The Pimenti Brother's Sandwich

ok...here is the deal...I am a bit preoccupied today and I cannot come up with anything bright and sunny about which to post so I decided to reach into the blog bin and retell this story. Along with being one of my favorite posts I find myself in a place where I need to remind myself that I need to appreciate what I have.

Yes...a posting devoted to a sandwich. My regular readers, my children, and my friends all know that food is very important to me. To me, food is not only sustenance for the body, but it is a means of expression, a source of comfort, and a way to express love.

Anyway, it should come as no surprise that I am writing about a sandwich today. And not just any sandwich, The famous Pimenti Brother's Sandwich. I had read about Pimenti Brother's in my middle '30s in a National Geographic article about Pittsburgh. Pimenti Brother's restaurant is located in The Strip in Pittsburgh. The Strip is a section of Pittsburgh where there are a number of restaurants, clubs, and most interestingly, ethnic markets. I had occasion to go to Pittsburgh almost two years ago and was able to experience Pimenti Brother's for myself.

The restaurant is divided into two sections, one where you could be seated and have waitress service, and the more interesting area where you can sit at the counter and watch the cook's prepare these terrific sandwiches first hand. Along the wall opposite the counter is a mural depicting famous figures from Pittsburgh history such as George Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Art Rooney, Andy Warhol, and Roberto Clemente.

As for the sandwich itself, contained in the sandwich is not only meat and cheese, but also cole slaw and hand cut fries. Originally made for rail road workers who needed to be able to hold their meals in their hands without needing a knife and fork, the Pimenti Sandwich is a meal onto itself and alone well worth the trip to Pittsburgh.

The Pimenti Brother's sandwich not only represents the a terrific meal, but is a reminder that somethings are perfect onto themselves and that to ask for changes to the sandwich would be to ask for something entirely different. The sandwich also reminds me to be smart enough and wise enough to know when I am happy, to be satisfied with whats already in my hands, and to appreciate what I have.