My blog n'at

This is the final installment of Friday Fish for Lent. Next week is Good Friday and hopefully we won’t be putting in a full day at the office.

Cost: $7.99

Bread (B-) Soft but not chewy. Great job holding everything together

Tartar sauce (C-) runny and little flavor

Toppings (C+) Lettuce was fresh but the tomatoes were a little hard. Altogether with the sauce though it wasn’t half bad.

Fish (C+) Its cod and comes in 2 6inch pieces. Turned off by appearance and when I bit into the piece I ripped off it was watery. I’m not talking juices here, it was flavorless but the fish packed a punch.

Overall today it was the combination of all elements that saved this sandwich. Fries weren’t anything special but come on, this is a lunch special. Added bonus was the heaping amount of Frank’s Red Hot I got to drown it in.

This week we go to a place that I frequent for great craft beer and kickass burgers but never have I tried the fish. Well, until today at least!  Bocktown is located in the Pool City Plaza (across from Target) in what a lot of people assume is Robinson but is really North Fayette. Visit them online at http://www.bocktown.com/

Cost: $8.99 ($9.99 pictured above with onion crisps and cheddar cheese)

Bread (B) Solid hoagie bun that was soft and yet toasted really well.

Tartar sauce (B+) Packed with flavor but a little on the thick side for me. Incredibly tasty!

Extras (A) I was really surprised how well the onion crisps tasted. Typically I would expect greasy bastardized onion rings that weren’t ready for the big leagues but, just like the fish, these were fried to perfection. Under the bun was a pickle slice that is staple with most meals and a tomato that served as a perfect compliment to the sandwich

Fish (A-) I don’t think I’ve ever had a piece of fish fried more perfect. Succulent meat and a perfect crust that burst with flavor. This would have been a complete home run except the left end was overcooked and chewy. There wasn’t that much of it though so it got bumped up from a B+.

If you follow the negative jags on twitter you’ll see people come up with any excuse about why they won’t shop here but deep down they know they want to. Oh the crowds! The parking is so full! Its too big! Its too busy!  Face it people, Market District Settlers Ridge is a mecca for food. I have my own personal views on how craft beer is handled here but thats not what we’re talking about today; its about the fish!

Today was my first time in the mass hysteria that can be lunch time in the area designated for food bars, hot, cold, deli, sammiches, reallyanythingyoucandreamof section. What drew me here was a tweet from Market District actually showing their special for the day (which I wish more places would do). The problem with this was I couldn’t find the fish!  The sign you see to the left here was back by the ordering spot of the area but it was to the blind side of customers. You couldn’t see it unless you cut through the long line. I suggest moving it to more of the main traffic area or middle of the stand. Heck even hang something!

OK, the meal. I did the side and picked-up mac n’cheese and slaw. The slaw was already in a plastic container and the Mac n Cheese was slopped on the plate like a bad grade school lunch lady memory. Just as quickly I was moved to the pick up station and pointed in a general direction to pay. They were busy and had to keep the line moving. Fine with me, I was starving.

As you can see from this picture, what was tweeted and what I got were slightly off, it happens. I wanted to stick with the slaw since thats been a staple of my trip to find a fish meal in lent.

Cost: $7

Bread (A+) I don’t know what to say. This was the best bun for a sandwich I’ve had all Lent. Nice crust, airy and fresh.

Mac N Cheese (B+) It looks runny in the photo but was actually quite delicious. Creamy and flavorful.

Cole Slaw (D) I don’t know wtf this was. Instead of creamy it was dry and I saw some moisture on the bottom of the plastic container.  If you’re eating there I would rather have this served from a bowl on my plate and not in a plastic tub. Felt cheap.

Tartar sauce (B+) This was good! Tasted like a hint of 1000 Island in it and good texture. Perfect serving size also.

Fish (B) While the bun was generous sized the fish is even smaller in proportion than in my pic; it was flat. Before I covered in my sauce I ripped a piece off and I have to give them credit, this is a damn tasty fish. The breading and cod were cooked perfectly and I found myself wishing I could get a side of well done crumbs. My only wish was that the piece was bigger. If you’re serving fish that size your bun should be smaller to give the illusion that you’re getting a bigger piece.

Primanti Brothers is a Pittsburgh institution. Your sandwich comes crowded with slaw (vinegar based not creamy), fries and a tomato. Deal with it.

This fish sammich is mammoth. There really is no other way to explain it. The fish is Alaskan Pollock and heaping with toppings. Was the fish good? Sure but I had to rip a piece off to taste it myself because it was drowned with toppings. Did that take away from the meal? Eh it might to someone not from Pittsburgh but I went in knowing this would be a beast to conquer.

It is a long piece of fish but its not very thick as compared to other weeks. Appetite fulfillment is satisfied by the toppings which you see above. The bread almost serves no purpose since it falls apart or smooshes down like when you were a kid and put ketchup on your welfare burger. The only serious disappointment was that the tartar sauce was a packet from Kraft.

Cost: $6.99
Fish rating - B (crispy, juicy but could have used more thickness)
Sandwich rating - A
Tartar rating – C

Overall – I slipped into a food coma. No idea how I made it back to work. I’m ready for a delicious nap. Buy this not only during lent but year round.

Armstrong’s restaurant is known for HUGE servings of incredible food. In fact I plan knowing a meal will be had there and will fast the entire day. Today was a co-worker’s birthday so we packed up the group van and headed to their Moon Township location.

The plate pictured above was $8.49 for a whale of baked scrod, fries and a pickle. In case you’re trying to figure out the size, that would be a foot-long hoagie roll. Unreal portions of flaky white fish and baked to perfection as expected and slowly slipping into a food coma with the window open on this 70F day. Only thing that could have made this better would be slightly more flavor in the breading but still an amazing sandwich.

Fish rating: A-

Last Friday I had something arise that was a nice surprise when it comes to sticking with fish during Lent. It came up in hallway conversation that I was going to do this and others wanted in so now we have a group going out every Friday for fish in the area.

Our first Friday stop brought us to Patrick’s Pub in Moon Township.

I was worried at first because with a phone call they didn’t have a Lenten special but like every good Irish place there was a fish sandwich. Nestled back on Brodhead Road, Patrick’s Pub boasts authentic Irish cuisine and traditional American fare.

The fish sandwich all of us ordered was $7.99 plus $.99 each for mac n cheese and cole slaw.  The mac was OK and slaw was pretty standard but the fish… YES YES YES! The fish was breaded with what seemed like a mexican/fiesta type breading and the cod that was used couldn’t have been more perfect. This wasn’t some deep fried mess that most places will plate up for you, this was a masterpiece.

Oh it doesn’t end with the food either, you need to check out the bar. If, like us, you’re there just to eat for the first time you may not be aware of the bar. Our server told us to check it out and after walking through the bar door we were greeted to the coolest atmosphere in Moon. Beer selection, yeah you need to check this out. At the time we were there I couldn’t 4 “A” level stouts on tap. I talked to the chef and he told me that he works with the beer samplings to make sure there is a dish which compliments the night’s offerings. Prices, inexpensive! Selection, best in Moon TWP area.  In other words, this is the place I would be every night if I could.

Fish rating: A