In the early days of quarantine, we took a drive to Marietta Square to pick up some Italian food for our first date night in. The square had some kids playing close to the fountain, and a couple sipped on wine at a table outside the restaurant. For a Friday night, it was eerily quiet. Piastra reminds us of that local Italian restaurant that you’d go to on Friday night, order bottle of vino to share at the table, split a pizza or a hearty bowl of pasta, and finish off with some silky tiramisu. This time, when we picked up, we got the duck carpaccio, the Rigatoni Domenica and a Salsiccia pizza. What a meal.
Starting with the duck carpaccio: show of hands—who doesn't love a solid carpaccio? Told you! Everyone does! The duck melts in your mouth. The fattiness and savory of the duck pairs well with the sweetness of the honey in a melody of flavors topped with the earthiness of arugula and the acidity of citrus vinaigrette. Pro tip: Eat all ingredients together. This way it’s every flavor and done so well. This is a must-get.
The best all-around ingredient we love at Piastra is their mild fennel sausage, crafted in-house. The two main entrees we sampled had it in both. While fine Italian restaurants are known for their wine selection and pasta, can’t they also be known for an outstanding pizza? We got their Salsiccia with the mild fennel sausage and pomodoro, and it was an all-around great pizza. From the sausage, crushed tomatoes and mozzarella, to the tasty and well-seasoned bread, it would be a crowd-pleaser for any meat pizza lover. We’ll have to try this when it’s pipping hot at Piastra when restaurants re-open. If it’s this good when you get it home, it must be even more amazing hot!
The other dish we got that featured the sausage was the Rigatoni Domenica. Talk about a truly authentic delectable pasta dish—you got it right here. The sausage is savory, meaty, slightly spicy but mild and very tender. You mix that with handmade rigatoni that’s perfectly cooked between soft and al dente, covered in a tomato-based sauce and a hint of cream—that’ll hit the spot. Creamy, savory, sweet, spicy—such a wonderful dish. Next time, we want to try a Secondi Salmon, pork chop or half chicken. They all sound amazing.
Piastra is open for curbside pickup and delivery through DoorDash and Zifty. They also have $10 and $15 bottles of wine. Who’s craving Italian fare and a good bottle of wine tonight?
This story is part of the ongoing Adventures In To-Go: The Quarantine Chronicles. Curbside takeout, to-go and delivery are the name of the game for restaurants to make ends meet, so we’re here to chronicle some of our to-go adventures. From easy curbside, to having to wear a mask, to having date nights, family nights, game nights, dinner and a show all in (or on our patio), things have really changed overnight. But we still love food and our friends who make it, so we’ll keep telling you some of the best takeout around, where to get that next meal and may even a surprise or two. Join us!