diAnoia's absolutely lived up to the hype! The restaurant was hopping, but the service was warm,…read moreattentive, and never missed a beat. The whipped ricotta with lemon and crostini was a perfect start, the butter bean salad with cucumber and tomato was unbelievably fresh and outstanding, and the Caprese panzanella was beautifully balanced with incredible seasonal flavor. You can taste the quality in every bite. We can't wait to come back!

This place feels like Alla Famiglia's younger sister with an Italian beach club vibe. The patio is…read moreabsolutely adorable and was one of my favorite parts of the experience! We stopped by while walking around the Strip District looking for a quick lunch. During lunch service, you order at the kiosk, find a seat, and clean up after yourself, which makes for a casual and easy experience. Food: The tomato sauce here is probably some of the best red sauce I've had in a long time. We ordered the Caprese Panzanella, meatballs, crispy potatoes, and spaghetti with red sauce. Everything was delicious, but the salad completely stole the show for me. It was packed with fresh ingredients, bright flavors, and so many different textures that worked perfectly together. Every dish tasted fresh, simple, and executed well. Service: For lunch, you're mostly taking care of yourself, but the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming whenever we interacted with them. This is one of those places that doesn't need a long review because you really just need to try it for yourself. I'd absolutely recommend stopping by if you're visiting Pittsburgh for either lunch or dinner. Fresh ingredients, great flavors, and a fun atmosphere. My only regret is losing my phone and all the photos I took here!

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.

Seriously what's not to love about this place. From the servers to the food to the ambiance, both…read moretimes we've been here it's been immaculate. Got the pasta with a crispy chicken cutlet again, which could have been a meal on its own-may have been a foot across. House made pasta was delicious as usual. Star of this round was the brussel sprouts, by far the best I've ever had. Have heard people say they can make vegetables take on that meaty taste, and this nails it. And they're huge! Meatballs melt in your mouth.

Great Italian restaurant. Honestly I thought it would be more packed when I visited, but I was…read moresurprised to see there were a fair number of tables open. This time I came in just for takeout. I got to try their rigatoni tomato cream and cannoli. The pasta was quite good. Cooked well, Al Dente, and with a fair amount and fair distribution of sauce. Decently flavorful as well. Not too expensive but a bit pricey, though. The cannoli wasn't anything too outstanding, but did hit the spot. I like how they put detail into it: one side chocolate, and the other topped with pistachio. Pretty cool. The vibe in there is great. I would recommend the spot!

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!

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary and loved it. Amber took great care of us! They…read morehave a varied wine selection at different price points. The caprese pasta was delicious and my boyfriend liked his chicken Alfredo too. We sat outside on their patio and it was comfortable despite a windy day.

Food was great the service was wonderful, good atmosphere, April Alex was our server she was great…read moreI will definitely go back.

Harassed by a homeless man until I gave him money inside the restaurant and staff didn't do anythingread more

Piccolo Forno was an excellent dining experience from start to finish. We began with the housemade…read morebread and herb butter, which was absolutely delicious. The burrata with asparagus purée, arugula, peas, and golden raisins was heavenly....fresh, creamy, and beautifully balanced. We also shared the Calabrese pizza from the wood fired oven, and the combination of spice and sweet hot honey was perfection. To finish, the meat tortelli was rich, comforting, and outstanding. Service was incredible, and Max took wonderful care of us all evening. Great food, warm atmosphere, and impeccable hospitality. Highly recommend if you're in Pittsburgh!

a realltcutest spot! the tortelli was pretty good, it had a generous amount of meat (beef and pork)…read moreboth in the sauce and stuffed in the pasta. it was very filling the calabrese pizza was too oily and cheesy for me tho :/

This is easily one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh, but it's definitely a special…read moreoccasion spot. Located in the heart of Allentown, it has this old-school, upscale vibe that completely makes the night feel important. The way the menu works is a whole experience in itself: You pick an entree, but it automatically comes with a family-style salad and a giant course of homemade pasta (the cacio e pepe mixed table-side in a massive cheese wheel is insane). You will easily walk out of there with enough leftovers for days. The food is traditional, high-end Italian cooking inspired by Old World scratch recipes, and it tastes completely authentic. They don't cut corners on anything, from the house-rendered sauces to the quality of the meats. It is pricey, so you want to save it for a big celebration or an anniversary. The flawless service and the sheer quality of the food make it worth every single penny. It's a total marathon of a meal and one of the best dining experiences in the city.

Wow this is some seriously good food. Like off the charts great food. It's a premium price for good…read morereason. They use high quality ingredients and probably a large team of cooks doing the prep and cooking which makes everything taste great. It's not Micheline dinning mind you - it's classic Italian American style. But executed really really well. Come prepared to eat so have a very light lunch that day. It's a special dinner kind of place so be prepared. Great wine too. Special gem in Pittsburgh

Food was spectacular. We ordered the mixed salad, chicken with potatoes, different noodle dishes,…read moreand meatballs. Everything was delicious, including the table bread with olive oil and butter. The flavors complemented each other well, and the textures and richness were well balanced. The presentation was also excellent. Each dish was plated with intention, making the food inviting and appealing rather than just thrown together without a thought. Portions were generous as well. Service was welcoming and exceptional. Our waiter answered all of our questions thoroughly, and I appreciated having the option to order either smaller or larger sizes. The interior was upscale, spacious, and quiet, which made for a chill dining experience. I look forward to coming back and will be recommending this place to others.

Yet another entry in Big Burrito's generally excellent collection of restaurants, not to be…read moreconfused with Alta Via Pizza in Bakery Square. Same idea, different focus. AVP is excellent, by the way. We have been twice in the last couple of months. Front of House Team was excellent both visits. Our bartender/servers have been gracious and attentive. First visit was carbonara and beet salad; good but not life-changing. Second visit started with Frito Misto. Excellent. Bright, crispy and perfectly finished. The linguine is served with crab meat. I found it to be a glutinous mess. I'm not sure what happened in the kitchen. The mushroom side plate was under seasoned. Our friend who got the spaghetti loved it. Mushroom pasta was excellent with nicely cooked pasta and thorough mushroom taste. Our friends were very pleased with this plate. The chopped salad is perfectly dressed and is completely delicious. It was a treat. My lovely counterpart had the halibut piccata. She commented that it was "slightly overcooked." This is charitable: it was completely hammered. "It had the texture of chicken." The sauce was conspicuous by its sparsity; just not much flavor going on. She also observed that first bite was gritty, as if greens were inadequately cleaned. This dish has enormous potential, but it just wasn't delivered. This dish was palatable only by having the tomatoes on the vine as a side. My lovely counterpart on the Tomatoes on the Vine side: "I didn't love it, but it was necessary." She generally loves this sort of preparation but again, it just wasn't there. Cheesecake was great. Our server was excellent and attentive. Amanda, the assistant manager, was too busy to chat with us even though the house was mostly empty. Our table had two bottles of wine, ordered by the glass instead of by the bottle. The wine pours are staged outside of the bar, so the bartender wasn't involved. We are still at a loss to understand why Amanda was not willing to consider giving us even one of the bottles' worth at the bottle price and why she shut down our waitress when she asked. It seems like a weird hill to plant your flag on, and entirely inconsistent with our more than 30 years experience with Big Burrito. This is the first time we have experienced anything like this in a Big Burrito restaurant; truly bizarre and our poor server was clearly uncomfortable relaying the decision. We hadn't made any observations about the food to her and were having a great time even with kitchen's inconsistency. We might try again at some point: some of the dishes were great and there is clearly potential.

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.