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Thursday night at 11:30 a line is forming at thecorner of East Carson and 17th streets for grilledchicken wrapped in pita bread that locals fondly re-fer to as ‘‘cat on a stick.’’ Grill meister Dan McSwig-gen explains that he usually cooks outside only onweekends, but a lightning strike knocked out powerat Cambod-Ican Kitchen, an American-Asian fusionrestaurant he runs with his Cambodian-born wife,Moeun. ª Ten years before opening here, the coupleoperated their business from a truck. ª ‘‘I remembertimes when people would line up late at night, and itwould start snowing. There’d be a guy standing withan inch of snow on his head wanting cat on a stickand a wonton,’’ says McSwiggen. ªHis good-naturedability to adapt to challenging circumstances andhis customers’ tenacity mirror the spirit of Pitts-burgh as it emerges from its industrial past into a21st-century city. ªOne neighborhood that particu-larly embodies this transformation is South Side, or,as the natives pronounce it, ‘‘Sou’side.’’ ªWhen vir-

Moving beyond its industrial past, the South Side pulses with a funky vibeyet stays true to its working-class roots

SOUTH SIDE, Page M4

1. Hanging out at The Beehive, an eatery with brightly painted walls and mismatched tables and chairs. 2. Details on some of the older homes in the neighborhood, which used its designationas a historic district to spur development. 3. Miriam Belblidia found flowers at a farmers’ market. 4. Restaurant workers take a break outside. 5. Paintings by Katharine T. Harris are for sale atThe Beehive. 6. A dog announces a stranger’s arrival. 7. Barry Slade of Duquesne Light works at running a cable underground. 8. The pastor at Holy Assumption of St. Mary’s Orthodox Churchon South 19th Street is known as Father Patrick. 9. Pittsburghers Michele Kranik and Robert Revay check out an exhibit at the Silver Eye Center for Photography. 10. The Slopes section ofSouth Side has spectacular views of the city. 11. The band MINK checks out the area before a gig. 12. A papier-mâché head gazes out of a window from Culture Shop on East Carson Street.

By Bonnie TsuiGLOBE CORRESPONDENT

SAN FRANCISCO — Myday in the life of a sommelierstarted in the cramped quar-ters of the wine cellar for theFifth Floor Restaurant in SanFrancisco, where I helpedEmily Wines — yes, that’s herreal name — restock herupstairs bar.

Wines is the head somme-lier at Fifth Floor, and luckyfor me, she has quietly begun

to welcome the public forbehind-the-scenes glimpsesinto her rarefied world.Seven years ago, she joinedFifth Floor, the Hotel Palo-mar’s signature restaurant,and helped her predecessor,Rajat Parr, create an impres-sive 1,400-bottle wine listthat has won Wine Specta-tor’s Grand Award severaltimes. Now she is spearhead-ing an ambitious programthat includes theme tasting

seminars, classes in wine andfood pairing, and a weekendsommelier experience forhotel guests.

What I began to learn inthat cool, dim storeroom isthat the business of being asommelier is a lot less myste-rious (‘‘Deciding what youshould drink doesn’t have tobe intimidating; it should beabout what you like’’) andmore ephemeral (‘‘wine is a

A DAY IN THE LIFEHOTEL LETS GUESTS SHADOW ITS SOMMELIER

Sommelier Emily Wines pulls bottles from the cellar of the Fifth Floor Restaurant.

SOMMELIER, Page M6

BONNIE TSUI FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

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tually all of the steel mills closed inthe mid-1970s and early 1980s,this area, spanning three milesalong the Monongahela River’ssouth bank, was struggling. Thebusiness district, along CarsonStreet, was particularly hard hit.

But South Side persevered.Home to 15 blocks of Victorian ar-chitecture, the neighborhood usedits designation as a historic dis-trict to spur development. Today,more than 70 restaurants thrive inthese restored 19th-century struc-tures, along with galleries, thea-ters, live music venues, antiquestores, vintage clothing boutiques,and — so that the district doesn’tstray too far from its working-classroots — tattoo parlors, beer joints,and a magic shop.

At the far east end of CarsonStreet, the former Jones & Laugh-lin steel mill was razed to makeway for SouthSide Works, a 34-acre ‘‘lifestyle center’’ with nation-ally known shops and restaurants,lofts and apartments, and a cine-ma. At the other end, StationSquare is another spiffed-up enter-tainment complex covering 52acres along the riverfront.

In between is Historic SouthSide. Visitors looking for the dy-namic, quirky, and unpredictablemélange that’s the heart of thisarea don’t need to stray far fromCarson Street between 10th and24th streets.

‘‘When I was in college [in thelate ’70s] this was all steel millsand ‘shot and beer’ places. Youdidn’t even want to drive through.One place at a time, it startedchanging,’’ says Rebecca Reynolds,a Pittsburgh resident.

Reynolds is dining on the patioat Mallorca, a restaurant specializ-ing in Spanish and Portuguesefood. As if to prove how thingshave evolved, a platter arrives withappetizers including squid filledwith prosciutto and garlic, mush-rooms stuffed with crab andshrimp, chorizo, grilled portobel-los and prawns, and red piquillo

peppers from Spain.The revitalized South Side re-

flects its evolving demographics.Little remains of the rich ethnicculinary heritage of the German,Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Rus-sian, Romanian, Bulgarian, andUkrainian people who called thisneighborhood home, though atthe newly opened Gypsy Café,owner Marie Evankovich’s menupays homage to her Slovak andItalian roots, along with live gypsymusic and tarot readings. AlongCarson and its adjacent streetsyou’ll find Italian, French, Portu-guese, Greek, Lebanese, Spanish,Mexican, Japanese, British, andThai foods.

‘‘For Pittsburgh, this is whereit’s hot,’’ says Jeff Edwards, afourth-generation owner of Ed-ward Marc Chocolatier and theMilkshake Factory. ‘‘It’s cohesivelyinteresting. I call it Eat Street.There are so many restaurants andbars. There’s such an eclectic mixof people on the street. People whoreek of money are rubbing shoul-ders with pierced Goth kids. Ev-eryone has a great time.’’

Dave Eshelman, who alongwith his wife, Nancy, owns theMorning Glory Inn, says, ‘‘This is aunique neighborhood. It has ev-

erything from light manufactur-ing to warehouses to residences,shopping, and art galleries. It’s ve-ry eclectic, diverse, and dynamic.’’After serving guests a breakfast ofsouffled lemon pancakes, Eshel-man sits in the garden of his five-bedroom inn, an Italianate-styleVictorian brick townhouse built in1862, and shares his knowledge ofthe neighborhood’s history.

Originally settled and devel-oped in the 18th century by Brit-ish Major John Ormsby, the areaby the mid-1850s was a thrivingcenter for glass, with foundriesproducing more than half the na-tion’s supply.

‘‘In the late 1800s, industryshifted from glass to iron. Therewas an enormous immigration ofall nationalities, especially Eastern

Europeans. The alleys between thestreets were lined with three-storyhouses packed with families.There were no horses or cars; menwalked down the flats to the ironfoundries and mills. At shiftchange, 5,000 to 6,000 menstopped for a drink on the wayhome. Bars were part of the socialfabric,’’ says Eshelman.

Bars are still very much a partof this district. At Jack’s, stools arefilled day and night with gregari-ous patrons.

‘‘People seem to like to drink inPittsburgh. Everybody knowsabout Jack’s. It’s a real diversegroup,’’ says Tom Gregg, who’schecking IDs.

In South Side, as in many livelycity hot spots, as the night pro-gresses the crowd gets youngerand the noise level rises. In fact,there are so many bars that a mor-atorium on new establishmentswas recently enacted. This should-n’t scare more genteel visitorsaway from enjoying this vibrantpart of town at an earlier hour.

Located on 12th Street, onBedford Square, Café Allegro is anoasis of casual elegance in thesometimes-boisterous East CarsonStreet environment. With whitetable cloths, simple black chairs,and twinkling overhead lights, thecafé merges the coastal cooking ofthe French Riviera and Italy. Withzesty offerings like fennel-crustedscallops and pork scallopine sal-timbocca, it’s easy to taste why thisfamily-run establishment celebrat-ed its 21st birthday in May.

‘‘When we first opened, wewere it,’’ says Antoinette Carda-mone, one of four siblings whohelped start the restaurant. ‘‘Jack’sand the Club Café were both ‘shotand a beer’ places. We were lucky.We’ve been busy from the get-go.’’

Another fine-dining pioneer inSouth Side is Le Pommier BistroFrançais. This intimate, 30-seatrestaurant, tucked into a historic1869 storefront, uses local organicmeats and produce. In 2004, theoriginal owners retired and thelongtime chef and house managertook over, updating the decor andmenu while maintaining the bon-homie of a classic French bistro.

Newer additions to the SouthSide culinary scene that shouldn’tbe overlooked include Café duJour, which serves California-stylefood (there’s a quiet garden inback for al fresco dining); Dish, aSicilian restaurant with a NewYork vibe located off the main dragon Sarah Street; Nakama, a wildlypopular Japanese steakhouse andsushi bar; and the Double WideGrill, serving beef and pork barbe-cue and vegetarian specialties in aformer garage and service station.

In a world where too manyshopping venues look the same,the range of one-of-a-kind storesin South Side is almost breathtak-ing. Clothing stores run the gamutfrom handmade consignment(Pack Rat) to tribal (Culture Shop)to contemporary couture (Apart-ment). At Apartment, Nami Oga-wa’s second-floor gallery is sampleshowroom and studio for her col-laborative work with her husband,a graphic designer and artist.

In addition, there’s a candy andcigar distributor (S & S Candy andCigar), an eco-friendly shop (TheE House Company), vintage in-struments (Pittsburgh Guitars),and a magic shop (The Cuckoo’sNest).

Numerous performance ven-ues dot the area. The Rex Theater,originally a movie house that’sbeen a Pittsburgh fixture for morethan 90 years, seats more than 400for live music, film, and otherevents. Around the corner onBingham Street, City Theatre pro-duces contemporary plays in oneof the oldest Greek Revivalchurches in Pittsburgh. And artmavens won’t want to miss the Sil-ver Eye Center for Photography orthe Fireborn pottery studio.

Back at the Cambod-IcanKitchen, the grill sizzles asMcSwiggen flips drumstick andthigh meat that was marinatedovernight. People eat and banterwhile waiting for the late nightbus.

‘‘South Side is one of the fewplaces in town where people arewalking around late at night,’’ saysBob Bianco, a magician, fire-eater,and frequent visitor from Wheel-ing, W.Va.

I’m directed to find The Bee-hive, an apt name for a place that’shumming with activity at mid-night. There are three long roomswith brightly painted walls andmismatched tables and chairs. Aglass case displays sandwiches,wraps, pastries, and a dizzying se-lection of coffees and teas. Theplace is packed with people work-ing on computers (using free wire-less), making art, chatting, smok-ing, or playing games. In another

corner a group is knitting. I feellike I’ve landed on some curiousyet friendly planet.

After two full days of eating,walking, drinking, shopping, andlooking at art, I’m sated. Yetthere’s so much more to see anddo. I’ll have to wait till my nexttrip to my new favorite planet,Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Necee Regis, a freelance writer inBoston and Miami Beach, can bereached at neceeregis@yahoo.com.

An eclectic stew of art, music, food, theater º SOUTH SIDEContinued from Page M1

MICHELE MCDONALD/GLOBE STAFF

Pittsburgh’s South Side spans three miles along the Monongahela River’s south bank.

Where to eatCafé Allegro51 South 12th St.412-481-7788 cafeallegropittsburgh.comCoastal cooking of the FrenchRiviera and Italy in a family-runcafe with a casual Europeansensibility. Entrees $22-$30.Cambod-Ican Kitchen1701 East Carson St.412-381-6199 cambodicankitchen.comSimple storefront eatery with amix of American, Cambodian, andother Asian cuisines. Entrees$6.95-$9.95 Mallorca Restaurant2228 East Carson St.412-488-1818 mallorcarestaurant.comFine Spanish cuisine with Portu-guese accents. Don’t miss thenew Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar nextdoor. Entrees $13.95-$33.95.Le Pommier Bistro Français2104 East Carson St.412-431-1901 lepommier.comCountry French menu in a cozy,bistro setting. Entrees $18-$28.50.Where to stayHoliday Inn Express20 South 10th St.412-488-1130 hiexpress.comLocated two blocks off East Car-son at the 10th Street Bridge.Some rooms have river views.Doubles $143-$150.Morning Glory Inn2119 Sarah St.412-431-1707 gloryinn.comFive-bedroom bed-and-breakfast inItalianate-style Victorian bricktownhouse. Easy walk to restau-rants and shops. Doubles $145-$210.What to doCity Theatre 1300 Bingham St.412-431-2489 citytheatercompany.orgContemporary plays produced inone of Pittsburgh’s oldest GreekRevival churches. Tickets $20-$38.Club Café56-58 South 12th St.412-431-4950 clubcafelive.comLive music, cocktails, and snacksin an intimate, hip, comfortable,150-seat club. Cover $5-$22.Silver Eye Centerfor Photography1015 East Carson St.412-431-1810 silvereye.orgExhibitions by locally, nationally,and internationally recognizedphotographers. Free.Where to shopThe Cuckoo’s Nest1513 East Carson St.412-481-4411 thecuckoosnest.comAn old-fashioned magic shop withcard and coin tricks, stage magic,illusions, books, DVDs, theatricalmakeup, and juggling equipment.The E House Company1511 East Carson St.412-488-7455 ehousecompany.comOrganic, eco-friendly products fora green home. Apartment1113 East Carson St., Floor 2412-481-0149 zeto-clothing.comBoutique showroom: clothing byNami Ogawa and paintings byBrian Holderman.Edward Marc Chocolatier 1705 East Carson St.877-488-1808 edwardmarc.comOld fashioned chocolate shop andice-cream parlor. Chocolate loverswill swoon.Culture Shop1602Æ East Carson St.412-481-8284 Get your tribal groove going withsilver jewelry, embroidered bags,colorful cotton fashions, bangles,and incense.

If you go . . .

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Club Café

ApartmentEdward MarcChocolatier

Culture Shop

Café Allegro

Mallorca Restaurant

Morning Glory InnLe PommierBistro Français

Cambod-Ican Kitchen

The Cuckoo’s NestThe E House Company

City Theatre

Silver Eye Center for Photography

Holiday Inn Express

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SOURCE: ESRI, TeleAtlas

URBAN RENAISSANCEStroll through Pittsburgh’s

South Side at boston.com/travel.

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