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| - Food: Piccolo Forno offers traditional Italian dishes, but it also offers numerous unique takes on Italian cuisine that seem both authentic yet new. You can order lasagna or also get pasta dishes like you've never seen. Both dishes we ordered were unlike anything we had tried at other Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh. There are plenty options for vegetarians but also meat and seafood. The soup was delicious and came with a giant roll in it, soaking up the soup. The rotating desert options are multiple variations on the same theme (a bombe), which is basically a hard chocolate covered ice cream/cake ball shaped contraption (awesome), but they also have gelato/tiramisu. The portions are large (enough to take home), and we were beyond full with soup, dinner, and desert. The pizza is rumored to be good, and looked/smelled good, but we didn't try it.
Price: The prices are surprisingly affordable, with no entree over $20. Our entire check for two came in at under $55 (two soups, two entrees, one desert, two coffees), cheaper than some lower quality places in the city. You get your money's worth in terms of food quality and quantity, no doubt.
Drinks: BYOB. Tables around us were drinking everything from bottles of wine, to bottled beer, to cans of Busch. One table even had an entire bottle of Jack Daniels on the table they were passing around.
Atmosphere: The seating is tight, with tables packed close together. You have to tread carefully to get to the bathroom without tripping over another table or knocking someone's drink. This also leads to a pretty loud dining experience, because the place is always packed. The dining room is simply decorated and there's not an eye-sore to be found. A bigger dining area would probably be an improvement (see below).
Service: They do not accept reservations for a table less than 5. So for those with less than 5 in their party, you fight through the mass of people at the front door and get on the list. There is always a list. We were offered a 2+ hour wait for a table of four, two of our party backed out, and we still waited over 90 minutes for a table of two. We have drove to Piccolo Forno in the past at least 3 times, learned of the wait time, and went somewhere else. Your best bet is getting on the list, then going to a nearby bar for a few drinks. But once you do get seated, the service is quick and friendly. The menus, food, and drink refills come early and often, likely to get you out of your table and someone else in it.
(+): Unique, delicious, and affordable take on Italian food with good service, if you can get a table
(-): Thats a big "if", and booze and a bar would make the waiting less painful
Would I go back again? We'll at least try.
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