I recently had the opportunity to dine at Joseph Tambellini’s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a wine tasting. After a quick glance of the website (and meal offerings) I knew immediately that this place was going to be something to remember.

Growing up in a large Italian family, I was constantly surrounded by delicious food and great conversation amongst my family.  As I walked into the front door of Joseph Tambellini’s, these feelings were instantly relived.  I was greeted by a very accommodating staff member and after we distinguished where I would be heading (the third floor), was led and seated in the proper area.

The decor of the entire restaurant is elegant and much like the service, homey. I felt extremely comfortable; like I just stepped foot into one of my relatives homes.  The lighting is soft and the atmosphere is calm and relaxed.

After a glass of Chardonnay, we were seated and ready for the tasting to begin.

The first course commenced with a delicious Caprese salad (and gorgeous heirloom tomatoes).

Caprese Salad

After the delicious salad (and another glass of Chardonnay), we were kindly served the next course, a Mahi Mahi fillet with a potato crust. Now, I’m not sure if you know me, but I really don’t eat seafood. Fish, especially.  The odor just really gets to me. There was no fishy smell at all to this dish, so I figured I’d give it a go. The worst thing that that could happen was that I wouldn’t like it. To my surprise, it was absolutely delicious. I ate the entire thing. How on Earth?!

Potato Encrusted Mahi Mahi with Asparagus Spears

The night was going extremely well. Wine was flowing, the conversation was engaging, and I was learning so much about wine! After our speaker had finished telling us about the many different types of Chardonnay’s they had, we were then introduced to the next course, my absolute favorite.

Gnocchi with Pancetta and Mushrooms

Good lord. One bite of this and my mouth was literally begging for me. It was literally every flavor I absolutely loved combined into one dish.  The creaminess of the pasta and potatoes, the crispy and salty pancetta, the earthiness of the mushrooms and finally, it was topped with elegant shavings of fresh Parmigiano. Everything you could ever want in a dish.  I was in such a state of bliss at this point that had there not been others around, I would’ve most definitely licked the plate clean. Fortunately, I chose to keep things classy.

Though hard to top, the next course was absolutely fantastic as well– a date stuffed with prosciutto and Gorgonzola cheese.  I am always so fascinated by the ways in which people can completely turn the flavor profiles of foods.  Dates are normally very sweet.  In this case, the date came out and aside from being visually stunning, the flavor was so savory and surprising. I loved everything about it.

Fig Stuffed with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola

After the delicious fig, a fillet mignon and lobster combination was brought out to us.  Again, this was not something I was expecting to have high regards to. For one, the seafood, and two, I’m not a fan of steak. I’m not entirely sure why, I just never really developed the palette for them.  I took a bite of the fillet and was pleasantly surprised at the flavors of the overall dish.  The two seemed to merge well and created a very creamy and savory texture and flavor.  Again, seafood and steak. Me? Who would’ve thought? (note all of the wine glasses!)

Fillet Mignon with Lobster

Finally, the last course was brought out and of course it was a dessert! Can it get anymore visually appealing than this? The flavors were very complex and everything complemented each other well. I was impressed! It was even served with a shot of Tuaca.

Passionfruit Sponge Cake with Green Tea and White Chocolate and shot of Tuaca

All in all, I feel like this was an absolutely amazing restaurant experience! From the fantastic service to the food, I will definitely be going back again (and hopefully getting some of that gnocchi)! *salivates*