1828 E. Carson St. | ph: 412.381.3977 | fax: 412.381.3976
Featuring single malt whiskeys, Belgium and other fine beers, and a
menu with appetizers, soups, salads, and entrees.
It was a warm Thursday evening as I and my mystery companion (from now on
referred to only as ?) made our way to the establishment known as
Piper's Pub. We had discussed going out to the
Sharp Edge,
but the lure of an adventure to a previously unknown place was too
great to ignore.
From the moment we stepped inside the pub, we knew we were going to
have an evening full of sensuous alcohol enjoyment. On tap at the bar
were some interesting sounding brews like Hoegaarden Wit, Lindeman's
Framboise, and Spaten Optimator XX Bock. Passing by the bar, we made
our way to the back where we took our seats at one of the 10 or so
booths and awaited a waitress.
Not wanting to get intoxicated too quickly, I decided an appetizer was
in order. I opened the menu and my eyes immediately fell upon the
Ploughman's Lunch, a platter with bread, apple chutney, apple slices,
two kinds of cheese, and sweet gerkin pickles. To hold us until that
arrived, we ordered our first shots of the night; for me, there was
a shot of Scapa ($8.25 USD) and for ?, a shot of Laphroaig 15 Year
Islay ($11.75 USD).
Sipping our drinks, we had time to take in the full magnitute of the
atmosphere. The decor was in the style of a Scotish bar, with
high back stools at the bar and bar area tables, booths, and more
low tables in the back dining area. Among the highlights were the
hardwood floor, castle imagery, and a painted aluminum ceiling.
The music level was very comfortable for conversation, though they
didn't play traditional tunes (I remember hearing Tom Waits at one
point).
After our appetizer had arrived and our first shots had hit bottom, we
set about the important task of getting another round. This time, we
decided to share the shots, Benriach 10 Year Islay ($6.00 USD) and
glenmorangie Sherry Wood 12 Year Highland ($8.25 USD). Naturally, at
this point it was time to check out the rest rooms.
The women's room was a bit larger than I had expected for the size of
the establishment, even affording enough room in the stall to stand
between the door and the toilet and adjust my clothing without fear
of accident. It was clean and well maintained. ? checked out the men's
room, which he said was on the small side, but clean and perfectly
adequate.
It was getting late, but since I was not driving I decided a shot of
Highland Park 12 Year Highland-Orkney was in order. After sharing it
with ?, I realized that we'd completely neglected to check out the
beer! This had to be rectified, so while ? sipped a cup of coffee I
enjoyed a 16oz draught of Corsendonk Brown ($6.00 USD). It was a very
pleasant end to a wonderful evening of good food, better booze, and
great conversation.
To sum up:
? - "Oh my God; this is beautiful."
me - "Wow. When are we coming back?"