Pittsburgh: Original Fish Market

The Original Fish Market is roomy; however, there is always a crowd at the octagonal bar. The  menu changes daily. The wine list is extensive. A bundle of tables in the front and rear abstractly connects a middle row of padded wooden berths that could be the last gasp of a Pullman night train rattling along its midnight route. Retro 1950s patterned wallpaper evokes images of an old seaside cabana, hinting at the primal allure of the ocean. Crater-sized light fixtures break the patrician grandeur, which are a little funky. Chef Annapolen is a perfectionist with a sense of urgency and a tremendous work ethic; he is a second-generation chef who remembers falling for restaurant life when his dad took him to work as a small child. Fascinated by the big, shiny equipment and the inevitable cacophony of a busy kitchen - "Everybody yellin' and it smelled great" - Annapolen had settled on this career path by the time he was 10, and he has never wavered. His thoughtful, prolific output and attention to detail still evoke old memories:The Original Fish Market effectively maintains the illusion of the sea in our midst - minus the boardwalk arcades, the amateur parades, and Italian ice.