Many had been anxiously awaiting the opening of Fet-Fisk, myself included. The restaurant was initially a popular pop-up restaurant started in 2019 by Nik Forsberg and Sarah LaPonte, and they finally opened a brick-and-mortar version in Bloomfield in late March of this year. The restaurant serves up Nordic-Inspired food, which means the menu is full of seafood dishes with fresh accompaniments.
The restaurant has a moody ambience in the bar when you first walk in with low lighting and dark paneling, but the staff is immediately welcoming right off the bat. My friend and I got “the best seat in the house” according to the host; we were right by the window looking over Liberty Avenue. Unlike the bar, the dining room is bathed in light. The entire restaurant is sprinkled with charming, homey touches like the crocheted table mats and mismatched china, thrifted and given to the restaurant by the chef’s mom. There are also nautical nods, referencing the chef’s Swedish heritage, such as a captain’s wheel and ocean-themed oil paintings.
I’d been waiting to try Fet-Fisk for months and was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to dine there. We started with some beverages; I opted for a glass of espumante rosé, while my friend (who was in from New York) ordered the cosmo. Fet-Fisk has a solid drink menu with a nice variety of wines to choose from and a cocktail menu filled with their own concoctions, as well as some classic drinks.
The menu is split into four sections: starters (which is seafood forward), salads/vegetables, mains, and sides. Fet-Fisk’s entire menu is pretty unique and has many dishes that you don’t see too often around Pittsburgh, such as the seafood salad and smoked tropea onion dip. They also make the classics extremely well— I’ve heard from many trusted sources that the roast half chicken with lingonberries is a sleeper hit.
It was hard to narrow down the starters I wanted to order. Fet-Fisk has a daily selection of raw oysters and a scallop crudo that were calling my name. Eventually, we made some decisions and opted for a little variety. We ordered the ora king salmon gravlax, steak tartare, and the “Crispy Monday” special. The ora king salmon gravlax is a super traditional Nordic food. It’s typically cured in salt, sugar, and dill. This gravlax was some of the most tender salmon I’ve ever had. The grated cultured butter and cured egg yolk added a fluffy, velvety texture to the salmon, while the fresh dill added an earthy sweetness. Each bite was heaven. I nearly cried when the plate was empty. I love steak tartare and trying different restaurants’ versions. Fet-Fisk’s version was pretty standard with a raw egg yolk on top and salted, homemade potato chips on the side, but it had an extra hint of smokiness that I appreciated. Despite how much I loved the salmon gravlax, the real star of the show was the “Crispy Monday” special— buttermilk fried chicken wing flats sitting in a pool of herbed crème fraîche (or French ranch dressing, as our waitress coined it) and topped with Danish sea trout caviar. When I took my first bite, I was extremely happy we had decided to dine on a Monday. This dish is so texturally diverse. The chicken itself was some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. It was delicate and crispy and didn’t taste oily at all. The buttermilk added the perfect tangy flavor. The herbed crème fraîche added a freshness. The Danish sea trout caviar contrasted all of these flavors perfectly. Every time a sphere popped on my tongue, it bursted with a salty, briny taste. This is a can’t-miss item. As the name suggests, it’s only available on Mondays, so if you’re not as lucky as me, I suggest ordering the danish sea trout caviar with the homemade potato chips.
Since we ordered a nice selection of starters, we didn’t opt for any salads or vegetables. I’m a huge Caesar salad fan, so I’d love to try Fet-Fisk’s twist on this classic— the grilled brassicas Caesar. The morel mushrooms with tarragon butter also were enticing, but I was worried we wouldn’t have enough room for our main.
While there were many attractive mains on Fet-Fisk’s menu, (hello, New York strip steak with lobster hollandaise), I’m so glad we ordered the lone pasta dish on the menu. The rye cavatelli was al dente and bursting with summery flavors that complemented the beginning of our meal. The pasta and tender oyster mushrooms were bathing in an herby pistou (French sauce similar to pesto) made with basil and sorrel. The farmers cheese (similar to ricotta) on top added a creaminess to the pasta that made it feel complete. We devoured every bite. Then, we mopped up the pistou sauce with our side of rye focaccia. It was a heavenly end to the meal.
Fet-Fisk lived up to the hype. The inventive menu and the inviting atmosphere makes it a top-tier dining destination in Pittsburgh.
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