Squirrel Hill Past: The Babka Alias

I have turned out to be a remarkably provincial sort of woman. Though I went away to college in the midwest, crave travel, and married someone from Elsewhere, we moved back to Pittsburgh early on. I now live in an apartment only about 8 city blocks from the house where my parents lived when I was born. I am Squirrel Hill, born and bred. Hey, buddy, I got me some terroir. (Sounds cooler than "stick-in-the-mud.")

The Waldorf Bakery of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh is long gone, and I'm not sure exactly when it disappeared, to widespread cries of dismay. Nor do I remember its beginnings, which I suspect preceded my own. It had always been there, as far as I knew. I believe it fell victim to over confident expansion plans, much like Sodini's Restaurant, which my parents had considered their neighborhood bistro. I know its demise occured before Rosenbloom's Bakery went up in smoke (literally), leaving all of Squirrel Hill wondering where our next real rye bread would come from. Certainly, it was still in business long after the closing of Weinstein's Restaurant- which I viewed as the height of elegance as a child. (Don't get me started.) I'm kind of hoping some Pittsburghers with better memories will stop by and comment, to fill me in on the relative dates of all these food-related goings on. I haven't found a photo of the Waldorf, though the most recent, homely pre-fire face of Rosenbloom's was available online.

The Waldorf was, at one time, a part of a row of shops including Authenreit's (sp?)- a real five and ten cents store- and the original National Record Mart store, where I bought my first 45 rpm record. (Though I lived only 5 blocks away, I had to have an adult come with me- the streets were too busy for me to cross alone. It was Chantilly Lace, by the ill-fated Big Bopper.) Now the row of shops has a Panera, a Bruegger's and a Barnes and Noble.

While the bread at the Waldorf was okay, they were really known for their sweet things, including excellent home-made candy; they had dark chocolate covered orange peel to die for. Many of their cakes were fabled, but my favorite reliable purchase was the chocolate coffee cake. Buttery, flaky, sweet enough for a dessert treat, not too sweet for breakfast with coffee, and you could go crazy with any stale remainder, toasting it, and even, sometimes, buttering that toast. When I was a child-bride of 23, I always bought one if we had company I didn't know well-everyone liked it.

For some time now, I have realized that this coffee cake was, in fact, a babka (greater, rather than lesser); the Waldorf was sort of intentionally (I think) non-ethnic; it certainly had a clientele from all over the city. But then, so did Rosenbloom's, and various other specifically Eastern European and/or Jewish-identified shops. I really don't know why it wasn't labeled a "babka"-perhaps they just thought some people wouldn't know what that was. You just kind of had to see one in the glass case to know you wanted it, anyway.

All this babbling was brought on by Joan Nathan's recent babka article in the NY Times. I do believe that's a permalink for you there. It includes the recipe I used, from one Anne Amernick, which has a filling which besides the chocolate, contains apricot. Instead of pound cake crumbs, I used the cake crumbs I had, from an excellent pannetone (how I do love Costco). It had bits of candied peel, very tiny, and sultanas in it, which I did not remove, feeling that they couldn't hurt in a babka filling. Also, I finely grated a little bittersweet chocolate over it while it was still hot- for pretty, as the Amish supposedly say, and also to advertise the chocolate inside. I think they did that at the Waldorf, but possibly I'm imagining this.

Initially it was my plan to do it in a bundt pan, so as to make it more Waldorf-ian and glamorous. The recipe offers the option of a bundt, or a more mundane, 2 loaf end product. I reluctantly went with the loaves, because Ms. Amernick- or Ms. Nathan-or their "adapter" at the Times- called for a streusel which gets applied before baking, but, according to the recipe after the bread goes into the pan to rise. Re the bundt pan- this is an anomaly, no? I mean, who wants a bundt cake which is larger on top than bottom. And anyway, how the hell could you hope to remove it from the bundt pan without turning it upside down, and dumping the streusel everywhere?*

I am an admirer of Ms. Nathan, and choose to believe this is not her doing. Recipe writing is certainly a demanding craft, and not one that I'm especially good at, myself. So I shouldn't be throwing stones. But I've got to say that Maida Heatter or Dorie Greenspan (goddesses of baking recipes, both) would not leave a person in such a fix. The Waldorf version was bundt shaped, and had streusel on top. I can only assume that either 1) the streusel went into the bundt pan first, or 2) at some point during the baking, the cake came out of the pan, got put on a baking sheet , streusel applied, and finished baking. I did not want to risk all those eggs and butter guessing which one to try.

There is however, much though I hate to admit it, having enjoyed my grousing, a silver lining. I can show you the inside, whilst keeping one whole cake in the freezer to serve to friends in one piece. This has the added virtue of keeping me from eating the whole damn thing myself. Maybe. These are the first photos with my new camera and new computer. Clearly, I am way over-enamoured with the gizmos for changing stuff around and need to spend some time to learn to use this equipment in a non-geeky manner. But in the meantime, it gives you some idea what the loaf looks like, inside and out. As you can see, I didn't roll tight enough- so there are gaps. Tastes very, very nice, especially the second day, but not as good as the Waldorf one, not at all.

Further babka experiments must insue. I am eagerly awaiting the advice of experienced babka-ists, as well as corrections from Pittsburghers who remember the old stuff better than I. Happy New Year, y'all. Pittsburgh is 250 years old this year. For europeans, that is as the blink of an eye. But for us here, a good long time, where the Allegheny and Monongehela meet to form the Ohio River.

*Actually, it turns out that the streusel is pretty well soldered on, but we still have the big on top problem with the bundt.

Comments

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

Well, you've got my interest and I've read the article and copied the NYT recipe. Now I'll see what turns up in my books. Sounds like it's subject to lots of variety which is something I'm strong on.
Beautiful write up Lindy! Great memory.

[Yer Brudder]

I believe it was spelled "Autenreiths".

Not everything has disappeared...while Neumanns and Friedmans are also gone, the Squirrel Hill Cafe soldiers on, as does the Squirrel Hill Newstand.

My favorite confection from Waldorf was the dark chocolate cordial cherry. Remember how incredibly long the lines always were (at least it seem to me as a child that it took forever), how you took a number, and the pink-attired ladies who waited on customers?

[Pamela]

In the 70's I lived on Darlington Road which was a little too close to the Waldorf. I would get off one of the buses and go directly into the Bakery. My favorite was just about any of the Dobish slices. When I got married in 1978 we had a Dobish wedding cake from there. It was exquisite as well as delicious. Ever since I keep saying I must attempt to make dobish but the recipes don't really look like they would approximate it. Where is the Goddess Dori when you need her? Her opera cake recipe is fantastic and I want the dobish to be as good. Thanks for the waltz down memory lane. Sorry that we can't remember the year the bakery closed.
Pamela

[baking soda]

I don't mind the gap at all! Looks scrumptious, and the tale on how it used to be is very entertaining. I think I have to return to my place of birth soon, and see what has changed. My parents still live in the house I grew up in but somehow I never have the time to wander through the city. OMG give another year or so and I live here longer than in the city I still call "home". ai!

[lindy]

Tanna- Let me know if you try a babka-I'm on a definite path to obsession here.
Richard- The pink ladies were very classy, I thought.The cardboard cake boxes, all done up with string, always looked enticing, too. The place was perpetually jammed, and when we were children, and short, it could be overwhelming- but I always loved to go in.
The Manor Theater is still there, too. I think it may have been given that name because of the faux-tudor design of the row buildings on Murray avenue.
Pamela- Mt mother was given a Dobosh torte recipe by Lucie- a Viennese friend, as a great favor- she had always kept it secret, but adored my mother. Not being a great one for sweets, Mum misplaced it. Which is seriously too bad, I'd have loved to try it out.
Karen-The swift passing of adult time is just crazy, isn't it, especially when you think of how slowly it goes for a child?

[katy]

your recipe looks delicious, and i am drooling just from imagining a toasted, buttered chocolate coffee cake...

[Sorina]

I like this blog is fantastic, is really good written. Congratulation. Great photos…this looks delicious ! :-)

[cake boards]

such a great post!

[Traci]

My Grandma Blatt worked at the Rosenbloom's for years. I used to love all the goodies she would bring home for us and watching them tie the white boxes up with string :)

[Mike Cook]

I now live in Philadelphia, but I grew up in Squirrel Hill in the 1950's and 60's. I have such wonderful memories of The Waldorf Bakery! My Grandma Ida was a regular customer, and my sister and I were always treated to their delicious cookies! My favorites were the long spritz cookies with the jelly stripe going down the center, the jelly thumbprints with the chocolate jimmies along the sides, and the white batter chocolate chip cookies! My Aunt Janice loved their unique onion rolls with the onions swirled throughout the batter. I always tried to sneak one or two whenever I could! I loved the chocolate dipped and jordan almonds from the candy section, and my Dad(who still lives in Squirrel Hill with my Mom) was a big fan of the famous "Waldorf Special Cake". It was an extremely rich yellow batter multilayered cake that was filled with custard, and covered with marshmallow icing that was sprinkled with coconut! It was way too sweet for my tastes, but he loved it, and still talks about it! We also enjoyed baked goods from Rosenblooms, Silberberg's, and Herman's, in Squirrel Hill, as well as goodies from Wolfarth's and McIntyre's in East Liberty (Which was a fun streetcar ride away for me), but The Waldorf was always the favorite. I remember when the Waldorf was destroyed by a fire in the 1960's. We were devastated. But they rebuilt, and re-opened, thankfully. I'm not sure when they closed for good, but I think it was in the 1970's. The Waldorf, along with Weinstein's, Cappie's, Bubble's and Sherman's, Adler's, and Kubitz and Goss's, will always be fond memories in my heart.

[Anne Murray Hildreth]

So many memories of the Waldorf. Most memorable is my Dad's car that caught fire on a Saturday morning after we had gotten rye bread. He walked away from the car (Sunbeam Alpine) - but made sure he had the loaves of bread. I found this blog looking for a recipe for Waldorf's Meringue Pecans. I am hoping to fake them for the holidays. Many pecans will be sacrificed for the effort. I grew up on Lexington Avenue in Point Breeze.

Living in Columbus, Ohio, where old bakeries are nonexistent. Is that the norm in other cities?
Anne Murray Hildreth

[Ron Stein]

I lived on Lilac Street And I hae forever wondered if anyone can get the recipe for Weinstein's Chicken Soup ... Okay so what WAS a number ten at weinsteins (What about Balogna Bar b que and of couse n Isley's Skyscraper cones..I remember Ice skating at pather Hollow... The Blinker and estsliberty. Ron Stein-(What was with the Husky size---fat yes but certainly not a football player)

[Ron Stein]

Magic Mountains, from Dave-who drove the Rosenblooms truck to our door...Who needed the ice cream truck when you could run out of your house and buy 6 magic mountains...Waldorf candy..The Best and if you were really lucky you got Alberta(the Owner) to make you a Triful..'Can you hear the heart arteries being clogged' .Dinner ....Friday nights at Mike and Helen Rosenbloom's always ended with something from Waldorf.. Ron Stein