The Local Table: Community Spirit And Delicious Eats At The Church of Resurrection Fish Fry

Debbie Brust runs the fish fry every Friday evening during Lent, but good luck finding her amidst the hustle and bustle of the volunteer staff and the large crowd of hungry customers out to support the church and enjoy some delicious local eats.

"I'm in the kitchen, I'm on the line, I'm checking on our patrons. I never stop on Fridays," she said.

When the kitchen is at its most chaotic, the happy and voracious crowd is a reassurance of success. For the six to seven members of the fish fry committee, the enduring popularity of the event is all the encouragement needed to continue the tradition.

Brust is pragmatic about the challenges.

"We laugh a lot. We pray before the event starts, so that we'll find the humor no matter how hectic the situation gets," she said. "I can't say that I always look forward to Lent, because it's a lot of work. But it's a great group of people to work with and it's for a good cause."

Twelve years ago, Father Frank Mitolo approached Brust to take over the Fry as a fundraiser for . The Lenten tradition has held enduring popularity in the parish since they began in the 1970s, and it continues to thrive under Brust and her fellow committee members, including those working the event and those hardworking unseen people, such as Mary Carl, who show up early every Friday to get things cooking.

The event really starts at 9 a.m., when the early staff comes in to begin prepping the food. The work continues throughout the day, from the people who arrive mid-afternoon to set up the tables and the food line through the exhilarating rush of the event itself, held between 4 and 7 p.m.

There are volunteers dedicated to takeout orders, those to take orders and payment of incoming visitors, and many other people assigned to various odd jobs that require doing.

Asked how many people work in the kitchen, Brust laughs, "The answer is always 'too many!'"

All the hard work goes into what the staff unanimously agrees is: "The Best Fish Fry in the South Hills."

"We've got the friendliest people and the tastiest fish," says committee member Michelle O'Toole.

The menu hasn't changed much over the years, nor have the prices. Ten bucks will get you a complete fish meal, but there are several a la carte options that range from $1 to $7.

One notable change about three years ago was the switch to homemade pierogies, shared by a neighboring parish. The macaroni and cheese is also homemade, from a recipe by Rose Fossati. By the way some would tell it, Rose's recipe is the fish fry's secret weapon.

Asked what her secret is, Fossati demurs, "There is no secret to the mac'n'cheese. The main ingredient is to love making it."

Kay Lagnese, another former member of the committee who, along with Rose, worked the fish fry for 25 years, is credited with the beloved recipe for the fried fish.

Says Brust, "I tell people all the time: It's not where we get the fish. It's the secret things the ladies do to the fish. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

But it's the sense of community that really satisfies.

Generations of families have been coming for a delicious meal in the company of their fellow parish members and neighbors.

"It's a community thing," Lagnese said. "Everyone is so nice. Everybody knows everyone."

Young and old enjoy the sense of togetherness, while also enjoying the tasty food. Sisters Shannon and Kelsey Reiser have grown up here, making the weekly visit with their families every Lent.

"We see a lot of people we know," says Shannon, a senior at Seton LaSalle High School. "We get to see a lot of our classmates. A lot of our teachers come here too."

Tess Brust, Debbie's daughter and a sophomore at Seton LaSalle, has grown up eating at and working for the fish fry.

"I help my mom out. Clean up, wash dishes. I used to bus the tables, but my brother does it now," she said.

"We have people who come in from all over the South Hills," Fossati said. "They keep trying different parishes' fish fries, but they always come back here."

David Piposzar, of Mount Lebanon, agreed.

"There's no competition," he said. "We've been coming here for years. It's the best around."

Stephanie and Brett Pastor, of Banksville, have been coming for three years.

"I come for the stewed tomatoes. Stewed tomatoes on the macaroni. And the fish. The prices are right and you always know you're going to get a great meal," Stephanie Pastor said.

At fifty minutes before the scheduled end of the fry, the kitchen is still bustling with volunteers preparing food, bringing full trays out, empty trays back in, and making sure there is enough food for the stream of visitors.

Volunteers clean off tables and restock trays at the beginning of the food line.

Father Mitolo, having returned from Stations of the Cross, requires the assistance of a volunteer to find out who is blocking him in. While the adults slowly finish their food, children gulp down french fries three at a time and ask for seconds.  Outside the Garden Room, a local judge glad hands the incoming guests.

It is another Lenten Friday night at the Church of the Resurrection. A Lenten Friday tradition like all those that came before it, and, if the turnout this year is any indication, like the many that will follow.