Published by Angie. Last Updated on March 23, 2024.
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Fet Fisk is a new restaurant in Bloomfield featuring delightful Nordic cuisine with an old school yet trendy vibe.
As Fet Fisk has been around for several years now, its offerings have morphed from pandemic era takeout to pates and spreads at farmers' markets to pop-up dinners where reservations consistently booked up within minutes of being announced.
The culmination has been a James Beard nomination for Chef Nik Forsberg and one of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings in Pittsburgh in quite some time. We were fortunate to dine here on a soft open weekend and were thrilled at the way the menu feels familiar yet special.
Ingredients not typically found on Pittsburgh menus weave their way into a mesmerizing array of downright delicious plates. To top it off, the service is a pure delight!
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Nordic Dining Comes to Bloomfield at Fet Fisk
Fet Fisk is located in what used to be Lombardozzi's, a long-standing neighborhood Italian restaurant right in the heart of Bloomfield. We love that Fet Fisk has kept some of the original touches from the restaurant like the separate lounge area and the frosted “L” panels separating the lounge and main dining area. They give the restaurant some character rather than being just another soulless new space.
The drink options here include a solid selection of affordable classic and house cocktails, plus a great wine list by the glass or bottle featuring less common varietals and regions like Georgia and Slovenia. The house cocktails we tried were a great start to the evening- the “Sweet” cocktail included rum, mace, lingonberry, lime, and gentian, and the “Sour” with tequila, Bauchant, salted concord grape, and lime (like a margarita with a subtle savoriness).
Our server was most helpful in navigating the menu which offers mostly small plates with a few entree sized dishes and is meant to be shareable (our favorite way of eating!).
As you might expect for a Nordic spot, there are lots of fantastic seafood-focused plates- think oysters, mussels, seafood pates, fish, and more. But vegetables are no after-thought here, either; if you have ever been to any of Fet Fisk's pop-up dinners, you'll know they are equally adept at creating beautiful veggie centric dishes as well. Meat-lovers will also find something to enjoy here, too. In fact, our favorite dish of the night was the chicken!
We started with a selection of seafood small plates, first a half dozen of the day's oysters from Prince Edward Island. They were nice and briny with a pungent, shallott-y mignonette for accompaniment.
Pop-up dinner guests will recognize some of the dishes on the menu, including the smoked sturgeon pate which is a must-have for us. It's slightly creamy and well-seasoned with just a kiss of smoke, served with crispy seeded house-made crackers. We also tried the arugula salad with horseradish and sour cherry which was a triple threat of pungent spiciness that woke our palates up.
One of the gems of the evening for us was the pickled mackerel. The fish was atop a mound of cabbage and a smoked beet puree that gave a nice sweetness and smokiness to the dish. The fish itself was meaty and tender and without the cloying sweetness or sourness we've had in some places across Scandinavia- it was the perfect intro to pickled fish for the uninitiated.
Moving on to the entree course, we tried the roasted half chicken with an order of the cheese and rice dumpling as a side. The cheese and rice dumpling was a tender, savory bite in a delicious savory tomato sauce. But the true star of the entire meal was the roasted half chicken.
The base of this dish was a layer of creamy house made farmer's cheese and a swirl of lingonberry sauce, with the crispy roasted chicken resting on top. The farmer's cheese was simply amazing- it was so creamy and soft with an ever so slight funkiness. The lingonberries brought some contrasting bright acidity and fruitiness. The chicken itself was brined in the whey from the farmer's cheese and roasted to savory, herbaceous perfection with an almost caramel-like note in the crispy skin.
We typically never order chicken in a restaurant as a first choice, but this dish has completely changed our tune. It will forever be in our order as long as it is on the menu here- it is that good!
Whatever you do, save room for dessert. We tried the caraway butter cake which was layered with prune jam and topped with an aquavit soaked plum and creme fraiche.
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The cake had a crisp, almost cookie-like texture and was so rich and buttery with punctuation from the caraway. The prune jam was earthy and just sweet enough, and the aquavit plum on top was a knockout. We love desserts that aren't too sweet and have a hint of savoriness, and this dish satisfied our cravings.
We have to say, Fet Fisk is poised to become one of the best Pittsburgh restaurants and has certainly skyrocketed to the top of our personal favorites list. We truly appreciate the attention to detail, creative use of ingredients, the friendly service, the unique Nordic flavors, and the captivating overall experience here.
Fet Fisk is located at 4786 Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield.
