Munch goes to Back to the Foodture to take on Jaws with the Codfather.
It was a Battle Royale of pop-culture references, and something had to give.
A fellow they call the “Codfather” for his nonpareil knowledge and consumption of Western Pennsylvania Lenten fried fish sandwiches taking on a monster called “Jaws” at a place that’s a temple to 1980s kitsch called Back to the Foodture.
So it came to pass on a dreary and wet Ash Wednesday that David Schorr of West Mifflin — the aforementioned cod expert and subject of a 2019 Post-Gazette weekend MAG cover story — stepped into the cheery and colorful diner in an otherwise drab business district to take on a tripledecker cod sandwich with cheese on Texas Toast named in honor of the most famous carcharodon carcharias in cinema history.
Opened in October by Eddie Barnez and Angel Rudolph in what was previously a downtrodden dive, the couple has turned it into a bright family-friendly space that’s part restaurant, part burgeoning museum.
The old bar top is now a collage of 20thcentury history. Framed original newspapers from the assassination of JFK and
MLK and the moon landing are on the walls. One large glass display case is packed with toys from 41-year-old Mr. Barnez’s 1980s childhood: Masters of the Universe, Madballs, Garbage Pail Kids, Teddy Ruxpin and the Snoopy Sno-Cone
Maker to name a few. Another case is filled with old “technology,” from antique cameras and radios to a boombox and a Gordon Gekko-era cell phone the size of a brick.
Mr. Barnez said he’d hung onto his old toys to give to his own children and that
“We wanted to do something that you bring your kids and let them see how we used to live. Kids today don’t know nothing about anything in there. They look at it like, ‘What’s that? What’s that?’ ”
There are 19 burgers on the menu ($5-$15) that employ all manner of ingredients including pineapple, sweet potato and a glazed doughnut, and the $25 Biggie Smalls-inspired “Ready to Die” burger that is tailor-made for an episode of “Man Vs. Food”: four beef patties, steak, fried egg, onion rings and assorted condiments. Wowza. It’s served on a skewer and is about the length of a grown man’s forearm. If you can finish one in half an hour — with fries and a Pepsi — your picture goes on the wall. Thus far only one person has managed, and Ms. Randolph said that he’s a competitive-eating bodybuilder. Go figure.
I’ve not eaten a hot dog since June and the Snoop Dog ($6) was worth breaking that fast for. The all-beef dog was delicious with a casing that snapped when breached by my incisors; the bacon added some crisp, and cheddar sauce and sweet golden “24k” wing sauce were nice compliments, and the whole shebang was tied together on a buttery toasted pretzel bun. The side of thin fresh-cut fries was particularly good as well.
With — count ’em — 104 sauces, rubs and seasonings for the wings, choosing flavors can be overwhelming, so I simply asked for the house hot sauce and it did not disappoint. Slathered on with more of the consistency of a paste, it had a wonderful slow-burning heat from the black pepper and red pepper flakes. The chicken was nice and juicy, although the skin could’ve been a touch crispier.
But those were the undercards. On to the main event.
Michael Buffer wasn’t available for the ring announcement, but I can report that The Codfather was no Fredo. He took down Jaws and lived to tell the tale like Chief Brody — and he didn’t need a bigger boat. He didn’t need a bigger bun either, because it was served between two buttery griddled pieces of Texas Toast, something the Codfather had only previously seen at Coleman’s Fish Market in Wheeling, W.Va.
The thick slabs of cod were deliciously dusted with cornmeal, flour and a piquant proprietary blend of seasonings, and the fish itself had a nice light and flaky consistency.
The Codfather’s analysis was thus: “I like the Cajun seasoning. It’s house made, so it wasn’t real salty like with Old Bay or celery salt. It was spicy but not overbearing. The filets were pretty damn thick. Like center cuts. Not overdone. Grilling the bread made it nice. Only the second time I’ve seen that.”
Needless to say the music is heavy on the ’80s and as we left, Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” came on — a perfect nostalgia song for a perfect nostalgia place. But unlike the characters in the song, whose best days may be behind them, it would appear that good days are ahead for this small business with a ton of heart.
Back to the Foodture: 378 Broadway Blvd., Pitcairn; 412-372-3100; https://
www.facebook.com/Back-To-The-Foodture737494689957282/.