Best Italian restaurant in the Pittsburgh area

[wkief74]

Bunch from Morningside, Forest Hills..

I grew up in Forest Hills, lived on Pacific Avenue. It was a good town to live in. Been gone a long time.

 

[PantherO]

Didn't read through 4 pages, but very curious about what people say for north (North Hills, Gibsonia, Wexford etc..) Only place I got is Olives and Peppers.

 

[1Skeets]

My family owns Piazza Talarico and Papa Joe’s wine cellar. 39th and Penn in Lawrenceville. We are operating on a limited takeout menu because of covid and being short staffed because of it as well. Monday-Friday 12-8 PM. If you’re looking for a red sauce joint, and authentic Southern Italian food, give us a try. Run by Pitt grads, the Narduzzi’s and Capel’s frequent our place. We also make our own wine and sell it to go.
Hail to Pitt!

This place is great... best sauce I’ve had in the city. My son and I go there all the time. Huge portions too. Beth and Katie bleed blue and gold.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

I grew up in Forest Hills, lived on Pacific Avenue. It was a good town to live in. Been gone a long time.

I was two streets up.. Decatur.
I moved out 20 years ago.. heck we may know each other.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

This place is great... best sauce I’ve had in the city. My son and I go there all the time. Huge portions too. Beth and Katie bleed blue and gold.

Now I have to go.. love good sauce and of course the blue and gold.

 

[gary2]

It seems most on here are red sauce people. My mother was too. It was fine when I was a kid.

I have come to favor Northern Italian over Southern Italian. I have come to favor a combination of sophisticated elements rather than just spaghetti and meatballs, etc.

People have different tastes.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

It seems most on here are red sauce people. My mother was too. It was fine when I was a kid.

I have come to favor Northern Italian over Southern Italian. I have come to favor a combination of sophisticated elements rather than just spaghetti and meatballs, etc.

People have different tastes.

I love me a good red sauce. And pasta cooked right. But yeah, like Northern Italian for sure.

 

[gary2]

I love me a good red sauce. And pasta cooked right. But yeah, like Northern Italian for sure.

My wife is a stickler for cooked right. Makes it or breaks it for her.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

My wife is a stickler for cooked right. Makes it or breaks it for her.

Nothing better than pasta that have a bit of a bite to it. I hate mushy, over cooked pasta.

 

[gary2]

Nothing better than pasta that have a bit of a bite to it. I hate mushy, over cooked pasta.

You sound like my wife. She feels most Pittsburgh restaurants over cook.

We ate at Fresco by Scotto in NYC. She said finally someboby that understands how to cook pasta.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Nothing better than pasta that have a bit of a bite to it. I hate mushy, over cooked pasta.

you are describing every graduation pasta I have ever been at.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

Nothing better than pasta that have a bit of a bite to it. I hate mushy, over cooked pasta.

We've been eating Banza, the chickpea pasta.. loaded with protein and a different consistency that took a little time to get used too..

If traditional pasta, Dicecco's is our go to..

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

you are describing every graduation pasta I have ever been at.

Exactly. Not exactly including over cooked rigatoni with a Prego meat sauce as "good pasta".

 

[thebadby2]

Again, depends on what you like. Alot of regional cuisines with Italian food. But your basic Italian American Red Sauce joints? Just so many.

Best overall......Ala Famiglia. Which their Veal Chop topped with lump crab is just unbelievable.

https://memes.yarn.co/yarn-clip/87bcfa74-97f0-431c-9519-165aa47d38ba/text

 

[pbrad]

No shit.... I live 5 miles from Zelienople is it off 19 north of town? Just moved here and haven’t heard of it.

They moved . In town now at the site of an old bank.

 

[PittFanHere]

Esta Esta Monroeville - old school Italian

 

[Las Panteras]

Didn't read through 4 pages, but very curious about what people say for north (North Hills, Gibsonia, Wexford etc..) Only place I got is Olives and Peppers.

To be honest, that's all you need.

Excellent

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

To be honest, that's all you need.

Excellent

I would love to add Il Pizzaioli to the North Suburban Cucina Italia food desert but their prices are just too ridiculous. $18 for a personal sized pizza? No way. The old Tuscan Inn on Wildwood road was probably one of the better ones before it closed. Rico's? Not a big fan.

 

[Joe Magarac]

Didn't read through 4 pages, but very curious about what people say for north (North Hills, Gibsonia, Wexford etc..) Only place I got is Olives and Peppers.

West View: DiPietro’s. Good Italian food. Family atmosphere.... It’s perfect for you, good food, everyone minds their business. Try the veal...... it’s the best in the city.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

West View: DiPietro’s. Good Italian food. Family atmosphere.... It’s perfect for you, good food, everyone minds their business. Try the veal...... it’s the best in the city.

I’m gonna speak Italian to Mike

 

[PITTF2]

Mineo's Italian Restaurant & Pizza House on Murray Ave.

 

[PITTF2]

Esta Esta Monroeville - old school Italian

I like those. The places where the leave the bullets in the wood chairs and walls after a mob hit. Sparks in NYC was a good one for that after the Paul Castellano mob hit. Bullet holes all over the restaurant. It became a mob groupie tourist trap after that.

 

[pierre93]

Angelo's Washington, PA

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Subway in Monroeville. The Meatball parm is the best outside of Italy.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

I'll give you credit on that one, Piccolo Piccolo was the closest I've seen to something you would actually see in Italy.

Dish Osteria on the south side is definitely what you can (and I did) eat in Sicily: arancini, squid ink pasta, pasta 'ncasciata, caponata, red mullet with sauce, salads with fennel, lots of Norman and Arabic influences. More veggies and seafood than red meat. I believe the owners are Sicilian immigrants?

 

[PITTF2]

Another great place went there many times. Sad it is gone.

It was destroyed in the war bombed by the Germans.
It was the only place they could hit? Those bast-rds.

 

[IRoar4Pitt]

Anyone remember the New Meadow Grill? Really authentic including the the husband and wife fighting in the kitchen.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Subway in Monroeville. The Meatball parm is the best outside of Italy.

I don’t know much about the rest of their menu but Carbonara’s in Mt Lebanon used to make a killer meatball sandwich. They still may - haven’t been there in quite some time.

 

[pitt-girl]

Mineo's Italian Restaurant & Pizza House on Murray Ave.

Talking about Mineo's - has anyone heard about their new location in Hampton? Admittedly haven't driven by the building in a while, but the whole thing seemed to stall and this was before the shutdowns.

 

[waltergogs]

About Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh, I've had a similar experience. While some places were good, they just couldn't replicate that cozy mama's kitchen vibe. Even when I visited Italy, I found the food to be okay, but it's like searching for a lost treasure, right?

 

[upj87]

Sarcasm I hope. Could be the worst restaurant on the planet.

not the best but I never had a bad meal there...

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

We used to go to LaTavola in Mt. Washington. I haven’t been there in about 10 years, but it was good authentic Italian back then.

 

[Macchiato]

I used to like The Primadonna and Papa Js back in the day. Both are gone sadly.

Primadonna was king!!!!

I expect a good smooth red sauce cooked down on the menu to show they are serious.

 

[vikings1980]

Talking about Mineo's - has anyone heard about their new location in Hampton? Admittedly haven't driven by the building in a while, but the whole thing seemed to stall and this was before the shutdowns.

Their service has improved a lot. Not as good as Squirrel Hill, but that was my go to in high school so I might be biased.

 

[Macchiato]

The second thing the menu needs is varieties of veal. You can't just have Veal Parm and call yourself Italian.

A friend is trying to get me to try 1902 in the Rocks.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Talking about Mineo's - has anyone heard about their new location in Hampton? Admittedly haven't driven by the building in a while, but the whole thing seemed to stall and this was before the shutdowns.

Almost ate at Mineos in Lebo the other day. Then realized they are still cash only. Who carry’s cash in 2023 other than strippers and meth dealers?

 

[Dan1911]

La Edas and Domenico's in Monessen are solid.

 

[sherepower]

The second thing the menu needs is varieties of veal. You can't just have Veal Parm and call yourself Italian.

A friend is trying to get me to try 1902 in the Rocks.

1902 is not good. Primadonna’s was tremendous. Best seafood linguine and they had the best fried zucchini

 

[Dan1911]

I can't eat veal. The treatment of the animals isn't right. I can handle eating a cow that walks around, but the treatment of veal cows is pretty disturbing.

 

[giveitarest]

Leo Greta in Carnegie is great