I don't like cucumbers, but for some reason when they are soaked in brine or vinegar a revolutionary food is created: the pickle. So, upon hearing that my visit to Pittsburgh this weekend aligned with Pittsburgh's tradition -- Picklesburgh, a festival where pickles are the main menu item, you could say I was not in a pickle when I decided to give the fair a try.
The festival closed the entire Rachel Carson Bridge for two days. When we first arrived it was apparent that Pittsburghers loved their pickles. Crowds filled the area and floating pickle balloons filled the sky. Music and other entertainment floated through the crowds but my pickle companion and I were on a mission to try the various pickle foods.
Walking through the many vendors we started out with something simple, deep fried and breaded pickles, my personal favorite. The vendor BRGR stole the show with lightly breaded dills that were "kind of a big dill." Needless to say we downed those in a few bites and were off to try more foods. Next up were the pierogies, me being the less brave of the two of us opted out of trying the pickled kimchi ones. This was barely the strangest pickle item sold as we noticed pickle egg rolls, pickle funnel cake, and even pickled lemonade (another I couldn't bring myself to try). None the less, if you were looking for an eclectic pickled product this festival was the place to be.
With Heinz company being based in Pittsburgh, it is no surprise they made an appearance with their own pickled products.They meant business supplying free samples of their two latest products: spicy garlic versus sweet and spicy pickles, having us vote on which we preferred. It was here that we shined, getting photographed by Heinz to be featured in their Picklesburgh gallery, and making us laugh that we are "pickle celebrities" for a day. We even sported pickle pins throughout the rest of the day.
After a long afternoon of pickled bliss, I commemorated the event with a Picklesburgh t-shirt, with slogans featuring "Workin for a gherkin" and "I'm kind of a big dill." The day would also not be complete without a picture under the giant dill. The size of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon, it floated on the bridge, and as we walked away that afternoon we could see it waving in the distance. Perhaps I will continue to attend this festival each year as Pittsburghers and visitors alike come together to share their love of one little food: the pickle. A visit to Picklesburgh, whoops! I mean Pittsburgh, well spent.
