|
| What Else Pittsburgh's Talking About |
|  | Jaromír Jágr of the Pittsburgh Penguins, circa 1990. (Focus on Sport / Getty) |
| Penguins Honoring Jaromir Jagr | The Pittsburgh Penguins will retire jersey number 68, belonging to 1991-92 Stanley Cup winner Jaromir Jagr, at Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Jagr holds the NHL record for game-winning goals (135) and ranks behind only Wayne Gretzky for most all-time points. His number will hang next to Michael Briere's 21 and Mario Lemieux's 66. [NHL] | - ✂️ Yinz want to celebrate? Primanti Brothers and Sports Clips are giving free Jagr-inspired mullet haircuts in Market Square from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. If you get a mullet, you can also get free weekly sandwiches until the season ends. [KDKA-TV]
| | Longtime Medical Examiner Retires | Allegheny County’s longtime chief medical examiner Karl Williams, 75, retired from his post after 17 years. The county’s top forensic pathologist — who succeeded Cyril Wecht in 2007 — has overseen some of the region’s most “grisly death investigations.” County Executive Sara Innamorato will have to find a replacement for “the understated Dr. Williams and his trademark mustache and bow tie.” [TribLIVE] | | Free Rides to the Opera | For the rest of 2024, you can get a $60 Uber voucher when you buy tickets to the Pittsburgh Opera. Up to 75 vouchers will be available for each performance, starting with the production of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” March 16-24 at the Benedum Center. [90.5 WESA] | - 🚙 Speaking of ridesharing: Uber and Lyft drivers rallied at Pittsburgh International Airport on Wednesday as part of a nationwide strike calling for fair pay. [WPXI-TV]
|
|
|
|
|
| Your Last Minute Guide to Pittsburgh’s Best Paczki |
|  | “Paczki” comes from the Polish word meaning “flower bud.” (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh) |
| | It’s that time of year when Pittsburgh is filling up on paczki (pronounced puhnch·kee) — a round, Polish pastry filled with cream, custard, or jelly. If you’re thinking of a jelly doughnut, think again; these traditional treats are much richer and thicker (like brioche), and they’re fried longer. | | Paczki are beloved in Pittsburgh and across the Midwest, where a lot of Polish immigrants settled in the late 19th and 20th centuries, but their roots go back to the Middle Ages when pagan and Christian customs merged. Christians served them on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), the day before Lenten fasting starts on Ash Wednesday. Fasting was really strict in Medieval times, and baking paczki was a way for families to use up their butter, sugar, lard, and eggs. | | Most bakeries sell paczki up until Mardi Gras — so here’s your last minute guide to snagging these scrumptious treats. | | | 📍Strip District | Paczki are first come, first serve at this deli on Penn Ave. — no preorders! In addition to the classics, dig into unique flavors like rosehip, apricot, and nutella. While you’re there, pick up some hot haluszki, kielbasa, or pierogi for dinner. | | | 📍Dormont & Mt. Lebanon | This bakery has been family-owned and operated since 1927. Swing by for paczki filled with custard, lemon, apple, blueberry, and more. They’re only on the regular menu until Fat Tuesday, but you can put in a special order for them anytime. | | | 📍Bethel Park | If you want to indulge beyond Fat Tuesday, Bethel Bakery is your spot; their paczki season runs until Easter! Try classics like French buttercream and Bavarian cream, or get in on special weekly flavors like caramel latte, Irish cream, and strawberry crunch. Can’t decide? Get the Mardi Gras variety pack. | | | | 📍Brookline | This spot on Brookline Blvd. has been dishing out the same recipe for over 60 years, with fillings like vanilla custard, lemon custard, vanilla and chocolate buttercream, peanut butter buttercream, strawberry buttercream, and raspberry jelly. | | | 📍Beaver | It’s worth the 30-minute drive outside of the city for these goodies. Find classics like chocolate and vanilla, plus fruity flavors like cherry, strawberry, and apricot. | | | 📍Oakmont | Head east down the Allegheny River to score some hard-to-find flavors like prune, maple bacon, cookie dough, and coconut. Like Bethel Bakery, they carry paczki through Easter. | | | 📍Just about everywhere | Have a hankering while you’re grocery shopping? A bunch of Giant Eagles locations sell paczki at their bakery. Get a variety pack, or put it in a special order. |
|
|
|
| Today on City Cast Pittsburgh |
|  | The Monroeville Convention Center held events like the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo. (Jeff Swensen / Getty) |
| | The city wants a professional basketball team, the NFL Draft, and they're considering women's hockey. The Monroeville Convention Center is becoming a Hobby Lobby. And former Adda Coffee & Tea workers were offered severance. Plus, we’ve got free resources for preparing your taxes! | | | |
|
|
|
🗓️ Do you find all of your weekend plans in Hey Pittsburgh? Consider supporting our work by becoming a City Cast Pittsburgh member. | | Sending an extra special thank you 💗 to everyone who reached out with kind notes on Valentine's Day! I'm so thankful you are my neighbors. | — Francesca Dabecco | | City Cast Pittsburgh’s Megan Harris edited this newsletter. |
|
|
|
|
