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| - While my dad and I ate dinner here the other night, we discussed the fact that the last time I'd eaten at the Grand Concourse was before my senior prom, over 20 years ago, and it wasn't a new restaurant even then. It's nice to find an upscale independent restaurant that has been so successful for so long without reinventing itself.
Also surprising, the meal was as good as we remembered. The smoked bluefish pate and flatbread that they bring to the table is as delicious as ever, and my dad and I fought over every last bit of it. The rolls were fresh baked and arrived piping hot. We both ordered fish, and it was perfectly fresh and beautifully prepared.
If there's anything to complain about here, it's that the menu is starting to feel the smallest bit dated, particularly in concept. The menu paid lip service to slow food, claiming that the produce was locally sourced. However, none of the dishes listed any provenance for their ingredients. Still, given the menu's claims, I asked the kitchen to replace the asparagus that came with my entree with a sliced fresh tomato. Because really, is there ANYTHING better than a fresh tomato in the middle of summer with a bit of salt and pepper? Alas, the tomato I was served might have been local, and might have been farmed, but it had also been refrigerated, and consequently was a letdown. Had the menu not mentioned slow food, I wouldn't have had that expectation, and might have even given the GC props for staying retro cool.
Finally, there's the setting. This is enough of a reason to eat here, and I don't say that lightly. The interior space is nothing short of breathtaking, though I've only ever walked through it.
(Why, Grand Concourse? Why won't you seat me at a table in the main space? I can understand the slight when I was a pimply high-schooler, but don't I have enough gravitas for the beaux arts beauty of your dining room by now? I BOUGHT A NEW SHIRT FOR YOU!)
Still, we could hardly complain about being seated in the railhouse off to the side. The large windows gave our table a beautiful view of the river and the Pittsburgh skyline at sunset.
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