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| - Dinner date with my sister on a Wednesday night. Almost every table was filled, I recommend reservations!
We started with decaf coffee (thrilling, I know) Our waiter brought out a french press pitcher! He left it on the table for us to refill our cups when needed and it was delicious! I've never seen coffee served at a restaurant like that so I was impressed.
My sister had been to Stagioni's before and insisted on the MTO Mozzarella appetizer. My sister knows good cheese, trust me. It's a good portion of her personal food pyramid. I am not a huuuuge cheese fan but I trusted her opinion and we got the mozz. The dish was served with prosciutto, roasted red peppers and olives. The cheese had course seal salt on top and the whole dish was sprinkled with a balsamic glaze. Well, my sister was stop on. The cheese was incredibly fresh and it had a deep flavor profile, which I find rare with mozzarella cheese. The glaze and additions to the plate complimented the cheese without overpowering the taste. I would get this again...and again...I plan to go back just to order this the next time I'm visiting Pittsburgh!
Since the mozz app is large, we opted to share two small dishes- polenta with shrimp & salsa verde and a side of fingerling potatoes. Both dishes were delicious but the servicing style of the polenta was my favorite part. The shrimp and salsa verde is brought out on a small cutting board. The polenta is brought out separate from a small cooking pot and poured directly onto the cutting board, Unique and fresh! Excellent taste. The shrimp were lightly seasoned and the polenta was moist (I apologize if you hate that word, it's the only way to describe it!) The fingerling potatoes were roasted and served with a sundried tomato paste. Mhm Mhm Mhm! Excellent pair. For dessert, we opted to share the Nutella Mousse. I know what you're thinking, "Nutella mousse- have my dreams come true??" My sister and I certainly thought that and we were disappointed to receive pudding inside of a wine glass with whip cream and roasted hazelnuts on top. The hazelnuts had good flavor but the pudding only had a hint of Nutella flavor *cue the tears* We didn't finish the pudding and know better than to order it again. Dessert is my least favorite part of a meal so I didn't let the lackluster mousse knock down their rating.
Service was fast, friendly & professional. Ambiance is quiet and romantic but still a good place to go with friends! I will be back for the app and to try a few other entrees!
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