Il Pizzaiolo in Market Square

As I mentioned in my "last" Pittsburgh weekend post, MJ took me to the newest restaurant in Market Square that weekend, Il Pizzaiolo. While Il Pizzaiolo has another location in Mt. Lebanon, this new location downtown fits in perfectly with the revival of Market Square and should be on your list of places to try in Pittsburgh.

Il Pizzaiolo is a traditional Neapolitan restaurant that uses high-quality, fresh ingredients and uses the "old-world" techniques of cooking. Simply meaning that if you order a pizza, you'll have it in front of you in 90 seconds and it will be better than any typical pizza place. Trust me on this, MJ is a pizza connoisseur and he was melting over this dish. I, of course, got a dish that took more time to prepare, so we waiting about a minute longer than had we both ordered pizzas.

Outside Il Pizzaiolo in Market Square - between Moe's and Starbucks.

Now, don't think this restaurant is just another pizza place. Far from it. It's just that they cook it, along with everything else, in the Neapolitan ways. They have an extensive, and sometimes hard to pronounce, menu that is sure to please the youngest to the oldest in your family. Also, the wait staff is well versed in everything that the menu has on it and they will pronounce it all beautifully for you. And while MJ knew how to say everything on the menu...that's what you get when your boyfriend has a music degree...if he can sing in ten different languages, he can certainly tell you what a menu item is. But, in case you don't have an MJ within your reach, don't worry, the staff is very pleasant and will help you make the right decisions based on your taste.

In the downtown location, there is a small outdoor seating area, typical to the Market Square vibe, and inside, a full bar and seating areas on two floors. But if you're closer to the Mt. Lebanon location, not to worry. The outside dining area there is actually bigger and they also have what they call the Enoteca, which is an intimate wine bar above the patio with romantic and relaxing fireside seating. I know the atmosphere alone just sold you, so stop into one of these locations and I promise you will have a truly wonderful and unique dining experience.