728 Copeland Street
Pittsburgh, PA (Shadyside)
Phone: (412)-682-DELI (3354)
Located in the heart of Shadyside on Walnut street, this is one of my favorite local restaurants. If you're looking for a restaurant that lives and breathes Pittsburghian tradition, I don't think you can do much better than PDC. I've come to find the atmosphere and food just fills me with a strange sense of comfort.
The restaurant is separated into a restaurant on the lower level, and a bar on the second floor. In a pinch, if the lower level is closed, food can usually still be acquired in the bar. PDC serves a wide variety of sandwiches, pizza, soups, and other well designed sides.
One of the most exciting aspects of the restaurant to the little folk (and the too often hidden little-person within us bigger-folk) is the Giant Pickel Barrel Of Joy. Whether anybody in their right mind ever calls it by this name, I know deep in my heart that this is its true name. The GPBOJ is a barrel containing lots of Kosher pickel halves which you can grab to accompany any sandwich you buy. The pickels are good, and there's something extra special about picking just the right one out of the murky brine with some long metal tongs.
PDC is a fairly popular place to purchase beer in the area. Their selection is fairly large, and seems to cater to the local and semi-exotic varieties of the beverage. The store has a notable reputation for its "design-your-own-6-pack" policy, which allows you to mix and match to cater to everybody's tastes.
The bar area has been designed with a few nice touches. They feature bar standards, such as a pool table, a few video games, a dart board, and a TV often tuned into the Simpsons. Also provided is a small library of books to read. Most importantly, the bar provides home to numerous local bands, who routinely come in to provide live performances.
| Flying Garbanzos (Dairy) | Hummus, mushrooms, peppers, onions, muenster on Challah bread. I find this sandwich to always be a bit greasy when I get it, but the flavors all blend together well and I always end up being very happy with it. I must say that the bread is simply dreamy *swoon*. |
| Pepe's Pita Pizza (Dairy) | A toasted bit of pita bread covered in vegetarian chili, and topped with a couple of different varieties of cheese slices. |
| Spacy Stacy | This is your standard salad veggies and hummus in a pita construction. It's OK, and "healthy" and all that, but it's just not that orgasmic food experience gives you that glowing feeling the next morning. |
| Vegetarian Chili Wrap (Dairy) | Chock full of rice and beans and tomatoes and carrots and cheese, all wrapped in a lovely flavored tortilla. This is quite possibly my favorite order. |