Nik Forsberg
Fet-Fisk | Pittsburgh, PA
July 2025
Nik Forsberg found his way to food through repetition, hard work, and music. Raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Forsberg first stepped into the kitchen at a local country club doing large-scale catering, and spent the rest of high school and his early twenties rolling burritos. But it wasn’t until he joined the kitchen at The Bull and Beggar—under Chef Matt Dawes, a stickler for classical French technique—that Forsberg began to see cooking as more than a paycheck. Dawes pushed him to sharpen his skills, gave him autonomy, and taught him the value of focus and humility during a formative four-year stint at the restaurant.
Drawn to its creative energy and Appalachian edge, Forsberg moved to Pittsburgh in 2014. He worked casual cafe jobs and played in several local bands. One of his cafe gigs led him to find work in agriculture. At Tiny Seed Farm, he fell for the sunlight, the radical contrast from the grind of night-shift line work, and the other side of food production. In 2019, Forsberg started a pop-up alongside friend and business partner, Sarah LaPonte, utilizing product from Tiny Seed. He eventually started his own farm project and began selling prepared European-style deli items: pickles, smoked fish, and charcuterie. The concept ultimately grew into Fet-Fisk, a seafood-forward contemporary European restaurant.
At Fet-Fisk, Forsberg cooks alongside a tight-knit team in a space that was once home to a beloved neighborhood Italian spot. His food—like the scallop crudo with fermented apples, turnips, white balsamic, toasted flax, dill seed, and chervil—celebrates bright, bold flavors and regional produce. Forsberg is also committed to respecting his community, keeping seats for walk-ins, and building a kitchen that runs on patience and humility. He’s now outlining a narrative-style cookbook, and wants to help demystify the jump from pop-up to brick-and mortar for other chefs of independent restaurants who may be following in similar footsteps.
