Pittsburgh, home of one of the greatest NFL franchises and the Penguins. Also known for its steel, bridges, and Point State Park. I know there are a lot of P’s present in Pittsburgh, but the one people overlook is Primanti Bros. An iconic chain in parts of the East Coast, Primanti Bros brings big flavors with their classic combination of coleslaw, grilled meat or fish, and cheese, all sandwiched between two thick slices of classic white bread. It really doesn’t get more American than that. The sandwich we got was one of their more unorthodox ones, but nonetheless delicious, Colossal Fish and Cheese sandwich. Although a fish sandwich at a sandwich shop sounds a bit fancy, think of this as a fish and chips in between bread, and if that doesn’t excite you, I don’t what will. Everything about this sandwich was spot on, from flavor combinations, the balance between acidity and sweetness, to the textural contrast. To begin with, Primanti has it’s frying down to a science. Each bit of fish has the initial crunch followed by tender, fall apart cod. Each bite of fish is well seasoned, an underrated aspect of any fish dish, and the fries were crunchy yet fluffy on the inside. What stood out to me in this colossal sandwich was surprisingly the acidic and slightly sweet coleslaw. The acidity and sweetness both complement each other, while also introducing a pop of flavor, and something to cut through the fattiness of the cheese and bread. To top it all off was good old thick sliced white bread, a staple across the country and especially at Primanti.
The other restaurant we checked out while in Pittsburgh was the tiny little Crepe shop called Crepes Parisiennes. Although this was your typical crepe shop with great crepes, and greater fillings, the warmth of the restaurant and their unique menu really intrigued me. To start off, everybody in the shop was extremely kind, allowing us to take our time exploring the menu, as well as chiming with their favorites. After a few minutes of searching, my dad and I both settled in with our respective orders, and sat down in the gorgeous wooden building. I know youre thinking, a few minutes to order at a crepe restaurant, yes I know, but let me tell you why. To start, there were ten options for savory crepe accompanied by 20 more for the sweet. On top of that, there were another 10 options for paninis and waffles. And if you think that’s where it stops, think again, because there were another 25-30 options for a variety of hot teas. For my roder, I went with a simple ham and cheese with a bechamel sauce, a personal favorite of mine. When I took my first bite, I was amazed at the flavors that such a simple dish could bring. The bechamel was light and creamy, with a pepper undertone. The smoked honey ham was slightly sweet and brought a very unique and obviously smoky flavor to the dish, while the sharp cheddar cut through the creamy bechamel and relatively fatty ham.
Overall, Pittsburgh was an incredible city with a great personality, and more than anything, I hope the Bay Area gets a Primanti Bros soon.
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