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The Soul of Pittsburgh: Essays on Life, Community and History
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 21, 2026
Knowing that my convalescence from surgery would involve a lot of sedentary time, I accumulated a pile of books. Some of these were tomes I “had“ to read. Others I’d looked forward to for a long time. And some fell into the category of “well, this could be something…”
What a delightful and delicious surprise this volume has been! Ed Simon is a colleague of my wife’s at Carnegie Mellon, and this collection of essays is part anthropology, part history, part sentimentalism, and 100% literature. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know the “real Pittsburgh” better. It is thoughtfully illustrated, well researched, and – I cannot stress this enough – imaginatively and superbly written. 
The quote below is from an essay entitled “Fries on Everything“ in which he discusses a culinary history and perspective on the town that I love. This is not the most important excerpt of the book, but as he describes the creation of the humble Devonshire sandwich, you can get a sense of why I love the writing in this book! 
“Regardless of the how, Blandi's final result was sublime: a cassoulet dish lined with toasted white bread, on which is layered a hefty portion of roasted turkey, all of which is drenched in viscous cheddar cheese sauce, crowned with a cruciform of thick-cut bacon and then, as if mocking God Himself, two or three thin tomato slices. A thin sprinkling of paprika and Parmesan anoints the top. The whole thing is baked at medium temperature for several minutes until the cheese turns the enchanted glowing hue of an industrial orange sunset. Ideally, the surface should crust slightly, reminiscent of the browned portions of macaroni and cheese or the French onion soup where the Gruyère bubbles over onto the crock's lip. Some recipes allow for crabmeat, shrimp or even asparagus, but it should be noted that vodka and vermouth isn't a martini. Technically, the dish is an open-faced sandwich, but that's like calling the Empire State Building an office complex or the Golden Gate Bridge a water crossing. Done right, it should be well over two thousand calories. Culinary agnostics may note that Blandi's recipe bears more than a passing resemblance to Louisville's fabled Hot Brown sandwich or the cheesy British classic known as Welsh rarebit. That's of no account-creation myths have to create out of something. Besides, despite the Devonshire's slightly fussy and pretentious name, it's a truth universally acknowledged that it sounds infinitely more appetizing than whatever it is that ‘Hot Brown’ describes.”
What a delightful and delicious surprise this volume has been! Ed Simon is a colleague of my wife’s at Carnegie Mellon, and this collection of essays is part anthropology, part history, part sentimentalism, and 100% literature. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know the “real Pittsburgh” better. It is thoughtfully illustrated, well researched, and – I cannot stress this enough – imaginatively and superbly written. 
The quote below is from an essay entitled “Fries on Everything“ in which he discusses a culinary history and perspective on the town that I love. This is not the most important excerpt of the book, but as he describes the creation of the humble Devonshire sandwich, you can get a sense of why I love the writing in this book! 
“Regardless of the how, Blandi's final result was sublime: a cassoulet dish lined with toasted white bread, on which is layered a hefty portion of roasted turkey, all of which is drenched in viscous cheddar cheese sauce, crowned with a cruciform of thick-cut bacon and then, as if mocking God Himself, two or three thin tomato slices. A thin sprinkling of paprika and Parmesan anoints the top. The whole thing is baked at medium temperature for several minutes until the cheese turns the enchanted glowing hue of an industrial orange sunset. Ideally, the surface should crust slightly, reminiscent of the browned portions of macaroni and cheese or the French onion soup where the Gruyère bubbles over onto the crock's lip. Some recipes allow for crabmeat, shrimp or even asparagus, but it should be noted that vodka and vermouth isn't a martini. Technically, the dish is an open-faced sandwich, but that's like calling the Empire State Building an office complex or the Golden Gate Bridge a water crossing. Done right, it should be well over two thousand calories. Culinary agnostics may note that Blandi's recipe bears more than a passing resemblance to Louisville's fabled Hot Brown sandwich or the cheesy British classic known as Welsh rarebit. That's of no account-creation myths have to create out of something. Besides, despite the Devonshire's slightly fussy and pretentious name, it's a truth universally acknowledged that it sounds infinitely more appetizing than whatever it is that ‘Hot Brown’ describes.”
July 18, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. It is less a history or a travelogue than a love letter to my and the author’s home town.
Simon writes beautifully of some of the most important things that make Pittsburgh unique and lovable. Our iconic local character, the Yinzer. The Steelers fandom, which thanks to the Pittsburgh diaspora of the 1980s, is now national and international. City steps (I walked a set of them every weekday during my four years of high school). The incomparable views. Our history as the world’s foundry (of course).
Our population is finally growing lately (just a tiny bit, but still…). People from bigger, more expensive cities often move here for the cheap housing. But they discover that there’s so much more to my beloved hometown. If you’re curious about what could possibly be lovable about Pittsburgh, that “hell with the lid off,” check out this book.
A personal aside: I’ve travelled a lot for vacations, but have never lived anywhere except Pittsburgh. I got a wonderful education at the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the University of Pittsburgh. I lived for twenty years in my mother’s house, had a couple vagabond years of living in various Pittsburgh neighborhoods, and settled 42 years ago about three miles from where I grew up. My kids and grandson are here, my brother and sister are here, my nephews are all here. That’s a pretty typical Pittsburgh story. It’s an old-fashioned, very rooted way of life, and not for everyone. But “hell with the lid off” has been heaven for me. Je ne regrette rien.
Simon writes beautifully of some of the most important things that make Pittsburgh unique and lovable. Our iconic local character, the Yinzer. The Steelers fandom, which thanks to the Pittsburgh diaspora of the 1980s, is now national and international. City steps (I walked a set of them every weekday during my four years of high school). The incomparable views. Our history as the world’s foundry (of course).
Our population is finally growing lately (just a tiny bit, but still…). People from bigger, more expensive cities often move here for the cheap housing. But they discover that there’s so much more to my beloved hometown. If you’re curious about what could possibly be lovable about Pittsburgh, that “hell with the lid off,” check out this book.
A personal aside: I’ve travelled a lot for vacations, but have never lived anywhere except Pittsburgh. I got a wonderful education at the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the University of Pittsburgh. I lived for twenty years in my mother’s house, had a couple vagabond years of living in various Pittsburgh neighborhoods, and settled 42 years ago about three miles from where I grew up. My kids and grandson are here, my brother and sister are here, my nephews are all here. That’s a pretty typical Pittsburgh story. It’s an old-fashioned, very rooted way of life, and not for everyone. But “hell with the lid off” has been heaven for me. Je ne regrette rien.
December 31, 2024
This isn't a book that praises Pittsburgh blindly. There's plenty of love here but it definitely spends time examining the dark sides of the city, from its treatment of its Black population to its ongoing environmental impacts.
It made me think and I learned plenty. (Um, there's a mass grave under parts of Lawrenceville? Who knew?!) I found my own feelings on this place where I was born, left a few times, and eventually returned, reflected in the pages, how somehow it is embedded in my bones.
A great read.
It made me think and I learned plenty. (Um, there's a mass grave under parts of Lawrenceville? Who knew?!) I found my own feelings on this place where I was born, left a few times, and eventually returned, reflected in the pages, how somehow it is embedded in my bones.
A great read.
May 27, 2024
Simon writes this love letter to Pittsburgh as a native son to other Pittsburghers. He acknowledges the warts as well as the beauty of this area in lyrical sentences. I picked up this books at the Greater Pittsburgh Book Festival after hearing Simon speak at a local historian Q & A. Glad I did!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews