Breaking Chews: WTAE’s Ashlie Hardway Shares Her Favorite Pittsburgh Dishes in Today’s Five Spot Friday

Ashlie Hardway knows Pittsburgh. As a reporter for WTAE-TV, she spends her days on the road, breaking stories throughout Western PA. With her busy work schedule, she often eats on the run – and has a trove of hidden gem restaurants that she’s found on her travels. Read on to find her five spot picks from Greensburg to Lawrenceville, plus a few extras to satisfy any local foodie.

In her own words, Hardway shares her must-try spots:

“Alright, let me start by saying I really thought long and hard about my five choices. I am a major food lover. I am always trying new places to eat and looking for the best of the best in the Pittsburgh area. As a result, I have found better food in Mom and Pops than some of the most highly-touted restaurants Downtown. If you haven’t tried these items below, I encourage you to give them a shot! You might have a new favorite, too 🙂

Stuffed Shells from Pasqualino’s Pizza Place in Penn Hills: I think the sign says Pasqualino’s, but the locals know it as Pizza Palace. Right on Frankstown Road before its intersection with Saltsburgh Road, it sits in a small strip mall. Their stuffed shells and marinara sauce are the best I’ve ever had. The shells, while made with ricotta, have a more melted cheese texture – I am assuming they add a hearty amount of mozzarella to the ricotta to give it such a texture. The sauce has a very authentic, homemade flavor as well. I grew up with a straight-off-the-boat grandmother, so I am very, very picky about my marinara sauce. Theirs gets an A. It has the right amount of punchy tomato flavor and herbs, but yet has that homemade taste. How do I know? Let’s just say I can tell when a pot of sauce has sat and simmered for 30-60 minutes, verses one minute. (Pasqualino’s, 1302 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills, PA)

Tesla’s Coil from Industry Public House in Lawrenceville: I am not someone who hits the town often anymore on a weekend. For one, I’m a mother, but two, I am too old to stay up and out past 9:00 p.m. anymore without ruining my entire next day. I’m tired! That said, once or twice a year when I find myself in Lawrenceville on a night out, I have to have a Tesla’s Coil from Industry. It’s a drink made with orange-infused Ketel One, orange Patron tequila, and lemon. And it’s freakin’ fantastic. Pair it with their OUT OF THIS WORLD truffle and gorgonzola fries and are you kidding me?! Fantastic. Perfection. (Industry Public House, 4305 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA)

Homemade soups from Lupi and Leo in Greensburg: I can’t pick my favorite. Why? Because they don’t repeat. Seriously. I think they told me once they had one soup offered twice in a 60-day period. Rob is a good guy, and he knows what he’s doing up there. All of the food is amazing – I mean it. I haven’t had one thing there, desserts included, where I left thinking, ‘Well, that was average.’ The Tuscan Bread Salad is a favorite. The homemade pizza with garlic-rubbed crust. The fresh and light quinoa salad. The steak and cheese sandwich. I could go on. But yes. The soups. Smoked corn chowder. Ham, potato and bacon. The list goes on and on. These aren’t soups you’ve ever heard of, either. Because his chefs (read: chefs. Not line cooks.) whip up whatever their creative minds come up with on a day-to-day basis. Plus, for $4 or something absurd like that, you get their homemade grilled cheese and a giant bowl of soup. And their grilled cheese offerings change daily, too. I’ve had their grilled cheese with bacon and fruit spread. You read that right. And it was amazing! (Lupi and Leo, 201 West Drive, Greensburg, PA)

Nancy B’s Cookie Fudge Sundae from Page Dairy Mart on East Carson Street: There are so many things I love about this sundae. For one, fudge is my favorite ice cream topping ever. Hold the whipped cream, nuts and cherries, and just let that warm, gooey goodness flood my bowl. I can always run an extra two miles tomorrow. Those polite and hard-working kids at Page’s know what they’re doing – I have NEVER finished a sundae (I usually can’t finish them myself, anyway, they’re huge) and was left wanting more fudge. They’re generous on the pour. Next: Nancy B’s chocolate chip cookies. I mean. They go without saying. If you haven’t had one yet, take a sick day during the week and drive over to Homestead and get a dozen. Take your cash only and get there before they close at 5:00. These giant cookies are thick and chewy and perfect. When you say to yourself, ‘What is that I’m tasting?’ It’s just a hint of peanut butter that makes these cookies so legendary. It’s not a peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips – it’s a chocolate chip cookie with a hint of peanut butter. Now – when you get the sundae – the workers pull out three large chunks of cookie and bake them fresh in the oven on-site. It takes about two minutes. Then, and the big finale, they put those warm cookies atop mountains of the best soft serve ice cream in Appalachia. I am one of those people who really can’t tell average soft serve from good soft serve, but Page’s really stands out. It’s flavorful and fresh, but not thick like a custard. Put these three components together, and you have one happy Ashlie. And for around $3? You seriously can’t beat it. (Page Dairy Mart, 4600 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA)

Sweet Potato Fries with Praline Butter from Trailside Restaurant in West Newton: I’m a Westmoreland County-based reporter, so I do most of my work in the sticks and places most city-dwellers rarely venture. If you ever take in the beauty of the Yough River Trail, do yourself a favor and stop at Trailside. It doesn’t have the highest review on UrbanSpoon, which boggles my mind because the food is excellent and priced fairly. Anyway, as you’re perusing the menu and deciding between their amazing sandwiches (I’ve never had a bad one) or their AWESOME appetizers (fried pickles and Reuben egg rolls are outstanding), add a side of sweet potato fries. The fries are pretty standard sweet potato waffle fries – think Chick Fil A, but with sweet orange color and flavor. Then – they kick it up by tossing them in cinnamon sugar. Perfect, right? Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – you get a side of warm, melty, praline butter. Yep. The flavors of a sweet Southern praline candy with the texture of melted butter, with little chunks of nut complement the sweet and lightly-fried pillows of fries so well. I almost licked the container clean it was so unique and delicious. (Trailside Restaurant, 109 West Main Street, West Newton, PA)

I know, I know, I didn’t feature full dinners or meaty meals – but these are my favorites! I do have so many favorites, and I’m sure I’ll remember some later that will cause me to say, ‘Man, I forgot this!’ So, here are my other favorites:

• Peanut Butter and Concord Grape Jelly Cupcakes from Vanilla Pastry Studio in Regent Square
• Chicken Romano with a side of Pasta Marinara from Storms in Downtown
• Pasta Diablo and Pan Pizza from Luciano’s in White Oak
• Orange Chicken with White Meat from China Fortune in Elizabeth Township
• Cheese Pizza from Beto’s on Banksville Road
• Fiori’s Pizzaria in Beechview
• Blue Crab Risotto from Butcher and the Rye in Downtown
• Burnt Almond Torte from Prantl’s in Shadyside or Market Square
• Iced Oatmeal Cookies and The Oakmonter cake from Oakmont Bakery
• Sour Cherry Pie from Bethel Bakery
• Filet Mignon with Grilled Onions from Andrew’s Steakhouse at the River’s Casino
• Black Bean Burger with Homemade Chips and Cherry Mustard from The Pourhouse in Greensburg
• Steak Tacos from Edgar’s Taco Stand in the Strip District
• Potato and Cheese Pierogies from Pierogies Plus in McKees Rocks
• Cupcake Latte from Bean Thru on Route 65 in Bellevue
• Fish Tacos from MadMex
• Spicy Girl Roll from Tsuki Sushi in Penn Hills
• Fish and Chips from The Pub Chip Shop in South Side
• Dark Hot Chocolate with Toasted Marshmallow Syrup from Sheetz (yep… trust me)
• Chicken Flautas from Rey Azteca in Monroeville
• Very Berry Sundae from Country Custard in Sutersville
• Strawberry Crepe Pancakes from Pamela’s
• Pepperoni Rolls from the Laughlintown Pie Shoppe in Stahlstown
• Margherita Pizza from Ianni Pizza in Delmont
• Blue Cheese Steak Sandwich from Beermuda Triangle in New Kensington
• Wood-fired Cheeseburger from Gateway Grill in Monroeville
• Crispy French Fries from Bella Luna in Murrysville
• Aaaaand the best local fish fry is the Swissvale Volunteer Fire Department!

Thanks for allowing me to share my favorites with you! You can catch me on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 every weeknight at 5:00 & 6:00 on WTAE-TV. Feel free to ‘Like’ my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or check out my stories on http://www.wtae.com/.”

– Ashlie