{"id":1891,"date":"2013-04-10T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T10:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1891"},"modified":"2015-01-08T17:43:47","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T22:43:47","slug":"park-schenley-restaurant-pittsburghs-21-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/04\/10\/park-schenley-restaurant-pittsburghs-21-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Park Schenley Restaurant \u2014 Pittsburgh\u2019s 21 Club"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"Frank <\/a>
Frank Turi supervises preparation at Park Schenley, Nov. 1984 (Photo by Greg Blackman, The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Park <\/a>
Park Schenley before changing ownership, 1983 (Photo by Lui Kit Wong, The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Frank <\/a>
Frank Bruni (in the middle) and his colleagues in front of the Park Schenley restaurant, 1983 (Pittsburgh Press photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Gourmet <\/a>
Gourmet dinner at the old Park Schenley, 1964 (Photo by Moyer, The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Meal <\/a>
Meal for gourmets at the old Park Schenley restaurant, 1958 (Photo by Al Hermann, The Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

The Park Schenley was more than just a restaurant. It was an institution for those who liked exquisite dining and cared deeply about the atmosphere and the restaurant experience. Located in the heart of Oakland, it was one of\u00a0Pittsburgh\u2019s favorite and the region\u2019s finest restaurants and\u00a0the social center of the city in 1950s and \u201960s.<\/p>\n

The first big project of the local architect Tasso Katselas, whose works later included the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Allegheny County Jail and the Carnegie Science Center, the restaurant was an instant and overwhelming success with superb food and drink complementing the ambiance.<\/p>\n

When Katselas just started working on Park Schenley, he had no office or staff. He built a plywood drafting board on site and began drawing.\u00a0The interior design of Park Schenley was ahead of its time and nothing like it could be found in Pittsburgh in 1954. \u201cThe perimeter of the dining room had flexible alcove bench seating and the center space used columns as pivots for larger groups.\u201d The bar was long and curved, its shape reflecting in undulating wood ceiling above.<\/p>\n

The restaurant was popular for its exquisite cuisine, courteous waiters, pleasant ambiance and the roast beef cart that was wheeled to the table to serve the cut a diner had ordered. The person chiefly responsible for the menu was Dino Nardi, who earned high praises in the United States and in Europe. Among Chef Nardi\u2019s popular masterpieces were Cote D\u2019Azure paulet in skillet, curry of jumbo shrimp in casserole, stuffed deviled crab Park Schenley and roast Cornish game hens.<\/p>\n

The giant of local restaurant restaurant business and\u00a0\u201da man of an absolute heart of gold,\u201d\u00a0Frank Blandi was the restaurant\u2019s owner until 1983. Blandi opened the Park Schenley in 1954 on Forbes Avenue across from the Schenley Hotel, now the Pitt Student Union. The restaurant was moved to the Royal York building on Bigelow Boulevard in 1964, when the Hillman Library was built on its place.<\/p>\n

Under Blandi\u2019s leadership the restaurant won multiple awards, including a national Dining Distinction award in 1957, three years after it opened. Park Schenley\u2019s prime rib earned it a roast beef award from Maurice C. Dreicer, noted gourmet from New York. In 1981, the Park Schenley was one of 50 award-winning restaurants to participate in \u201cA Taste of America\u201d at a presidential inaugural reception in Washington.<\/p>\n

But these awards were not his only accomplishments. Blandi started the Gourmet Dinners for Children\u2019s Hospital through The Pittsburgh Press Old Newsboys Fund in the old Park Schenley restaurant and LeMont on Mount Washington, the restaurant he founded. Those dinner were lavish, seven-course offerings that guests paid as much as $200 a piece to attend. He raised $600,000 through this campaign for Children\u2019s Hospital. \u201cNothing has given more satisfaction than raising that kind of money for kids whose parents can\u2019t afford their medical care,\u201d Blandi said.<\/p>\n

In 1983, the Park Schenley changed owners and had undergone major transitions. The restaurant was remodeled: a neo-deco sand-carved glass panel by local artist Rudi Maros became a centerpiece of the dining hall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Park Schenley was more than just a restaurant.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesPark Schenley Restaurant \u2014 Pittsburgh\u2019s 21 Club<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[945],"tags":[961,962,974,989,1036,1244],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/tumblr_ml0n2qnmCX1rr5swxo2_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C891&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9416,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2019\/04\/24\/pittsburghs-past-vs-present-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1891,"position":0},"title":"Pittsburgh’s Past vs Present – Part Two","date":"April 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Using photographs from the Pittsburgh City 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