I just returned from a trip to Pittsburgh, my hometown. It was my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and a family reunion. My family loves to eat, evidenced by the 4 pounds I gained in six days.
While I did not manage to eat a Primanti Brothers sandwich. (For those who don't know that's a sandwich with coleslaw and french fries on the sandwich. To learn how to make one in the Triangle, read a story I did before the Superbowl here.) I did make it to Rook's East Side Saloon in Ambridge for a fish sandwich.
Fish sandwiches with a pound of fried fish on a bun are a bar staple in Pittsburgh. They are everywhere. I haven't had one in years. My father used to buy one, just one, to feed the three of us (him, mom, me) for dinner on Fridays during Lent. As you can see, they are as big as my forearm and large enough to feed a small family. My husband and I split this one.
I also got down to the Strip District, which is home to many wholesale food stores and had a pepperoni roll at Mancini's Bakery. That prompted a discussion about whether pepperoni rolls are peculiar to Western Pennsylvania. Have any of you ever heard of a pepperoni roll?
Comments
Local Fish Sandwiches
Wed, 08/05/2009 - 08:56 — NCBuff_CaniacTry Skippers in Apex on NC 55 about .5 miles from US 264. Fresh, high quality fish. The fish sandwich is served on a large bun and the fish extends several inches all around the bun. It is HUGE and extremely good. At lunch it is served as a lunch special with fries and a drink for $7.00 including tax (menu price is $6.50). They have a number of lunch specials for that price and they're quite reasonable for dinner, too. Greg Cox has written them up on at least a couple of occasions and he has given them good reviews, too.
Pepperoni Rolls
Tue, 08/04/2009 - 16:03 — ToothToothThe delicacy that is the pepperoni roll originated in Fairmont, WV. When I make trips back to the motherland to visit family, this mountaineer will frequently stash a few bags of pepperoni rolls and several jars of Oliverio's peppers w/sauce in the trunk of my car for consumption upon return to North Cackalacky. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepperoni_roll http://www.bobheffner.com/pepperoniroll/index.htm
Pepperoni Rolls
Tue, 08/04/2009 - 15:49 — wvu_samI grew up in West Virginia, where Pepperoni Rolls are revered. You could even say they are the state sandwich. It's said they were invented there as an easy way to make a sandwich for coal miners.
I'm practically a Pittsburgher too as my hometown is in the northern panhandle, and only about a 35 min drive to the 'burgh. My wife makes them periodically for our family here in Raleigh.
I remember getting a fish sandwich like that at a dive called Pinkys and Hildas in north east Ohio back in the 70s when I was a kid. Good stuff.
Pepperoni rolls
Tue, 08/04/2009 - 12:50 — chanssYep, I've heard of pepperoni rolls too but I lived in Pittsburgh for 16 years. I'm partial to a Primanti Bros. sandwich or an Uncle Sam's sub over the fish sandwich.
I've heard of pepperoni
Tue, 08/04/2009 - 12:46 — wisem10I've heard of pepperoni rolls, but I grew up in Pittsburgh, too.
When I saw the title of your post I was excited, thinking that you were going to report on a local restaurant that sold fish sandwiches. My family and I used to get fish sandwiches from the Original Oyster House in the Monroeville Mall almost every Lenten Friday.