Pittsburgh: Lidia's Italian Kitchen (September 2011)

Lidia’s Pittsburgh opened in March of 2001. Acclaimed New York architect David Rockwell designed the interior to reflect an open-warehouse atmosphere nestled in the heart of the Strip District. Lidia’s The ittsburgh menu concept is a combination of the New York restaurants, Felidia, and Becco. The menu features a daily pasta tasting, with homemade pastas that incorporate the seasons freshest ingredients in addition to hearty Italian favorites. Lidia Bastianich is the founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-quality broadcast productions including Lidia’s Italy, an Emmy-nominated television series; one of the best-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Lidia is the chef/owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants — Felidia, Becco, Esca, and Del Posto, as well as Lidia’s Pittsburgh and Lidia’s Kansas City. Perhaps the single most important quality that Lidia shares is her belief that it’s not only the food on the table that makes the meal, it’s the people who join around the table who bring the meal to life. Her signature line: “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” means “Everybody to the table to eat!”