Spring is on the way: Page's on the South Side is open
David Teasley of Mt. Oliver was first in line to order milkshakes at Page’s as its season opened on Thursday. He ordered butterscotch and chocolate milkshakes.
“I’ve been coming here for 30 years,” he said. “The milkshakes are my favorite.”
Behind him in line were five co-workers from a nearby UPMC office who make it an annual event to take an early lunch break for the return of the ice cream shop after a dreary winter. Ashley Currin of O’Hara sipped on a chocolate, peanut butter and banana milkshake while Trudy Baumgarten of Scott went for the banana split artic swirl.
Kara Raehsler of Cranberry and Kristen Jeke of McCandless chose birthday cake and peanut butter oat milk cones, respectively. Vicki Holbrook of Glenshaw didn’t order anything, but wanted to celebrate the shop’s opening day with her colleagues.
“We love Page’s,” said Baumgarten. “When it opens we know spring is right around the corner.”
Speaking of around the corner, the line snaked around the back of the ice cream shop by 11:30 a.m., just 30 minutes after it opened.
Employees inside were moving at a furious pace trying to fill orders in a timely manner. The ice cream machine was humming while chocolate sauce was then drizzled on top and whipped cream poured on top of that. Milkshakes in all flavors were being mixed and served.
Customers chatted as a little girl approached the window and said “ice cream” with a smile.
The sun was shining brightly through the freshly cleaned windows between the various menu signs as the grill was sizzling with hamburgers and steak. Ovens toasted fresh hoagie rolls and melted slices of cheese. Page’s is known for its soft serve ice cream, but a best-kept secret just might be the steak hoagies, burgers, hot dogs and french fries (look for an Italian hoagie to be added to the menu this summer).
Two people with a dog fed the animal one of the pup cups — vanilla ice cream with a Milk Bone.
Every season, Page’s adds to the selections. A plan is in the works for an ice cream pierogi and a brownie sundae with bananas and hot fudge. Co-owner Margie Page-Prusia, with husband Jared, often collaborates with local businesses to keep the menu fresh every year. One of those partnerships is with Big Dog Coffee from the South Side.
The coffee is used in cold brew milkshakes and cold brewmisu, which has vanilla ice cream and chiffon cake immersed in cold brew and topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Page-Prusia said working with local businesses is fun and allows creativity for new menu items.
On her way to work Thursday morning, Cortney Ivanov, owner of Big Dog Coffee, said she saw Page-Prusia and her team preparing for the opening.
“We love Page’s,” Ivanov said. “They do everything the correct way. I drive by every day and see the line of people waiting. Every customer gets a high quality product. They don’t skimp on anything.”
Ivanov said Page-Prusia does a great job finding quality ingredients just like her dad did.
Page-Prusia and her husband purchased the business from her dad Chuck Page in 2020. This was the first opening day in decades that Chuck Page wasn’t in the shop making milkshakes for opening day. He’s recovering from a medical issue but plans to get back as soon as he can, his daughter said.
Chuck Page’s great-grandfather Charles Alexander Page founded Page Dairy Mart in 1951. His great-great-grandfather bought the land from the Hays family in 1916. It was Chuck Page who created a collaboration on a sundae with Nancy B’s Bakery owner the late Nancy Bertram Runco — 15 years ago.
The Nancy B’s sundae at Page’s has been a staple on the menu — creamy vanilla ice cream is swirled over two warm pieces of chewy chocolate chip cookies and topped with gooey hot fudge, then drizzled with whipped cream and served in a bowl.
It’s one of the most popular orders, and containers of the huge chocolate chip cookies were ready for serving.
“I was 15 when we first started selling those sundaes,” said Page-Prusia. “They are so good — ice cream and chocolate chip cookies are a perfect combination.”
“Chuck Page became more than a business partner,” said Bertram Runco’s son, Michael Runco. “Chuck Page is phenomenal. He’s showed me how to succeed in business. I look up to him. He’s family, and so are his daughter and her husband Jared.”
Page’s is Nancy B’s biggest wholesale customer, going through more than 600 chocolate chip cookies in a week.
“Page’s cares about making a quality product, and so do we,” Runco said. “I hope to keep this partnership going another 15 years and even longer because it’s a perfect combination, warm cookies and ice cream. What else could be better?”
The Large Marge and Page’s Pops, which debuted last season, have also returned. The Large Marge is vanilla ice cream, Nancy B cookies, brownies, strawberries, hot fudge and chocolate chips. The Nancy B Page’s Pop was the most popular. Some of the flavors might change, Page-Prusia said. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, starting with parade day on Saturday, there’s the O’Pages Mint Irish Milkshake — a favorite of Chuck Page.
Customers can follow the shop through reels on Instagram.
“People really liked that last year,” Page-Prusia said. “We wanted to give them an inside look at what goes on at the shop. It is a way for customers to feel connected and to see how we make everything from sundaes and milkshakes to steak hoagies.”
An online apparel store launched in November with T-shirts, hats and sweat shirts. Customers have been asking for merchandise for years.
“We love our customers,” Page-Prusia said. “We look forward to seeing them every year and we strive to serve the best sweet treat ever.”
Also new this year are poster boards displayed in the back of the building that tell the history of the shop. They’ve been refreshed to include Page-Prusia as the fourth generation. She and her husband purchased the business from her dad in March 2020. Her niece, Olivia Page, is the fifth generation to work there.
Page’s is located at 4112 East Carson St. on the South Side. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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