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| - This place is definitely old school Pittsburgh. A little outdated, a little worn, and a lot of rustic charm. We went based on a recent recommendation from one of my husband's coworkers, who proclaimed that it was the best Italian in the Burgh.
It was PACKED, and on a random Wednesday night no less. It was only a 15 minute wait, which wasn't bad. I had never heard of this place until we went, but apparently it's a pretty big deal in Verona. The lobby was consistently full the entire evening. Their typical clientele definitely seem to be more on the oldster side of things. Other than the employees, I think my hubby and I were among the youngest people there by a couple of decades (and we're not exactly spring chickens!)
Everyone -- from the hostess to the waitress to the lady ringing up the checks -- was sweet as pie. Sweeter than pie even. The atmosphere there was like being wrapped in a warm, comforting Pittsburgh hug.
The food, however, gets mixed reviews. We started with the fried provolone, which were delicious -- crispy and ooey-gooey without being too heavy or greasy. However, the tomato sauce it was served with was bland. Beyond bland in fact. There were no chunks of tomato. No acidity. No sweetness. Just kind of....nothing. Tomato sauce at an Italian restaurant is kind of important to get right, so this was a big miss.
For my meal, I ordered the chicken parm -- a dish that relies on tomato sauce as its linchpin. After having the provolone, I didn't have high hopes for my tomato sauce-laden dinner. Unfortunately, as I'd feared, my chicken parm was bland. The chicken itself seemed to be well-prepared -- it was coated in panko breadcrumbs and was crispy and juicy. However, it was covered in the bland sauce that really just didn't do anything for it. It needed a lot more seasoning to give it some flavor...unfortunately trusty Mr. Salt Shaker didn't do the trick. The pasta it was served with was kind of mushy, and again it was covered in the sauce that was flavorless. I will say, however, that the portion size was VERY generous -- enough for me to take a sizable amount home for lunch the next day (plus it also came with soup, salad and bread before the meal).
My hubby fared a little better, having ordered a meatball hoagie and fries. His hoagie was ginormous, with meatballs the size of small baseballs! He thought his meal was pretty tasty, so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing (although his also had tomato sauce, so I dunno).
The alcohol prices were a treat -- $2.75 for a Sam Adams is really reasonable! In fact, in general I'd say that the prices were pretty reasonable overall for the amount of food that you get. My hubby's meal was particularly well-priced ($7.25 for his hoagie and fries). Mine was pricier at $15, but it did come with the soup, salad and bread. Considering we each got two meals out of it, I'd say the value here is good.
Overall, the value, the friendly service, and the decent food earn this place a solid 3.5 stars. I'm not dying to race back here for another meal, but I'd definitely be willing to try it again and maybe get something else on the menu that doesn't have tomato sauce.
PS - The parking lot around here is small, so be prepared to be patient and/or be creative to find a spot.
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