I am infatuated with delicious eats, but I’m a sucker for
ambience. Find me a place that has both,
and I will be your number one customer.
I’m excited to say that the visionaries behind Sienna Mercato are now
two for two with the recent opening of Il Tetto. Now you have the mother of all dilemmas. Will you get your meatball on at Emporio
(located on the first floor) before or after you take the elevator ride to Il
Tetto’s gorgeous rooftop beer garden?
As some of you know I’ve been anticipating the opening of Il
Tetto for some time. As the cosmos would
have it, their second night in operation just happened to be my birthday. No lie, I was a tad nervous bringing my band
of friends to a locale I had never been before, but the idea of a spacious rooftop
bar in downtown was just too darn tempting to pass up. My imagination had nothing on this
place. Upon exiting the elevator, my jaw
dropped a bit. The rain had stayed at
bay, allowing the retractable glass ceiling to reveal a portion of the city’s
skyline and a pleasant nighttime breeze.
Seating options varied from cozy nooks to sizable party tables. The bar, which lined an entire stretch of
wall, was inviting as well. No matter
where you sit, be sure to look up and admire the gas lamps and charming strings
of lights. The décor is pleasing to most
anyone I’d wager, from sports fans (there were several TVs playing the Buccos
game) to those seeking a romantic rendezvous and anyone in between.
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| Take a Gander |
So, Il Tetto is picturesque, you get it. But looks will only get you so far (as my
grandma loved to remind me when I’d get “gussied up.”) I needed to get my hands on a birthday
libation. Lucky for me, the draft list is
equally as impressive as Emporio’s. The
reason? Each of the 32 drafts that are
downstairs are piped up to Il Tetto’s bar.
You can also imbibe on wine and specialty cocktails if you prefer.
In regards to food, the menu provides a select list of small
plates ranging from munchies like house-made Pork Rinds to heavier dishes like
the Duck Confit Steak Fries. We ordered
the latter. The fries were crisp, yet
tender and the duck fat gravy added a velvety richness to the plentiful shreds
of duck meat. The topping of a sunny
side-up egg added yet another level of richness and texture. In other words, it was delicious. We also gave the Pork Conserve, Roasted
Cauliflower, and Artisanal Italian Cheese plate a try out. The pork dish was particularly guilt
inducing. The combination of grilled
bread, lardo, tender pork in olive oil, and cherry based conserve (similar to
jam) was complex in flavor and rustically elegant.
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| Duck Confit Steak Fries |
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| Roasted Cauliflower |
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| Pork Conserve |
If ordering a few small plates, you can easily create a
filling meal. One thing you cannot do,
however, is order food from other floors (i.e. Emporio or Mezzo which will be
opening soon). Take my advice and avoid
asking to have meatball sliders delivered via the elevator (don’t judge us),
because as our patient server politely explained…Il Tetto is its own
entity. It just happens to be housed in
the same building. As a result, we ended
our night downstairs, treating our sampling of small plates as appetizers. Talk about convenient bar hopping.
Il Tetto is an experience not to be missed. Reminiscent to some of the trendiest rooftop
bars in NYC, I am thrilled to have such a sweet place right here in the ‘Burgh. The question is…will Sienna Mercato be the culinary trifecta
of downtown when Mezzo opens its second floor doors? Stay tuned.
I give Il Tetto:
4.5/5 forks
942 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA
15222
412.281.2810
