Three Rivers Film Fest November 6 through 21

The annual Three Rivers Film Festival is set to kick off tomorrow, November 6. The festival, which is concentrated at the Regent Square Theater in Regent Square, the Harris Theater downtown, and the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland, will screen dozens of films from around the world. For more information on these venues visit the Pittsburgh Filmmakers website. Highlights include "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," featuring the late Heath Ledger, "Precious," which won the Audience Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, and the locally filmed "If It Ain't Broke, Break It" starring Steve Guttenberg. Check the Three Rivers Film Festival Web Site for a listing of all films, along with times and locations. The festival runs through November 21.

Herb Alpert @ the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild this Weekend

Legendary trumpeter Herb Alpert (late of the Tijuana Brass) is appearing Saturday and Sunday November 6 & 7 at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild here in the Manchester section of Pittsburgh's North Side. A nationally reknowned performance and recording space, the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild features a variety of top notch jazz acts throughout the year. The show Saturday starts at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday's matinee is at 2:00 p.m. Call 412 323-4000 for more information.

Second Prize is a Set of Steak Knives . . .

The Priory Hotel is pleased to offer, for November 2009, our Coffee is for Closers! Package.

Barebones Productions is presenting David Mamet’s modern theater classic “Glengarry Glen Ross” at the North Side’s newly refurbished New Hazlett Theater (located just a few short blocks from the Priory). Running from November 12 through 29, “Glengarry Glen Ross” tells the tale of a desperate group of Chicago real estate salesmen and the lengths they will go to to unload their inventory of Florida swampland. Some might remember the 1992 movie version starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris and Alec Baldwin. This version of the play is directed by Melissa Martin, who directed the film “The Bread, My Sweet,” and features noted Pittsburgh actor Bingo O’Malley as Sheldon Levine.

The Priory Hotel is proud to offer our “Coffee is for Closers” package to celebrate this revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross.” The package which includes two tickets to the show, a dinner voucher (for $60) at the new Deutschtown restaurant Serendipity, and a bottle of red or white wine or champagne in your guestroom upon check in..

Please note that show tickets will be based on availability. The November 19 performance is sold out, and there is no performance on Thanksgiving. The show runs from Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, from November 12 through November 29.

Package price is just $259 plus tax, per double occupancy!

Pittsburgh's No. 1 Again

The Sporting News recently named Pittsburgh as the Number 1 sports city in the United States in its annual rankings. Citing the die hard nature of Steelers and Penguins fans, and those teams' success last year as Super Bowl and Stanley Cup champions, as well as the devotion and success of the University of Pittsburgh basketball and football programs, the Sporting News found Pittsburgh to be at the pinnacle of the sporting world geographically.

We're fortunate at The Priory to be a small part of the sports scene here, as we host many a Steeler and Pirates fan over the course of the year, as well many Pitt football fans, given our close proximity to PNC Park and Heinz Field. There's nothing like basking in reflected glory!

Priory's Laura's Blumengarten Wins Statewide Award

The Priory's Laura's Blumengarten, located on Lockhart Street across from the rear of the entrance to our Grand Hall, recently was awarded the pretigious 2009 "Community Greening Award" by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Laura's Blumengarten was chosen from over 80 nominees. The Blumengarten was created at the same time as the Grand Hall in 1995, out of a dilapidated city park. Local landscape designers Pashek and Associates did the park design, which features a Japanese style arbor at its peak. Laura's Blumengarten is named after my daughter Laura, who was 2 at the time the garden was dedicated (now she's 15!), and my father's mother Laura Mae Flaherty Graf, who was taken by cancer in 1957 while she was in her mid-40's.

Clemente Museum & Winery??!!!

I had an opportunity to see a really interesting, off the beaten path venue recently, the Roberto Clemente Museum. The museum, which is located in a former firehouse in Doughboy Square in Lawrenceville, is the brainchild of noted photographer Duane Rieder. Rieder first acquired the space for his photo studio, but later decided to use the first floor former garage to display his ample and varied collection of Roberto Clemente (Hall of Fame right fielder for the Pirates)memorabilia. Highlights include a variety of original documents relating to Clemente's career, including his contract for his glove sponsorship with Rawlings and letters relating to his service in the U.S. Army. Here is a slideshow of the museum and a Post-Gazette story regarding it from last year.

The museum is open by appointment only, and tours are available most Saturdays. Call (412)621-1268 for more information. It is located at 3339 Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville.

What is really offbeat is that in the basement of the Firehouse, Rieder has located a winery. Rieder imports grapes from Napa and Sonoma valleys in California, and then presses, ferments and ages them into wine right in the basement. He offers many collector labels, including quite a few with Pittsburgh Penguin and Steeler themes. The thing about the wine is, though -- it's excellent. One would be shocked that such a good product could be made in a basement in Lawrenceville, but it is. The wine is well worth a try.

Here is a story from the Pittsburgh Business Times on the project.

First Fall Wine Tasting Tomorrow!

Don't forget our first Fall Wine Tasting in Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at the Priory is TOMORROW evening from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The theme is "A Potpourri from Around the Globe" and we are excited to have Joe Barsotti of Barsotti Wines back for this first fall tasting. Here's the wines guests will be able to sample:

Vina La Rosa La Palma Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Chile: Fresh fruity nose of green apple, herbs and citron with a refreshingly dry, medium-bodied and tangy aftertaste.

X Winery Chardonnay 2008, Carneros: Tropical aromas of pineapple and pear with a rich mouth feel of apple, vanilla and butterscotch and balanced acidity on the finish.

VillaBella Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2005, Verona: Intense fruity nose of cherry, plum and spice with rich taste of coffee, cherries and white pepper and a full, long and elegant finish.
Cantos de Valpiedra Rioja 2005, Spain: Great aromatics of blackberry, tobacco and flowers with a soft burst of pepper and a rich fruity texture on the palate and a dry, generous finish.

We hope you can make it for this tasting and our next tasting November 19 with Bill Yost of Southern Wine & Spirits (more details on this one to come)! It's no too late to make reservations so email Gene Lucente or visit the Priory's front desk to get your tickets!