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| - I have been wanting to check out this place for a while, and was so glad we got the chance to last night! First floor is a meatball joint, second floor is a charcuterie/pizza/Italian restaurant, and top floor is a rooftop bar. We ate at the second floor of this three floor establishment.
As we had arrived prior to the rest of our dinner partners, I went for their version of an Italian margarita with tequila. It was very sweet, tasty, but was lacking much of an alcohol kick surprisingly. When our friends arrived, we ordered the small charcuterie board and the small Pennsylvania cheese board. Man, these were amazing!!! I loved every cheese and every meat, even the more adventurous ones like the rabbit based one. The server who brought out the boards went through each meat and cheese with us and told us how to incorporate the accompaniments along with the meat and cheese. Next time, I'd probably order the large ones because I liked it so much!! Of note, when ordering the meat and cheese board, the waitress asked if we'd liked bread, which out of habit I said yes. Well apparently, the bread is extra and we did get charged for it, which for an Italian restaurant, I thought was a bit much.
Alongside my dinner I had a glass of pinot noir which was really delicious and complimented to pasta and pizza we had ordered really well. My fiance and I split their sausage pizza and shrimp fra diavolo for our entree. The pizza toppings were yummy, but we both found the crust to be a little lackluster. Not bad by any means, but not at the level some other local woodfired pizza places are. Now the pasta...the pasta. OMG. So. Good. First marinara sauce I've ever tasted that is as close to my mom's Italian family recipe. The pasta was perfectly al dente, shrimp perfectly cooked. I literally could have put my face in this dish. AMAZING.
We skipped out on dessert in favor of grabbing a beer downstairs at the Meatball Emporio level. Great craft beer choice! I got the Yard's Love Stout and it might just be my new favorite!
The ambiance of the whole restaurant was awesome. It did have a bit of a hipster vibe, but was warm and welcoming. The service was also above and beyond most. Overall, I will definitely be back, especially for the wine, meat, cheese, and pasta!!
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