What to Eat in Pittsburgh

Finding a go-to ice cream shop (or three) was on our short list of things to do shortly after arriving. You would think that as a kid growing up in the Burgh and eating out so often, I would have an edge on this category. And sadly, you would be wrong. We were a strictly Baskin and Robbins family (and only the one on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill, may it RIP, and only mint chocolate chip, chocolate almond fudge, and chocolate mousse royale).  My Pittsburgh ice cream game was stuck in the ‘90s. And of course Mr. Foodie is totally new to the scene.

So we dutifully did our usual thing, trolling Yelp obsessively. One especially hot summer day, while finishing a Strip District binge (think S&Ds Polish Deli, Andy’s Sushi, and random bites of cheese and meat), I realized we were only two blocks from ice cream on my must-try list: Klavon’s.

Klavon’s is a Pittsburgh classic. Even though I had never heard of it, I am making a safe assumption that I’m in the minority. There probably isn’t much I can tell you about Klavon’s that you don’t already know, so I won’t belabor the basics. It’s a classic old-school ice cream soda fountain. It initially opened in 1923, although it sat empty from 1979-1999 (essentially my entire childhood). The inside is beautiful, complete with tin ceiling and classic barstools that swivel around. The folks serving up the ice cream are as enthusiastic as you think they would be. And the flavors and offerings are pretty classic, although notably they sometimes offer flavored whipped cream (think peanut butter-chocolate ice cream topped with hot fudge and peanut butter whipped cream – YES). After our inaugural visit, we went back three weekends in a row, once with another family of newcomers to town, and two others with out-of-town visitors from Rochester and Philly. Adults and kids were all impressed.

Here’s that peanut butter sundae (mint chocolate chip on the bottom):

Close-up on the peanut butter whipped cream:

And because it’s so pretty, butter pecan on top of mint chocolate chip (my Baskin Robins habits live on….)

Of course, I immediately liked their Facebook page, as you do. And then an announcement: Klavon’s is starting to offer ice cream pizzas with Prantl’s bakery cookies as the base.

Luckily, I had an upcoming birthday, and I knew Mr. Foodie was planning some kind of “surprise” gathering. I tagged Mr. Foodie on Facebook and unsubtly hinted that this particular cake might be a good idea. So when he disappeared the morning of my birthday to pick something up, I had an inkling…. When he returned, something was shoved in the freezer and I re-commenced not knowing.

Hours later, this was removed:

Have to admit, it was a little smooshed, but still a handsome specimen. And heavy as hell. The cookie was frozen solid as you would expect, more of a biscotti texture at first. We could have let if soften for a few minutes before cutting, but with a bunch of people standing around looking at it, that really wasn’t practical. So we dug in with a very sharp knife.

Mr. Foodie had ordered the peanut butter cup flavor, and it delivered. The thing had a peanut butter cookie mixed with chocolate chips, encased in peanut butter cup pieces, and topped with a thick layer of vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate chips. The ice cream was typical Klavon’s: thick, creamy, decadent. The cookie became chewy and was a perfect complement to the ice cream.

The thing was so enormous, it just kept going. We had 5 guests for lunch and 10 for dinner, and almost everyone had a slice. Several days later, in a moment of work and holiday-related stress, we pulled it out of the freezer and hacked at it with regular forks and spoons. Even after all of that, here’s what it looks like, two weeks after the original party:

And it tastes about the same. Which means if you check back with us in 6 months, we’ll probably still have some left. This thing is immortal.