-morning know-it-alls. If the Donald ends up in jail, that just could be his demise, permanently. Oh well, nothing is ever fair in love, sports, or politics.