Make a Note Please

When I was a graduate student, I lived in North Carolina for a couple of years. I didn’t personally enjoy the area, although I can see why others might. One thing though. The fresh fish was fantastic. There was this guy just outside of town who would go to the coast every week and bring stuff back directly from the boats. In the summer, we’d gorge on snapper and live soft- shell crabs. Back in Pittsburgh, it’s been hard to find stuff that good. Until now.

Since they opened, I have had the pleasure of obtaining consistently excellent fish of all kinds from the newly opened Penn Avenue Fish Company in the strip. Everything I have gotten there has been uniformly excellent, but I feel I have to express extra appreciation for what they have done for me in the last couple of weeks.

First, they have become the only decent place in town where one can find live soft-shell crabs. These are almost as yummy as the NC ones.

Second, the snapper I got there this weekend was as good as any fish I have ever consumed anywhere on Earth.

Therefore, for you all reading out there, I have this ultimatum:

I don’t want to catch any of you buying fish in the city at any location in Pittsburgh other than the Penn Avenue Fish Company. Don’t make me cut you.