text: Best new restaurant in town Not if you ask me As my stars would indicate I have experienced better nnVisiting Pittsburgh for the weekend we decided to have dinner at Salt of the Earth with a group of friends who live in the area and told us about this restaurant deemed by Pittsburgh Magazine as having the chef of the year Unable to get a reservation we decided to take a chance at getting a table at pm on a Saturday Upon arrival we discovered the place was kind of quiet and had plenty of room for us at the first communal table close to the large slate wall which serves as the menu the ONLY menu Having to look over the menu was a bit awkward as you have to get up and walk to where you can see it which could have you invading some strangers personal space My husband and I both ordered the Gin Cocktail which had an interesting combination of slightly bitter sweet The starters his was the Sashimi of Escolar and mine was the Scallops were both flavorful presented artfully nnThis is where it goes downhill the main course I ordered the Maine Cod listed with panzanella chorizo saffron and rapini Sounded like a nice Italian inspired dish to me and although not the most flavorful of white fish I figured this chef of the year could really wow me Upon the first bite I have to admit my tastebuds were confused perhaps overwhelmed by the flavor combinations that just did not work An unexpected and dominant flavor was a very fishy taste which I assumed was the cod After a few more bites and it still not tasting right I tried my husbands Cod His fish was cooked perfectly while mine had a milkiness to it and as I cut into it even more I noticed that it was raw He also informed me that in the mix of panzanella there were anchovies the fishy taste which I hate and were NOT listed on the menu No chorizo but there were kalamata olives also not listed After only a few more bites I was done We questioned our waitress Casey about the dish where was the chorizo her reply well the fish is poached in a chorizo broth why are not the anchovies olives listed we only list the highlights why is the fish raw each fish comes out differently What Anchovies and olives should have been listed as highlights as they are very strong flavors If known I would have not ordered this dish Raw fish was not something expected as on the menu board it did not have a star listed next to it indicating raw or undercooked Casey perhaps a little annoyingly told me I can have them make you another cod but it is going to come out the same way Hmmmm what do you think Sure I will take another one undercooked the same way oh and with extra anchovies pleasennTrying to salvage the meal we did order dessert The White Chocolate Lavender with Blood Orange ice cream It was good but not mindblowing Upon getting the check we noticed the uneaten fish still remained on it and asked her to take it off which she did This whole situation was a bit uncomfortable as I rarely complain due to the fact that I have worked in this industry for years The most upsetting part was the attitude of our waitress Instead of just fixing the situation immediately which would happen naturally in a restaurant of high standing there were just constant excuses and explanations that would not be necessary if there was a more thorough menunnAs a whole this restaurant has a way to go before it attains a stellar status Hostesses were pleasant seating and ambiance were ok the menu is a bad idea some flavor combinations are just trying too hard to be trendy waitstaff and food runners need to be more informed we had a guy describe our starters after he asked if this had already been done and the food runner made an attempt at the entrees using the words saffron orange bubbles Either she thought we would not know what foam was or she did not know They definitely need to work on consistency in their food and their service that is what keeps people coming back