As  promised, I’m back with the review I promised. Pittsburgh is a food city to say the least with incredible options from around the world. Of course, there’s also the mainstays like Pirmanti’s (actually only about 2 miles from campus!). However, since it is a celebratory dinner, we opted for something more upscale. A quick search led me to… Floor 2

Floor 2

Floor 2 is a modern American eatery on floor 2 (duh!) of the Fairmont hotel on Market street right in the heart of downtown. Although the focus is modernity, everything from the decour to the food harkens back to Pittsburg’s rich history. What more could I want? With that said, let’s eat!

Food

Floor 2 offers the usual appetizer, entree and dessert set up, but as a twist, they also offer large “family style” mains. We didn’t take that route, but I thought that was really cool to add an element of connection that comes with sharing food. Anyways, here’s what we got!

Appetizer

Oysters- I LOVE a good raw bar, so when I saw that the oysters were $3 a pop, I had to get some. Unfortunately, they didn’t exactly live up to expectation. First, they were small, which isn’t necessarily a problem; however, they were also less than fresh- a touch of fishiness

Mains

Roasted Halibut with Corn and mushrooms- I’m always a sucker for a nice piece of roasted fish, so I beelined for this dish. Overall, the dish impressed. To start, the fish was fresh, The mushrooms enhanced the incredibly umami while the corn brought a sweet pop of incredible texture. Normally, I HATE sweet corn, but the kernels were absolute magic. With that said, the fish, while tender, was NOT seasoned, except for the crispy top (delicious by the way). I was also disappointed at the lack of skin

Seafood Stew- Don’t be fooled by the name “stew”, this dish is by all means a hearty entree. This tomato based soup was loaded with fresh mussels, calamari, clams and an entire halibut filet. The broth was a thick tomato based broth, which cut through the sweet seafood and paired perfectly with the rich garlic bread. With that said, the broth was a tad one note and the fish was a bit overcooked.

Pesto Pasta- As usual, my dad goes for the boring option. With that said, even the plainest dishes under the right chef can be transformed into magic. While this dish wasn’t exactly magic, it certainly exceeded expectations in terms of freshness and balance of flavour. The brightness of the basil paired perfectly with the rich, fragrant oil and perfectly al- dente pasta.

Service and Atmosphere

Service and atmosphere is where Floor 2 really shines. The entire restaurant took industrial chic to the extreme with its simple, bright decour and open set up. More impressively, Floor 2 is perfect for any event imaginable from business meetings, drinks with friends, family outing, girls brunch and more. My personal favorite is the true open kitchen and bar, where I could literally see the chefs cook and plate every dish.

The service was even better than the atmosphere. Our server could not have been sweeter or more responsive. I actually saw several other servers chatting up the tables like friends.The food also arrived a lot faster than expected given my requests.

Overall Impression

Overall, Floor 2 was a great experience. Although the food was a bit of a disappointment, the service and atmosphere made up the difference. I’d recommend this restaurant, if only to meet the staff.

• Dining
• Pittsburgh