Laurels & lances: Super sandwiches, sincere thank-yous, and needless noise
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Laurel: To a tasty treat. We know that Primanti’s multitasking sandwiches of meat, french fries, coleslaw and tomatoes between pillowy Italian bread are highly superior to other cities’ staple sandwiches. That’s just logic, right? But it’s always nice to have someone from out of town verify that for the Steel City.
Barstool Sports founder and proud Bostonite Dave Portnoy is a committed regular-guy food lover who constantly review pizzas in sports towns near and far. While in Pittsburgh recently to promote his sports-betting app, he hit up half a dozen local pizza places. But then he took a bite out of Primanti’s. He went with “The Pittsburgher” and its thick and juicy burger patty over corned beef or pastrami, and came away understanding why the sandwich is so beloved. On his 10-point scale, it netted a 9.1.
The fervent Patriots fan has only 19 reviews on his website that are a 9 or higher. Most are from Massachusetts or New York. There’s one from Philadelphia. Primanti’s scored big.
Lance: To bad meetings. How can things go so wrong in three and a half minutes? A Vandergrift councilwoman called for resignation of the council president in what was supposed to be the rest of September’s meeting.
Instead it degenerated into shouting, a quick adjournment and an abruptly disconnected Zoom connection.
In reality, this was more than just a three-minute episode. It’s been nine months in the making, and largely seems to center around personal clashes.
But the people of Vandergrift deserve to have their leaders work together like adults and to have meetings conducted like they matter, because they do.
Laurel: To the extra mile. Pennsylvania state police Cpl. Eric Maurer sent a letter to a Ford City man recently. It wasn’t about a speeding ticket or some other infraction. It was a thank-you note.
The Ford City man, Dan Pschirer, had noticed Maurer’s cruiser behind him in the Wendy’s drive-thru and decided to pay for the officer’s meal, asking the Wendy’s server to remain anonymous.
That was Sept. 19. About a week later, Pschirer got a letter in the mail from Officer Maurer (who presumably took note of his license plate and used police investigative powers).
“In this current atmosphere, it has been easy for me to forget about such acts of kindness and compassion,” wrote Maurer. “It also reaffirms my commitment to service to the citizens of Armstrong County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,”
Everyone could make more kind gestures and everyone could show more gratitude. Both men are good role models.
Laurel: To a raised glass to local fermented beverages. If you need a way to get out and still keep your distance, the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour is making that happen. You go to laurelhighlands.org, sign up for a free “passport,” and visit the local establishments at your own pace, picking up stickers along the way that lead to a prize drawing.
The event is a way to support tourism and small businesses. It’s a way to sample the wares of local wineries, distilleries, a cidery and a meadery. (Yes, a meadery.) It’s a way to do it in a relaxed way with a smartphone app by your side. And it’s a way to remind yourself of the glories of the Laurel Highlands, right here among us.