Lidia’s Pittsburgh

1400 Smallman St., Strip District

412-552-0150

Mon-Thurs. 5 p.m. to 9:30… Lidia’s Pittsburgh

1400 Smallman St., Strip District

412-552-0150

Mon-Thurs. 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sun. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

When it comes to having a romantic Italian meal, most of us are cheap enough to consider a three-pound bag of Giant Eagle rotini and some powdered garlic alfredo as fit for an evening of amore – as long as there’s Franzia and Cracker Barrel on the table.

But if you’re looking to do something a little nicer for your sweetheart and want to eat over a white tablecloth instead of on your stolen couch, try the northern Italian cuisine of Lidia’s Pittsburgh in the Strip. This award-winning restaurant features the cuisine of famous Italian chef Lidia Bastianich of Public Television’s “Lidia’s Family Table,” as well as stunning interior design by New York architect David Rockwell.

Although the dinner menu tends to be a bit pricey for most college students, Lidia’s offers a brunch for $19.50 on Saturdays and Sundays, which boasts many of Lidia’s signature dishes with a breakfast twist – plus a complimentary Bloody Mary. The interior of Lidia’s is romantic and stunning, even in the daytime: Two massive, blown-glass chandeliers hang precariously over earthy pillars topped with orange-colored caps. The whole restaurant glows with red, orange, brown and yellow to create the aesthetic of a cool sunset while retaining the elegance of a fine restaurant.

Stylish wooden circular shelves, merging together like Venn diagrams partially filled with colorful stained-glass panels hold bottles of wine and ingredients along the back wall of the large dining room, giving the restaurant a more intimate, homey feel. That’s just what Lidia wants: to “bring your family to our family” by making you feel as if you’re at her home being treated generously by her kitchen.

The well-trained wait staff, who will do just about anything except hand-feed you, first invites you to try a basket of bakery selections such as blueberry and raspberry muffins and foccaccia covered in sea salt and rosemary. You can dip the dense foccaccia, which is the best my date and I have ever had, in some apricot jam, or slather on heavenly butter mixed with sugar and honey. Also in the basket are small figure-eight and button-shaped donuts, which are sugary and delicious. It’s hard to finish the bread basket, so take it home – it’s worth it!

The next course of the brunch is the antipasto table, a do-it-yourself salad bar with Italian salad, fresh meats and fruit salad including pineapple, melons and, thankfully, more strawberries than most fruit mixes. And after this healthy divergence, then comes the heart of the Italian meal, the parade of the calories, the taste of ambrosia – whatever you want to call it – the main course.

Our waiter recommended Lidia’s popular unlimited pasta-tasting trio, where a server runs around the dining room with a bowl serving three different types of pasta to all those interested, announcing what each pasta is as they spoon it graciously onto your plate. The pastas that day included penne with diced tomato and arugula, buttery roasted chicken ravioli infused with thyme and drizzled with lamb stock and my personal favorite, fettuccine with mussels. The pastas are all hot, and each brings its own unique taste to make this trio the best pasta dish you’ll ever eat – plus, you can ask for more at no charge.

We also got the bistecca di manzo alla griglia, a beef fillet grilled with twice-fried Istrian potatoes, topped with a roasted tomato and fried egg. The beef is tender and rich, and the egg adds a distinctive breakfast touch to this would-be dinner dish. The presentation is picture-perfect, of course. Other featured entrees on the menu include salmone alla griglia, a dish with salmon grilled medium-rare, served over corn and lima beans with basil onion sauce. Also check out the canelloni if you love homemade pasta, a dish featuring egg pasta stuffed with leeks, spinach, ricotta cheese and topped with mushroom ragu.

After dinner, Lidia’s invites you to their dessert table, which is filled with tiramisu, biscotti, torte, crostate and other seasonal Italian treats, as if all the pasta and breads weren’t enough.

Lidia’s brunch is perhaps one of the best values in the city for a fine, multi-course meal, and it certainly helps that the wait staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the cuisine and the atmosphere is enchanting. Lidia’s also has a full-service bar, a loft for special events, plus a $20 wine list from which your waiter will help you select a wine to complement your meal.

If you would like a break from Ragu and Chef Boyardee and want to experience Lidia’s, check out http://pittsburgh.lidiasitaly.com.