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| - We called to set up a reservation -- not once, but twice (once, on the same day)-- to check on being seated in the grand room with the piano. It was to be a celebration since I'd passed the exam I'd studied for for 1 year and 7 months. The Grand Concourse has always been my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh because of the gorgeous main room, and because the food is so delicious. Not true anymore!
Upon arrival, we found out that they were having a huge party in the grand room, and the hostess hadn't bothered to tell us that we couldn't enjoy the opulent main room, but could only be seated in the dark, loud bar, or in the equally-loud room by the bridge/river. We chose the room by the river where we faced the steel bridge. Since the main room is part of the experience, this was like being offered an elegant dinner on a yacht, and instead, being fed KFC on a dinghy.
We arrived too late for the early bird, and couldn't get our usual of Rainbow trout. That's okay. We were flexible. We ordered a few salads (the Martha's Vineyard salad with blue cheese and pine nuts dressed with raspberry vinaigrette is very good!), and their infamous lobster and sherry (which was just okay -- not much of a sherry taste). The warm bread with fish pate and butter was really delicious, too.
You can order the fish grilled, blackened, baked, or broiled, and, they have options -- for an additional $7.99 -- of topping them with crab or lobster. But, we just wanted good simple fresh fish. What a mistake!
My father and partner had sole and I had Mahi Mahi grilled, while my mother had the lemon chicken. Do you know that every single dish lacked flavor, salt, pepper, and lemon?! No lemon on the plates. Weird!
The food was as bland as could be! Though, the vegetables were alternately mush or undercooked, and completely over-salted.
For dessert, we ordered a hot fudge molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream, which was fine (not super chocolate-y), and the bananas foster creme brulee, which in no way resembled a creme brulee. The desserts, bread, and salad were the best part of the meal.
The service was very friendly, and the bill was huge. It was $150 for 4 people, with no wine or other beverages with the meal (other than 2 coffees with dessert), 2 people not ordering salads, and 2 desserts.
Atria's (a local chain) has much better food for the money. And, for the same cost, Monterey Bay Fish Grotto is superb.
I have no doubt that Tom Colicchio would have kicked the Grand Concourse's chef off Top Chef.
I would not return to the Grand Concourse Restaurant nor recommend it to anyone.
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