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| - My coworker had been recommending Lidia's to me for a while, and I'm glad I listened to her and brought my family here for dinner last week. We had a wonderful Italian meal, and one of the better dining experiences in Pittsburgh so far.
We had a reservation on Saturday night around 6 pm, and used their valet service ($5? $6? I forget). We were seated right away, and we all admired the gorgeous dining room space. It seems to have been built in an old warehouse - the ceiling is massively high, and there's gorgeous Mondrian-esque glass over the bar. Very stylish!
I should also say right off the bat that our server was outstanding. Friendly, funny, and knowledgeable, he was one of the best parts of the whole experience. He helped us choose a wine which we all enjoyed, and he poured it skillfully. He was also helpful to us at various points throughout the meal - for example, four of us began with the Insalata di Rucola (split two salads between four people, and they came on separate plates). The salad sounded amazing, with arugula, pear, walnuts, and gorgonzola (get in mah belleh) but we all noticed that there was quite a lack of...well, pear. We all had maybe one measly little wedge, and it definitely kept the salad from being as yummy as it should have been. So we told our server about it, and he immediately brought out a plate full of pear slices. Redeemed! And the salad became delicious.
My entree was the Ravioli di Cinghale (ravioli filled with wild boar, in a rosemary sauce) and it was pretty delicious. Three big raviolis, filled with succulent meat (think pulled pork, but Italian and well-spiced). The sauce was very very light, but still flavorful. My dad got the Pasta Trio, and it was hilariously awesome to watch three different guys come by with big bowls, delivering their delicious wares to his plate. He had a lot of fun with that. My mom loved her sea bass as well.
Dad's pasta trio came with a dessert, so he got the Crostata di Pere, a sugary pear maple dessert which I think was good, but I don't have really strong memories of it so clearly it didn't bowl me over.
All in all, it was a very good meal with some truly excellent service. We felt cared for and comfortable, and our bellies were full. What more could we ask for?
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