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The feature below ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette when the fishmongers opened in April, 2007. By Marlene Parrish
Penn Avenue Fish Company makes a splash in the Strip on April 29. Find fresh-cut fish, an eat-in counter, a soup and deli bar, a sushi bar, to-go freezer meals and big wide smiles from the new partners.
Ronald Neumeyer, Ronny, is the fish buyer and cutter. He was a fishmonger with Benkovitz Seafoods for 29 years. Henry Dewey, also a Benkovitz alum, is the chef. He cuts, too. Assisting them as general manager is Angela Earley, who worked with Mr. Dewey at Deja Vu.
The Benkovitz family is no longer involved with the seafood storefront on Smallman Street, although the name remains on the awning. When the two men saw the handwriting on the wall, they decided to go out on their own.
“We got to be good friends working together,” says Mr. Dewey. “When Ronny would make soups, I showed him shortcuts. When I would be cutting, he might suggest a slicker way to get the job done.” Between them they have 50 years of experience.
Mr. Dewey rose through the ranks in the kitchens of Coconuts in Key West and Duane Park Cafe in New York’s Tribeca before stints in Pittsburgh restaurants including the Steelhead Grill. So what was a savvy chef doing working as a fishcutter? “I took a break from the restaurant business,” Mr. Dewey says. “In the business, that’s all you do -- devote all of your energy to the restaurant. I love to cook fish, so cutting fish, cooking it and suggesting to customers restaurant-style recipes that can be done at home feels right.”
With a wave of his hand, Mr. Neumeyer leads a walk around the new 2500-square-foot space which is two doors down from the Farmers at the Firehouse farmers’ market. “We gutted the interior,” he says. “We did all the work ourselves, with the help of family and friends. We had the skills of a master carpenter, plumber and designer. I think we called in every favor from the last 30 years.”
Penn Avenue Fish will have both wild-caught and farmed fish trucked or flown in daily. Fish will be labeled, so customers will know where and how their fish was caught. Whole fresh fish will be displayed on ice. And on a fashion note, the fishcutters will wear orange Swedish Grundens apron pants, just like the fellows at Pike Place Market in Seattle.
His former customers know Mr. Neumeyer as the ‘king of gefilte fish.’ “It’s almost a lost art, but I still make it,” he says. “I take the appropriate fish, de-fin, clean, scrape and separate it from the flesh, which I grind. The customer takes home two packages -- the fish and the scraps for making soup.”
A chalk board will list the daily specials. There will always be tuna teriyaki, bacon-wrapped scallops and soups and chowders. The signature sandwich is roasted North Atlantic salmon.
“When you take center cuts and fillets of fish, there is a lot of excellent product left. I’ll make that into soups and salads,” says Mr. Dewey. “If a customer sees a special piece of fish on ice that might be good for lunch, Ronny will cut it and I’ll cook it right there, on the spot.”
The big freezer holds a stash of portion-size dishes with come-hither appeal for solo cooks. Single-serving meals include shrimp pasta and crab cakes.
And yes, you’ll see another familiar face, that of sushi chef Kam Tsao, also formerly of Benkovitz. The Taiwanese chef will have his pick of the freshest fish of the day.
Down the road, the partners plan to have cooking demonstrations and cooking classes. And as the weather warms, the chef will be grilling outside.
One more thing you can expect from the new fish store. It is destined to be mobbed at lunch.
The Strip never had it so good.
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