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| - This restaurant is going downhill. I used to frequent this location years ago, and loved it! I returned a few months ago, to get treated to an overpriced, underwhelming experience that led to both myself and my date getting food poisoning over bad mussels. By the way, it was a first date, nothing says "go out with this guy again" like being glued to your toilet the entire next day praying that you'll just die.
I called them, and told them what happened (specifically stating I wasn't looking for a handout, I just wanted to let them know that their mussels had turned, and they should check their product), and the manager told me that I had to have been mistaken, and that they only keep in fresh ingredients. They did send me a $15 gift card, which I thought was nice even though that a $15 gift card is the middle finger of gift cards, so I decided to try them once more.
OK, so that was just a fluke, they gave me a gift card, time to put on my optimistic pants and try again. So I took one of my long time friends out for lunch.
We walked in, and we were given the new option to sit in the "Wine Bar".
OOOooo, color me intrigued.
So they took us outside, up some stairs, and into what I'm guessing was a middle aged Persian's studio apartment above a garage that they converted into a dining room. We then waited for service for an inhuman amount of time before we were given waters. I ordered a dry red wine, and my friend ordered a cocktail. We waited, and eventually got those, and they were actually very nice.
We ordered mussels again (cringe) and the meat and cheese plate. First thing I knew was iffy was the meat and cheese plate. They replaced the normal wooden board, and replaced it with a plate. A white, boring, incredibly small plate. On top of it all, it was more of a plate of lunch meat than a charcuterie! Blah. The mussels were good though, and my bowels remained intact, though we asked for bread when it was dropped, and had to ask for it a second time. What a waste, the broth was actually good, but cold by the time we actually got our bread.
So I'm sorry Il Pizzaiolo, I really tried to like you, but until the quality returns, I won't be.
TL;DR Don't go here, there are a ton of cheaper, better Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh
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