Downtown Pittsburgh Eateries Close

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article in today's paper about two long time downtown eateries closing in the same week. Between The Smithfield Cafe and George Aiken's, they had been in business for 122 years.  Too bad.  Shame on me, because I had never been to either place.
 
They also name some other small independent downtown restaurants and I am going to try and visit those.  The Original Oyster House is a place I have debated on reviewing for Roadfood.  They do have a terrific fish sandwich and plenty of history and at 142 years old, is the oldest restaurant in the city.  They also mention the Tic Toc Restaurant inside Macy's, which we used to eat at all the time when my mother would take me downtown as a kid to do shopping.  It was inside Kaufmann's Department Store back then.  Tic-Toc even found its way inside one of the older Roadfood books.  It has been years since I have been to the Paragon Lunch, but I remember liking it very much.
 
I think I will visit these places and report back.  Maybe Kenny Joe or Ralph Melton would be able to join me sometime.   

I, too, remember going to the Tic Toc with my mother - - the usual lunch stop when doing back to school and Christmas shopping...  It always felt so elegant, and I had to be extra careful of my manners.  Figuring out which fork to use and juggling a slippery cloth napkin was a special challenge... 
I would treat myself to a fish sandwich at the Oyster House a couple times a month on payday when I was working near the Point.....
Amazing how so many of my Pittsburgh memories are centered on food..... 

Thats a shame, I know George Aikens has been around forever.
 
I remember going to George Aikens a few times when I lived n Pittsburgh.
Although nothing specifically stands out  in memory since it's been well over 10 years, I do remember it being a much  better alternative to Boston Market...which seemed to be based on a similar model.
 

Glad to see the Original Oyster House is still in business down on what we used to call Diamond Square. 
 
I really miss this place that used to be a landmark on 4th. Avenue:  http://flickriver.com/photos/agilitynut/6976989768/ 

What a fantastic sign!!!!!  I ate there a couple of times - - in fact, I think I had my first lobster dinner there.....

I would happily join you.
 
I never visited George Aiken's. I did visit the Smithfield Cafe, but not at its best; I've only visited after the St. Patrick's Day Parade, when the place was mobbed with Irish-ish revelers and the only food options were corned beef and green beer.

An article in the PG about the Tic Toc Cafe in Macy's reopening.  I wasn't even aware that they had closed, even if it was just for a short while.  BTW, the Tic Toc does appear in one of the older Roadfood books.

When I was a little girl my mother would take me Christmas shopping at Kaufmann's.  We would always have lunch at the Tic Toc.  They had an ice cream pie (Buffetbuster is now paying attention) that had a graham cracker crust, loaded with ice cream, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce.  It was delicious!