emporio: a meatball joint

- service is good.
- 4 meatballs spaghetti portion a little smaller than i anticipated.
- daily special cod balls were delicious!
- spicy pork meatballs were ok.
- salad is fresh but again, portion less than anticipated for the price.
- overall. food is good but i think slightly overpriced.

ate at the bar here and really enjoyed it. great beer list and interesting meatball dishes in an attractive setting. would definitely go back.

my group was visiting from california.

a tradition we have when we go on the road to watch our hockey team is to have a pasta dinner on our first night.  i found sienna mercato, and said the place was about 0.4 miles from our hotel, and the hotel had a shuttle that could take up to 11 of us. this restaurant is divided into three floors, the first floor is a meatball restaurant, second floor is a charcuterie and pizzeria, and a top floor is a beer garden. the third floor is on the roof, but the room is enclosed in glass.

reservations can only be made for the second floor restaurant, and since there were 20 of us, it took a while for a table as it was first come first serve. the staff was very nice and tried to accommodate us with two tables of 10. while we waited for the table, we went to the rooftop to get some drinks, but we had to wait for a table to free up as well.

fortunately, it took about 45-minutes to get my text message our tables were ready. we were seated adjacent to each other, but with different servers.   the downstairs level wasn't very large, so we were quite fortunate to have our group in just 2 tables.

the menu had a variety of things, but i wanted to try all their meatballs, so stephen and i shared a combination of them:

pork with pork bolognese, and the bom (ball of the month ) with marinara, vegetable ball with govt cheese, the turkey meatball with mushroom gravy, and my favorite of all, the classic beef meatball with the spinach-almond pesto.

what i didn't realize until we paid was our meatballs were the same price as sliders.  basically, we were not given our bread. i don't know if it was a miscommunication or an error on the server's part, but we left on a rather sour note. 

overall, everyone enjoyed their meal.  the service was decent, despite the size of our group.  most of the group had the 4 meatballs with pasta, which was too much for one person.  perhaps stephen and i should have split that, or, gone in with others to share a variety of meatballs and pasta. oh well, there's next visit.

i've been reading about this place for awhile, but never had the right opportunity to go check it out. my wife and i finally had a chance to go this week and it was fantastic.

the building is kind of a cool place. there are 3 restaurants, each on a different floor, so be aware of exactly where you're going so you don't end up in the wrong place. fortunately, emporio is on the 1st floor...so that's fairly easy and straightforward.

my wife is a vegetarian, so going to a meatball-only place seems a little odd. but they have several vegetarian options and they're all fairly clearly marked on the menu. our server was also very helpful when it came to suggesting items and telling us which sauces he preferred.

we started with the tater tot poutine with mushroom gravy. the tater tots alone were just okay. the mushroom gravy alone was just okay. but when you put it all together, it was actually a very nice starter. it was also a fairly large portion, which was a nice surprise.

for our meal, we both got grinders. my wife got the veggie meatballs with the spinach almond pesto sauce and i got the classic beef meatballs with the arribiatta sauce.

the veggie meatballs had a very nice taste. i wasn't crazy about the consistency, but it didn't seem to bother her. my beef meatballs were very good. the arribiatta sauce was described to me as a "spicy marinara". i would describe it more as marinara mixed with salsa. but, as odd as that sounds, it actually was very good. and, it had quite a kick (i like spicy food, so i enjoyed it...just be aware it is spicy).

they also had a special on this particular day. since it was ash wednesday, they had a fish (meat)ball. i don't know if it will be back again...although you would think it would be around during lent. we decided to get a slider, just to try it out. it comes with a tartar sauce on it (you don't get to pick a sauce for that one). it was...okay. the sauce was a little lemony, but not overwhelming. the fish was strong, but again, not overwhelming. getting 1 on a slider was the way to go...i think 3 in a grinder would have been too much.

we decided to get dessert and at the recommendation of a friend and the waiter, we got the warm ricotta doughnuts. our waiter asked if we wanted hot fudge or ice cream with it. we assumed there was an extra charge and said no. the doughnuts were very good (and very hot...like right out of the oven hot), but it could have used a sauce or fudge to dip it in. i don't know if it costs more, but it might be worth the splurge.

the best part about this place is that everything was very affordable. we each had a decent size grinder for less than $10. the sides (which we did not get) are a little on the higher side price-wise. but the poutine is affordable and you get a big portion, so that could work as a side or appetizer if you choose. for a nicer restaurant in downtown pittsburgh, it was nice to walk out without feeling hungry or like you were ripped off.

i'd say this place is definitely worth a visit if you're in downtown...and if you're not, make it a point to stop by sometime. they do one thing (meatballs) and they do them well.

(pictures - tater tot poutine, beef meatball grinder with arribiatta sauce, vegetarian meatball grinder with spinach almond pesto sauce, fish (meat)ball slider, warm ricotta doughnuts

at first i didn't like this place because i have a lot of trouble deciding what to get, and the options were overwhelming.
but.  i've worked through it and it was worth it.  i usually get good service here and the food has always been consistant and well prepared imo.  i'm a big fan of the taziki sauce and veggie meatballs.
not a big fan of the packed bar, but it comes with the territory, so i try to plan around it when i can.  if i can't i'll head up to mezzo, but not the rooftop..though their pizza is good.

i've probably eaten here at least a dozen times  and the food is always great.  the wedding soup is excellent, and i usually get a panini.  i'd never had a warm olive platter before, and it's pretty delicious.  really, all of their snacks and apps are great.  when i lived downtown i would go hang out at their bar, watch football and eat.

their service can be a little on the colder side...slow sometimes, and sort of brusque, but it's fine.  the food, beer and whiskey selection makes up for it.

i continually find them to be a great value too.  bar prices are standard, but their food is really inexpensive relative to the quality.

this is such a cool concept!!! house music, ambience super!! menu very cool and food out of bounds. i tried every meatball and all were amazing. try this place!!! cheers!!!

great dining experience! the server was attentive, polite, and very knowledgable and was spot on with her recommendations! i only caught a glimpse of the bottom of my glass once throughout the meal. i tried every meatball with her suggested pairing and could not pick a favorite. the desert and drink both equally impressed me. to end the meal i had the ricotta donuts that were served to me moments after being lifted from the fryer, very fresh asking donuts with a surprisingly smooth and rich fudge sauce. the drink was this cane sugar root beer they get shipped in from abita brewery near new orleans, it tasted like a better version of ibc or in other words it'll knock any big name can out of the water. this place is definitely worth a try, glad we ended up here since every other kitchen we checked in the city closed at 11.

i'm going to write this up for all three floors. let me say that i would come here everyday if i could. the meatballs are amazing. we don't eat meat so having the veggie options are awesome. we can't get enough of the poutine either. beer selection is well thought of. il tetto is a really cool place to hang out. always have good drink selections. i haven't had any of the small plates up there so i can't speak to the food. lastly, mezzo on the second floor. this was the last place we experienced and i can't say enough about it. the wine is awesome and the food was top notch.

i like the no wait app policy. sometimes it is just easier to jump in line then to make reservations. if there is a long wait just take the elevator up to the roof and enjoy a beverage.

great times. we went last night after the home show, while we could not get a table without waiting 1 1/2 hrs we were able to sit at the bar and order. the food was great, a little pricey but great. my husband had the spicy pork meatballs with marina and i had the turkey meatballs with tzaiki (sorry about the spelling), we also had the poutain appetitizer, yum. our bartender andrew was great, it is an extremely busy place!

nothing compared. this compared to its sister restaurant (sienna in market square) is in completely different categories. while the market square location was more conservative in design and creative in flavor - this was more flamboyant in design with disappointing flavor. the cocktails were great though¡

completely bitchy hostesses and waitresses. get over yourselves.

gluten free!! it was so exciting to be able to eat here without worrying if i would get sick! the food was amazing. the pesto was so fresh, and the meatballs were so delicious. definitely going back!

delicious food, unique menu, great atmosphere, reasonably priced. couldn't ask for more! would definitely recommend it.

delicious. i love this place, i've never had a bad meal, good beer selection, and atmosphere. i always get whatever the special is because it is always delicious!