We Had Brunch at the Restored Train Station Where My Grandfather Shipped out During WWII

Twinkling lights in our windows, the glow of the tree, waking up to cookie crumbs on a plate, an empty glass of milk, and a letter from Santa still evoke that magical feeling of Christmases past. As we grow older, we realize the real magic of the season wasn’t just about those extra touches; it was about the loved ones who made those moments happen, those who left us with an enduring love. Holidays have lost some of their luster since the passing of my grandparents, so in an attempt to regain a bit of that childhood magic, my teenage daughter and I decided to have Christmas dinner at the Grand Concourse, a restaurant that had special meaning to both of them.

A bitter wind greeted us on Christmas afternoon as we walked briskly from the parking lot at Station Square, a dining and shopping complex in Pittsburgh, toward the Grand Concourse restaurant, a former train station renowned for its Sunday brunch and beautiful views of the Monongahela River and Pittsburgh skyline. But the Grand Concourse is so much more than a restaurant; it connects many of us to a treasured piece of the past.

Before its transformation, the Grand Concourse served as a train station for the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, where local service members waved goodbye to loved ones during World War II. Barely out of his teens, my grandfather joined the Navy and climbed aboard a train for Maine, where he trained as a radioman before making his way to the South Pacific via San Francisco. He carried a letter from my grandmother, a love note he kept for the rest of his life.

All of the stories — seeing a young, skinny Sinatra in concert in San Francisco before he was Ol’ Blue Eyes, crossing the international dateline, and escorting ships through the South Pacific — started here at the Grand Concourse. Black-and-white photos of the early 20th century train station and railway decorated the waiting area walls, where guests checked their coats and benches held hungry diners. The unassuming appearance of the cozy space gave few clues to what awaited just steps away.

When people say “take my breath away,” I typically assume it’s just an old cliché, a lazy way to describe something impressive.

But the main dining room at the Grand Concourse -- it took my breath away. That magic I felt as a kid on Christmas morning rushed back as I gazed up at the domed ceiling. A clock sat above what was once an entryway to the trains. Tall street lights illuminated the dining area, white lights twinkled on a Christmas tree, and diners took turns taking photos on the grand staircase as we made our way to a smaller dining room.

As we sipped water, we soaked it all in – a large armoire stood next to a Christmas tree, glittering with white lights, chandeliers added a soft glow to the room, and a doorway with the word “toilet” above it led to another part of the restaurant. The restaurant’s historic past shines through in every room, including the bathroom, where a chandelier hangs from the ceiling, a bench sits near the sinks, and framed magazine covers decorate the walls.

The fine dining seafood restaurant hosts a Christmas buffet every year, showcasing some of the best of the Grand Concourse menu, including carved prime rib, smoked ham, baked chicken, salmon Rockefeller, and made-to-order pasta. Tables with different options dotted the main dining room and featured crackers and cheeses, fruit, Caesar salad, and traditional sides like green beans, mashed potatoes, and chilled pasta salad. The kids could choose from such favorites as chicken fingers and tater tots.

Fair warning if you’re a vegetarian or picky (hello, it's me): the meatless selection was limited. However, what I ate left me stuffed and impressed. The creamy mashed potatoes, with a slight hint of pepper, reminded me of my grandmother’s, and the mac and cheese and fruit salad were both divine. But, when I return for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I will start with the desserts, partly because I was too full to indulge after the main course.

No matter how full you are, you cannot finish your meal without a freshly made donut. Pluck it off the donut machine, dust it with powdered sugar, dip it in the chocolate fountain, or both, and… pure heaven. The dessert buffet, tucked away in a back room by the bar, had everything a sweet lover could want – cupcakes, cookies, cheesecake, cobbler, and a sundae bar.

Grand Concourse schedules reservations, which fill quickly, so we had plenty of time to eat, relax, and talk about my grandparents – what it must have been like when my grandfather went off to war, how my grandmother felt wondering if her love would return, and our memories of them.

We never felt rushed, and our server chatted with us, offering recommendations for dessert combinations and telling us about others, like us, who dine at the Grand Concourse in honor of a family member who shipped out of the train station during the war. While Christmas hasn't been the same since the passing of my grandparents, spending a few hours in the same place my grandfather shipped out as a sailor, and they would later dine on special occasions, brought back some of that magic and a lot of cherished memories.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Pennsylvania with which you have a personal connection? We’d love to hear about it. Please nominate it. After a meal at the Grand Concourse, climb aboard a sightseeing cruise with the Gateway Clipper Fleet, or check into the Sheraton Hotel in Station Square for a luxurious night's sleep.