Talia Cucina & Rosticceria satisfies with slow-roasted meats, housemade pasta
One of the newest additions to Pittsburgh's dining scene is Talia Cucina & Rosticceria, a concept by the Vallozzi family of restaurants. Located on the bottom floor of the historic Alcoa building, Talia focuses on slow-roasted meats and is home to Pittsburgh's first amari bar.
Amari, also known as amaro, are Italian digestifs, or alcoholic drinks served after a meal to aid digestion. Twenty varieties are available at Talia along with seasonal cocktails, imported Italian wines and prosecco on tap.
When you walk in, the vibe is warm, welcoming and chill. Music ranges from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, giving off smooth vibes from various decades. Sit at the bar or along one of the booths near the floor to ceiling windows for views of the city. There's also a chef's counter seating for 10 that gives you a direct view into the open kitchen.
No matter where you sit, ordering a cocktail is a must. Try one off the list or ask the bartender to make you something special. When in doubt, prosecco on tap is always a wonderful option.
The dinner menu is divided into antipasti (appetizers), spiedo (meaning spit, which showcases the roasted meats), primi (pastas), secondi (entrees) and pizze (pizza).
Off the antipasti section, the cheese board and salumi board are always lovely accompaniments to a glass of wine or cocktail, while heartier options include lemon parmesan or calabrian chili buffalo roasted wings and duck hash, an elevated take on a traditional hangover classic. Cubed potatoes are combined with pulled roasted duck and tomatoes and served with a super cheesy sauce.
There's also a crudo selection of the day. On the night I dined it was hamachi — sliced raw Japanese amberjack, served with pickled asparagus, microgreens, chili oil and salt. Light and bright, but a little touch of citrus acid would have helped it out.
All of the pastas on the secondi section of the menu are made in house. I'm not a huge pasta person, but I found both dishes that I tried to be delightful. Strozzapreti is combined with fontina cheese, horseradish and pulled chicken to make a creamy sauce. Rich and delicious and even recommended for those who are wary of horseradish.
The ricotta gnocchi are light and fluffy and presented with pulled tender short rib, tomato sauce, spicy calabrian chili, and bottarga (salted cured fish roe). Though spicy, everything about this dish was comforting and desirable. I found the fish roe kind of funky at first, but it just adds a hint of umami flavor. Portions of these pastas are the perfect size, filing you up without leaving you hungry or with a plethora of take home boxes.
The root of this restaurant is in the slow-roasted meats that are found in many of the dishes, like the pastas mentioned above, or on their own. During lunch, the spiedo options include porchetta, lamb leg, and a quarter of chicken served with a fresh herb salad and roasted red potatoes. For dinner, the options expand to include dry 30-day aged prime rib as well as half of a chicken, porchetta and lamb leg served with the fresh herb salad. Roasted asparagus, greens and beans, and red skin potatoes can be added on as sides for an additional charge.
Porchetta is a tradition in Italy and is even included on a list of traditional foods that hold cultural relevance by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies of Italy. This dish features pork tenderloin rolled up in a piece of fatty pork belly with a herb mixture in between. As the pork roasts, the fatty pork belly naturally bastes the tender pork loin.
An entrée for dinner and on the panino (sandwich) menu during lunch is the open face melt that shouldn't be overlooked. A thick square of focaccia is topped with a pile of tender short rib, sweet caramelized onions, caciavallo cheese and pan jus. The focaccia is thick enough to hold the pile of toppings and pan jus. Definitely a fork and knife kind of open face sandwich.
I found this dish to be so delightful that I wished for the other half of focaccia topped with the same flavorful ingredients. If sharing, you might want to order two because you'll find yourself eating the whole half. Other sandwiches on the lunch menu include porchetta, pulled chicken, lamb, and ribeye.
Though you might want to focus your order on the pasta and roasted meats, the pizza also is quite tasty. Opt for the classic margarita: a crisp crust topped with a creamy charred tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella slices, basil, and olive oil. Other varieties include the Colazione: ham, egg, smoked cheddar, provolone, red skin potatoes, balsamic-maple reduction and Italiano: speck, soppressata, black olives, hen of the woods.
The dishes at Talia are so simple, yet are packed with flavor. When I dined here for both lunch and dinner, I found my lunch dishes were better than my dinner selections. But, I'll definitely be back to try Talia for dinner again. The space is chic, the drinks don't disappoint, and the food is on its way to becoming a homerun.
Sarah Sudar is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
