Okay, i will stop lurking b/c i can't stand it anymore. i was and still am amazed at the restaurants in this city. pittsburgh has a lot of wonderful things going for it, but dining isn't one of them. fish is something i have almost stopped eating out since moving here (and as a florida native, i have come to this decision with real sadness). this is not to say that good fish cannot be purchased in the city (though i would not advise anyone to attempt to get such a thing at wholey's... but that is another post entirely). monterey bay is typical... they have very fresh fish (the miracles of modern travel!) but they either have no idea what to do with it or their customers simply prefer uninspired food. it pains me to see perfectly good fish ruined, and imho that is what monterey bay does. the service is equally uninspired with waiters who are so unprofessional that it really distracts from the meal. (are there no professional waiters in here?) they get big points for the view and the martini glasses are cute. that said, i should also say that monterey bay is among the best places in pgh to eat fish. hence, i think that probably sums up my opinion of fish in these parts. sushi, however, is quite doable here (again, another post). so i very much second the opinion of JN. if you are looking for a nice dinner, skip monterey bay and check out JN's list of places to dine.... i agree with all of them. i find that casbah is one of the better places to eat as is le pommier. the steelhead has good food but suffers from the lack of professional wait staff at times (plus i am deeply distrustful of a bar that cannot make a decent martini, even after having them returned twiced!) so for my money and taste buds (and for the entire dining experience.... dining and eating are not at all the same thing. eating is necessary but not sufficient for dining), i still find that my house is the best place to eat seafood in pittsburgh. i feel better now and can probably go back to lurking quietly again. thanks. PP
Pittsburgh, PA