That's So Pittsburgh: Lenten Fish Fry

On Friday, Dear Husband, another of the interns, and I walked over from our continuity clinic to one of the local churches to attend their weekly Lenten fish fry. These are a Pittsburgh tradition not just at Catholic churches but also at volunteer fire departments and VFWs. We were at Saint Colman's Roman Catholic Church, where they advertised hand-dipped cod fillets. They also offered what I assumed were store-bought pierogies, although some fish fries pride themselves on the old ladies making handmade pierogies. St. Colman's also offered coleslaw, French fries, and halushka, as well as an enticing table of desserts. I bought my fish without the bun. It was steaming hot, thick, and delicious with tartar sauce. The fries were also surprisingly good, but the coleslaw, pierogies, and halushka were just okay. Although there were trays of tomatoes, pickles, and shredded iceberg lettuce, I hesitate to think that many of our patients eat like this on a daily basis. As it was, we were all too full for dessert and so skipped the cake and frozen soft serve ice cream.

This may be the most Pittsburgh thing I have seen yet: a public online map of all of the fish fries in the area.