Talia

When I get sad I drink Campari in my attic. Personally I love the stuff. Pictured above is a negroni - according to my awesome bartender at Talia they will have them on tap once they get settled. If you've never had a negroni they are made with gin, vermouth and Campari. If you want to get sexy with Campari at home, here's a great list of recipes. Personally I adore the boulevardier.

Have you ever had hot olives? Generally I have not been impressed by them in the past.  I've always had the dish served in some type of rosemary lemon dressing. The hot olives at Talia were served with a pork salumi sauce that really tied them together. A unique dish in my humble opinion. I'm really looking forward to going back so that I can check out the salumi board and cheese board on the menu. Based on what was offered at the tasting I'm certain they will be fantastic.

Out of the various samples we tried the beef tartare was probably my favorite. They did a great job, perfect texture and flavor with a nice balsamic tomato twist. On my next visit I'm really looking forward to sampling the spaghett and the Italiano pizza with speck, sopresetta and hen of the woods! I never see exotic mushrooms on menus, this is a very exciting development.

Also, if you are wondering if I spelled spaghetti incorrectly, I did not. That is how they have it on the menu, just like my favorite Tim and Eric character. http://www.taliapgh.com/dinner/

Vallozzi's - Downtown

Our wonderful spread.

I believe this was my fourth or fifth visit to Vallozzi's for happy hour in the last year. Quite frankly, they have one of the best happy hour setups in Market Square. A spacious bar with plenty of high top seating and room for mingling. Without even taking into account how great their food is, here are some reasons why Vallozzi's should be one of your top choices for happy hour in Market Square if you have a large group.

1. The Oyster House really isn't that good.
2. Nola gets very crowded and it is hard to find a spot at the bar. (You have to be seated at the bar to get happy hour prices at NOLA.)
3. Perle has very strange older singles vibe. (So this might actually be your spot after all depending on what you are into.)
4. Los Velas is not quite as good as Taco Bell.
5. The Yard can be insanely noisy and crowded.

SNACKS

Some of the wonderful dishes we tried included the flat breads, the cured meat plate and the fried risotto balls. Although the flat breads were my favorite snack, I was remarkably impressed by the fried risotto balls. They had a wonderful creamy texture and were a perfect vehicle for consuming Vallozzi's marinara sauce.

WHAT NICE LOOKING PEOPLE

I also have to tell you about my favorite drink from the Vallozzi's happy hour menu. It was an Italian drink I've never heard of called sgroppino. I was actually not sure how to say the word so I think I just pointed to it on the menu. Apparently it is a Venetian drink typically made with lemon sorbet, Vallozzi's served them up with lemon rosemary syrup, vodka and prosecco. Three of them is an excellent way to start and end your night!

Pleasure Bar

Greens keep me regular.

My anglo grandmother always used to pronounce the word Italian "I-talian." She'd say things like, "a real I-talian lady made this pasta sauce, so you know it is going to be good." I don't know if that is a Pittsburgh thing or just something old-timers do.

Pleasure Bar is one of those old school I-talian institutions keenly ingrained in the psyche of Pittsburgh residents. It is kind of an odd spot for happy hour. The bar is well lit, clean and well staffed - there was no music playing in the background. The patrons consisted of old men reading newspapers, goombas in track suits eating various lasagnas and squirrelly looking women that probably used to do your cousin Vinny in the back seat of his Camero.

The happy hour isn't a great deal - fifty cents off every drink. However, the place was crowded so I guess they don't need to give large discounts. I always forget that some people like to go to nice places that don't smell like Satan's ashtray dumped in a urinal. 

I thought the food was slightly above average. I really enjoyed the fried Italian greens pictured above! It was a much larger dish than I was expecting for six dollars. Delicious greens sauteed in olive oil sprinkled with bits of prosciutto - I added hot sausage but you also have the choice of adding sweet sausage or beans.

These block me up.

These hand breaded provolone sticks weren't bad either. Provolone sticks are where it's at - mozzarella sticks are for paupers. The amount of sauce they gave me was kind of absurd. I hate wasting all of that sauce.  Everything else I tried was rather disappointing. The chicken parm just didn't pop. And the one item I was really excited for, the Italian eggroll, just didn't do it for me either. It was entirely lacking in texture and flavor. If I want I-talian in the dirty-burgh, I'm going to Stagioni or Storms. I'd like to add Alla Famiglia to that list, but no one will take me. (This is a Christmas hint to my girlfriend who doesn't read my blog.)