I spent all of my Pittsburgh years living on the airport side of the Fort Pitt tunnels, so I didn’t eat at (or more accurately, from) the O often, but it always meant a great time with friends was in progress when I did. Always late at night, sometimes a little tipsy. We ordered pizza and a ton of cheese fries to take back to my friend’s place after his bachelor party, for example. I think the Dirty O means that for everyone: good times with your friends, particularly if you and your friends were on the poor side. Fries by the literal shovelful! How did no one else here mention how the fries were served by the LITERAL shovelful!?!? Oddly, I never had a hot dog there.
Truly, a Pittsburgh institution has come to an end, and the city is poorer for its passing. I knew the coronavirus was going to change a lot of things that we might never think of, and in the scheme of things this is not important, but taken on its own, it’s a sad day. Yet more of my youth passing from the Earth.
In Omaha, Piccolo Pete’s Italian Restaurant closed. They announced it 30 days before the final day and there were lines out the door and down the street for the whole time. They were an institution and we still miss it. A great great grandson of Mr. Piccolo still owns the building and is still trying to keep the food alive with a food truck but it just isn’t the same.
Probably El Charro here in Tucson; it’s the oldest Mexican restaurant here in Tucson and is considered to be the oldest Mexican restaurant in the US that has only been owned by one family.
Yeah, they recently sold The Apple Pan (though they’re supposed to keep it open…I’d shrivel up and die if I could never have another Hickory Burger). Tito’s is mostly sentimental memories of my high school years. It was said Marian Rubin’s car ran on Tito’s hot sauce.
Ahhhhh, the Dirty O. I had a few meals there, usually immediately before or after seeing a movie at The King’s Court.
A buddy of mine was out drinking with his wife, when they stopped in for food at The Dirty O. After eating, he cleared their table while she went to the ladies. When she returned to the table she was shocked to see it cleared, because she had left the car keys on her tray.
My buddy told someone and together they identified the four garbage bags that the keys could possibly be in. My friend opened one bag at a time and went through disgusting trash, but no keys were found.
Told this, his wife patted her pockets and found the keys.
I’ve eaten there a couple times. They call it the “Dirty O”, but the oil was really clean. This is important in making great fries.
It was also impressive that the fries were packed so tightly in the fry basket that they were served as a solid brick. This wouldn’t have worked out in any of the fast food places i’ve worked for, the fries in the center would have been raw.
Shame on them for not warning their customers that the side of “cheese” is really cheez wiz. We’re not in Philly.
here’s the place that will have the town here in mourning if it ever closes even though we have 2 now http://www.crazyottosdiners.com/menu.html the ave I is the original …
Graffiti and The Decade were my hangouts at one point. The IronCity HouseRockers was a band I’d go see anytime they played The Decade (which was often). I still run into Joe Gruschecki, Norman Nardini, And Norm’s brother on occasion.
Dom (owner of The Decade) was really something (and still is). I was at The Decade the night the IRS padlocked the door (tax issues). Dom had already paid a band to play that night, so he made a “USE BACK DOOR” sign and had a huge crowd that night.
Oddly, I never had a hot dog there.