My mom and I spent the night in Pittsburgh on our way up to Toronto and got lucky enough to get a…read morespot at DiaNoia's for dinner. We got on the list and waited about 35 minutes for a spot at the bar. The restaurant itself has a casual Italian American vibe, with a small bar in the front and a dining area on the side. So happy we got a spot there because our bartender/server Nami was one of the best service experiences I've ever had. She asked us if we had been there before, gave us the rundown on the handmade pasta, what they're known for, and more. She mentioned the gnocchi being their top seller, but I'm not the biggest fan. However, the girl next to me got the gnocchi and meatballs, so snuck a pic of that just for sharing. They are HUGE and puffy and might make me change my mind about gnocchi. Anyway, Nami was so fun and attentive without being overbearing, and the place was busy as hell. She even made sure we had some cookies to take home when we declined dessert, telling us she didn't want us to have any regrets. Spoiler, the cookies totally hit the spot later in our hotel when we needed a little sweet before bed. Ok, onto the food. Nami brought us the fluffiest, most beautiful foccacia bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping to start. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, which were cooked to perfection, filled with this decadent mushroom mousse and then surrounded by a bright and flavor tomato onion jam that we kept scooping up with everything we could find. For our entree we shared the Salsiccia e Cavolo - which is fusilli, sweet sausage, braise cabbage, onions, cream, nutmeg and parmesan. What a perfect, cozy, delicious pasta for a fall night. It was creamy, flavorful, pasta was perfectly cooked. We took the leftovers back with us and it also reheated beautifully with a bit of water over the stove, so we got to enjoy it twice. Highly recommend a dinner here if you can get a table/spot at the bar, did not disappoint. If I'm ever back in Pittsburgh, I'll be back to give the gnocchi and meatballs a try.

It's fall which means it's time for one of my favorite seasonal dishes, the pumpkin gnocchi bowl at…read moreDiAnoia's!! I go back for this dish every single fall and it hits every time! Everything on the menu looked delicious and we had to sample a few other things. There were no misses and our other favorites included the arancini, salad, and the drinks. Our only regret is that we didn't have room to try more! This spot is a Strip District favorite for a reason and we'll definitely be back. The inside is not super big so definitely make a reservation. There is a dining room, a few tables outside, and a sort of bar area with seats.

So this location was only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and we are so glad that we checked…read moreit out. It is a very cozy Italian restaurant that's serving homemade Italian food like your Nonna would make for you. We showed up on a Tuesday night and it was packed. It was around six or 6:30 in the evening and when we first got there, we were told it would be about a 20 minute wait before a two top was available. But the host came back and asked if we didn't mind sitting by the kitchen they could see us right away. We chose to sit by the kitchen, which honestly was probably the best option because it was actually a little bit quieter because there was a very large party that was celebrating a birthday and they had live music going on so it was hard to hear when you were in the main dining space but back by the kitchen it's a little bit quieter and we could actually hear ourselves talk. My husband got the penne with meatballs and the penny was nicely cooked with a beautiful tomato Bass sauce and the meatballs or some of the best Italian meatball he's ever had. His only complaint was that there were only two in the order and he wished there would've been three. I got the spinach and ricotta, stuffed ravioli, and by far one of the best raviolis I've ever had. The ravioli are large so there's only about five in a dish but they're packed fully and the flavoring and seasoning is absolutely spectacular. It's got a beautiful sauce like accompanies it and the chew you can definitely tell it is handmade pasta/ravioli. Our server, Emma was absolutely spectacular and was so kind. We truly enjoyed our experience here and would highly recommend anybody to check it out if you're in the area. But we also do recommend make your reservations ahead of time. This place gets packed quickly.

Very, very good Italian spot near Walnut Street, very close by all the top shops. The ambiance is…read morevery nice, both inside and outside. Pretty tight space though. The waitresses are friendly and have great recommendations. I got to try their linguine rustica (essentially the clam pasta dish), a cappuccino, some cherry soda, and soup of the day, as well as complimentary bread. They got that bread out very quickly! Very soft, and served with quite high quality olive oil. The bottle has both olive oil and balsamic! The soup of the day was quite good as well. It was some sort of beef broth, I think may a beef and bean soup. Chickpeas in there as well. Next time, I might try the salad. The salad they have as a side is so good, an amazing portion and seems so fresh and tasty. The mains were excellent. Very good pasta with clam sauce. Lots of clam meat and a flavorful oil based sauce. My friend had some red penne with chicken and enjoyed that as well. Great portions, pretty fair prices. Finally, great drinks as well. Very memorable cherry cola that I believe the company is owned by the owner's son. Real cane sugar, very good. The cappuccino was great as well. Definitely come here!

Every year my girlfriend and I find a cooking or baking class that is local in Pittsburgh to do…read moretogether. This year we decided to down our robes and become disciples of Saint Ravioli. Getting a spot in a class is very hard since they are limited to 6-8 people, but if you get the chance I absolutely recommend it. The classes are 2 hours long each and are extremely intimate. Bryan and Justin will meet you at the door and will introduce you to their workshop. There is a spread of antipasto to snack on which was curated very well. Each person gets to make 4 (four!!) dozen raviolis each. The class is extremely informative and fun. I personally haven't ordered any of their ravioli drops before, but from eating the batch I personally made, I know I will in the future. Highly recommend ordering their raviolis online or taking the class if it's available.

Although it takes some planning to order ahead, then pickup your order, the Ravioli is amazing…read more When you pick up your order, it's frozen. To prepare it, simply drop into boiling water, then after it floats to the top, wait a few minutes. I also ordered the Marinara sauce which was delicious. The owner friendly and helpful. He noticed that this was my first order, so he took some time to explain a few things and answer questions. Parking is on the street, and I had no problems finding a spot. It's a fun experience and I will definitely do it again.

I could have sworn I wrote a review YEARS ago. Just a quick walk from my apartment in Little Italy,…read moreit was a go-to for us. Look, you know a place is good when you have friends who've moved from Italy to Pittsburgh and frequent the place on a regular basis. And, it's a spot they take relatives when visiting from Italy. Absolutely love Garbarinos! The Southern Italian fare would make my Nana proud. The ambiance is pure magic as is the service. Know what else is pure magic? The food!!! I die for the pasta! It's all made in-house. Once or twice with friends we did the family-style menu and other times ordered from the regular menu. Portions are shareable for sure or make for great leftovers. Let me list some of my favorite items: Caprese salad Fried mozzarella Meatballs Homemade bread Gnocchi!!!! Chicken parm Rigatoni Pesto Alfredo!!! What are you waiting for? Make a reservation and get your belly filled up with true Italian goodness.

Yet again .. an amazing meal!!!…read more Celebrating my sisters birthday! We started with bread with garlic butter and moved our way into chicken parm, Brussels and a really nice chicken cutlet! Omg the food is so good here - if you're thinking about coming - you need to make reservations! Thank you to the wonderful servers!

Had a wonderful work holiday meal at Lucca! I didn't even know this place existed. Everyone's food…read morelooked great and everyone enjoyed their cocktails as well. The service was good - she was very busy and could have used a hand when there were several parties and we were a bigger party. I had the sausage and mushroom risotto which was delightful! I really enjoyed the sundrjed tomatoes on top and felt like it could have been throughout for a little brightness, just because it was so rich. Also thought it was a little light on the sausage. I enjoyed the hazelnut crunch cake but wasn't wowed by it. I might be back if someone else is paying! A little steep to be a regular!

The food here is really good! I have just two of the dishes shown here. The frutti di mare was…read moreabsolutely amazing. I love the different seafoods mixed in with the vodka sauce...just so good! The restaurant is a bit small, at least in the area we got sat. I did ask to move because of how narrow the walkway was between our table and another party plus the chair behind me was directly up against my head so if somebody sat right behind us it would have been awkward. The only other thing I've noticed was that they were very slow to greet us and get our order...took around 15 minutes for that. No other complaints besides that! I'm only given it 4 stars just because of the slow service and the seating arrangement being very awkward but they were nice to accommodate and move us somewhere else!

April was very kind and made sure my food was amazing. Her customer service makes this Piada…read morelocation shine!

First off. Thank you April for taking good care of us - you were awesome!…read more My sis and I stopped in tonight .. it's been a minute since we have been to Piada and we both were very happy with our experience tonight Two grilled avocado Piada .. a pepperoni stick and those spinach artichoke pockets you have here ( not at our Piada - closer to home) was really delicious! Def going to come back and thankful for the entire staff here ... they work hard at this location! Ohh and keep it very clean too!

The pizza at Piccolo Forno is consistently excellent, with thin, perfectly cooked crusts and…read morecreative topping combinations. The Fichi & Formaggi, Mortadella & Pistachio, and Calabrese are among my favorites. On my most recent visit, I also tried the burrata appetizer for takeout. The peppery arugula and sweet peaches worked beautifully with the creamy burrata and made for a great combination. Pickup was a breeze. A friendly staff member greeted me and quickly pointed out my order among the others on the takeout table. The restaurant itself was packed, and for good reason. I've been coming to Piccolo Forno for years, and everything I've ordered has delivered. It remains one of my go-to spots for excellent pizza in Pittsburgh.

I liked this place! Not all of the dishes and not the attitude of the server at times. I just…read moredidn't like that the server kept reminding us of a time placed on each table before it needed to turnover. I thought that was very rude and off putting. Parking is difficult in this area, so keep that in mind when reserving. However, I had a great time fellowshipping with friends. The place was lovely with laughter and what I ordered, I liked. For appetizers we ordered the peach bruschetta (special), the pistachio and pesto pizza without the pork, and the insalata salad. My favorite was the brussel sprouts and carrotts app. We also ordered the lasagna which was different. It had cinnamon and nutmeg. I was expecting classic lasagna. The seafood spaghetti also was not what I expected. The spice was nice, but I didn't like the texture of the pasta and the seafood was very fishy. The pesto pasta was good but needed salt. For dessert the boomba was the best! Tiramisu was mid. Again, cinnamon and a fresh flavor that didn't provide the traditional flavors I anticipated. The wine from the package store near by can be ordered and brought to your table. Paid for separately and via an app.

This deserves a bonus star (or I need to quit giving so many other 5 star ratings). A true diamond…read morein Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood on the South Side. First tip: come hungry. They will give you more than you can eat (starts with bread, then a salad, then pasta, and then the entree). There is lot parking nearby that you can pay at a kiosk (if you can find parking) or pay a valet. The meal is structured with bread served along side "holy oil" (olive oil dipping sauce infused with herbs and peppers) and fagioli spread for the bread. Incredible so far and gets better. We skipped appetizers and went to the salad. You get a lot of salad. I got the Tuscan kale salad - delicious, with the heavy bitter taste of the kale balanced with apples, candied walnut, and lemon vinaigrette dressing. The star of the evening was the cacio e pepe pasta which they mix in front of you at your table. The taste of the rich Romano cheese, salty with pepper and silky smooth (yet binding) is almost transcendental. You have to just taste this. I can't do it justice in a written review. The main course was the pollo forno. Chicken with a sauce that was almost like chimmichurri, fingerling potatoes. I was still bedazzled from the pasta, but the main course was still scrumptious. Service is top-notch. The servers know the menu and are ready to help with recommendations. This is worth the splurge. Go already if you haven't.

This is our second time visiting this restaurant and we loved it just as much…read more We started our meal with the smoked provolone. It was very over the top and indulgent. I went with the casa salad, it had so many toppings including a lot of blue cheese. I feel it would have been enough for my meal. For my pasta, we did the cacio e Pepe, which what they are famous for. They don't do it table side for GF pasta since it would be cross contaminated. For our main my husband and I shared the margarita veal medallions and the sea bass. Both were very good and large servings. For dessert, they gave us a complimentary champagne glasses and a little dessert. We also got the crème brûlée. It had cherries on top and a chocolate ganache at the bottom. Once again, very indulgent. I had a lemon drop martini that was very good during my meal and a glass of wine. They have a very good wine list but not very affordable. Overall, it's a great place for special occasions. They have very good waitstaff and it makes the experience even better.

I've been here several times, and it never disappoints! The fresh ingredients, flavorful dishes,…read moreand careful preparation make every visit a great experience. The food is consistently delicious and clearly made with quality in mind. Located in Market Square, it's a great spot with a wonderful atmosphere and both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff are always welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Whether you're looking for a casual meal or a nice place to enjoy dinner in the heart of Pittsburgh, this Italian restaurant is definitely worth a visit!

I got the chicken Parmesan (4/5), which was good but not great! Most of it was pretty crispy, but…read morethe middle portion of the bottom piece was a little soggy, and the sauce wasn't that flavorful. Service was pretty good (4/5), and the interior of the restaurant is pretty nice (4.5/5)! They can open up the doors to create more outdoor space.

Big Jim's is a Pittsburgh institution. It's been 20 years or so since my last visit to Big Jim's…read more My family was headed towards town around dinner time and decided to take advantage of the opportunity and stop by. We arrived around 4:30 on a Friday. We were able to get a parking spot around the back. We were quickly seated and beat the dinner rush by a few minutes. First off, our waitress couldn't have been sweeter. Super friendly and attentive. Very kind, especially to my youngest son. My wife had a small fish sandwich, my oldest son had the baked ziti, my youngest son had chicken parm, and I had gnocchi with meat sauce. Portions were large and tasty. Three of us had cups of wedding soup. Everyone was stuffed and enjoyed their meal. I would highly recommend and will not have a 20 year gap in visits to Big Jim's (in the run).

A friend told us how good Big Jim's was and we are so glad we decided to go try it…read more We were warmly greeted when we entered. The waitress was also very nice and accommodating the entire time. A man was also very helpful and brought us things we may need. I really enjoyed the super meaty and delicious meatballs on my meatball hoagie. The Marinara was really good. My husband's Italian and absolutely loved the veal cutlet sandwich. It was huge, crunchy and tasty. It made him nostalgic for the veal cutlets his grandmother used to make. The Fresh-cut Fries were good but weren't seasoned well enough. I also wish they were crunchier. We saw a man order the Stromboli and it was ginormous but looked delicious. He was a big guy and only ate about 25% of it. Got my mom a corned beef sandwich and she said it one of the best she had ever had. We're Irish and she loves them. There are lots of great things on the menu and will be back to try other things.