PITTSBURGH — There’s no question as to what menu item is the most ordered at Friday fish fries during Lent.
Across the region, in dining halls both large and small, Lenten observers love their fish, whether it’s fried, battered, baked, broiled, tossed in fettuccine or stuffed into a taco shell.
But for a fair number of fish fry aficionados, what makes a particular event not just good but great depends on the side dishes.
Which is where things get sticky.
For some, any fish fry worth its kosher salt (and malt vinegar) offers all the traditional accompaniments we tend to associate with a fish dinner: coleslaw, french fries, haluski (made with cabbage and noodles). And this being Pittsburgh, pierogi, especially if they’re rolled, stuffed and pinched by local fingers.