I recently found myself in the Pittsburgh area for work and a concert at Heinz Hall, and since it was close to dinner time, I took advantage of the plethora of dining options in the downtown area. I have always loved visiting The Strip District in Pittsburgh, and this visit was no exception. While the Strip is very different after the peak hours of the day, it’s still quite the happening nightlife locale. I chose the Penn Avenue Fish Co. as my dinner destination due in part to the fact that I had eaten there before, but mostly because I was in the mood for very fresh seafood. You see, the Penn Avenue Fish Co. brings in fresh seafood at one end of the building in large barrels of ice, and by the other end of the building the seafood is being transformed into delightful dishes of sushi, sandwiches, and the like.
In my case, I chose the New England-style Lobster Salad sandwich with fresh coleslaw and a salad on the side. I also sampled the Boston Clam Chowder on offer at the soup bar. Everything was as delicious as you might imagine.
The sandwich was served on a toasted ciabatta bun topped with arugula and Roma tomatoes. No additional seasoning was required as the Lobster meat itself was flavorful enough, and they didn’t overdo the salad with too much dressing. It was just right. The fresh slaw and greek-style salad were both delicious in their own ways, and the portion overall was just right.
The soup was very flavorful with large chunks of clam, and the cream broth wasn’t too think or salty. Again, I didn’t need to add anything to the soup as it was just right.
The price was in line with what one might expect to pay for something containing Lobster, and all in all I was out the door for less than $25 for myself.
The only negative I will mention is that the waitress seemed miffed, or perhaps was just behaving in an aloof manner, when I informed her that it was just me that would be dining. Her response was simply, “O, I see”, and it was dripping with an almost aristocratic level of condescension. Think Lady Catherine de Bourgh from the BBC production of “Pride and Prejudice”. Yes, it was that obvious. I’ve been dining alone before, but it never really bothered me. In this case however, I was, to quote the great Lady herself, “Quite Put Out!” O well, I wasn’t served by the same waitress, and I believe I saw the woman who seated me exit the building shortly thereafter. Likely it was the end of her shift.
Overall, I can heartily recommend Penn Avenue Fish Company in The Strip District should you find yourself in the area. Enjoy!
http://pennavefishcompany.com/home_strip.html