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As a globetrotting foodie, one thing that is hard to find is good Italian food. In Pittsburgh (where I live) we had a few really great Italian restaurants, old school, and traditional classic food, but they have closed. Imagine my excitement to head on out to Vegas and find a restaurant that brought back memories of a Pittsburgh Italian restaurant! 

I found what I would consider the best authentic and traditional Italian food I have experienced in a long time off the strip in Vegas! Signature Italian dishes, an incredible ambiance and white-glove service (reminded me of a cruise ship), are just a few highlights of this Italian dining experience in Vegas.

The best authentic Italian cuisine in Vegas destination is also iconic. Many a movie star has dined here and in fact, Robert DeNiro & Sharon Stone filmed a segment of  ‘Casino’  at this restaurant and we sat at their table!

Get dressed up, glitter, glimmer, set your GPS for Convention Center Drive right off the Vegas strip. Lavishly live the best authentic old-school Italian dining experience in Vegas out loud, its time to eat well or “mangia bene!” 

Best Authentic Old School Italian Dining Experience In Vegas

Our experience at Piero’s was completely authentic, from our servers to the food! I can’t wait to go back. My personal thanks to Piero’s for hosting this culinary writer and her husband. The time spent here is one we shall never forget! XO DANA  ~ 

We were so excited to be invited to dine with Piero’s Italian Cuisine in Vegas.  Get ready to have fine Italian defined by the ‘old-school’ dictionary! If you don’t know what I mean about Old School food, it means, this was not an Olive Garden, chain restaurant. It is as traditional and delicious as it can be! 

What You Need To Know about Piero’s Italian Cuisine

The destination is classic and ‘classy’, something you may not get to experience in a lot of other Vegas venues, but I seek out the finer destinations and I was NOT disappointed here. Suggested dress is simple yet dressy.

I noted that most guys were dressed at least in dress slacks and dress shirts, while most ladies were in a dress or dressier clothing. Don’t ruin the atmosphere with jeans and athletic shoes, it is not that.

If you do not LYFT Or UBER there, you will find a parking lot with plenty of parking (valet).  Just looking at the outside of the restaurant I knew we were going to enjoy it. In fact, it reminded me of a place in Pittsburgh, as I alluded to before.

Make a reservation, it gets really busy, locals have their own tables, pretty much one section of the restaurant. While it is large, the food and word of mouth travels down the strip and across the USA (a thing called YELP and TripAdvisor) lend a hand. It’s that yummy.

Our Table

I do believe I mentioned we sat at the exact table that Sharon Stone and Robert DeNiro filmed ‘Casino‘ in.  Michael sat in Sharon’s seat and I was in DeNiro’s, but how completely cool.  Personally, it is a bucket list item I never knew I had, lol!

The Stuff We All Miss & Piero’s Delivers Big On

Think back to old school dining, you would eat dinner, service was by a server in a suit, not a simpleton tee.  Dessert trays were always the highlight of the meal. 

A bonus back-in-the-day was when the owner was on premises (which was like always right?) and he would visit the table. Yep, just a few of the highlights from our recent dining experience.

Vegas-style outstanding service with that Old-School feel, simply what we love and Piero’s has it!

Captains, servers and more. 

Inside, expect to find tables actually set with linens, dim lighting (also not optimum for my food images, sorry Y’all), and white jacket servers.  Actually, the restaurant kind of works like a cruise ship.

In the dining area when you’re sitting and eating you will have a Captain, this was ours, Phillipe. Not only is he a fountain of knowledge, he loves his job and it shows. This is our Captain Philippe.

As fate would have it, we came to learn that Philippe used to work on a cruise ship and he is French. Phillipe knows the menu inside and out and he will recommend foods for the evening.

TIP 

Here’s a tip don’t order from the menu order what’s on special you will be so happy you did. Trust me the menu has a lot to offer, but you would miss out on the specials.  Phillipe offered his thoughts, which guided us to make incredible decisions. Truly, listen to your Captain!

A well-oiled machine(restaurant)  takes a village to properly function.  Not only was it our Captain bringing our dinner to the forefront but additionally, there are servers to tend to your water glasses and your silverware and a food runner (those in white coats).   

Actually, this is so old school, and how things used to be done, it was not just a ‘cruise’ thing. Don’t call the restaurant dated, that is its nostalgic charm and why people come here.

You have to understand the restaurant is what was yesteryear. Hardly is the restaurant dated, dim light, brick walls, a lounge area, a bar area where you eat, I mean it is so OLD SCHOOL I can’t get over it. Class, authentic and no one rushing YOU out the door when your meal is done.

WINE

What is an Italian dinner without wine? It’s not an Italian dinner. We ordered Chianti wine it was nice and bold with a smooth finish.  Somewhere between our first and second glass of wine, I believe our wine was upgraded.

The second glass was definitely more bold and robust than the first and the color was darker. (ok so I drink a little wine, it’s an Italian thing!) Definitely preferred the second glass of wine, over the first, more full-bodied and dry!

  SALAD

My Salad Limestone Salad 

Made moments before serving and such a delicate green to work with, and one of my favorites. Bibb, Boston, whatever you choose to call it is so light and dresses up so well. Look at this creative presentation.

The Garbage Caesar

Transforming the ‘everyday’ Caesar into a work of colorful and edible garnishments. Open Wide.  

What A Bowl Of Raviolis

 Veal.. Is that for one?

Veal, butterflied and bathed in both sauce and cheese. It would follow that, with a huge portion like this, you are not going home hungry, ‘that’s Amore!’

My husband was very very brave and took on the veal platter. This piece of meat took up the entire plate. As the owner walks by he said and I quote “you’ll never eat all that!”

 

The funny thing was we were so hungry from our very very busy day but he did eat almost all of that LOL it was that good!

Dolce Vida ~ So Good You Will Want To Skip Dinner, but don’t~!

Any and everything on the pastry tray is definitely proportioned for sharing. Not sharing would be an Italian Sin, after all, you have to be pushy and say, “Open up honey you gotta try this” you want to be fat together right, lol! (forgive me, but we are both Italian, grew up in Italian households and our typical Italian family includes everyone insisting on trying everything.)

It’s the way our Italian households were and still are, loving and tasting-friendly. When we head out to eat, it would be the ‘Italian Sin’ to not share and insist the other tries it. “Try it, You Gonna like it!”

Back in the day, as a kid, when we would eat at one of our Pittsburgh Italian restaurants, the reward for eating dinner (as if we needed a reward) was the choices of a dessert off the dessert cart. #Memories and Oh My Dessert Porn here! You’ll savor every bite and then dream of its decadence over and over.  

My Dessert