Yesterday evening, a nice little posse + I took advantage of the Scoutmob deal offered at La Pietra Cucina. Typically, I am not big on going out for Italian food (with the exception of the occasional Alfredo’s visit, of course). However, I’d heard some pretty great things about La Pietra + wanted to see for myself – as usual the Scoutmob just sweetened the deal.
I arrived a good 20 minutes before everyone else, so I parked myself at the bar, ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio + checked in on Foursquare. As soon as I checked in, a tip popped up informing me that no matter what else I ordered at La Pietra, I needed to try the proscuitto. Done.
When we sat down, I let everyone know that a little birdie told me that the proscuitto was amazing + we promptly threw in an order for it. It really was incredible. I’d always assumed that proscuitto was proscuitto – slice the meat + serve it. This was way better than any proscuitto I’ve had anywhere else in the U.S. And, I’m not exaggerating at all. Do not pass over it on the menu because you think you can get it anywhere! Trust me.
For appetizers we ordered the following to share…
Proscuitto di Parma w/ emilian flatbread, fresh ricotta + pineapple mostarda.
Burrata Mozzarella w/ sea salt + olivastro.
The Tortellini Special. Note: Do not tune out the specials like I usually do. (Can’t help it…) I wasn’t listening when the server told us about this special + I would have really missed out if Mr. Barocas didn’t catch it + throw in an order. It was just marvelous.
All of us ordered pasta dishes or “primi” for our main entrees. Everything was SO delicious, although I’m pretty sure that I ordered the best as I tried a few of the other plates…
I got the Strigoli alle Vongole w/ clams, pancetta (this sold me) + pequillo peppers.
Slick + Mr. Barocai ordered Mario’s Black Spaghetti w/ rock shrimp, scallions + hot calabrese sausage. (Black spaghetti is so cool looking. This was definitely the prettiest plate + in my opinion, a close runner up to my order.)
Mr. Brad-Cohen-Himself selected Carla’s Tagliatelle w/ wild pacific mushrooms, thyme + parmigiano. (I h.a.t.e. mushrooms, but it still looked + smelled super.)
Gorms + Cute Cari opted for the Hand Cut Pappardelle w/ bolognese ragu + grana padano.
We finished every last bite + were very pleased with our meal.
Then, dessert arrived. We all shared three dishes, two of which are pictured below, but I must admit that I cannot completely remember what they were… (Lifestyle NOT food blog – please remember. Sorry not sorry.) Regardless, I’d definitely recommend not skipping dessert. All three that we shared were exceptionally tasty + the perfect end to a delicious meal.
So, just breezing over these… 
For not being the biggest Italian restaurant fan (i.e. eating pasta outside of the house, generally), I thought that La Pietra Cucina was fabulous. (If you read the blog frequently, you know that I reserve that particular word for only the best of the best.) No matter how good I think I am at putting jarred pesto on whole wheat pasta, I am absolutely not a trained chef + have NOTHING on the brilliance of Bruce Logue at La Pietra.
I definitely think that this restaurant would be great for a third or fourth date. However, I do feel obligated to say that while our meal was pretty darn close to perfect, our service was very slow. Just know before you go, La Pietra does not strike me as a restaurant that can get you in and out quickly. Regardless, I would love to dine there again + strongly encourage everyone with a Scoutmob to check it out.
Now, to deal with my garlic breath… (I could seriously kill a vampire.)
xx, L
La Pietra Cucina
1545 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404.888.8709
www.lapietracucina.com
