Whitehall Founder Of Nationally Recognized Pittsburgh Restaurant Dies

WHITEHALL, PA —Unpretentious? Yes. Totally Pittsburgh in style and attitude? Absolutely.

Those were the goals Nadine Voelker evidently had when she opened Nadine's Bar and Restaurant on South 27th Street in Pittsburgh's South Side in 2001. She was so successful at achieving them that the bar received national recognition on The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Voelker, 74, of Whitehall, died on Dec. 25. She was 74.

Her philosophy was simple, according to a message on the restaurant's website.

"No one has become rich unless they have enriched the lives of others," she stated. "I thank my staff and customers for enriching my life."

The atmosphere at Nadine's is so quintessential Pittsburgh that it drew the attention of Guy Fieri and The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Here's what the program had to say about the place:

"Nadine's in Pittsburgh provides homemade food with home-style comfort; owner Nadine Voelker even puts up birthday banners for her restaurant's many regulars. Specialties include roast beef, fried bologna and — Guy's favorite — Na's Pasta, piled high with sausage, salami and ham. Special Dishes: Roast Beef Sandwich, Fried Bologna Sandwich, Na's Pasta (Meat and Noodle Dish)."