Someone wrote: > Can anyone recommend a favorite italian restaurant? How does Poli in > Squirrel Hill rate? Thanks!! > Ann Larry Poli claims to cook Italian but I *wonder.* It is really more of a Seafood restaurant. It is OK, I have had good but never great meals there. I find it pricey for what you get, compared to other Pitt restaurants that is. There is a little place somewhere in the south, the name escapes me now but I can look it up, it is really nice. I may be repeating myself but for the money you can't beat Juno in Oxford center in town. They validate parking. I had another lunch there after my great dinner experience and had a really unique pasta dish. Scallops in the shell, steamed open served in a light tomato cream tossed with angel hair pasta. There were also little capelettis of lobster and shrimp & mushrooms on the top. Wonderful. Great antipasta cart at night. Rico's is over rated in my opinion but he serves solid Italian food. I recently had lunch at Per Favor and it was really good. Smoked mozzarella and portabella ravioli in sundried tomato cream, fresh basil sprigs and shaved Parmesan, not Reggiano but Padana Grana at least. Pietros is OK, I like it for a change. Bravo Franco does a really good job with the standard Pittsburgh Italian fare. He has a really nice dish of bow ties with salmon and dill. Great zucchini, and the best hot peppers I ever had in a restaurant (the Fox Chapel Franco's is their old chef and he does the same peppers). The problem is they are so inconsistent. The time I was referring to they were just slightly stuffed with bread, sausage and I think escarole. Simmered with whole Italian tomatoes, slices of shittaki mushrooms, and wheels of Sweet sausage. The peppers are real hot but real good. Pasta Piatto has always done a nice job when I have visited I just can't stand the tables being so damn close together. Their old chef opened another place on Walnut street but I can't remember it's name either. Hope it was a help. GAT.
Pittsburgh, PA