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| - So I found myself in Pittsburgh last weekend visiting an ex who was in town working at the Pittsburgh Auto Show. I recalled seeing a famous Pitt sandwich shop on Food TV and did a little research. I found that the original Primanti Bros. was down on 18th and decided to take a walk down from the Westin for lunch. I took the approx 15 min walk down Penn Ave and finally found the restaurant around a corner in what turned out to be the "Strip district". The Strip was crowded, grungy, ugly, and full of cheap ($3 & $5) Steelers shirts and "Terrible Towels". Something about terrible towels irritates me to no end (and Steelers fans in general, maybe because I had a roommate for a bit who was a total jackass and loved them...and I'm a Pats fan!). Street Vendors lined the sidewalks hawking mostly junk ($1 finger puppets!) as locals and tourists bustled around making Valentines day purchases. There were plenty of gritty locals selling flowers out of buckets and trash pals on the sidewalks in-between the cheap t-shirt tables. There were some cool shops and eateries bunched in, overall a scene I am not opposed to at all!
So I got to Primantis, opened the door to see a line right in front of me about 15 or so deep, I found the end and began to wait. A family coming in behind me were obviously Primanti virgins as well and asked me 20 questions about what to do now that they were there. After about 20 mins I was at the front and was shown a seat at the bar. I was delighted to see Yeunling Lager available as it brought me back a few years. It is brewed in PA and FL, I worked on a trail crew in FL for a bit and would buy plenty of it with my $40/week stipend, actually beer was all I bought on that money The beer is not available in CT or MA to my knowledge. I started on my bottle of Yeunling and got an order in 15 mins or so later. I chose the regular sized 'fish and cheese'. I do not eat 'meat' otherwise I would have gone for the steak or pastrami that seem to be the favs. I soon discovered the couples on either side of me at the bar were also new to the place and had also seen it on Food TV and had made it a destination. Have you had one??? they asked with a tinge of excitement and curiosity in their voices!
About 20-30 mins later we all found out what the fuss was about. Well the sandwich didn't look as magical as I would have been led to believe with all the out of towners ooohing and ahhing but it looked good and I was hungry. I squeezed down to prevent filling leakage and bit in....mmm. Now I'm not a cole slaw fan but it was obvious upon first bite the slaw made the sandwich. I can't lie, being that the only animal I eat is fishes and almost all of my friends and coworkers eat meat I am ordering a fish sandwich pretty often at places I don't necessarily choose but go to frequently. So french fries and fried fish has to be pretty special to surprise me, these did not surprise but throw them together with the slaw on the white Italian bread and you have a very tasty sandwich. The fries were slightly soggy, not salty, not hot, limp and bland would describe them well with a pleasant taste. The taste of the fish did not stand out much over the slaw, The slaw was exclusively cabbage to the best of my memory. It was tangy and acidic and packed a flavor punch compared to the bland fries, bread and fish.
The sandwich was messy and losing components on each bite, which fell onto the deli paper it was served on. Luckily the napkins were right in front of me and became a hot item with the neighbors as well. Normally I don't like a loose, avalanche prone sandwich but it did not bother me here as the 'sloppiness' was part of the charm. The waitresses carried piles of sandwiches around separated only by the deli paper. The room had a warm character and felt like people had been enjoying warm messy sandwiches and beer there for a long time. It was slightly dark and extremely crowded, but not a bad crowded as everyone was happy to be there eating a famous sandwich. When you are done you walk to the end of the bar, tell whoever happens to be standing there what you had (honor system!) and pay under $10 for a sandwich and a beer!
On my way out I ordered a sandwich to go as I was meeting my ex on her short lunch break. I grabbed her the 'Rajun Cajun Chicken" which she enjoyed but commented on the soggy nature, which I am sure was compounded by being wrapped 45mins previous to being eaten. When I walked out the door there was line wrapped all the way to the side of the building approx. 50 people deep. I believe it was snowing at this point and in the 30's, so I was impressed by the will of the people to obtain sandwich royalty. In the end I thought it was a fun experience and a tasty sandwich. If I am back in Pitt I will certainly consider going back for a bite. If I am eating meat again at that point I would anticipate being more delighted by the Primanti Bros. Check it out, embrace it.
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