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!

Sienna Sulla Piazza - Market Square Downtown Pittsburgh

The food at Sienna Sulla is really very good. I would not recommend dropping by for happy hour with more than four guests unless you have a reservation. The bar is small, the bartenders don't like flash photography and being rowdy is generally discouraged.

The crowd tends to be a little older and the atmosphere isn't encouraging for slamming Miller Lites, but the food stands out. The mozzarella stuffed giant veal meatball pictured above is fantastic. Well seasoned, well textured, perfectly paired with toasted pine nuts and entirely delicious. I personally think that pine nuts are one of the most underutilized ingredients. Although the meatball is a rather simple creation, I find other restaurants have no problem finding some clever way to ruin it.

This was the absolute best thing ever.

Chicken liver mousse is always good, but Sienna prepared it flawlessly. Adorned with crushed pistachios and honey, I think I could enjoy this dish everyday for the rest of my life. It had a wonderful sticky texture and a delicate sweetness. Be careful though, I totally covered my tie in honey. (There must be some way to make this sexual. Please indulge in the comments below.)

The second best thing ever.

If you aren't going to order the veal stuffed meatball, I recommend going with the meatball flat bread. Sienna serves the sucker covered in fresh basil,  san marzano tomato sauce, provolone and one of the most perfect ricotta cheeses I've ever tried. I don't even like ricotta cheese, but whatever variety was heaped on this meatball flat bread was very good. They must have gotten it from the fancy Giant Eagle in Shadyside.

The quality of the food and the ingredients used at Sienna Sulla are easily some of the best you can get in Market Square.  Again though, don't try going here for happy hour with your sorority sisters. Although the drinks are reasonably priced, the bar frowns on shenanigans. The bartender wouldn't take a second picture of our happy hour crew because he said we were disturbing the other patrons. Slag off other patrons! No one tells us how to act after consuming most of the wine at the bar and half of the meatballs in the greater Pittsburgh area.