PicWay or Thatta’ Way!? Part 1

Table of Contents

1. Enter PicWay Shoe Mart
2. Nebaletan Word of the Day – OLIO!
3. Pizza Review – Nights and Weekends, Ashtabula Harbor, OH

In my last post, I delved into my first job as a 10-year-old paper boy. This role ignited my work ethic and fueled my passion for baseball cards. But as high school approached, my interests evolved, and so did my aspirations.

Enter PicWay Shoe Mart

With the taste of responsibility still fresh from my paper route, I sought a “real” job during my junior year. Baseball cards had given way to 8-track tapes. I wished for a higher paying job to help support this new obsession. That pushed me to explore new opportunities. Grandma Joanne, always supportive, stepped in again to help just as she did with my first paper route.

She enlisted my cousin Nick, who in turn nudged his friend Gary—the manager at PicWay Shoe Mart. And just like that, my journey continued, from delivering papers to sorting shoes. I had no idea that this next chapter would teach me more than just the value of a paycheck. It would reveal the intricacies of customer service, teamwork, and the art of finding the right fit…pun intended!

PicWay Shoes wasn’t exactly a high-end establishment. The shoes, while affordable, weren’t top-tier quality. The dress shoes were typically rigid plastic material—unyielding and unapologetic. They seemed like they were designed to make sure your feet would sweat like an Old Spice commercial!

The clientele at PicWay reflected its affordability. PicWay attempted to portray a different image in its TV commercials like below. They weren’t the Walnut Boulevard crowd (described in the last post), but that’s what gave it character. I was trained to be on the lookout for customers who would walk out wearing new shoes. They often left their old ones behind. I was a vigilant shoe guardian (Go Guards!)!

Amidst the sea of plastic, I personally made a memorable buy: my first pair of US-made Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. (see here, Chuck Taylor All-Stars – Wikipedia) at PicWay years before my job there. The original US Chuck Taylors are distinct from today’s Nike knockoffs built in the Far East shops and now worn by poser Hamas protestors. The Originals are iconic sneakers which have left their mark on generations.

PicWay survived into the late 90s when Payless Shoes absorbed it. (See here, Payless (footwear retailer) – Wikipedia, Picway Shoe Stores to Go Out of Business after Takeover by Payless.). I’m sure that is why I like to walk through Payless when I get a chance. It seems like familiar surroundings!

I made enough money to install an 8-track in my father’s (Grandpa Tony’s) car. I also have two good stories from PicWay. I will explore these stories in the next couple of posts.

Nebaletan Word of the Day – OLIO!

One of my favorite treats from Southern Italy is Taralli .  I first encountered Pugliese Taralli during my bike ride across Southern Italy. My Salernitano (someone from Salerno) guide introduced me to them. During most of those 400 miles, I kept a small bag of Taralli in a jersey pocket. It was a quick, high-carb snack while riding.

Taralli come in various “styles” based on the region of origin.  Pugliese style, which are a small and round about the size of a “Penny Kees” (aka a Kennedy Half Dollar in Chip speak as a child!), and crispy like a cookie, but savory. They look like these:

Pugliese style is made from a dough of flour, OLIO D’OLIVA (no Donnie, not Tony Oliva!), a flavoring like fennel, onion, or pepper, and white wine.  I often make this style. We always have them in the house. I enjoy a few with an afternoon espresso after a ride.

As much as I enjoy the small Pugliese style, I LUST OVER THE GIANT NEAPOLITAN STYLE.  

While Pugliese style is easy to find in North America, I’ve never found the Neapolitan style here.  We always bring a package or two home on the plane when we return from Napoli.  Cathy and I ration those packages for as long as possible! 

Although also round and crispy, the Neapolitan style differs in size, ingredients, and cooking techniques resulting in a richer, and for me, better taste:

The primary different ingredient brings us to the Nebaletan Word of the Day which is OLIO – pronounced Oh-Lee-Oh.  Definition – Oil.

But in the Nebaletan world of Grandma Joanne, it was synonymous with any cooking fat.  Example – OLIO D’OLIVA = Oil of Olive (aka Olive Oil).

“BUT OLIO”, you say, “is an Italian word not necessarily a Nebaletan Word.” 

I’d say, “You’re wrong.”  Here’s why!

• As with many of the Nebaletan Words of the Day, this one originates with my mother (Grandma Joanne). 
  • I’d be watching the Indians, and Grandma would yell from the kitchen, “Michael, get the OLIO.  I’m making ‘Alle OLIO (Aglio e Olio = Pasta with Garlic and Oil)!“
  • I’d rush in. Without prompting, I would instinctively grab the OLIO D’OLIVA off the shelf. Then, I’d hand it to her as she stirred the frying garlic.
  • Then the next day, she’d bellow, “Michael get me the OLIO.  I’m making pie crust for PIZZ (aka PEETS, see the old blog about PIZZ). 
  • And once again, I knew that she meant CRISCO (aka lard).

OLIO for my Nebaletan mother was a generic term for any cooking fat.  Which cooking fat depended on the recipe, something that I was to instinctively know.  Although, it wasn’t instinctive, it was learned from studiously observing my grandmothers, aunts, and my mother cook and bake.

Which brings me back to the NEAPOLITAN TARALLI recipe. It uses lard instead of olive oil.  As a result, it’s flakier and pie-crust-like as opposed to the Pugliese style which are toasted bread-like.  Then when you add the sweet and savory mixture of almonds and black pepper, the result is amazing! Who knew, other than the Neapolitans, to mix black pepper with almonds?!

Pizza Review – Nights and Weekends, Ashtabula Harbor, OH

We’ve eaten at Nights and Weekends in the past, but I’ve not done a formal review before.  On those other occasions, I thought Nights and Weekends were good, but not great.  I thought their dough/crust was less than classic Neapolitan. 

We know that Neapolitan style is my favorite. Like most things, it’s easier to get Neapolitan style wrong than right. It’s exceedingly difficult to get PERFECT! But this trip to Nights and Weekends, the dough/crust was PERFECT! And we know. If you start with a good base (dough/crust), you are more than 50% of the way there!

Date	July 19, 2024
Pizzeria	Nights and Weekends
City/Neighborhood	Ashtabula, OH / Ashtabula Harbor
Website	Nights & Weekends Pizza (nightsandweekendsohio.com)
About Us	About Us — Nights & Weekends (nightsandweekendsohio.com)  Nicely done About Us section.  If you read this blog, you’ll know my belief about joints. If they take the time to tell their story, they are more likely to be passionate. They are not just in it for money!  And you need PASSION TO MAKE GREAT PIZZA!  Interestingly though, after talking to Chris the Pizzaiolo, there’s more to the story than what’s on the site!  It’s worth your time to sit at the bar that surrounds the oven to talk to him.  It’s fascinating and fun.
Style	Neapolitan
Ambiance	Nicely done restaurant and bar in historic building in the Harbor district of Ashtabula.  See this – 1035 Historical Marker (hmdb.org)  For example, in the About Us, they can talk about their building.  This is a striking example of turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture.  This building is next to the docks where my grandfather and father worked. I can envision it as a pool room and saloon frequented by the stevedores between shifts. I know it as O’leary’s Shoe store. It took over for the pool room but closed in the early 1970s. I had wide feet as a kid, Grandma Joanne needed to buy “Buster Brown” shoes for me.  And O’leary’s was the only place with extra-wide.  On the inside, the owners have stayed true to their historic roots.  It’s beautiful and inviting

Beverage Pairing	Cold, in-house, IPA – outstanding
Rating Criteria
Shape	Round – classic Neapolitan
Dough/Crust	Tickness – Neapolitan thin center with richly risen cornicione Cook – classic Neapolitan, soft with excellent char.  Bubbly and chewy!  OUTSTANDING. Flavor – astringent, very much like a perfectly aged dough.  Excellent
Cornicione	Spongy/airy, Bubbly, Chewy, nice char.  Hits the mark perfectly for a Neapolitan bake

Toppings	Margherita – sauce, cheese, and basil   Fresh – basil was fresh and the site says fresh moozedell
Sauce	Very much solely (or mostly only) rich and tangy tomato.  I didn’t taste other flavors like garlic or onion to spoil that distinctive San Marzano profile.  On the thin side without chunks.
Cheese	Cheese Type – Moozedell and a slight hint of Romano for salty taste and sharpness, stringy   Cheese Distribution – Splotchy
Cheese to Sauce Ratio	Sauce – A little to medium Cheese – A little to medium Balance – perfectly balanced Neapolitan that also allows the flavor of the dough/crust to be enjoyed too!

Value	Very Good at $14 for a Marinara and $15 for a Margherita
Overall Rating	Great
Would I Go Back?	Yes – I really enjoy Nights and Weekends.    Our previous experiences was “good enough” to allow us to return, and this time it was GREAT!  Just goes to show how difficult it is to make a Great pizza consistently.

Only one way to make this experience greater! The below was spotted by me on the cobblestone street leading to Night and Weekends! Likey dropped by one of the construction workers working on my high school buddy’s new hotel. And by the way, yes, they do (suck that is!)!