Alison C.
Yelp
My friend and I ended up at Birravino before a concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center. It was only about 15 minutes from the venue and had its own parking lot, so it was an ideal choice. It was too hot to sit outside, but we saw their enclosed tent retreat with its beautiful chandeliers and live music. Instead, we were in their main dining room, which was surprisingly spacious, given that it was full of tables; they really optimized the room for maximum seating, while still keeping it comfortable. Both the bar and dining areas were packed with diners enjoying pizzas, pastas, and main courses. In fact, it was tough to decide what we should order. My friend and I debated getting two appetizers each, but that would have been much more costly than a singular entrée per person, so we kept it simple and went that route.
After we placed our order, we received a plate of fresh semolina bread, as well as slices of the same loaf, which had been toasted with salty cheese. We munched on the bread while sipping our matching Aqua Jalapeno cocktails, which were wine glasses full of Casamigas jalapeño tequila, San Pellegrino, watermelon, and lime juice. Unfortunately, I found the drink disappointing. It was not properly stirred, so each sip was different - some too tart, some too strong, etc. Plus, while the watermelon seemed like it was real fruit, the cocktail had an artificial taste.
Despite that, we loved our meals! My friend found her lemon chicken and spinach risotto comforting and delicious, though she would have preferred less capers were included. I similarly enjoyed my pan-seared, Nova Scotia salmon filet, which was perfectly cooked and salted maybe just a touch more than it needed to be, but I would prefer that over it having no taste at all. The large piece of fish was served over a seasonal blend of warm zucchini, charred pearl onions, and a cold tomato and corn salad. The ideal amount of spring onion crema had been drizzled across the plate, allowing me to incorporate as much or as little of it into my dish as I wanted.
We both found Birravino to serve tasty food in a fun, lively atmosphere that made it the perfect pick-me-up before a lengthy concert.
