The Pittsburgh Dish

016 Chef Eric's Folded Flavors with PGH Dumplingz

• Doug Heilman • Season 1 • Episode 16

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(00:38) When Eric White swapped his PF Chang's apron for the entrepreneurial hat of Pittsburgh Dumplingz, he embarked on a savory venture that's tantalizing taste buds across the city. We uncover the story of his remarkable rise and the pop-up scene that's become his stage. From the intricacies of perfecting the fold in his celebrated dumplings to the lively atmosphere of local breweries where his creations shine, Eric's tale is seasoned with dedication and a zest for community connection.

(12:44) Eric's path weaves through unexpected turns — from the closure of La Cordon Bleu to a pivotal stint at Giant Eagle — each stitch contributing to his knowledge and skills. The flavors we cherish often have their roots in the most surprising of places, and Eric's journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of adaptability in the ever-changing culinary landscape.

(27:12) For our weekly recommend, Abby O'Connell invites us to a cherished haunt with Nicky's Thai. And we dish up the perfect summer potluck dessert with mom's oatmeal cake recipe. Prepare for a heartfelt journey through the flavors and stories that make Pittsburgh's food scene uniquely delicious.

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Doug:

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Dish. I'm your host, Doug Heilman, how do you go from PF Chang's to your own potsticker hustle? Chef Eric White tells us his journey. What's a reliable dining option when you forgot to make that reservation? Abby O'Connell shares one of her go-to spots and looking for that perfect summer dessert that travels well, we'll give a call to my mom and talk about her oatmeal cake in our recipe of the week. All that ahead, stay tuned, hey. So thanks for coming over and being on the show. Would you introduce yourself and what you have going on right now in food?

Eric:

So I am Eric White and I am chef and owner of Pittsburgh Dumplingz Right now. I do a lot of pop-ups, I do a few buyouts, I sell some frozen, I wholesale to Ritual House and Hidden Harbor and, yeah, I'm looking to grow some more restaurants from there.

Doug:

That's amazing.

Eric:

Grocery stores yeah.

Doug:

I've seen you everywhere and I have to say, Eric, I was almost apprehensive to invite you on, because I see how you post your schedule of pop-ups. Yeah, and you are so busy, yeah, so busy, yeah, yeah, where are some? If folks haven't found you, uh, where can they find you, like right now, in the next few weeks or months?

Eric:

so right now I'm rotating around between uh coven, uh 11th hour and these are breweries yeah, these are all breweries uh, coven 11th hour. Uh, two phrase, um, and there was another one, uh, that I have coming up um, trace, yeah, trace, yeah uh, which I really like doing pop-ups a lot. Actually, it's mainly because I like to collab with people, right, and then I like to like, when you do these pop-ups at the breweries, you get to meet so many different people.

Doug:

Are there other makers there, sometimes with you Like it's the brewery and are there some other food options, or is it often just you?

Eric:

Most of the time it's just me. Most of the time it's just me. There are times like where, like there's events that they have going on, I think like a two frays might have an event coming up and I think it's, uh, like a. It's some kind of dumpling event. It's on my schedule for june 23rd, I believe. Okay, um, but yeah, I think they're selling tickets. Yeah, it's supposed to be pretty cool actually pretty good event.

Doug:

Yeah, yeah, cool, but most of the time it's just you, and so you're interacting with the clientele and you're interacting with the, the workers at the brewery, and just getting like a really good vibe going on yeah, like now, there's times where I could have a second person, and I'm not lying about that.

Eric:

Um, I did a pop-up a couple like sundays ago and like I walked in and the place was full, oh, wow and it was just like I was just not used to it right yeah, it was just something new to me.

Eric:

Um, not even just the place being full was just walking into the place being full. It was like the first time I seen it like that since I've been doing pop-ups there and I sold out in like two hours. Wow, like I was getting, I thought it was gonna be the regular normal. So now, like I'm actually I'm starting to pick up a little bit more too, so that's the great thing. It's like all right.

Doug:

People are loving these lemon pepper shrimp dumplings for sure, but we have to talk about some of the flavors in a little bit too. I wanted to ask, just sort of to dial back, how long have you been doing Pittsburgh dumplingz?

Eric:

So I've been in business for two and a half years. I've been making dumplings for probably 13, 14 years. Um yeah, and that's mainly because, um, I was like I worked at uh, I worked at P F Chang's prior to and, um we like, so I opened a lot of restaurants.

Eric:

So I was on like the part of where they would send me to restaurants and I would make them more efficient. Or I would make them like I would train the staff a little bit more, or like show, like the, you know the train, the chef, train, front of the house.

Doug:

Wow, getting them open, getting them more efficient, yeah, up to speed, and then you'd move on to the next location or something, pretty much wow, but I still had my home store.

Eric:

Where was your first home store? I worked at the homestead store. Still had my home store. Where was your first home store I worked?

Doug:

at the Homestead store. That was my home store.

Eric:

Homestead store was my home store. Then we moved. Then I moved to Settlers Ridge Okay yeah, which really is close to where I am right here, yeah.

Abby :

Yeah, yeah.

Eric:

So even like now, like a lot of people that like I hire and work for me, like they come from P F Chang's, it's because, like they have a good training model. I'm not going to lie, like the training model is good, like it's not, like they changed a lot over the years, which they went to simplifying a lot, but it's not a bad thing. It's just different from what I came from.

Doug:

So I just wanted to dial this back then. So you learned how to make dumplings from on-the-job work experience. Absolutely, this was not like a family thing or you didn't come up doing this, this was not a family thing.

Eric:

We did not make that. We went out and ate dumplings.

Abby :

Oh yeah.

Eric:

And then I don't know, like in the 90s, there was this like Chinese restaurant downtown, so where Fairmont is the big hotel downtown downtown but where, like all the buses run past that little triangle right there. Yes, there used to be, uh, like it was a. It literally looked like a shack and it was like a takeout window and you would just go up to the window, you just order food and it'd be like it's. They have like wings, lo main, fried rice dumplings, and we would just get the dumplings and wings when we were kids.

Doug:

This was your family spot.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah, yeah and it's not there anymore. It's not there anymore. Oh no, definitely not there anymore, but it was good. Yeah, we waited for the bus. We would get the wings and stuff, take it home eat. So like it's Chinese food, it's like special for me. Yeah, because like it was our fancy meal when we went out.

Doug:

Yeah, so it sounds like growing up you were not necessarily the most picky eater you. You were kind of adventurous.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah. Now you can't get me to eat a beet though.

Doug:

Oh, nobody wants beets.

Eric:

No, like, even like the candy ones. The candy ones aren aren't bad, but like they still have that flavor.

Doug:

That's that food aversion a little too earthy yeah.

Eric:

Yeah, and I don't mind earthy at all, no, but it's just not yours, it's not me, it's not me.

Doug:

Well, I'll have to say your flavors. If we talk about what you're doing in dumplings, those flavors are amazing, thank you. So, eric, for folks that haven't experienced your dumplings, what are some of the most popular ones, or the ones that you love making? Chicken shishito oh, that is my favorite. Lemon pepper shrimp. I haven't had lemon pepper shrimp. You will today.

Eric:

Oh, okay, awesome, thank you. And what was the other one? Chicken, shishito, lemon pepper, shrimp. I would say the vegan pork pot sticker one vegan pork pot stickers.

Doug:

So what are you using as the meat?

Eric:

substitute there, the um beyond, oh yeah, like the impossible stuff, yeah, yeah. So like it gives a really like good, like flavor and texture the texture is good with that stuff especially like to season it like a pork dumpling. Yeah, but it be vegan, like people love it so like it's hard for me to even like Go back to pork.

Eric:

Yeah, I mean. Yeah, but even like that, like I try and like go to the store and I'll go to Depot. I'm like, oh, do they have any? Oh, they don't have any. Or then like I'll roll like all of it and then it's gone in like the week. Yes, and then I'm trying to like go back and it's just, sometimes some of the stuff is hard to get.

Doug:

Oh my goodness, yes, now have you had, I'm trying to recall. Have you had a like a mushroom or a sweet potato one? Am I making that up?

Eric:

Nope, I had a sweet potato one that I sold at the Bellevue Farmer's Market.

Doug:

Okay that I sold at the Bellevue Farmer's Market. Okay, I think.

Eric:

I've had that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I had a. What's the other one I had?

Abby :

What was the other one, mushroom, oh yeah.

Eric:

So I did a mushroom tofu and kale. Oh wow, when I first started the company, I did mushroom tofu and cabbage oh, but it was like some Thai basil in there, like it was really good. And the other one is Spicy Mushroom and Black Bean oh that.

Doug:

Yeah, I think I've seen that one so.

Eric:

I sell that one and a coconut one to Hidden Harbor.

Doug:

Oh, yeah, yeah. And if folks don't know Hidden Harbor, it's over in Squirrel Hill.

Eric:

Great place, absolutely yeah, and they just opened a bottle shop like Around the corner right. Yeah, I was delivering one day and I walked past it and seen one of the bartenders in there and I had to like stop and double take. I was like wait a minute, what is this?

Doug:

place. It's all connected to independent brewing too. They share the same kitchen yep, it's a great spot. I've done a pop-up out of independent before too, actually you have been all over, um, but before we get too far away from this, the other thing I wanted to talk about are the sauces. You have some incredible flavor combinations, so like, can you give me just a couple examples of those? Oh yeah, so actually.

Eric:

So the two sauces that I make, the two big sauces that I make, are the duck sauce and the spicy bang-bang sauce. I call yes so good which the spicy bang-bang sauce. I Hughes Apiary Farms. Honey her hot honey okay um keeping it local. Yeah, I love Chris, she's pretty cool. Um see her at the bellevue's farmers market all the time. Um, when I found that actually funny story about that is when I found that she was the person that had the honey. I couldn't find her brand anywhere.

Doug:

Oh, oh, okay.

Eric:

So then, like she's literally two tents down from me, I walked down. Look at the honey.

Doug:

I'm like this is it. Oh my gosh, this is it. The networking from just being out and about and selling, you kind of find like the golden source right yeah.

Eric:

So like ever since then, like cause before I was making my own, oh yeah.

Doug:

And I'm like I don't really hers is better. Oh yeah, oh, that's so good I imagine you have. You have really found a network of other like food makers doing this right. Oh yeah, any any like really close ties to folks beyond her that have helped you or just inspired you.

Eric:

Oh, absolutely. Um, so there's the like. I think he's like the head chef down there. He might just oversee everything. But his name Edwin Smith. Okay, he used to be the chef. He was. Well, he kind of hired me when I started at PF Chang's, okay, and where is he now? He's at Ritual House. Oh yeah, he used to be the chef at Monterey Bay. He did like some private chef stuff before that, but he's super talented, like he respects hard work and he holds people accountable.

Doug:

Gives you a good ethic for what you got to do, especially when you're on your own now doing your thing, literally.

Eric:

Yeah, I wanted to ask do you have any employees or anyone helping you? So I have two employees who actually both work for me, and Ed. And so my one employee, her name's Amber. She actually trained me when I became a sous chef.

Mom:

Wow.

Eric:

So she was a sous chef before I was a sous chef. Okay, she was Ed's sous chef, and then she became my executive chef my goodness, yeah. And then I moved away and became an executive chef. She was at sous chef and then she became my executive chef my goodness, yeah. And then I moved away and became an executive chef.

Doug:

Yeah, and wait and just to follow that story. Where did all that happen? Where was she? Pf Chang's? This was all at.

Eric:

PF Chang's. All at PF Chang's. Oh my goodness, yeah, all at PF Chang's, yeah.

Doug:

What a come up story yeah, that's awesome.

Eric:

Yeah, and it's it's like kind of it's really funny because we don't. When I started pf changs, I told myself I was going to be there for two years, because I was like I'll be here for two years, I'll try to figure something out.

Doug:

I don't think. I don't think a lot of people think about those types of locations as a forever yeah, no position.

Eric:

No. So I was there for five and a half years.

Doug:

I would say, and I learned a lot.

Eric:

I got to experience a lot. What I experienced, I would say, and I learned a lot, I got to experience a lot. What I experienced, I would say, definitely helped me with this. What I'm doing now and like, yeah, there's still like hiccups, like we like, there's still hiccups where, like I get stressed or I get frustrated with stuff, but like the people that I have in my corner and the people that I hire, like even when I'm frustrated and stressed, they still talk to me like I'm a person, of course.

Doug:

Yes.

Eric:

Yeah. Yeah, and that's important and that's kind of why, like, those are the relationships that I like to build on. Right yeah Right, the right people around you.

Doug:

Absolutely yeah.

Eric:

This is Eric White from Pittsburgh Dumplingz and you're listening to the Pittsburgh Dish Podcast.

Doug:

Now before PF Chang's, did you go to any other culinary training? Like, how did you sort of you know, make your way to you know even those first steps?

Eric:

So I went to. I went to Le Cordon Blue for like three months, OK but Le Cordon Blue is no longer.

Doug:

It's one of the older culinary schools. It was downtown.

Eric:

Yeah, it's closed now. Yeah, so like I went for three months and ran out of money, I started working on like advanced auto parts when I was there auto parts.

Doug:

Yeah, literally, I was working on advanced auto parts and crafting and it was very expensive there, very expensive, yeah, at la cordon bleu and I had just so.

Eric:

The funny story about that is that like just missed, like this thing where I could have stayed in school. But but he was like, oh, like the guy, I remember the guy and everything. He's like if you. He's like if you would have started a month sooner, we could have got you into this program and would have paid for the rest of your school. Oh no, and I was like, oh no.

Doug:

Why even tell me that?

Eric:

Yeah, it's like you should. But long story, short like fast forward.

Doug:

I ended up working at john eagle. This is how I kind of met paul abbott.

Eric:

Oh yeah, we had just had a couple weeks ago and um, so I started working at john eagle. I was working at pf chang's with a girl named amanda and she got the job at john eagle. She's like dude, you need to go apply over there.

Eric:

So I went over there and this is actually how I met Sara Boyer. Okay, I was on a panel, like at the time they did like they just did like these group interviews, so you put you in a room cooking school, they put you in and they would just go around and they would talk to everybody and they would say what do you want to do, what are you interested in? And I was like at the time I said I wanted to work in produce, okay, but I was coming from pf chains. Yes, yes, thank god for sara boyer, because sara boyer is like no, put this guy in prepared foods. Uh-huh, so like, if I honestly I don't think.

Eric:

I think if I didn't work prepared foods, I probably would have a different path of what I'm doing yeah, yeah because at one point, going back even further I worked at Chick-fil-A like I was probably like 16, 17 years old, and when I left Chick-fil-A they wanted to make me a supervisor and I told them I said I just don't see a career in food Now. Look at me now.

Doug:

Yeah Well but I mean, I mean, who knows exactly what they want to do when they're that age too, right so, and that's exactly what it was.

Eric:

It was like I, I see it now. Like now I'm like oh man, I was, I should, man, I was really good, yeah. But like now I'm like. Now I'm like okay, all right, I get it now. Yeah.

Doug:

Yeah, and all of this has happened in Pittsburgh.

Eric:

You grew up in Pittsburgh grew up in Pittsburgh, I left like on and off like three years like I lived in Akron, I lived in Buffalo um, that's where I was like working at PF Chang's, oh okay, um, so like I like left. Missouri was another one. Uh, I was in Texas for a little bit so, yeah, I was like kind of like all over the place. But those like going to those places like for PF Chang's, like you get to learn things that you don't like the water in texas, they said. They told me to thaw out shrimp in texas and the water was coming out warm. Oh, it was the cold water. It was like, oh yeah, that's cold water in Texas. I said, well, somebody else can do this today.

Doug:

Oh, my goodness, I mean, what a learning experience, and I mean a worldly learning. Yeah, yeah, oh, I love it. I also wanted to ask, like, what your family thinks about this business. I mean, when you were talking about that being sort of a special meal for you, and now you're making all these things like what's the impression at home?

Eric:

So my mom actually loves it. Actually she's a big supporter in it. That's awesome. She actually is funny because when I like, she me with a pop-up at Lola at one time and she goes like she didn't realize your family don't really know how your business is until they're actually there In it.

Eric:

Yeah, yeah, so like she was there and she was like oh, she's like, oh, you're like really busy. And she was like oh, she's like, oh, you're like really busy. Yes, she's like. I'm like. Yeah, mom, like this is what I do. You thought I was just out here playing around this isn't for fun.

Eric:

My brother came to a pop up. He came to a pop up. It was what was it? Oh, the Ironborn, one of my Ironborn pop ups. He works at Bank of New York Mellon and he came to one of the pop-ups and he was just like he's like, man, you got all these people here. He's like I didn't realize. He's like you'd be doing this by yourself.

Doug:

Sometimes I'm like yeah, I've pretty much only ever seen you by yourself. Yeah, I've seen you out, so that's true, actually. We first met? Did we first meet at KDKA? Yeah, Was that the first?

Eric:

time. That was the first time.

Doug:

Yeah, thanks for letting me creep in on your. I was done with the segment and you were coming in with Daisy Jade. Yeah, and I don't think I was done cleaning up so I was just hanging out. No, but then I saw you again at Hometown, Homegrown the Good Taste Pittsburgh thing in Heinz and you were rocking it there.

Eric:

Yeah, trying to. That's the Southside one the. Southside one is the 111 Juice Bar. The one you're talking about, I think, is Pittsburgh Juice.

Doug:

Company. Pittsburgh Juice Company. Yeah, I'll edit this out. It's okay, I'm messing it up, it's okay, oh my goodness. So you have the staff, you have the family support. You're doing all kinds of pop-ups. Tell me a little bit more about where you see this going. I mean, do you like where it is now? I usually ask folks later if they have goals, but I'm just sort of wondering for you right now, because you have had so much popularity. You have a following. I think I do.

Eric:

I'm happy that. So I have a friend that tells me that all the time my two frays, her name's Liz, and she tells me that all the time she's like people come to see you now I'm like, all right, cool, yeah they do.

Doug:

Where do you see?

Eric:

it going. Honestly, I would, I want to do more like wholesale and I want. I would like to partner with like more restaurants Right now. Like partner with more restaurants and get my vegan stuff on the shelves. It's like that's like the key thing for me. I want to get the meat stuff on the shelves, but in order to do that I have to go through USDA inspection and do a little bit more stuff. Yeah, it's not as tough as you think.

Eric:

honestly it's just you have to have like prior, like paperwork stuff, so like if you're like, for instance, I have a grinder that's metal on metal. Anytime you have something like that that's metal on metal and is grinding like that, you have to have HACCP plans for it.

Doug:

OK.

Eric:

Like, even like, the people that use like the like, the sous vide things. Yes, they got to have HACCP plans for them.

Doug:

Tell me that again. What's it called?

Eric:

Yes, they got to have hazard plans for them. Tell me that again. What's it called? It's like a hazardous analysis and critical points, or something like that.

Doug:

Okay, all right, I just didn't know the acronym. Yeah.

Eric:

Hazard analysis and critical points. That's what it is Got you, so you literally just look at as you're cooking something you're like. Well, I got to put the meat on ice or I have to put the mix on ice because it's going to be here for three hours. Yes, or like just little stuff like that. So that's what the USDA wants to see. I see, yeah.

Doug:

And every dumpling that you're selling is handmade. Yes, like, I don't know if folks like haven't encountered that, but this is not a machine kicking out gyozas or something, or potstickers, you guys are doing every pinch filling, every filling. There's no big automation, no, and do you want to stay like that?

Eric:

No, I actually no, I don't actually Well, and that's the kind of thing.

Abby :

To a degree probably.

Eric:

Yeah, With some of the folds that we do. We kind of have to stay that way.

Doug:

Yeah With some of the folds that we do. We kind of have to stay that way, yeah.

Eric:

They're beautiful, yeah, and, but, and that's the thing. Like you would look at the folds and you'd be like man, he's got to be done with a machine, Right, but they're not, they're not. But I got some stuff in the works, okay, yeah, yeah, I, yeah. So I'm, I'm looking to like get rappers going to be switching over to production of wrappers. It's like just little stuff like that, just, and then, like once I switch over to making the wrappers, then I'll look in like you know, maybe Copac or maybe a machine to make the dumplings, but the folds are what the folds that I do, the machines don't do. Right, this is sort of what makes it.

Doug:

Yeah, and I think it's what makes it special exactly in In some applications. Having that mechanized way would be nice, maybe for wholesale and things, but you know that people are coming because they know that these are made by a human that really cares, with intention. I love it. Any other big goals moving forward, hiring more people?

Eric:

Hiring more people, for sure.

Doug:

Not a storefront or a brick and mortar kind of thing.

Eric:

I've been thinking about it actually lately. I've been working with the URA on some stuff, oh yeah, so I've been thinking about it but I'm not like 100% sure what I should do yet.

Doug:

I think the partnerships you've done are smart, like with ritual house, yeah.

Eric:

Hidden harbor yeah, it takes some of it off of you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah so, and that's kind of like what these like restaurants like it. It helps because, um, I I have to back off of some of the pop-ups a little bit sometimes. So, like lately, I've done a lot of pop-ups but I've been doing like two or three a week lately Before I was going like four, five, six.

Doug:

And here I thought you were busy right now.

Eric:

But a lot of people don't realize that, like I do wholesale stuff too, yes, so like that's kind of what it is. It's like I still like I love, like you know, going to places and selling dumplings and talking to people and getting reactions. But on the other side, like I started the business to be a wholesale side, got you, yeah, I love it.

Doug:

yeah, I did want to tuck in like one more little question here, because this is its own operation, it's yours. It's totally busy and crazy, but in addition to this, you also work for some other places on the side. Yeah, I was surprised when I walked into Ironborn in the strip. I just didn't expect to see you there.

Eric:

Yeah, so, yeah. So I've worked, like I've worked with Pete at Giant Eagle and then I've worked with like Sarah, hired me at John Eagle.

Doug:

So are you guys all connected through that, through Giant Eagle? Wow, yeah, yeah. And if anyone doesn't know, Ironborn Pizza. There's two locations. The one that I know is in the Strip where you can sit down Great Detroit style, and I think Pete is from my hometown up in Kittanning.

Eric:

He is actually. Yeah, he is. I think he's a little younger than me.

Doug:

He is from Kittanning. I'll have to talk. I've never met him, I think, face to face he's a good guy. Yeah, he's a good guy. Yeah, good guy.

Eric:

But, yeah, I definitely like if it. I always say, if it wasn't for Sara, I don't know if I would be in these shoes right now. Yeah, great mentors and support. And she like knows so much about baking her Vegas pies really good, um, I had to. So the natural pie that I put that when I was working at Ironborn, that was my pizza actually. Oh, it's not as spicy as it was when I was there. Okay, because I like spice, yes, and Pete does not like spice like that. So it's still a really good pizza. Yes, um, it's just not as spicy as it was, but you helped develop that one.

Doug:

I like this. I like it. You're so busy. I want to thank you so much for coming over. Thank you for having me.

Eric:

I was excited when you asked me, I was super excited.

Doug:

Again, I'm a fan. If you can't tell, I'm so happy to talk with you, eric and uh. For anyone that doesn't know you, would you plug your website or your handles on social so people can find?

Eric:

you absolutely um. So my website is uh. Pgh dumplings has spelled p-g-h-d-u-m-p-l-i-n-g-z. Yes, um dot com, uh. And the instagram and the facebook is pgh dumplings with a z d-u-m-p-l-i-n-g-z. Yes, you didn't know there'd be a spelling bee today.

Doug:

Didn't know there'd be a spelling bee but yeah, yeah, the pgh is the beginning and the z at the end. Yes, they'll find you. Yes, absolutely yeah, and you do such a good job. Actually, I'm a big instagrammer and I find all of where you're going to be there, so you do a good job.

Eric:

I just let me just tell you, I just got better with that.

Abby :

You got better.

Doug:

I just got better with that. Serious. I think it's the best way because you're always somewhere. Yeah, yeah, if people, if people want to find you. Yeah, Eric, before I let you go, the name of the show is The Pittsburgh Dish. I always like to ask what has been the best dish you have eaten this week?

Eric:

So I just went to Dim Sum Parlor for the first time. Oh okay, when is Dim Sum Parlor? It's in Lawrenceville. That's right On Butler Street, on the corner, and I had the jade dumplings, I had their shrimp dumplings or argyle dumplings is what they call them shrimp dumplings and I had this char siu platter with all the meats on it like chicken pork, and there was duck. Wow, oh, it's so good this is a Roger Li.

Doug:

Oh yeah, uh restaurant. Yeah yeah, the Parlor Dim Sum yeah, I love that plate. That was the first time I've been there, but I definitely would go back oh, that sounds like the best dish I could eat this week, especially when you don't have to fold it and you're kind of doing, you're kind of doing uh r and d, you're just. What else are folks making out here?

Eric:

This stuff is so good and that was like I said, that was the first time I had ever been there, but I had been. To like his other concepts, yes, but yeah, that one was really good. Nice, yeah, best bite of the week.

Doug:

Oh yeah, that was the best one for sure. Eric White, thanks so much for being on the Pittsburgh Dish Up next in our weekly recommend where's a good dining location, when you forgot to make that reservation. Abby O'Connell, of Food is my Savior, tells us her pick. Hey, Abby, how you doing.

Mom:

Good. How are you Good?

Doug:

Hey, I know you're always posting all the time, but I was wondering is there a spot that you and Z always go to? That's just sort of a when we didn't think about it. Let's just go here.

Mom:

Yes, definitely Nicky's Thai. We absolutely love, definitely our go-to when we're in a pinch.

Doug:

So good. Do you have a favorite dish?

Mom:

I love the Pad Thai. And it's a tie between that or Pad See Ew. We always want to try something different, but those are what we stick to. And then crab rangoons, generally as an appetizer. Of course, yeah.

Doug:

I mean anything. Thai is good in my book as well 100%. Do you guys remember your first time that you visited Nicky's Thai?

Mom:

Yes, so Zakota and I were only probably dating about three months and I was going to Ireland for four months. So yeah, it was a. You know, are we going to continue to do this or not? We made the decision that we were going to and the night before we actually got a hotel near the Hilton or something downtown. I think it was either before or the day of Valentine's Day.

Abby :

Oh.

Mom:

And we ended up getting Nicky's Thai. We split the Pad See Ew and Pad Thai.

Abby :

Oh.

Mom:

And we got a dessert from Eddie Merlot's that we now get religiously as well.

Doug:

All of this is in the downtown block, the downtown location.

Mom:

And now we we do that probably, I mean every like three months we get at least one of those, so definitely hit home.

Doug:

They're so consistently good and the downtown location has that nice like outdoor seating. It's so nice. Do they still have their North?

Mom:

side location. They do, and they have one in North Hills too. So that's actually the closest one now that we've moved, so it's nice to have them really close. What's your spice level?

Doug:

I am a spice wimp, I might say if it's like a one to 10, I would go with a three, okay, which can still get me a little in trouble sometimes. Yeah, you got the sweat a little bit, but I do love it. And actually the day that Greg and I went downtown to get our marriage license, we went to Nicky''s Thai as well.

Mom:

Oh see, a celebratory love place it is Thanks for sharing yeah.

Doug:

You can follow Abby on Instagram at foodismysavior_ PGH. So this week's recipe comes from my mom, and it is her oatmeal cake. It sounds really simple and easy for the summer. Let's give her a call and learn a little bit more about this delicious dessert.

Abby :

Hi Doug.

Doug:

Hi Mom, what are?

Abby :

you doing.

Doug:

Well, I want to talk to you about the oatmeal cake.

Abby :

Okay.

Doug:

So, mom, I want to talk a little bit more about this oatmeal cake, because it's delicious and everyone seems to love it, but I don't really remember growing up with it. I know you've been making it over the last couple months. How did you come upon this cake? Know you've been making it over the last couple months. How did you come upon?

Abby :

this cake. Well, you didn't grow up with it because I just got the recipe a few years ago from my friend Tina, an old nurse friend. An old nurse friend, yes, and it was delicious and she had the recipe and gave it to me, okay, and it's a perfect cake. If you want to take it like to a picnic or you know, you have to take it maybe to another occasion, another event, because it travels easily. The topping's perfect.

Doug:

It comes together pretty easily. You sent me over the recipe card and, if folks haven't seen it yet, it's called an oatmeal cake and it has some pretty basic ingredients, like you say oatmeal flour, sugar, butter, all of that stuff. But I think what makes it travel well and what everyone really seems to like about it is you don't ice this cake. Can you talk a little bit about the topping?

Abby :

I sure can, can, and not only that, but this. I like this cake also because it's so simple. You can make it in one bowl, stirring it with like a spoon a wooden spoon or a regular spoon and mix it all together and pour it right into your pan. And the best part about it is the topping the broiled coconut topping. It makes it so nice and easy to take places because you don't have to worry about icing melting or anything like that. It's perfect.

Doug:

Oh yeah, I mean, that's what everyone seems to like, and so can you tell listeners if they didn't read the recipe card yet, like, what is that topping? And how do you do it? You broil it right.

Abby :

Right. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, you have this topping made. You just mix it in a separate bowl like a stick of butter. You melt a stick of butter. I do it all in the microwave, so you can do it all in the same bowl. Melt your butter in the microwave, Then you add your sugar, your canned milk, your coconut and your vanilla, Stir that all together and when that cake comes out of the oven, you spread that on top of the cake While the cake is still hot.

Abby :

Oh yeah, oh yes. As soon as you take it out of the oven, you spread this topping on it and broil it. And you have to watch it closely, because when you broil it it can burn easily if you don't watch it.

Doug:

Do you leave? I've done this. I actually leave the oven door open and I kind of watch it and turn the pan a little bit. Do you ever like turn the pan like that to make sure it browns a little more even?

Abby :

Yes, I've never left the oven door open while I'm doing it, but I do open the door and check it and then turn the pan so I get it more even and see, you know, get the places that make it nice and brown. And it doesn't take very long, right, it only takes a couple of minutes, you know, and I broil mine on high, yeah, and just like you said, turn it and watch it and take it out and it's finished.

Doug:

Yeah, no, icing. That's what makes it so great is like you're done and so it's easy to to take then somewhere.

Abby :

Exactly. That's what's so nice about it. It's an easy quick cake to make.

Doug:

Everyone seems to love it. Hey mom, if somebody, if they didn't like coconut, have you ever made it without the topping? Like, or could you like and just not ice it or ice it with something different?

Abby :

You know, know, I never did make it without the topping because that's what everyone liked about it, but I'm sure it would be. It would taste delicious because it has your oatmeal in it and your cinnamon and different things like that, so it's, it would taste really good maybe with like a glaze or like a cream cheese frosting.

Doug:

That might also be for somebody that doesn't want coconut.

Abby :

Right, that would taste really good.

Doug:

I think that would be nice to do once in a while you know, if you wanted to switch it up a little bit, right? Well, mom, it's delicious, and I had it just this past Mother's Day because, although you're not supposed to cook on Mother's Day, you had already made this cake along with chocolate chip cookies, and it was all so good, thank you.

Abby :

Thank you. Yes, you did finally get to try it. I'm glad you got to try it. Yeah, and everybody has that same thoughts about it. As soon as they eat it, they love the topping, so it's delicious.

Doug:

Well, thank you, and thank Tina for the recipe oatmeal cake.

Abby :

I will do that I will do that, and I love your Pittsburgh dish. It's so informative. I've learned a lot from it.

Doug:

Oh, thanks, mom. So thanks, Doug, you do a good job. Oh, thank you so much. Thanks for being on the show.

Abby :

Okay, Love you, bye-bye now.

Doug:

Bye. Share your recipes with us. We'd love to have you on the show. Just go to our website at www. pittsburghdish. com and look for our share a recipe form, bonus points if you've got a picture of the finished dish. That's our show for this week. We want to thank all of our guests and contributors, and to Kevin Solecki of Carnegie Accordion Company for providing the music to our show. We'll be back again next week with another fresh episode. Stay tuned.

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Douglas Heilman

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