April 13, 2025 • 44 mins
(00:57) Step through the door of Dagny's Eatery in Carnegie and you'll quickly discover it's not just another sandwich shop. It's an extension of owner Dagny Como herself, who creates an atmosphere so welcoming you might forget you're not actually sitting in her home kitchen.
Located on East Main Street, this cozy spot represents a brave pandemic-era pivot from banking to food entrepreneurship. Running a one-woman operation means Dagny handles everything—taking orders, preparing food, serving customers, and cleaning up—all while maintaining genuine conversations with everyone who walks through her door. "It's almost like you're performing," she explains, but this performance comes naturally as she multitasks with intuitive ease.
(21:22) What makes the food special isn't complexity but attention to detail. From "The Ray" sandwich with its game-changing pepperoncini relish to the legendary "Daci Cake" (think Hostess cake "on steroids"), everything is made from scratch with care. Many items carry deep personal significance, like sandwiches named for her grandparents whose photos hang in the shop alongside family heirlooms that bring Dagny joy as she works.
Beyond the daily menu of breakfast items, hot sandwiches, and made-from-scratch sweets, Dagny brings out her Blackstone grill during Carnegie's community events to serve smash burgers, hotdogs, and cheesesteaks. These gatherings represent everything she loves about her adopted neighborhood—its walkability, diverse businesses, and tight-knit support system. Whether you're a regular whose order she knows by heart or a first-time visitor, Dagny's passion for feeding people well shines through in every bite.
(34:07) Later in the show, do you have that true favorite restaurant? Autumn Pawelec shares her love for Alla Famiglia in Allentown. Plus Chef Fernando Canales of the Fairmont Pittsburgh shares a favorite at-home dish that you can do as well. Hope you have a big appetite!
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Episode Transcript
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Doug (00:01):
Welcome to The Pittsburgh Dish.
I'm your host, Doug Heilman.
Want some good eats and cozyvibes, just like hanging out in
a friend's kitchen?
Well then you need to visitDagny's Eatery in Carnegie.
We learn more from Dagnyfirsthand.
Do you have a truly favoriterestaurant spot?
Autumn Pawelec shares her ofAlla Familia.
(00:25):
And what's your favorite dayoff dish to make?
For Chef Fernando Canales ofthe Fairmont Pittsburgh, it's
his recipe for chili quiles.
All that ahead, stay tuned.
The Pittsburgh Dish issupported by Chef Alekka LLC.
Book Chef Alekka for a privateevent or sign up for one of her
(00:47):
classes at the Hilltop SharedKitchen in Mount Oliver.
Find more information on herwebsite at chefalekka.
com.
Now on to the show.
Thank you so much for comingover, which isn't too far right.
Dagny (01:01):
No, we probably walked to each other's house from here.
Oh wow, yes, oh, thanks forcoming to the table, for sure,
and which isn't too far right?
Doug (01:04):
no, we are, we probably walk to each other's house from
here.
Yes, oh, thanks for coming tothe table, for sure and being on
the show.
Yeah, yeah, would you introduceyourself to our listeners and
what you have going on right nowin the world of food?
Dagny (01:16):
I am dagny of dagny's eatery.
Um, as of right now, we arekind of ending the winter months
, which is great.
Um, so the summer months, orwarmer months, are coming.
Um, we're just doing like smashburgers and fries.
Nothing like too crazy, butsomething you would eat while
you drink.
Doug (01:33):
Um, wait a minute you don't, do you do a smash burger
at Dagny's?
Dagny (01:37):
I don't.
So in the summer months we dopull blackstone out and I do
smash burgers, cheese steakspretty nice hot dogs.
So this is special for thisevent, yeah, so the reason doing
this is I do it all through thesummer.
They do farmer's marketsoutside, they do some Friday
night events, so whenever I can,the weather allows, I pull this
(01:57):
grill out.
It's just a different menu thatI could do inside.
Inside I don't have a fullkitchen.
That's really the whole reason.
Dagny let's remind everybodywhere your eatery is located.
I am in Carnegie.
The address is 114 East MainStreet.
I am literally between CarnegieCoffee and Slice Pizza.
Doug (02:17):
Yes, and if someone hasn't ventured to Carnegie, there are
a lot of just cute littlethings happening along there.
I go to your place, I go overto Carnegie Coffee.
Our friend, Kevin Solecki, whodoes the music for the show, has
a little shop in Carnegie rightacross the parking lot, and
there's a lot of parking.
Yes, very easy.
(02:38):
Parking's so nice.
Dagny (02:39):
So nice.
Yeah, it's a good block.
There's an eclectic choice ofkind of like, whatever you do, I
think, yeah, it's a good block.
There's an eclectic choice ofkind of like, whatever you do, I
think.
There's Higher Voice, wherethey do voice singing lessons,
music lessons, a stationerystore, a new bookstore, a lot of
different types of foods whichI really like.
Doug (02:54):
Yes.
Dagny (02:55):
So it's a good block.
Doug (02:56):
It's a good walkable block in Carnegie it is, and Carnegie
Stage is just a little furtherdown.
Yeah, it's very cool there too,it's a performance place.
We're really hoping thatRiley's Poorhouse gets rebuilt
in the next couple of yearsbecause they had a tragic fire.
Dagny (03:09):
Yeah, that's the rumor.
Everyone's like crossing theirfingers on that.
Doug (03:12):
I so hope I so hope, and Apis is down in that same area
yes, yes.
And is it?
Deblaze is across the street131?
Dagny (03:23):
Yeah, they took over the old 131 and I guess it is now
DeBlaze at 131.
And I can't say I've been toeither of those.
I haven't made it yet either.
Doug (03:32):
I've heard good things.
Dagny (03:33):
Usually the people in Carnegie seem to not venture to
the Carnegie places me being oneof them.
Doug (03:39):
It's like Pittsburghers not going to the Andy Warhol or
something.
Dagny (03:43):
I've never been there.
So yeah, there you go.
So yeah, and usually and I saya lot like a lot of the places
are open the same times I am, soI don't go there.
Doug (03:52):
You can't.
Dagny (03:53):
No, and so it's a lot of out of town people Out of town
as in not Carnegie people.
Doug (03:58):
Yes, from other neighborhoods.
Dagny (03:59):
Yeah, so I'm not the only one guilty of it.
Doug (04:02):
You reminded me of something I just saw on social
media.
Did someone from Californiajust come and visit your
location?
Dagny (04:11):
She did.
It's nice because you couldtell she's a younger girl.
So like she does the TikTok,all the stuff that I don't know.
So like it's cool when I seethose things pop up and then I'm
like, oh, this is kind of cooland like the reach that those
videos get.
It is cool to see people fromdifferent areas.
And then you see people fromCarnegie that have been in my
(04:31):
place commenting like oh, I knowher, how do you?
And X, y, z, things like that.
So I have a love haterelationship with social media
but as far as business like itdoes really well for promoting
places, I think like that,that's how I find a lot of
places as well.
I Like it does really well forpromoting places.
I think like that, that's how Ifind a lot of places as well.
Doug (04:46):
I think it's a job, though .
Yeah, I think it's the samereason I love social media is
for finding those little nicheplaces that you don't
necessarily know about andhaving a couple of super fans
promoting you.
I have to say I think I learnedabout your place even though
I'm only a couple miles awayfrom our mutual friends Chad and
Antoinette.
Chad Medved, who does the I'llCall you Right Back podcast yeah
(05:09):
, they were posting a lot, yeah,and they love to go there on
the weekends.
Small like Little World yeah, Ilove that.
Dagny (05:13):
Yeah, and it's good.
Because it's good, it's like agood support system it is.
It really is.
And I find that with socialmedia now, you almost can
support people you've never metRight.
You, you almost can supportpeople you've never met Right,
but it must have a conversation.
Some people, it's easier, yeah,the people you know, you could
just double tap it and send anemoji.
This is fire back or somethinglike that, and it kind of, and I
think that's probably how, likeChad and Antoinette and I
(05:35):
started talking, we did thepodcast.
They've come in a lot and sonow we're say we're friends yeah
, social media can be a way tobecome friends yes, it's like
the first introduction prettyeasy.
It's not like hi, I am dagny, Ilike your stuff and just like
that was cool yeah yeah, so it'scool.
Doug (05:55):
They're good people though you know, what we haven't
really done yet is describe toour listeners, if they haven't
visited your location, it'scutest little eatery.
You are a one-woman show.
Sometimes your daughter ishelping.
Dagny (06:11):
She's a teenager.
Doug (06:12):
She's doing teenager things.
She's a teenager.
Dagny (06:15):
But also after school or on the weekends.
It's a pretty I don't want tosay it's an easy job for her,
because working with your family, especially your mother, is
probably not the easiest, butshe does have the ability to
make literally as much money asshe wants yeah she's a teenager.
So yeah, but it's nice and I'veseen her grow.
Since I've opened it I've alsoseen customers kind of talk
about how she's grown even asfar as being able to look and
(06:38):
talk at people yeah as you know,most teenagers it's it's a
struggle.
So people have said, like, eventhe way she talks with people
it's a lot nicer now, and so Ido like that.
So it is fun for us to worktogether.
I do enjoy it, but there's likea divide at times too, you know
, and so right now it's just me.
I don't know what.
The end goal was, not for me tobe there every day all day but
(07:01):
I do not have a recipe writtendown.
I am very meticulous about how Ilike things done, like I.
Even my daughter.
I let her, I let her make food.
Sometimes when customers comein but it is a customer, it's
been there multiple times thatthey say it's okay, that they're
okay if one tomato's a halfinch cut and one is two inches
cut, which is completelydifferent.
(07:22):
So I don't know what the planis for the future as far as just
me, but I like working bymyself currently.
Doug (07:30):
I think we want to set that tone for folks.
Number one we've got to talkabout the food.
The food is so good, but wealso should let folks know for
sure.
You are a one person show there, so you do a great job of
talking to the customers,checking in on waiting guests
and you're making all of thefoods yourself.
Dagny (07:50):
When I first opened, it was like I don't want to say
scary, but it was a lot.
Like I have to talk to you.
Now you're looking at me andnow you're, and it was a lot at
first.
It's almost like you'reperforming yes.
And so now, as the time goes on,I do it very well, I think you
do, and I see a lot of reviewsthat kind of say the same thing.
Um, so I do try to like atleast acknowledge you when you
(08:11):
come in.
Doesn't mean your food's gonnabe done immediately, but I've
multiple times I kind of likejust shout it out like what's
everyone getting, so I couldmake it all at once, and I kind
of look at it like if you werein my house.
That's kind of how I look at it.
I talk to you if you were in myhouse.
That's kind of how I look at it.
I talk to you like you're in myhouse, joke with you, like kind
of joke with people, make themwork.
I say that you know.
Like if I have cheesecakesitting on the counter and
(08:31):
someone says like can I put themaway?
Yeah, you sure can.
This is where they go.
Put them in that cooler.
So I do like that aspect ofwelcoming Like you are in her
kitchen.
Doug (08:43):
That's kind of what we're going for.
Yeah, I really love that vibeand you don't get that in a lot
of places.
Dagny (08:48):
Yeah, it would be really weird if I didn't talk to you,
that's right so it's weird.
So there's people that do comein that don't want to talk and
that I'm completely okay withthat and you kind of can get the
vibe, and maybe it's just me.
But like when there's fivepeople waiting for their food
and five people on their cellphones and nobody's talking like
it's weird to me and I don'twant to talk to you because I
(09:09):
kind of don't want to interruptwhat you're doing.
But all in all, I like to talkand work at the same time and I
kind of get a lot like how doyou do this?
Or something like that.
Fernando (09:19):
And.
Dagny (09:19):
I almost just sounds kind of weird, but like I just don't
think I just know what I'mdoing Almost when I think that's
when I mess up.
Doug (09:25):
Oh yeah, like the intuition is just there.
Dagny (09:27):
So I'm just doing what I'm doing and it seems to work
pretty well so far.
Doug (09:32):
So I think we've set the tone of the vibe of your shop.
What we haven't talked aboutyet is the food.
So can we go through some oflike the big hitters or, as our
friend Chad would say, thebangers.
Dagny (09:44):
That's what they're called.
Doug (09:46):
That is what he would say.
Dagny (09:47):
Yeah.
So if I had to like describe myfood, I would not say it's like
a specific ethnicity of food.
Fernando (09:53):
Like a cuisine yeah.
Dagny (09:54):
Cuisine of food.
I like, I think our descriptionis like simple food elevated,
so I don't think anything's toocrazy.
I just think I put theingredients together really,
really well.
So like some of the salads arejust a salad, I think like what
I've paired them with is reallywell.
I make every like sauce anddressing and stuff.
So I think that's that one upsme a little bit.
Doug (10:15):
It really makes some of your sandwiches shine and I just
I just want to bump in here youdo breakfast items hot
sandwiches.
You do a burrito, you do beenhere.
You do breakfast items hotsandwiches.
You do a burrito, you do.
Uh, what are the breakfastpizzas?
Dagny (10:29):
so those are a big hit.
So, um, we actually get thefocaccia from brown bear, brown
bear bread.
They're local to here, I'm sureyou've heard of them, so it's
kind of like my thought on justlike a quick breakfast item and
there's breakfast pizzas.
People love those, they're easyto go.
You could eat them cold or hot.
A lot of people don't want towait for a sandwich sometimes,
so like it's easy and they'resuch a hit.
Fernando (10:49):
Yeah.
Dagny (10:50):
Such a hit.
So I try to do breakfast andlunch.
I serve it all day, well, untilthree o'clock.
As long as I have theingredients, I don't mind when
you get it, yeah, or breakfastsandwich at two, which is fine.
I try to make everything likehow I would expect it to come
out at a restaurant.
It's like how many times haveyou been at a restaurant?
And you're like this is whatyou're giving me, like whether
(11:11):
it's presentation or the amountor the price or whatever.
So if anyone said to me like,would you eat this?
Yes, 100%, I would, and that'senough.
Doug (11:20):
I think what I want to say , too, is your portions to me
are hearty.
Yes, like we talked about thesebreakfast items, then you also
have all these lunch items, likethese big sandwiches with the
amazing sauces or dressings orwhatever you are making up that
day Salads.
And then there are sweets, bighits.
(11:40):
Big hits, I think, is it thecinnamon rolls you're kind of
known for.
Dagny (11:45):
Yes.
Doug (11:46):
I have to say I don't know if I've had a cinnamon roll yet
, but my favorite is the dacicake.
Dagny (11:51):
That's a big hit, big hit .
Doug (11:53):
We should describe it for listeners, yeah.
Dagny (11:55):
So I would say it's a very moist, rich chocolate cake.
It is Swiss meringuebuttercream, which to me, is one
of the best buttercreams thereis, which, like to me, it's one
of the best butter creams thereis, and it's ganache Like.
It's pretty simple.
So I mean, if I would almostsimplify it, it would be a
chocolate cake, but it'scomparable like a hostess cake,
is what I say to people On athousand percent steroids, and
it is I mean it's a big one.
(12:16):
Oh my gosh, that's what I'msaying.
Doug (12:24):
Everything that I'm serving is I really should save
half of this.
Yes, I didn't.
I was in trouble the rest ofthe day, but it was so good.
Dagny (12:32):
I justify that, that that's probably nine.
It's a $9 dessert.
Fernando (12:35):
Yeah.
Dagny (12:36):
So I do get that comment sometimes about the pricing, but
I also look at everything I'mserving you, I do think is
sometimes I do wonder am Igiving you too much food?
or is the price too low, and soonly I would know that you know
ingredient wise, but sometimes Ilook at it I'm like this is not
more than you're getting otherplaces.
So the daisy cake is it startedthe name actually.
(13:00):
So my daughter's name is Dacia,so it started like as a joke
kind of um, because I see likethese companies that, like these
small businesses that get introuble, so like I don't know if
this is true, but I've heardthis the broth monger oh yes so
I think she used to have likesoup nazi as her instagram
picture she
Doug (13:17):
did and like they locked her down.
Dagny (13:19):
That's what I heard, so I don't know her personally, I
don't know what the, but likethat was kind of my joke, like I
don't need hostess coming afterme yeah, you don't need that,
you know so that's kind of likewhy I turned into the daisy cake
.
My daughter and I were jokingone day and so I was like, let's
call it that, like all mysandwiches pretty much are
either named after someone orliterally to the point, like a
roasted red pepper sandwichpretty self-explanatory um, but
(13:42):
the daisy cake's a big hit forsure it's a huge hit.
Doug (13:45):
Yeah, oh, I love it.
Can we just go back and talkabout a couple of the sandwiches
too?
What are some of the again thebig hitters there?
Dagny (13:53):
So the top two I say are the Ray and the Alita.
One is an Italian sandwich,one's a Caprese.
They're named after mygrandparents who passed away 20
years ago.
Um, so like there's like littlerelics in there that like my
family knows but probably mostpeople don't know about them.
Like I have a picture of them.
In the back, I have somethinglike my nun is hanging in the
kitchen, some of like theirdishes and stuff.
It's like that's just like myway of like making me smile you
(14:15):
know when I hear that stuff andthen some of the turkey
sandwiches.
People really like a turkeysandwich like we have.
Um, it's called a cold turkey.
It is turkey pepper jack cheesegrains, red onion like a
sriracha aioli.
Again, it goes back to me, Ithink, like the sauces are a big
part of it I've had thatsandwich.
Good, it's a good sandwich yeah,like, and it's nothing crazy.
(14:37):
Yeah, um, so that's a big hit.
And so when people come in andlike ask, like what's the top
sellers?
Like it just depends.
Like, is it around the holidays, is it in the summer, is it
lent?
Like, what are what are peopleeating around?
Um, so, like, the ray sandwichthat I said was like an italian
sandwich.
It has a relish on the side.
I don't know if you had that ornot, but I brought you some of
it.
Oh it's like a pepperoncinirelish.
(14:58):
I'm excited, very, very good.
So that goes on that sandwich.
It just like adds it Like onceyou get the relish on it, you're
like this is great.
Doug (15:05):
It's that extra zing.
Dagny (15:06):
Yeah, and you could do anything Like I use it as a
dressing, you could use this asa dip, but I think all that just
a little bit of extra thatpeople really like.
Like everyone likes somethingdifferent, but there's also
people that come in and that'sall he gets all the time.
Doug (15:27):
Yeah.
Dagny (15:27):
Like and he's just like, I like it, I don't want to
change.
And there's people like thatand people that just change all
the time which is kind of cooltoo and then see what they
really like.
Doug (15:34):
Yeah, I like these people that have found you and found
their item.
Yeah, rotator in most places,but every once in a while, if
it's a restaurant or a spot Idon't get to, I find that one
dish that I order again andagain and I'm like I shouldn't
get that salad, you know youknow, it's guaranteed.
Dagny (15:51):
You know you like it like sometimes your hopes really
high for something you're likeit's not yeah, my other thing,
and so like, funny enough,there's a few people that all in
their orders, I know their nameby heart.
Now, like I literally answerthe phone, like BLT, see you in
a minute, like and that's it.
Like, and they know, and likeit's kind of funny, but if
you're a new customer in thereand you're like I'm answering
(16:13):
services, you know, but it'skind of cool.
So there's people like that andthen people like you that might
want to try a little bitdifferent things.
Doug (16:21):
In addition to all of the great menu items that you are
cooking up in the shop.
You mentioned that you usebrown bear bread for the
focaccia.
There are a few items topurchase like in a grab and go.
Who are some of your partnersthat you have in the shop right
now?
Dagny (16:36):
So brown bear, we use a few of their breads so we do
sell their English muffins.
We do sell their cinnamon bread.
I use their focaccia so we haveLa prima coffee.
I'm trying, my goal this yearis to make more of a market
little place um, which involvesmoving some things around, some
logistics in that building.
Like you said, it's very uhit's tiny, tiny, it's tiny yeah
but it's great.
(16:56):
I like when I go in a place likeI like when you go in pen, mac
and there's all this differentstuff like yeah and you just
grab all the stuff.
So I'm working on that morethis year, but it's more
logistics thing in there rightnow.
Okay, this is Dagny of Dagny'sEatery and you're listening to
The Pittsburgh Dish.
Doug (17:13):
I did want to take a step back and just ask how long have
you been open?
Dagny (17:18):
September 2021 is when I officially opened.
Okay, so I say going on fouryears.
Autumn (17:23):
Yeah.
Dagny (17:23):
Every time I say that I almost have to do the math.
Yeah, but it like really.
Doug (17:27):
Doing it all yourself.
Dagny (17:28):
Yeah, it doesn't sound like, it just doesn't sound
right.
Yeah, going on four years.
Doug (17:32):
And this was a big pivot.
You had worked in the bankingindustry for quite a bit yes for
my whole life, basically yeah.
Dagny (17:39):
So I always wanted to do food stuff.
I don't know why I just didLike it's almost just that thing
.
I don't really think about it,like it's just something that I
could do well, I think.
So I kind of like had that dream20 years ago.
It just kind of fell through.
You know, you're young, youhave to get a job.
I had a kid young and so Itried to just get in farmer's
markets doing desserts.
(17:59):
Yeah, Because I wasn't bankingand it was something like extra.
I could do extra money,something that I actually
enjoyed doing.
But desserts in farmer'smarkets melt it's hard in the
summer, yeah Right.
It's just it's hard and I met alot of people through these
farmers markets and a lot offood people and you had to take
(18:20):
food classes and so, like youmeet some people very like, hey,
do you know this guy and so,and so is this and things I just
didn't know.
And so basically, the buildingthat I'm in now opened up like
during I don't know when it wasvacant, but during the end of
COVID, I think is when we openedkind of, and I literally it was
just one of those things that Iwas like I don't like what I'm
doing in the professional world.
(18:40):
Yeah, and I'm just not a bankerLike I know.
That's people's things and theycan schmooze and they can but
it wasn't my heart Like and itjust wasn't my thing, I wasn't
making some great money, that itwas like forget it, I'll just
here and then, like since COVIDhappened, I think a lot of
people came to like arealization about their life.
Doug (18:58):
That's me, yeah, yeah.
Dagny (18:59):
Brought a lot of people like stopped doing what they
hated or started doing what theyloved, and a lot of people just
started these like side hustlesthat became these businesses
and it is a lot of work but Ienjoy it more than what I used
to do.
Yeah, so I really do enjoy whatI do.
I do say a lot that I feel likeI'm either Dagny's eatery or my
daughter's mother.
(19:20):
Yes, I feel like I'm very notmyself anymore.
Fernando (19:24):
Well, you're wearing those two hats yeah.
Dagny (19:27):
So I do really, really like what I do.
But when I worked in acorporate office, I used to get
dressed up and talk to peoplewhen I would bring food in for
food days, and that was likepeople were excited about that.
Now I just work and I'm like amom.
Doug (19:41):
I don't mean in a bad way, Well, but I think what you're
saying there and I think it'simportant for any independent
business owner you have to carveout that third hat of I'm just
Dagny and I'm going out todinner tonight.
I'm doing something fun, right?
You've got to have downtime,right.
Dagny (19:55):
I'm trying to work on doing that because, you're right
, you have to do something foryou, and so I'm trying to work
on that.
Like every year, I'm getting alittle bit better, but it's just
a whole different lifestyle.
I was very regimented before.
Now, you know, I worked noteight to five, and my kid was
younger.
She was in daycare and afterschool programs.
So now she's driving and nowshe doesn't need I don't need
need to stay home with her.
(20:16):
So like my life completelyswitched.
So it is like learning allthose new things again too.
Yeah, but it's funny, someonefrom work that I used to work
with actually came in this weekand he was like we were just
talking about you and he wassaying that like we miss when
you used to bring us food.
So it's funny.
Like I was like that's what youremember and it, but you
remember and it's kind of coolto see people I used to work
with come in and like see what Ido now.
Doug (20:38):
Yeah, you know.
So I like Quite a pivot yeah.
Dagny (20:42):
And it's a lot mentally too, like it's a lot mentally in
your time, and so, like a goodand a bad thing about being by
yourself is you can do anythingor nothing, but if you do
nothing, you are the only one,like you're the only one, taking
the consequences.
Doug (20:56):
Yeah, so you're accountable to yourself.
Going back to that balance, ifI'm trying to find downtime I'm
like, is that too much downtime?
I should be doing these otherthings, right, right.
Dagny (21:05):
So that's hard mentally.
Yeah, there's a balance, but Ido like it.
I say all the time like I doand sometimes like, oddly enough
, I'll be like, I love this.
Doug (21:15):
This is great Like by myself, like smiling at myself,
you know.
Dagny (21:19):
But it's like cool, it's a good feeling, yeah.
Doug (21:21):
I want to take a step back , cause you mentioned the
pictures and the names of yourgrandparents and things like
that.
You say you have this foodintuition, this cooking
intuition.
Yes, where do you think it allsort of came from?
Like, what was food like inyour growing up?
Were people cooking a lot?
Yeah, did you cook from a youngage?
Dagny (21:42):
I think I just growing up just watching my dad cook was
more so what I did.
He was in the kitchen a lot.
He made a lot of good food, alot of Italian food, and so like
also being around my otheraunts, my, not like my nana
wasn't I guess some elaboratecook, but like like a pepperoni
and cheese tray, like I rememberthat was like our snack as kids
(22:03):
.
That was like a big thing forme.
That's like what resonates withme.
So I think I just always likekind of paid attention to like
what my family members weredoing, um, and so like.
Even now, when I go to myaunt's house and stuff, like I'm
like look at it, what do, andthen like we like text each
other different ideas aboutstuff, and so I just I'm
watching people.
It just somewhat interested me,um, when did you start cooking?
Doug (22:26):
You remember the age you started to be in the kitchen and
doing stuff.
Dagny (22:29):
Probably, literally probably, when I had my daughter
.
Doug (22:30):
So when.
Dagny (22:31):
I went to college for a year and a half.
I didn't not do well at all.
I dropped out of Slippery Rock,I went for business management
and so I remember like we hadone of the college cards, a meal
card or something like that.
Like you were in college, youwanted to go see your people and
see the boys and the girls, andwhat is everyone doing?
And the sport.
Fernando (22:50):
You know, it was a social hour it wasn't.
Dagny (22:52):
I mean, it was a cafeteria.
The food wasn't great, and Iremember in college I think, I
literally cooked one time and itwas like pasta and red sauce,
and I don't even know, I don'teven know where that came from,
um, but you know, you're incollege, you really don't have
any money either, so maybethat's why we didn't cook.
I don't know.
I mean, we're college kids, welive next to sheets too, so
that's probably where we weregoing.
Nothing like an MTO or a shmegleor whatever Right at like 2 am
(23:15):
yeah, and so when I had mydaughter, like I've always even
made her own baby food, likeI've never bought baby food
Really.
Yeah, so like I think that soeven when I would make our
dinner, I would make it saferfor her, like it wouldn't be as
seasoned or depending how oldshe was.
Yeah, so, whether it was likechicken and rice or spinach, or
vegetables or fruit, whatever,I've always done that for her.
(23:37):
So I think that's probably likeokay, well, we have a human now
that I need to make a dinnerevery night and, like you know,
in their daycare you need topack their lunch.
So, like I would say likeconsistently, probably when I
had her Wow.
Doug (23:48):
It's kind of later in life with all this intuition you
have.
Dagny (23:51):
Yeah.
So when you think about ityou're like oh.
Doug (23:53):
Deep past the teenage years doing that.
Yeah, I have a little sidequestion Is she a pretty good
eater, or is she picky?
Dagny (24:00):
No, that's not even an option in my house.
Doug (24:02):
I love that.
So Thank you, and I knoweveryone does their own thing.
I know that's not what we do inmy house.
Dagny (24:06):
So, like she's always eaten what I've eaten, I've
never in my life at one timemade a separate meal, for she
doesn't like mushrooms andcilantro Okay, sure, so cilantro
I can't really hide that.
Well, mushrooms I've been ableto hide a little bit, but I'll
let her eat the whole thing.
She'll say that pasta wasreally good with the sausage and
I'm like that's great becausethat was mushrooms and so that's
(24:28):
kind of like how I do it, butshe eats sushi.
Her and.
I went to Pusadee's Garden lastweek.
Doug (24:34):
She likes food like that so she's never, she's always
eaten very well oh my gosh, Ijust love that story and I love
that you really didn'tcompromise on the meal.
But maybe you just alteredseasoning a little bit so it was
more palatable for a youngsterof some sort.
Dagny (24:48):
Yeah yeah, one time she was little and like I'll always
laugh at this, she had to beprobably five and we went to
like eggs or us, I think ingrafton.
So they said like, does shewant a juice?
And there's me, yeah, tomatojuice, and I'm like give her
apple juice like a normal kidlike, and that didn't like go by
over her.
But I was thinking like this iswhat we would drink in our house
you know, and so, yeah, it'skind of nice though, because now
(25:09):
that she's 16, we can go tonice places.
So we've been trying to do that.
Um, it's not always easy withwith schedules, but we try to go
to like a new or nice placeonce a month to just try a
different thing, and so far it'slike a cool.
It's a cool experience.
Doug (25:23):
I think it's perfect and like a bonding thing for the two
of you and also kind of makingmemories, probably for her, that
she'll remember later in life.
Yeah, where did you grow up?
Dagny (25:33):
I grew up in, I went to Montour so I went, I lived in
Kennedy, I lived in Robinson,all right.
So basically around the same,like 10 mile radius of where I
live now Crafton, Carnegie yeah.
So you're familiar with thesehills, yeah, so it's kind of
cool that, like some of myclassmates come in, Like last
week I catered something for agirl that I used to be friends
with her mom and like it waskind of like, oh you remember me
(25:59):
from like when I was 13.
And so it was like kind of cool.
Doug (26:01):
That's fun.
Yeah, it was nice.
I love that.
Yeah, okay, dagny, I thinkwe've established you have some
really awesome food.
I'm so glad that you have adaughter that's appreciating
your awesome food and all ofthese customers I think you've
mentioned, because it's just you.
It's really good.
If somebody wants to orderahead on the website, you can't
order.
Dagny (26:19):
On the website there's a link.
It'll go to um toast okay soyou could order online, which I
love when people do that um itis written down what you wanted.
There is no mistakes.
It's so like a lot of themoffices or teachers they'll send
their order at nine o'clock andthey're like I'm picking up at
noon and then I kind of can likeI know that that's coming,
versus you coming in and sayingI'd like to order 10 sandwiches
(26:39):
and then you also mentioned youdo catering.
I do, I do, so that's picking upa lot more and usually it's
around the holidays, thegraduations.
I really like doing caterings.
Again.
I know in advance what I'mgetting.
I know specifically what youwant.
I know that you paid for it, somore than likely you're going
to pick it up and you can planfor it Right, right, because it
is just you Right.
Doug (26:58):
How do people get a hold of you for a catering gig?
Dagny (27:01):
My preferred method would be to email me all your
information and email versus aDM or a phone call.
There's a lot going on in myhead at all times.
So, like I have listseverywhere.
I probably have a thousandreminders on my phone.
Doug (27:16):
You got to write it down.
Dagny (27:17):
But I like to go back to an email that we can go back.
There's a paper trail we can goback and forth, so I would
rather an email.
Doug (27:23):
Of course.
And then?
Dagny (27:24):
if we need to sit down and talk or have a phone call.
I don't mind that at all.
It's just me just being me.
So you coming in like what's aslow time?
I, yeah, like sometimes it's soin the morning, sometimes it's
not, it just depends on the day.
Doug (27:37):
And remind us again what the hours of your shop are right
now, typically.
Dagny (27:41):
So I am 8 to 3.
Every day except Tuesdays,we're closed.
Okay, so Tuesday's the only dayright now I'm closed.
I used to be closed Monday orWednesday.
Doug (27:50):
Once in a while you do that and you put it on socials,
right and so.
Dagny (27:52):
I kind of like that's kind of like how I'm okay with
being open six days yeah.
That if.
I want to take an additional day, like I did yesterday.
I can and I do try to post that.
I update Google Hours.
I post it everywhere I can, onthe door, everything.
But it kind of seems to workfor me.
A lot of places are closed onMondays, from what I found out.
Carnegie yeah.
The weekends are very busy forme, so I probably, if I close on
(28:13):
the weekend, it's becausethere's something I have to do,
or you're really sick.
Yeah, it's something likeweekends or Friday, Saturdays,
Sundays are good days.
Doug (28:22):
All right, since we're talking about all this, I'd love
you to plug your social handlesand the website and everything,
so people can get a hold of youand know when to visit.
Dagny (28:30):
All right, so everything is Dagny's Eatery.
Instagram will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
Facebook will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
Facebook will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
I'm sure I should know that.
The email Dagny's eatery atGmail.
Doug (28:45):
D-A-G-N-Y.
Yes S, yes, yeah.
Dagny (28:49):
No E, so yes, and everything on the website.
To the website.
Like, we have our menu, we havea contact information, a little
backstory, um, you could orderonline.
You could order gift cardsonline.
I try to make it pretty easy isthe website where the email is
for, like the catering gigs yeah, there's a little like blurb at
the bottom like how could wehelp you so you can go on there
and it shoots me an email, oryou could just go straight to
(29:10):
dagny's eatery all right gmaileither way I love it.
Doug (29:14):
I wanted to ask one more question, just about carne.
So what are some of the eventsthat really start to pop in the
warmer months of the year?
Dagny (29:20):
So once I think I want to say May it might start.
They call it a Carnegie Crawl.
It's the second Friday of everymonth.
It is not a bar crawl it couldbe if you want it to be, I guess
but it is very adults or familyfriendly.
So it kind of depends whatyou're into.
So it kind of depends whatyou're into.
And they shut down a fewstreets.
They usually have a band and asthe years have gone on since
I've opened, I think that theactivities and the amount of
(29:42):
people have just increased andgotten better.
So like they do put oversizedgames the middle of street,
chalk like stuff, like art,stuff like that that adults or
kids could do.
Yeah, and they'll have a fewvendors outside or booths,
whatever.
And they'll have a few vendorsoutside or booths, whatever.
Maybe they'll have a food truck, because maybe not everyone
wants what I have or what otherpeople in Carnegie have.
Doug (30:02):
But this is when you're bringing out the Blackstone and
you are doing maybe some smashburgers or some really killer
hot dogs.
Dagny (30:08):
Yeah, so like I make the same three things, and it is
cheesesteaks, smash burgers, hotdogs, which are all beef, which
literally I bought for kids,and it is always adults that buy
and rave about the hot dogs,which are all beef, which
literally I bought for kids, andit is always adults that buy
and rave about dog dogs.
Um, but they're just easy foodsthat you could walk with that
aren't too messy.
I could wrap them in tinfoiland it's different than your
other menu.
Doug (30:27):
So it's.
Dagny (30:27):
That's why I kind of like it, yes and there's a lot of
people that come and just I justcame for this, I just came for
this, which is great, um, and sothat goes back to me not having
a full kitchen, so like I don'thave a flat top in my place, so
like I can do that differentstuff outside and then I can
almost, like, be involved.
So the first year I was open andthey had these activities on
Friday nights.
I was just inside looking ateveryone like, and I had the
(30:50):
door open but I'm like screamingat people out the door, talking
to them so like, let's get youon the street right and it's
nice.
Um, they set up a band, likethey'll have some chairs out
there, then you could sit thereand watch the band and your kid
could go play a game or whatever, and so I think as the years go
on, that's going to keepgetting better.
They do that.
They do farmers markets.
They do a few like an arts walkdedicated to the arts, more art
(31:10):
, arts things we have.
Um, there's a few differentevents they do.
They do like a police policecar show, which is kind of cool.
They like shut down the street.
I have all these different carsthere.
That's cool.
I'm like old and new.
So whenever it allows I will beout there, and so usually it
probably won't be until like May.
June.
So what I've started doing, likejust last year, the crawl
starts at maybe 5 pm, so thoselike one Friday a month I'll
(31:34):
just grill outside all day,because there are a lot of
people that come for lunch andthey're like you never get a
burger.
Doug (31:40):
So it kind of works out too.
Dagny (31:42):
And it's nice.
It brings a lot of new peoplein.
I mean you could smell itthrough the whole block like
great, so I like it.
It's a good time out there.
Doug (31:50):
I'm excited for it.
Dagny (31:51):
Yeah, have you ever come down?
I don't think so.
You should.
It's a good time.
Doug (31:54):
All right, Dagny, it's been so nice to talk with you.
One of the last questions Ialways like to ask our guests
the name of the show is thePittsburgh Dish.
What's the best dish you'veeaten this past week?
Dagny (32:08):
I will say that we went to Pusadees.
Doug (32:13):
Is it?
Dagny (32:13):
Pusatis or Prasatis.
I say Pusadees.
Okay, see, I didn't say thatone.
I don't know, but you know whatI'm talking about.
Doug (32:19):
I know Pusadee's Garden, so great Pusadee's Garden yes.
Dagny (32:22):
We went there last week and it was very good.
No-transcript.
(32:42):
Their drinks are really good,the whole experience there and
so I started like trying to readup on them to see like what is
the deal over here?
It's so cool to me.
Doug (32:57):
And so, like as I kept reading, I would love to find a
picture of, like what they looklike before all the renovations,
it was definitely.
Dagny (33:01):
It did not look how it looks now.
That's what I heard.
It was like small patio yeah,an old house.
Doug (33:04):
You kind of went through you.
There was a patio in the backthat you didn't really see from
the street.
Dagny (33:08):
Yeah, it's completely transformed, it's just like
amazing to me, like yeah, theybrought like pots in from
thailand and they brought likethese chefs and like these
archetypes and like as so, as Iwas sitting there looking at it,
I was like this is just so cool, like you don't even know this
exists secret garden?
Doug (33:24):
yeah, and it's just so cool.
Dagny (33:25):
So their food was I mean, it's always very, very good did
your daughter like all of thethings that she does?
That's like so we actually wentfor her birthday um, so it was
like her her favorite.
She loves it and it's like shelikes it that they gave her like
non-alcoholic drink.
That's not like a Shirleytemple, you know, like she kind
of feels a little bit moremature there and everything, and
so it's a good, a good time.
Doug (33:47):
You're shaping her up to have very high taste.
Dagny (33:48):
I'm trying, yeah, yeah, so hopefully, hopefully, yeah
yeah.
Doug (33:52):
Dagny.
Yes, sir, thank you so much.
Thanks for having me on thePittsburgh dish.
Dagny (33:57):
Thanks for having me.
This is fun.
So much fun, yeah Nice.
I liked it.
Doug (34:01):
Up next.
Do you have a truly favoriterestaurant?
Autumn Pawelec shares her place.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Autumn Pawelec, who
is a model and content creatoron Instagram.
Could you give us arecommendation today?
Yeah, okay, so how about let'sjust start big?
Do you have a favorite spot inthe city, a restaurant you
(34:25):
always want to go to?
Autumn (34:33):
Yes, absolutely, the one spot that I just gravitate to
towards the most like it's isAlla Famiglia .
They're up in Allentown, they'reright on Warrington Avenue and
it's just, it's incredible everysingle time.
I actually was just there a fewweeks ago for my birthday
dinner and it was so, so good.
You like, it's truly anexperience.
They've been around for apretty long time.
(34:53):
They expanded their restaurant.
They now have a really, reallycool like cigar lounge area
where, like, let's say, likeyou're like, okay, I don't want
to leave just yet, but I want togo have like a good cigar,
maybe after like dessert oranything, and they have a
special cigar lounge.
Now that is separate.
It's kind of like behind therestaurant area, which is super
(35:15):
cool.
Yeah, all of the family isdefinitely a good one.
They have some pretty awesomespecials too during the week.
Um, they have a, it's like a.
They call it a last supper mealon Mondays and it's basically
you get like over the weekend,they've had these big meals over
the weekend They've had thesebig meals.
So, like the last time I wasthere um was in the summertime,
(35:36):
for this special particularlyand we got for $30, it was like
a piece of lasagna, a piece oflike a sausage, I believe, a
little bit of spaghetti, andthen you get a salad, you get
their house bread, dipping oiland a glass of wine.
All for $30 on a Monday, yeah.
Doug (35:56):
And a lot of places are closed on Monday, right, so you
can go there and get this feast.
Autumn (36:00):
Oh my gosh.
It was like the portions.
Well, the portions to beginwith at Alla Famiglia are so big
.
It's incredible because, like,you can have dinner there and
then you basically have lunchand dinner the next day, the
next day.
And with the $30 special youwill literally have lunch and
potentially dinner, depending onhow much you eat the next day,
(36:21):
for $30.
It's crazy.
Doug (36:24):
I love all of that and I just want to remind our
listeners too.
They have probably seen all ofFamilia's pasta sauce in a lot
of places like.
Giant Eagle.
They actually make thespaghetti, the pasta sauce, to
buy, and I think they also havea second location down in
McMurray.
It's called Arleccino's.
Both are great spots to go to.
(36:44):
When you go maybe not on aspecials night what is a dish or
two that you or your friendslove to enjoy?
Autumn (36:53):
So I really, really love their steak.
I'm a filet girl, I am, I'm afilet girl and I love, I love
their steak.
That's what I got on mybirthday and they have different
ways to, you know, have yoursteak kind of like prepared.
Like I want to say, I got thefilet prepared, the Diane way, I
(37:13):
don't know if I'm saying thatcorrectly.
Fernando (37:15):
Um, but steak Diane yeah.
Autumn (37:18):
And it was like this, really light, like mushroom
demi-glaze sauce.
It was so so good.
And with the steak you get thesalad, and then you get your
choice of pasta with it too.
So it's a meal.
I mean I had to take more thanhalf of it home because you fill
up on the bread, the salad,this and that we got their
(37:39):
stuffed banana peppers.
So yum, we get it every time wego.
Doug (37:42):
Is it filled with sausage?
Is that what they say?
Autumn (37:44):
Yes, sausage and I want to say mozzarella cheese.
Doug (37:47):
Yeah, a little stringy.
Autumn (37:49):
Yes, and then they have like a bed of mozzarella cheese
on top and the sauce, it's sogood.
So between like the really,really good bread and dipping
oil, plus the salad, plus thestuffed banana peppers.
I had to take half of it home.
Yeah, it was so good.
They have a massive wineselection.
I can't even begin to tell youhow many wines they have, but
(38:09):
it's a lot, and they do make Ialso my favorite drink to you
know when I drink, whenever I goout to dinner is dirty martinis
.
I love a good dirty martini.
Doug (38:18):
I have seen this on your feed.
Autumn (38:19):
Yes, especially with stuffed blue cheese olives.
You got to have the stuffedolives.
It's so good and they make areally, really good one.
Tony and Clint at the bar makea very, very good dirty martini.
Listen, folks, when she knowsthe bartender's name, you know
this is a good place.
It's so good, it's so good.
Doug (38:40):
Did you tell me a story too?
You were there one night whenit wasn't as busy.
The cigar room is super cute.
Did you go and have a dessertthere?
Autumn (38:46):
yes, yeah, yeah, they were able to do that just
because you wanted to sit inthere there was really nobody in
there at the time and I waslike, hey, tony, can you, you
know, can we have dessert in theback there?
And he was like, yeah, sure.
So I was like, okay.
So we went and sat and likesplit this.
I forget what it was, some sortof cake.
Doug (39:03):
This was my next question.
What did you have?
It was some sort of cake.
Autumn (39:06):
It was really light, almost kind of like an angel
food cake, vibe type of white.
Yeah, it was very, very goodand we got to sit back there.
I had an espresso martini.
That's my after dinner drink.
My little pick me up.
Really really good espressomartini with the cake.
We split it and it was cool tojust like chill Like they had a
fireplace.
(39:27):
They had a TV back there.
It's a really cool spot to hangout after dinner if you aren't
ready to go home just yet.
Doug (39:36):
I love that.
Yeah, very cool, and we shouldsay too, allentown.
In that little block wherethey're situated, there's a
couple of other cool things.
One of my favorite places, justaround the corner from there,
is Bottle Rocket Social Hall.
Autumn (39:47):
Oh my gosh, that's so fun.
Doug (39:49):
Yeah, so if you are having your like your after dinner
cigar or cocktail, you couldlinger a little bit and then
walk over there if you're goingto a show or a comedy show or
something, Absolutely yeah, thatplace is so cool.
Autumn (39:59):
It's like when you walk in it feels like you were
transported back in time intothe 70s, which I think is so, so
cool.
Doug (40:06):
Yeah, at Bottle Rocket.
It's an old Lyceum and so theyalso do really good hot dogs.
We'll just give them a littleplug too.
Autumn (40:12):
Yes, they do.
Their hot dogs are really goodyeah.
Doug (40:16):
So, folks, we need to visit Allentown, and Autumn
says Alla Famiglia.
Autumn (40:20):
Al la Famiglia.
Yes, so yum, so good.
I promise you you will not bedisappointed.
It's truly like an experience.
Doug (40:28):
Autumn.
Thanks so much.
Autumn (40:29):
Thank you.
Doug (40:31):
You can follow Autumn Pawelec on Instagram at Autumn
Pawelec what's that dish thatyou like to make on your day off
?
Chef Fernando Canales of theFairmont Pittsburgh told us
about his dish.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Chef Fernando Canales
of the Fairmont Pittsburgh.
Chef, I was wondering do youhave a recipe that you love to
(40:53):
make?
I know that they can get alittle complicated at the
restaurant, but is theresomething you make that you
think people could make at home?
Fernando (41:00):
Of course, of course, I mean, I have not just one.
I have so many recipes that Ican share, but we're going to
start with one easy one, youknow?
Okay, so, and one of therecipes that I would like to
share is chilaquiles.
Chilaquiles Because I think somany people love it, and I mean
it's part of the breakfast, andI think the breakfast is the
most important dish, the mostimportant meals of the day.
(41:23):
So, yeah, of course, what doyou do for your chilaquiles?
Okay, for the chilaquiles, it'sbasically corn tortilla.
You need to deep fry the corntortilla, you need to cut before
the corn tortilla like asquares, like a triangles.
It doesn't really matter theshape, you know, but small shape
are better, so like that isgoing to be crispy, yes, so
(41:45):
after deep fry the corntortillas, you need to make the
salsa, the salsa.
The salsa.
The salsa is the most importantthing on the dish, so it can be
salsa verde or salsa roja.
Doug (41:56):
Okay, it depends what you like Green salsa or red salsa.
Exactly yeah.
Fernando (42:00):
So I love more salsa roja and I used to make that
salsa roja chipotle, but the dryone, you know.
Oh, do you rehydrate them?
I boil them.
Oh yeah, I boil them.
So to make the salsa is reallysimple Chipotle.
I even going to tell you theamount that you need.
(42:20):
Okay, you need two pieceschipotle, four pieces tomatoes,
red tomatoes, and like a quarterof onion, okay, and four pieces
of garlic.
Just boil it and that's it.
That's it.
Doug (42:36):
And then you puree it in a blender.
Exactly.
Fernando (42:38):
You can see, when the chipotle is a little bit soft,
just blend it and add some salt.
That's it, Simple.
Then you're going to use yourpot and you're going to add some
oil.
Even if you have in your house,like a bacon fat, you know
those kinds it's going to bemore flavor, of course.
Doug (42:59):
Oh if you use bacon fat.
Fernando (43:00):
Exactly Because sometimes, actually, when you
cook bacon in your house, in myhouse, I save it, you know,
because even when I makewhatever kind of sauce, that
bacon fat, it has more flavor.
So much more flavor, so yeah,so if you have that bacon fat is
good, if you don't, it's fine,you can use the regular oil.
So just put some oil and addthe sauce.
(43:23):
Keep it boiling.
Taste about if it's good withthe salt or not.
Taste and that's it.
Doug (43:29):
So you cook it a little bit in the oil or bacon fat, and
that's when you season it withsalt.
Fernando (43:34):
Exactly To.
Then you're going to add thesauce boiling, like I don't know
, around five, six minutes.
It's really easy and it'sreally fast.
And then, when the sauce isdone, you're going to add into
the sauce the fried tortilla.
Okay, you're going to add intothe sauce, but you're going to
turn off the temperature.
Turn it down or turn it off.
(43:54):
No, turn it off.
Okay, turn it off, and thenthat's it You're going to serve
in your plate with crema fresca.
Crema fresca is kind of like asour cream.
Yes, crema fresca, queso fresco, and I love my chilaquiles with
two fried eggs.
Doug (44:12):
I was going to say how do you like your eggs?
I like a slightly runny friedegg, Exactly so.
Fernando (44:16):
I like sunny side up, so I always love my chilaquiles
with two eggs on top and withavocado as well.
Oh my God, what a way to startthe day.
Doug (44:26):
Yeah, of course it's the best way.
Chef, thank you so much forthis recipe and thank you for
being on The Pittsburgh Dish.
Thank you so much.
Fernando Canales is theexecutive chef of the Fairmont
Pittsburgh.
Be sure to book a reservationfor his latest menu at FLR2 .
Do you have a recipe?
Share it with us.
(44:46):
Just visit our website atwwwpittsburghdishcom and look
for our share a recipe form.
If you enjoyed the show,consider buying us a coffee for
this episode or supporting theshow monthly.
You can find links to thoseoptions at the bottom of our
show description and if you wantto follow my own food
adventures, you can find me onsocial media at Doug Cooking.
(45:09):
That's our show for this week.
Thanks again to all of ourguests and contributors and to
Kevin Solecki of CarnegieAccordion Company for providing
the music to our show.
We'll be back again next weekwith another fresh episode.
Stay tuned.
Welcome to The Pittsburgh Dish.
I'm your host, Doug Heilman.
Want some good eats and cozyvibes, just like hanging out in
a friend's kitchen?
Well then you need to visitDagny's Eatery in Carnegie.
We learn more from Dagnyfirsthand.
Do you have a truly favoriterestaurant spot?
Autumn Pawelec shares her ofAlla Familia.
(00:25):
And what's your favorite dayoff dish to make?
For Chef Fernando Canales ofthe Fairmont Pittsburgh, it's
his recipe for chili quiles.
All that ahead, stay tuned.
The Pittsburgh Dish issupported by Chef Alekka LLC.
Book Chef Alekka for a privateevent or sign up for one of her
(00:47):
classes at the Hilltop SharedKitchen in Mount Oliver.
Find more information on herwebsite at chefalekka.
com.
Now on to the show.
Thank you so much for comingover, which isn't too far right.
Dagny (01:01):
No, we probably walked to each other's house from here.
Oh wow, yes, oh, thanks forcoming to the table, for sure,
and which isn't too far right?
Doug (01:04):
no, we are, we probably walk to each other's house from
here.
Yes, oh, thanks for coming tothe table, for sure and being on
the show.
Yeah, yeah, would you introduceyourself to our listeners and
what you have going on right nowin the world of food?
Dagny (01:16):
I am dagny of dagny's eatery.
Um, as of right now, we arekind of ending the winter months
, which is great.
Um, so the summer months, orwarmer months, are coming.
Um, we're just doing like smashburgers and fries.
Nothing like too crazy, butsomething you would eat while
you drink.
Doug (01:33):
Um, wait a minute you don't, do you do a smash burger
at Dagny's?
Dagny (01:37):
I don't.
So in the summer months we dopull blackstone out and I do
smash burgers, cheese steakspretty nice hot dogs.
So this is special for thisevent, yeah, so the reason doing
this is I do it all through thesummer.
They do farmer's marketsoutside, they do some Friday
night events, so whenever I can,the weather allows, I pull this
(01:57):
grill out.
It's just a different menu thatI could do inside.
Inside I don't have a fullkitchen.
That's really the whole reason.
Dagny let's remind everybodywhere your eatery is located.
I am in Carnegie.
The address is 114 East MainStreet.
I am literally between CarnegieCoffee and Slice Pizza.
Doug (02:17):
Yes, and if someone hasn't ventured to Carnegie, there are
a lot of just cute littlethings happening along there.
I go to your place, I go overto Carnegie Coffee.
Our friend, Kevin Solecki, whodoes the music for the show, has
a little shop in Carnegie rightacross the parking lot, and
there's a lot of parking.
Yes, very easy.
(02:38):
Parking's so nice.
Dagny (02:39):
So nice.
Yeah, it's a good block.
There's an eclectic choice ofkind of like, whatever you do, I
think, yeah, it's a good block.
There's an eclectic choice ofkind of like, whatever you do, I
think.
There's Higher Voice, wherethey do voice singing lessons,
music lessons, a stationerystore, a new bookstore, a lot of
different types of foods whichI really like.
Doug (02:54):
Yes.
Dagny (02:55):
So it's a good block.
Doug (02:56):
It's a good walkable block in Carnegie it is, and Carnegie
Stage is just a little furtherdown.
Yeah, it's very cool there too,it's a performance place.
We're really hoping thatRiley's Poorhouse gets rebuilt
in the next couple of yearsbecause they had a tragic fire.
Dagny (03:09):
Yeah, that's the rumor.
Everyone's like crossing theirfingers on that.
Doug (03:12):
I so hope I so hope, and Apis is down in that same area
yes, yes.
And is it?
Deblaze is across the street131?
Dagny (03:23):
Yeah, they took over the old 131 and I guess it is now
DeBlaze at 131.
And I can't say I've been toeither of those.
I haven't made it yet either.
Doug (03:32):
I've heard good things.
Dagny (03:33):
Usually the people in Carnegie seem to not venture to
the Carnegie places me being oneof them.
Doug (03:39):
It's like Pittsburghers not going to the Andy Warhol or
something.
Dagny (03:43):
I've never been there.
So yeah, there you go.
So yeah, and usually and I saya lot like a lot of the places
are open the same times I am, soI don't go there.
Doug (03:52):
You can't.
Dagny (03:53):
No, and so it's a lot of out of town people Out of town
as in not Carnegie people.
Doug (03:58):
Yes, from other neighborhoods.
Dagny (03:59):
Yeah, so I'm not the only one guilty of it.
Doug (04:02):
You reminded me of something I just saw on social
media.
Did someone from Californiajust come and visit your
location?
Dagny (04:11):
She did.
It's nice because you couldtell she's a younger girl.
So like she does the TikTok,all the stuff that I don't know.
So like it's cool when I seethose things pop up and then I'm
like, oh, this is kind of cooland like the reach that those
videos get.
It is cool to see people fromdifferent areas.
And then you see people fromCarnegie that have been in my
(04:31):
place commenting like oh, I knowher, how do you?
And X, y, z, things like that.
So I have a love haterelationship with social media
but as far as business like itdoes really well for promoting
places, I think like that,that's how I find a lot of
places as well.
I Like it does really well forpromoting places.
I think like that, that's how Ifind a lot of places as well.
Doug (04:46):
I think it's a job, though .
Yeah, I think it's the samereason I love social media is
for finding those little nicheplaces that you don't
necessarily know about andhaving a couple of super fans
promoting you.
I have to say I think I learnedabout your place even though
I'm only a couple miles awayfrom our mutual friends Chad and
Antoinette.
Chad Medved, who does the I'llCall you Right Back podcast yeah
(05:09):
, they were posting a lot, yeah,and they love to go there on
the weekends.
Small like Little World yeah, Ilove that.
Dagny (05:13):
Yeah, and it's good.
Because it's good, it's like agood support system it is.
It really is.
And I find that with socialmedia now, you almost can
support people you've never metRight.
You, you almost can supportpeople you've never met Right,
but it must have a conversation.
Some people, it's easier, yeah,the people you know, you could
just double tap it and send anemoji.
This is fire back or somethinglike that, and it kind of, and I
think that's probably how, likeChad and Antoinette and I
(05:35):
started talking, we did thepodcast.
They've come in a lot and sonow we're say we're friends yeah
, social media can be a way tobecome friends yes, it's like
the first introduction prettyeasy.
It's not like hi, I am dagny, Ilike your stuff and just like
that was cool yeah yeah, so it'scool.
Doug (05:55):
They're good people though you know, what we haven't
really done yet is describe toour listeners, if they haven't
visited your location, it'scutest little eatery.
You are a one-woman show.
Sometimes your daughter ishelping.
Dagny (06:11):
She's a teenager.
Doug (06:12):
She's doing teenager things.
She's a teenager.
Dagny (06:15):
But also after school or on the weekends.
It's a pretty I don't want tosay it's an easy job for her,
because working with your family, especially your mother, is
probably not the easiest, butshe does have the ability to
make literally as much money asshe wants yeah she's a teenager.
So yeah, but it's nice and I'veseen her grow.
Since I've opened it I've alsoseen customers kind of talk
about how she's grown even asfar as being able to look and
(06:38):
talk at people yeah as you know,most teenagers it's it's a
struggle.
So people have said, like, eventhe way she talks with people
it's a lot nicer now, and so Ido like that.
So it is fun for us to worktogether.
I do enjoy it, but there's likea divide at times too, you know
, and so right now it's just me.
I don't know what.
The end goal was, not for me tobe there every day all day but
(07:01):
I do not have a recipe writtendown.
I am very meticulous about how Ilike things done, like I.
Even my daughter.
I let her, I let her make food.
Sometimes when customers comein but it is a customer, it's
been there multiple times thatthey say it's okay, that they're
okay if one tomato's a halfinch cut and one is two inches
cut, which is completelydifferent.
(07:22):
So I don't know what the planis for the future as far as just
me, but I like working bymyself currently.
Doug (07:30):
I think we want to set that tone for folks.
Number one we've got to talkabout the food.
The food is so good, but wealso should let folks know for
sure.
You are a one person show there, so you do a great job of
talking to the customers,checking in on waiting guests
and you're making all of thefoods yourself.
Dagny (07:50):
When I first opened, it was like I don't want to say
scary, but it was a lot.
Like I have to talk to you.
Now you're looking at me andnow you're, and it was a lot at
first.
It's almost like you'reperforming yes.
And so now, as the time goes on,I do it very well, I think you
do, and I see a lot of reviewsthat kind of say the same thing.
Um, so I do try to like atleast acknowledge you when you
(08:11):
come in.
Doesn't mean your food's gonnabe done immediately, but I've
multiple times I kind of likejust shout it out like what's
everyone getting, so I couldmake it all at once, and I kind
of look at it like if you werein my house.
That's kind of how I look at it.
I talk to you if you were in myhouse.
That's kind of how I look at it.
I talk to you like you're in myhouse, joke with you, like kind
of joke with people, make themwork.
I say that you know.
Like if I have cheesecakesitting on the counter and
(08:31):
someone says like can I put themaway?
Yeah, you sure can.
This is where they go.
Put them in that cooler.
So I do like that aspect ofwelcoming Like you are in her
kitchen.
Doug (08:43):
That's kind of what we're going for.
Yeah, I really love that vibeand you don't get that in a lot
of places.
Dagny (08:48):
Yeah, it would be really weird if I didn't talk to you,
that's right so it's weird.
So there's people that do comein that don't want to talk and
that I'm completely okay withthat and you kind of can get the
vibe, and maybe it's just me.
But like when there's fivepeople waiting for their food
and five people on their cellphones and nobody's talking like
it's weird to me and I don'twant to talk to you because I
(09:09):
kind of don't want to interruptwhat you're doing.
But all in all, I like to talkand work at the same time and I
kind of get a lot like how doyou do this?
Or something like that.
Fernando (09:19):
And.
Dagny (09:19):
I almost just sounds kind of weird, but like I just don't
think I just know what I'mdoing Almost when I think that's
when I mess up.
Doug (09:25):
Oh yeah, like the intuition is just there.
Dagny (09:27):
So I'm just doing what I'm doing and it seems to work
pretty well so far.
Doug (09:32):
So I think we've set the tone of the vibe of your shop.
What we haven't talked aboutyet is the food.
So can we go through some oflike the big hitters or, as our
friend Chad would say, thebangers.
Dagny (09:44):
That's what they're called.
Doug (09:46):
That is what he would say.
Dagny (09:47):
Yeah.
So if I had to like describe myfood, I would not say it's like
a specific ethnicity of food.
Fernando (09:53):
Like a cuisine yeah.
Dagny (09:54):
Cuisine of food.
I like, I think our descriptionis like simple food elevated,
so I don't think anything's toocrazy.
I just think I put theingredients together really,
really well.
So like some of the salads arejust a salad, I think like what
I've paired them with is reallywell.
I make every like sauce anddressing and stuff.
So I think that's that one upsme a little bit.
Doug (10:15):
It really makes some of your sandwiches shine and I just
I just want to bump in here youdo breakfast items hot
sandwiches.
You do a burrito, you do beenhere.
You do breakfast items hotsandwiches.
You do a burrito, you do.
Uh, what are the breakfastpizzas?
Dagny (10:29):
so those are a big hit.
So, um, we actually get thefocaccia from brown bear, brown
bear bread.
They're local to here, I'm sureyou've heard of them, so it's
kind of like my thought on justlike a quick breakfast item and
there's breakfast pizzas.
People love those, they're easyto go.
You could eat them cold or hot.
A lot of people don't want towait for a sandwich sometimes,
so like it's easy and they'resuch a hit.
Fernando (10:49):
Yeah.
Dagny (10:50):
Such a hit.
So I try to do breakfast andlunch.
I serve it all day, well, untilthree o'clock.
As long as I have theingredients, I don't mind when
you get it, yeah, or breakfastsandwich at two, which is fine.
I try to make everything likehow I would expect it to come
out at a restaurant.
It's like how many times haveyou been at a restaurant?
And you're like this is whatyou're giving me, like whether
(11:11):
it's presentation or the amountor the price or whatever.
So if anyone said to me like,would you eat this?
Yes, 100%, I would, and that'senough.
Doug (11:20):
I think what I want to say , too, is your portions to me
are hearty.
Yes, like we talked about thesebreakfast items, then you also
have all these lunch items, likethese big sandwiches with the
amazing sauces or dressings orwhatever you are making up that
day Salads.
And then there are sweets, bighits.
(11:40):
Big hits, I think, is it thecinnamon rolls you're kind of
known for.
Dagny (11:45):
Yes.
Doug (11:46):
I have to say I don't know if I've had a cinnamon roll yet
, but my favorite is the dacicake.
Dagny (11:51):
That's a big hit, big hit .
Doug (11:53):
We should describe it for listeners, yeah.
Dagny (11:55):
So I would say it's a very moist, rich chocolate cake.
It is Swiss meringuebuttercream, which to me, is one
of the best buttercreams thereis, which, like to me, it's one
of the best butter creams thereis, and it's ganache Like.
It's pretty simple.
So I mean, if I would almostsimplify it, it would be a
chocolate cake, but it'scomparable like a hostess cake,
is what I say to people On athousand percent steroids, and
it is I mean it's a big one.
(12:16):
Oh my gosh, that's what I'msaying.
Doug (12:24):
Everything that I'm serving is I really should save
half of this.
Yes, I didn't.
I was in trouble the rest ofthe day, but it was so good.
Dagny (12:32):
I justify that, that that's probably nine.
It's a $9 dessert.
Fernando (12:35):
Yeah.
Dagny (12:36):
So I do get that comment sometimes about the pricing, but
I also look at everything I'mserving you, I do think is
sometimes I do wonder am Igiving you too much food?
or is the price too low, and soonly I would know that you know
ingredient wise, but sometimes Ilook at it I'm like this is not
more than you're getting otherplaces.
So the daisy cake is it startedthe name actually.
(13:00):
So my daughter's name is Dacia,so it started like as a joke
kind of um, because I see likethese companies that, like these
small businesses that get introuble, so like I don't know if
this is true, but I've heardthis the broth monger oh yes so
I think she used to have likesoup nazi as her instagram
picture she
Doug (13:17):
did and like they locked her down.
Dagny (13:19):
That's what I heard, so I don't know her personally, I
don't know what the, but likethat was kind of my joke, like I
don't need hostess coming afterme yeah, you don't need that,
you know so that's kind of likewhy I turned into the daisy cake
.
My daughter and I were jokingone day and so I was like, let's
call it that, like all mysandwiches pretty much are
either named after someone orliterally to the point, like a
roasted red pepper sandwichpretty self-explanatory um, but
(13:42):
the daisy cake's a big hit forsure it's a huge hit.
Doug (13:45):
Yeah, oh, I love it.
Can we just go back and talkabout a couple of the sandwiches
too?
What are some of the again thebig hitters there?
Dagny (13:53):
So the top two I say are the Ray and the Alita.
One is an Italian sandwich,one's a Caprese.
They're named after mygrandparents who passed away 20
years ago.
Um, so like there's like littlerelics in there that like my
family knows but probably mostpeople don't know about them.
Like I have a picture of them.
In the back, I have somethinglike my nun is hanging in the
kitchen, some of like theirdishes and stuff.
It's like that's just like myway of like making me smile you
(14:15):
know when I hear that stuff andthen some of the turkey
sandwiches.
People really like a turkeysandwich like we have.
Um, it's called a cold turkey.
It is turkey pepper jack cheesegrains, red onion like a
sriracha aioli.
Again, it goes back to me, Ithink, like the sauces are a big
part of it I've had thatsandwich.
Good, it's a good sandwich yeah,like, and it's nothing crazy.
(14:37):
Yeah, um, so that's a big hit.
And so when people come in andlike ask, like what's the top
sellers?
Like it just depends.
Like, is it around the holidays, is it in the summer, is it
lent?
Like, what are what are peopleeating around?
Um, so, like, the ray sandwichthat I said was like an italian
sandwich.
It has a relish on the side.
I don't know if you had that ornot, but I brought you some of
it.
Oh it's like a pepperoncinirelish.
(14:58):
I'm excited, very, very good.
So that goes on that sandwich.
It just like adds it Like onceyou get the relish on it, you're
like this is great.
Doug (15:05):
It's that extra zing.
Dagny (15:06):
Yeah, and you could do anything Like I use it as a
dressing, you could use this asa dip, but I think all that just
a little bit of extra thatpeople really like.
Like everyone likes somethingdifferent, but there's also
people that come in and that'sall he gets all the time.
Doug (15:27):
Yeah.
Dagny (15:27):
Like and he's just like, I like it, I don't want to
change.
And there's people like thatand people that just change all
the time which is kind of cooltoo and then see what they
really like.
Doug (15:34):
Yeah, I like these people that have found you and found
their item.
Yeah, rotator in most places,but every once in a while, if
it's a restaurant or a spot Idon't get to, I find that one
dish that I order again andagain and I'm like I shouldn't
get that salad, you know youknow, it's guaranteed.
Dagny (15:51):
You know you like it like sometimes your hopes really
high for something you're likeit's not yeah, my other thing,
and so like, funny enough,there's a few people that all in
their orders, I know their nameby heart.
Now, like I literally answerthe phone, like BLT, see you in
a minute, like and that's it.
Like, and they know, and likeit's kind of funny, but if
you're a new customer in thereand you're like I'm answering
(16:13):
services, you know, but it'skind of cool.
So there's people like that andthen people like you that might
want to try a little bitdifferent things.
Doug (16:21):
In addition to all of the great menu items that you are
cooking up in the shop.
You mentioned that you usebrown bear bread for the
focaccia.
There are a few items topurchase like in a grab and go.
Who are some of your partnersthat you have in the shop right
now?
Dagny (16:36):
So brown bear, we use a few of their breads so we do
sell their English muffins.
We do sell their cinnamon bread.
I use their focaccia so we haveLa prima coffee.
I'm trying, my goal this yearis to make more of a market
little place um, which involvesmoving some things around, some
logistics in that building.
Like you said, it's very uhit's tiny, tiny, it's tiny yeah
but it's great.
(16:56):
I like when I go in a place likeI like when you go in pen, mac
and there's all this differentstuff like yeah and you just
grab all the stuff.
So I'm working on that morethis year, but it's more
logistics thing in there rightnow.
Okay, this is Dagny of Dagny'sEatery and you're listening to
The Pittsburgh Dish.
Doug (17:13):
I did want to take a step back and just ask how long have
you been open?
Dagny (17:18):
September 2021 is when I officially opened.
Okay, so I say going on fouryears.
Autumn (17:23):
Yeah.
Dagny (17:23):
Every time I say that I almost have to do the math.
Yeah, but it like really.
Doug (17:27):
Doing it all yourself.
Dagny (17:28):
Yeah, it doesn't sound like, it just doesn't sound
right.
Yeah, going on four years.
Doug (17:32):
And this was a big pivot.
You had worked in the bankingindustry for quite a bit yes for
my whole life, basically yeah.
Dagny (17:39):
So I always wanted to do food stuff.
I don't know why I just didLike it's almost just that thing
.
I don't really think about it,like it's just something that I
could do well, I think.
So I kind of like had that dream20 years ago.
It just kind of fell through.
You know, you're young, youhave to get a job.
I had a kid young and so Itried to just get in farmer's
markets doing desserts.
(17:59):
Yeah, Because I wasn't bankingand it was something like extra.
I could do extra money,something that I actually
enjoyed doing.
But desserts in farmer'smarkets melt it's hard in the
summer, yeah Right.
It's just it's hard and I met alot of people through these
farmers markets and a lot offood people and you had to take
(18:20):
food classes and so, like youmeet some people very like, hey,
do you know this guy and so,and so is this and things I just
didn't know.
And so basically, the buildingthat I'm in now opened up like
during I don't know when it wasvacant, but during the end of
COVID, I think is when we openedkind of, and I literally it was
just one of those things that Iwas like I don't like what I'm
doing in the professional world.
(18:40):
Yeah, and I'm just not a bankerLike I know.
That's people's things and theycan schmooze and they can but
it wasn't my heart Like and itjust wasn't my thing, I wasn't
making some great money, that itwas like forget it, I'll just
here and then, like since COVIDhappened, I think a lot of
people came to like arealization about their life.
Doug (18:58):
That's me, yeah, yeah.
Dagny (18:59):
Brought a lot of people like stopped doing what they
hated or started doing what theyloved, and a lot of people just
started these like side hustlesthat became these businesses
and it is a lot of work but Ienjoy it more than what I used
to do.
Yeah, so I really do enjoy whatI do.
I do say a lot that I feel likeI'm either Dagny's eatery or my
daughter's mother.
(19:20):
Yes, I feel like I'm very notmyself anymore.
Fernando (19:24):
Well, you're wearing those two hats yeah.
Dagny (19:27):
So I do really, really like what I do.
But when I worked in acorporate office, I used to get
dressed up and talk to peoplewhen I would bring food in for
food days, and that was likepeople were excited about that.
Now I just work and I'm like amom.
Doug (19:41):
I don't mean in a bad way, Well, but I think what you're
saying there and I think it'simportant for any independent
business owner you have to carveout that third hat of I'm just
Dagny and I'm going out todinner tonight.
I'm doing something fun, right?
You've got to have downtime,right.
Dagny (19:55):
I'm trying to work on doing that because, you're right
, you have to do something foryou, and so I'm trying to work
on that.
Like every year, I'm getting alittle bit better, but it's just
a whole different lifestyle.
I was very regimented before.
Now, you know, I worked noteight to five, and my kid was
younger.
She was in daycare and afterschool programs.
So now she's driving and nowshe doesn't need I don't need
need to stay home with her.
(20:16):
So like my life completelyswitched.
So it is like learning allthose new things again too.
Yeah, but it's funny, someonefrom work that I used to work
with actually came in this weekand he was like we were just
talking about you and he wassaying that like we miss when
you used to bring us food.
So it's funny.
Like I was like that's what youremember and it, but you
remember and it's kind of coolto see people I used to work
with come in and like see what Ido now.
Doug (20:38):
Yeah, you know.
So I like Quite a pivot yeah.
Dagny (20:42):
And it's a lot mentally too, like it's a lot mentally in
your time, and so, like a goodand a bad thing about being by
yourself is you can do anythingor nothing, but if you do
nothing, you are the only one,like you're the only one, taking
the consequences.
Doug (20:56):
Yeah, so you're accountable to yourself.
Going back to that balance, ifI'm trying to find downtime I'm
like, is that too much downtime?
I should be doing these otherthings, right, right.
Dagny (21:05):
So that's hard mentally.
Yeah, there's a balance, but Ido like it.
I say all the time like I doand sometimes like, oddly enough
, I'll be like, I love this.
Doug (21:15):
This is great Like by myself, like smiling at myself,
you know.
Dagny (21:19):
But it's like cool, it's a good feeling, yeah.
Doug (21:21):
I want to take a step back , cause you mentioned the
pictures and the names of yourgrandparents and things like
that.
You say you have this foodintuition, this cooking
intuition.
Yes, where do you think it allsort of came from?
Like, what was food like inyour growing up?
Were people cooking a lot?
Yeah, did you cook from a youngage?
Dagny (21:42):
I think I just growing up just watching my dad cook was
more so what I did.
He was in the kitchen a lot.
He made a lot of good food, alot of Italian food, and so like
also being around my otheraunts, my, not like my nana
wasn't I guess some elaboratecook, but like like a pepperoni
and cheese tray, like I rememberthat was like our snack as kids
(22:03):
.
That was like a big thing forme.
That's like what resonates withme.
So I think I just always likekind of paid attention to like
what my family members weredoing, um, and so like.
Even now, when I go to myaunt's house and stuff, like I'm
like look at it, what do, andthen like we like text each
other different ideas aboutstuff, and so I just I'm
watching people.
It just somewhat interested me,um, when did you start cooking?
Doug (22:26):
You remember the age you started to be in the kitchen and
doing stuff.
Dagny (22:29):
Probably, literally probably, when I had my daughter
.
Doug (22:30):
So when.
Dagny (22:31):
I went to college for a year and a half.
I didn't not do well at all.
I dropped out of Slippery Rock,I went for business management
and so I remember like we hadone of the college cards, a meal
card or something like that.
Like you were in college, youwanted to go see your people and
see the boys and the girls, andwhat is everyone doing?
And the sport.
Fernando (22:50):
You know, it was a social hour it wasn't.
Dagny (22:52):
I mean, it was a cafeteria.
The food wasn't great, and Iremember in college I think, I
literally cooked one time and itwas like pasta and red sauce,
and I don't even know, I don'teven know where that came from,
um, but you know, you're incollege, you really don't have
any money either, so maybethat's why we didn't cook.
I don't know.
I mean, we're college kids, welive next to sheets too, so
that's probably where we weregoing.
Nothing like an MTO or a shmegleor whatever Right at like 2 am
(23:15):
yeah, and so when I had mydaughter, like I've always even
made her own baby food, likeI've never bought baby food
Really.
Yeah, so like I think that soeven when I would make our
dinner, I would make it saferfor her, like it wouldn't be as
seasoned or depending how oldshe was.
Yeah, so, whether it was likechicken and rice or spinach, or
vegetables or fruit, whatever,I've always done that for her.
(23:37):
So I think that's probably likeokay, well, we have a human now
that I need to make a dinnerevery night and, like you know,
in their daycare you need topack their lunch.
So, like I would say likeconsistently, probably when I
had her Wow.
Doug (23:48):
It's kind of later in life with all this intuition you
have.
Dagny (23:51):
Yeah.
So when you think about ityou're like oh.
Doug (23:53):
Deep past the teenage years doing that.
Yeah, I have a little sidequestion Is she a pretty good
eater, or is she picky?
Dagny (24:00):
No, that's not even an option in my house.
Doug (24:02):
I love that.
So Thank you, and I knoweveryone does their own thing.
I know that's not what we do inmy house.
Dagny (24:06):
So, like she's always eaten what I've eaten, I've
never in my life at one timemade a separate meal, for she
doesn't like mushrooms andcilantro Okay, sure, so cilantro
I can't really hide that.
Well, mushrooms I've been ableto hide a little bit, but I'll
let her eat the whole thing.
She'll say that pasta wasreally good with the sausage and
I'm like that's great becausethat was mushrooms and so that's
(24:28):
kind of like how I do it, butshe eats sushi.
Her and.
I went to Pusadee's Garden lastweek.
Doug (24:34):
She likes food like that so she's never, she's always
eaten very well oh my gosh, Ijust love that story and I love
that you really didn'tcompromise on the meal.
But maybe you just alteredseasoning a little bit so it was
more palatable for a youngsterof some sort.
Dagny (24:48):
Yeah yeah, one time she was little and like I'll always
laugh at this, she had to beprobably five and we went to
like eggs or us, I think ingrafton.
So they said like, does shewant a juice?
And there's me, yeah, tomatojuice, and I'm like give her
apple juice like a normal kidlike, and that didn't like go by
over her.
But I was thinking like this iswhat we would drink in our house
you know, and so, yeah, it'skind of nice though, because now
(25:09):
that she's 16, we can go tonice places.
So we've been trying to do that.
Um, it's not always easy withwith schedules, but we try to go
to like a new or nice placeonce a month to just try a
different thing, and so far it'slike a cool.
It's a cool experience.
Doug (25:23):
I think it's perfect and like a bonding thing for the two
of you and also kind of makingmemories, probably for her, that
she'll remember later in life.
Yeah, where did you grow up?
Dagny (25:33):
I grew up in, I went to Montour so I went, I lived in
Kennedy, I lived in Robinson,all right.
So basically around the same,like 10 mile radius of where I
live now Crafton, Carnegie yeah.
So you're familiar with thesehills, yeah, so it's kind of
cool that, like some of myclassmates come in, Like last
week I catered something for agirl that I used to be friends
with her mom and like it waskind of like, oh you remember me
(25:59):
from like when I was 13.
And so it was like kind of cool.
Doug (26:01):
That's fun.
Yeah, it was nice.
I love that.
Yeah, okay, dagny, I thinkwe've established you have some
really awesome food.
I'm so glad that you have adaughter that's appreciating
your awesome food and all ofthese customers I think you've
mentioned, because it's just you.
It's really good.
If somebody wants to orderahead on the website, you can't
order.
Dagny (26:19):
On the website there's a link.
It'll go to um toast okay soyou could order online, which I
love when people do that um itis written down what you wanted.
There is no mistakes.
It's so like a lot of themoffices or teachers they'll send
their order at nine o'clock andthey're like I'm picking up at
noon and then I kind of can likeI know that that's coming,
versus you coming in and sayingI'd like to order 10 sandwiches
(26:39):
and then you also mentioned youdo catering.
I do, I do, so that's picking upa lot more and usually it's
around the holidays, thegraduations.
I really like doing caterings.
Again.
I know in advance what I'mgetting.
I know specifically what youwant.
I know that you paid for it, somore than likely you're going
to pick it up and you can planfor it Right, right, because it
is just you Right.
Doug (26:58):
How do people get a hold of you for a catering gig?
Dagny (27:01):
My preferred method would be to email me all your
information and email versus aDM or a phone call.
There's a lot going on in myhead at all times.
So, like I have listseverywhere.
I probably have a thousandreminders on my phone.
Doug (27:16):
You got to write it down.
Dagny (27:17):
But I like to go back to an email that we can go back.
There's a paper trail we can goback and forth, so I would
rather an email.
Doug (27:23):
Of course.
And then?
Dagny (27:24):
if we need to sit down and talk or have a phone call.
I don't mind that at all.
It's just me just being me.
So you coming in like what's aslow time?
I, yeah, like sometimes it's soin the morning, sometimes it's
not, it just depends on the day.
Doug (27:37):
And remind us again what the hours of your shop are right
now, typically.
Dagny (27:41):
So I am 8 to 3.
Every day except Tuesdays,we're closed.
Okay, so Tuesday's the only dayright now I'm closed.
I used to be closed Monday orWednesday.
Doug (27:50):
Once in a while you do that and you put it on socials,
right and so.
Dagny (27:52):
I kind of like that's kind of like how I'm okay with
being open six days yeah.
That if.
I want to take an additional day, like I did yesterday.
I can and I do try to post that.
I update Google Hours.
I post it everywhere I can, onthe door, everything.
But it kind of seems to workfor me.
A lot of places are closed onMondays, from what I found out.
Carnegie yeah.
The weekends are very busy forme, so I probably, if I close on
(28:13):
the weekend, it's becausethere's something I have to do,
or you're really sick.
Yeah, it's something likeweekends or Friday, Saturdays,
Sundays are good days.
Doug (28:22):
All right, since we're talking about all this, I'd love
you to plug your social handlesand the website and everything,
so people can get a hold of youand know when to visit.
Dagny (28:30):
All right, so everything is Dagny's Eatery.
Instagram will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
Facebook will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
Facebook will be Dagny'sunderscore eatery.
I'm sure I should know that.
The email Dagny's eatery atGmail.
Doug (28:45):
D-A-G-N-Y.
Yes S, yes, yeah.
Dagny (28:49):
No E, so yes, and everything on the website.
To the website.
Like, we have our menu, we havea contact information, a little
backstory, um, you could orderonline.
You could order gift cardsonline.
I try to make it pretty easy isthe website where the email is
for, like the catering gigs yeah, there's a little like blurb at
the bottom like how could wehelp you so you can go on there
and it shoots me an email, oryou could just go straight to
(29:10):
dagny's eatery all right gmaileither way I love it.
Doug (29:14):
I wanted to ask one more question, just about carne.
So what are some of the eventsthat really start to pop in the
warmer months of the year?
Dagny (29:20):
So once I think I want to say May it might start.
They call it a Carnegie Crawl.
It's the second Friday of everymonth.
It is not a bar crawl it couldbe if you want it to be, I guess
but it is very adults or familyfriendly.
So it kind of depends whatyou're into.
So it kind of depends whatyou're into.
And they shut down a fewstreets.
They usually have a band and asthe years have gone on since
I've opened, I think that theactivities and the amount of
(29:42):
people have just increased andgotten better.
So like they do put oversizedgames the middle of street,
chalk like stuff, like art,stuff like that that adults or
kids could do.
Yeah, and they'll have a fewvendors outside or booths,
whatever.
And they'll have a few vendorsoutside or booths, whatever.
Maybe they'll have a food truck, because maybe not everyone
wants what I have or what otherpeople in Carnegie have.
Doug (30:02):
But this is when you're bringing out the Blackstone and
you are doing maybe some smashburgers or some really killer
hot dogs.
Dagny (30:08):
Yeah, so like I make the same three things, and it is
cheesesteaks, smash burgers, hotdogs, which are all beef, which
literally I bought for kids,and it is always adults that buy
and rave about the hot dogs,which are all beef, which
literally I bought for kids, andit is always adults that buy
and rave about dog dogs.
Um, but they're just easy foodsthat you could walk with that
aren't too messy.
I could wrap them in tinfoiland it's different than your
other menu.
Doug (30:27):
So it's.
Dagny (30:27):
That's why I kind of like it, yes and there's a lot of
people that come and just I justcame for this, I just came for
this, which is great, um, and sothat goes back to me not having
a full kitchen, so like I don'thave a flat top in my place, so
like I can do that differentstuff outside and then I can
almost, like, be involved.
So the first year I was open andthey had these activities on
Friday nights.
I was just inside looking ateveryone like, and I had the
(30:50):
door open but I'm like screamingat people out the door, talking
to them so like, let's get youon the street right and it's
nice.
Um, they set up a band, likethey'll have some chairs out
there, then you could sit thereand watch the band and your kid
could go play a game or whatever, and so I think as the years go
on, that's going to keepgetting better.
They do that.
They do farmers markets.
They do a few like an arts walkdedicated to the arts, more art
(31:10):
, arts things we have.
Um, there's a few differentevents they do.
They do like a police policecar show, which is kind of cool.
They like shut down the street.
I have all these different carsthere.
That's cool.
I'm like old and new.
So whenever it allows I will beout there, and so usually it
probably won't be until like May.
June.
So what I've started doing, likejust last year, the crawl
starts at maybe 5 pm, so thoselike one Friday a month I'll
(31:34):
just grill outside all day,because there are a lot of
people that come for lunch andthey're like you never get a
burger.
Doug (31:40):
So it kind of works out too.
Dagny (31:42):
And it's nice.
It brings a lot of new peoplein.
I mean you could smell itthrough the whole block like
great, so I like it.
It's a good time out there.
Doug (31:50):
I'm excited for it.
Dagny (31:51):
Yeah, have you ever come down?
I don't think so.
You should.
It's a good time.
Doug (31:54):
All right, Dagny, it's been so nice to talk with you.
One of the last questions Ialways like to ask our guests
the name of the show is thePittsburgh Dish.
What's the best dish you'veeaten this past week?
Dagny (32:08):
I will say that we went to Pusadees.
Doug (32:13):
Is it?
Dagny (32:13):
Pusatis or Prasatis.
I say Pusadees.
Okay, see, I didn't say thatone.
I don't know, but you know whatI'm talking about.
Doug (32:19):
I know Pusadee's Garden, so great Pusadee's Garden yes.
Dagny (32:22):
We went there last week and it was very good.
No-transcript.
(32:42):
Their drinks are really good,the whole experience there and
so I started like trying to readup on them to see like what is
the deal over here?
It's so cool to me.
Doug (32:57):
And so, like as I kept reading, I would love to find a
picture of, like what they looklike before all the renovations,
it was definitely.
Dagny (33:01):
It did not look how it looks now.
That's what I heard.
It was like small patio yeah,an old house.
Doug (33:04):
You kind of went through you.
There was a patio in the backthat you didn't really see from
the street.
Dagny (33:08):
Yeah, it's completely transformed, it's just like
amazing to me, like yeah, theybrought like pots in from
thailand and they brought likethese chefs and like these
archetypes and like as so, as Iwas sitting there looking at it,
I was like this is just so cool, like you don't even know this
exists secret garden?
Doug (33:24):
yeah, and it's just so cool.
Dagny (33:25):
So their food was I mean, it's always very, very good did
your daughter like all of thethings that she does?
That's like so we actually wentfor her birthday um, so it was
like her her favorite.
She loves it and it's like shelikes it that they gave her like
non-alcoholic drink.
That's not like a Shirleytemple, you know, like she kind
of feels a little bit moremature there and everything, and
so it's a good, a good time.
Doug (33:47):
You're shaping her up to have very high taste.
Dagny (33:48):
I'm trying, yeah, yeah, so hopefully, hopefully, yeah
yeah.
Doug (33:52):
Dagny.
Yes, sir, thank you so much.
Thanks for having me on thePittsburgh dish.
Dagny (33:57):
Thanks for having me.
This is fun.
So much fun, yeah Nice.
I liked it.
Doug (34:01):
Up next.
Do you have a truly favoriterestaurant?
Autumn Pawelec shares her place.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Autumn Pawelec, who
is a model and content creatoron Instagram.
Could you give us arecommendation today?
Yeah, okay, so how about let'sjust start big?
Do you have a favorite spot inthe city, a restaurant you
(34:25):
always want to go to?
Autumn (34:33):
Yes, absolutely, the one spot that I just gravitate to
towards the most like it's isAlla Famiglia .
They're up in Allentown, they'reright on Warrington Avenue and
it's just, it's incredible everysingle time.
I actually was just there a fewweeks ago for my birthday
dinner and it was so, so good.
You like, it's truly anexperience.
They've been around for apretty long time.
(34:53):
They expanded their restaurant.
They now have a really, reallycool like cigar lounge area
where, like, let's say, likeyou're like, okay, I don't want
to leave just yet, but I want togo have like a good cigar,
maybe after like dessert oranything, and they have a
special cigar lounge.
Now that is separate.
It's kind of like behind therestaurant area, which is super
(35:15):
cool.
Yeah, all of the family isdefinitely a good one.
They have some pretty awesomespecials too during the week.
Um, they have a, it's like a.
They call it a last supper mealon Mondays and it's basically
you get like over the weekend,they've had these big meals over
the weekend They've had thesebig meals.
So, like the last time I wasthere um was in the summertime,
(35:36):
for this special particularlyand we got for $30, it was like
a piece of lasagna, a piece oflike a sausage, I believe, a
little bit of spaghetti, andthen you get a salad, you get
their house bread, dipping oiland a glass of wine.
All for $30 on a Monday, yeah.
Doug (35:56):
And a lot of places are closed on Monday, right, so you
can go there and get this feast.
Autumn (36:00):
Oh my gosh.
It was like the portions.
Well, the portions to beginwith at Alla Famiglia are so big
.
It's incredible because, like,you can have dinner there and
then you basically have lunchand dinner the next day, the
next day.
And with the $30 special youwill literally have lunch and
potentially dinner, depending onhow much you eat the next day,
(36:21):
for $30.
It's crazy.
Doug (36:24):
I love all of that and I just want to remind our
listeners too.
They have probably seen all ofFamilia's pasta sauce in a lot
of places like.
Giant Eagle.
They actually make thespaghetti, the pasta sauce, to
buy, and I think they also havea second location down in
McMurray.
It's called Arleccino's.
Both are great spots to go to.
(36:44):
When you go maybe not on aspecials night what is a dish or
two that you or your friendslove to enjoy?
Autumn (36:53):
So I really, really love their steak.
I'm a filet girl, I am, I'm afilet girl and I love, I love
their steak.
That's what I got on mybirthday and they have different
ways to, you know, have yoursteak kind of like prepared.
Like I want to say, I got thefilet prepared, the Diane way, I
(37:13):
don't know if I'm saying thatcorrectly.
Fernando (37:15):
Um, but steak Diane yeah.
Autumn (37:18):
And it was like this, really light, like mushroom
demi-glaze sauce.
It was so so good.
And with the steak you get thesalad, and then you get your
choice of pasta with it too.
So it's a meal.
I mean I had to take more thanhalf of it home because you fill
up on the bread, the salad,this and that we got their
(37:39):
stuffed banana peppers.
So yum, we get it every time wego.
Doug (37:42):
Is it filled with sausage?
Is that what they say?
Autumn (37:44):
Yes, sausage and I want to say mozzarella cheese.
Doug (37:47):
Yeah, a little stringy.
Autumn (37:49):
Yes, and then they have like a bed of mozzarella cheese
on top and the sauce, it's sogood.
So between like the really,really good bread and dipping
oil, plus the salad, plus thestuffed banana peppers.
I had to take half of it home.
Yeah, it was so good.
They have a massive wineselection.
I can't even begin to tell youhow many wines they have, but
(38:09):
it's a lot, and they do make Ialso my favorite drink to you
know when I drink, whenever I goout to dinner is dirty martinis
.
I love a good dirty martini.
Doug (38:18):
I have seen this on your feed.
Autumn (38:19):
Yes, especially with stuffed blue cheese olives.
You got to have the stuffedolives.
It's so good and they make areally, really good one.
Tony and Clint at the bar makea very, very good dirty martini.
Listen, folks, when she knowsthe bartender's name, you know
this is a good place.
It's so good, it's so good.
Doug (38:40):
Did you tell me a story too?
You were there one night whenit wasn't as busy.
The cigar room is super cute.
Did you go and have a dessertthere?
Autumn (38:46):
yes, yeah, yeah, they were able to do that just
because you wanted to sit inthere there was really nobody in
there at the time and I waslike, hey, tony, can you, you
know, can we have dessert in theback there?
And he was like, yeah, sure.
So I was like, okay.
So we went and sat and likesplit this.
I forget what it was, some sortof cake.
Doug (39:03):
This was my next question.
What did you have?
It was some sort of cake.
Autumn (39:06):
It was really light, almost kind of like an angel
food cake, vibe type of white.
Yeah, it was very, very goodand we got to sit back there.
I had an espresso martini.
That's my after dinner drink.
My little pick me up.
Really really good espressomartini with the cake.
We split it and it was cool tojust like chill Like they had a
fireplace.
(39:27):
They had a TV back there.
It's a really cool spot to hangout after dinner if you aren't
ready to go home just yet.
Doug (39:36):
I love that.
Yeah, very cool, and we shouldsay too, allentown.
In that little block wherethey're situated, there's a
couple of other cool things.
One of my favorite places, justaround the corner from there,
is Bottle Rocket Social Hall.
Autumn (39:47):
Oh my gosh, that's so fun.
Doug (39:49):
Yeah, so if you are having your like your after dinner
cigar or cocktail, you couldlinger a little bit and then
walk over there if you're goingto a show or a comedy show or
something, Absolutely yeah, thatplace is so cool.
Autumn (39:59):
It's like when you walk in it feels like you were
transported back in time intothe 70s, which I think is so, so
cool.
Doug (40:06):
Yeah, at Bottle Rocket.
It's an old Lyceum and so theyalso do really good hot dogs.
We'll just give them a littleplug too.
Autumn (40:12):
Yes, they do.
Their hot dogs are really goodyeah.
Doug (40:16):
So, folks, we need to visit Allentown, and Autumn
says Alla Famiglia.
Autumn (40:20):
Al la Famiglia.
Yes, so yum, so good.
I promise you you will not bedisappointed.
It's truly like an experience.
Doug (40:28):
Autumn.
Thanks so much.
Autumn (40:29):
Thank you.
Doug (40:31):
You can follow Autumn Pawelec on Instagram at Autumn
Pawelec what's that dish thatyou like to make on your day off
?
Chef Fernando Canales of theFairmont Pittsburgh told us
about his dish.
Hey everybody, we're joinedtoday with Chef Fernando Canales
of the Fairmont Pittsburgh.
Chef, I was wondering do youhave a recipe that you love to
(40:53):
make?
I know that they can get alittle complicated at the
restaurant, but is theresomething you make that you
think people could make at home?
Fernando (41:00):
Of course, of course, I mean, I have not just one.
I have so many recipes that Ican share, but we're going to
start with one easy one, youknow?
Okay, so, and one of therecipes that I would like to
share is chilaquiles.
Chilaquiles Because I think somany people love it, and I mean
it's part of the breakfast, andI think the breakfast is the
most important dish, the mostimportant meals of the day.
(41:23):
So, yeah, of course, what doyou do for your chilaquiles?
Okay, for the chilaquiles, it'sbasically corn tortilla.
You need to deep fry the corntortilla, you need to cut before
the corn tortilla like asquares, like a triangles.
It doesn't really matter theshape, you know, but small shape
are better, so like that isgoing to be crispy, yes, so
(41:45):
after deep fry the corntortillas, you need to make the
salsa, the salsa.
The salsa.
The salsa is the most importantthing on the dish, so it can be
salsa verde or salsa roja.
Doug (41:56):
Okay, it depends what you like Green salsa or red salsa.
Exactly yeah.
Fernando (42:00):
So I love more salsa roja and I used to make that
salsa roja chipotle, but the dryone, you know.
Oh, do you rehydrate them?
I boil them.
Oh yeah, I boil them.
So to make the salsa is reallysimple Chipotle.
I even going to tell you theamount that you need.
(42:20):
Okay, you need two pieceschipotle, four pieces tomatoes,
red tomatoes, and like a quarterof onion, okay, and four pieces
of garlic.
Just boil it and that's it.
That's it.
Doug (42:36):
And then you puree it in a blender.
Exactly.
Fernando (42:38):
You can see, when the chipotle is a little bit soft,
just blend it and add some salt.
That's it, Simple.
Then you're going to use yourpot and you're going to add some
oil.
Even if you have in your house,like a bacon fat, you know
those kinds it's going to bemore flavor, of course.
Doug (42:59):
Oh if you use bacon fat.
Fernando (43:00):
Exactly Because sometimes, actually, when you
cook bacon in your house, in myhouse, I save it, you know,
because even when I makewhatever kind of sauce, that
bacon fat, it has more flavor.
So much more flavor, so yeah,so if you have that bacon fat is
good, if you don't, it's fine,you can use the regular oil.
So just put some oil and addthe sauce.
(43:23):
Keep it boiling.
Taste about if it's good withthe salt or not.
Taste and that's it.
Doug (43:29):
So you cook it a little bit in the oil or bacon fat, and
that's when you season it withsalt.
Fernando (43:34):
Exactly To.
Then you're going to add thesauce boiling, like I don't know
, around five, six minutes.
It's really easy and it'sreally fast.
And then, when the sauce isdone, you're going to add into
the sauce the fried tortilla.
Okay, you're going to add intothe sauce, but you're going to
turn off the temperature.
Turn it down or turn it off.
(43:54):
No, turn it off.
Okay, turn it off, and thenthat's it You're going to serve
in your plate with crema fresca.
Crema fresca is kind of like asour cream.
Yes, crema fresca, queso fresco, and I love my chilaquiles with
two fried eggs.
Doug (44:12):
I was going to say how do you like your eggs?
I like a slightly runny friedegg, Exactly so.
Fernando (44:16):
I like sunny side up, so I always love my chilaquiles
with two eggs on top and withavocado as well.
Oh my God, what a way to startthe day.
Doug (44:26):
Yeah, of course it's the best way.
Chef, thank you so much forthis recipe and thank you for
being on The Pittsburgh Dish.
Thank you so much.
Fernando Canales is theexecutive chef of the Fairmont
Pittsburgh.
Be sure to book a reservationfor his latest menu at FLR2 .
Do you have a recipe?
Share it with us.
(44:46):
Just visit our website atwwwpittsburghdishcom and look
for our share a recipe form.
If you enjoyed the show,consider buying us a coffee for
this episode or supporting theshow monthly.
You can find links to thoseoptions at the bottom of our
show description and if you wantto follow my own food
adventures, you can find me onsocial media at Doug Cooking.
(45:09):
That's our show for this week.
Thanks again to all of ourguests and contributors and to
Kevin Solecki of CarnegieAccordion Company for providing
the music to our show.
We'll be back again next weekwith another fresh episode.
Stay tuned.
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