Wishing you’d booked that trip to Paris for the Olympics? Well, as a Pittsburgher, you’re in luck: You’re in the Paris of Appalachia. Though it’s difficult to trace the origins of this phrase, Bryan O’Neill popularized it in his 2009 “biography of Pittsburgh,” The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-First Century. It’s permeated the culture enough that Pittsburghers now use it to advertise on Airbnb. I grew up partially in France and occasionally find myself nostalgic for it, so I have sought French culture and cuisine out in Pittsburgh to see if it really can be called the Paris of Appalachia.
Indulge in French Cuisine in Pittsburgh
Paris 66 (6018 Centre Avenue) prides itself on being Pittsburgh’s most authentic French restaurant. It earns its bona fides through a varied menu of French dishes, including delicious soupe à l’oignon. On their menu, they list a Hemingway quote: “There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris.” You can certainly be happy at Paris 66, with the cuisine and service you will experience. For more of a café style experience, Margaux (5947 Penn Avenue) models itself after a French café bar with coffee service that gives way to wine and craft cocktails in the evening. They have a solid wine list including a Bordeaux Superieur and a Côtes du Rhone, as well as several “Margaux Special Reserve” by the bottle recommendations for someone serious about French wines.
La Gourmandine (Multiple locations in downtown, Lawrenceville, Hazelwood, and Mt. Lebanon) earned its cred as a French bakery for me when it put out a galette du rois for Three Kings’ Day, a French religious holiday where kids find a tiny figurine inside of a cake. For baked goods, Madeleine Bakery and Bistro (609 S Trenton Avenue) is another quality option.
Café Moulin (732 Filbert Street) and Crêpes Parisienne (207 S Craig Street) both offer one of France’s best and most commonly mispronounced culinary exports. Mon dieu, crêpe does not rhyme with “tape.” The circumflex accent on the e means it rhymes with “step.” However you choose to pronounce the word, the dish is delicious. And you can get it right here in Pittsburgh.
See Parisian Sights in Pittsburgh
Sewickley’s Gather (424 Beaver Street) has a handmade Eiffel Tower display up in honor of the Olympics. No, it is not the size of the Eiffel tower. And, yes, the real Eiffel Tower is pretty unbeatable. I’ll concede that.
But, seriously, you don’t have to go to Paris to see architectural marvels. When I moved to Pittsburgh, my then-partner’s mother remarked “This city has some big-ass churches!” There are quite a lot of churches in Pittsburgh that rival Notre Dame in their beauty. The East Liberty Presbyterian Church (116 S Highland Avenue) is one of the most iconic landmarks of the East End.
You can also experience the sublime at the Maxo Vanka murals in St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale (24 Maryland Avenue). They’re breathtakingly restored frescos that celebrate the city’s immigrant population. Or, for a secular building, the Cathedral of Learning (4200 Fifth Avenue) is unmatched. While Paris has only the Seine – we have three whole rivers to contemplate as they flow toward the sea! Or the Gulf of Mexico, if you need to be technical about it.
Transport Yourself Through Arts and Culture
The Carnegie Museum of Art has a number of paintings that can give you a connection to France’s place in art history. Dawn by Jules Breton is a favorite of mine. Breton painted evocative French country scenes showing the pastoral, pre-revolution life of the peasantry. Hay-Maker (Faneuse) by Adolphe-William Bougereau is in a similar vein. The museum’s collection of work by Pierre Bonard also bring to mind scenes from French homes and country life.
Also, one Pittsburgher really is going to Paris: Muralist Kyle Holbrook. You can see Holbrook’s murals across the city from the South Side to Lawrenceville. The Olympic committee invited him along with a team of muralists from around the country to create murals advocating for peace between nations. Walk by his murals, including the iconic Roberto Clemente on the exterior of the Clemente Museum, and cheer him on in his endeavors from afar.
But much of our American idea of Parisian and French culture is about romance, intellectualism, and quality—and, above all, about feeling refined. If you look hard enough and are willing to spend the money and time, you can find that feeling in your own city. (Check out our Euro Summer in Pittsburgh guide for more recommendations). There’s a city beyond Sheetz and the Steelers. The depth and refinement that it offers may well justify the moniker: the Paris of Appalachia is a fascinating and stimulating place in its own right.
Story by Emma Riva / Photo courtesy of Margaux
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