I used to visit this location when it was the City View restaurant and in previous incarnations under other owners. The view cannot be faulted, no matter who owns the place. It's beautiful to see the city below while enjoying a meal. I visited on a Sunday because another place was not open even though their ad said 10 to 4. I was seated quickly and had a good view, the table was clean, comfortable. The menu appears to have about 50 dishes which is very ambitious as it must slow service to a crawl on busy nights. The problem was that almost nothing on the menu did not have cheese on it or the cheese was an integral part of the dish and could not be omitted. I was left with the bruschetta ($7), Asiago salad ($7) and spaghetti ($12) all made specifically without cheese added. The waiter brought warm bread and an olive oil mix with basil and dried tomatoes that he said they "made themselves". I tried it and it had absolutely no taste of olive oil, just tons of basil. The oil was yellow from the tomato, not GREEN and tasting of olives as it should be which lead me to the fact they buy cheap adulterated "olive oil" that is mostly canola or walnut or whatever else they cut olive oil with to sell it cheap. If you have ever tasted REAL olive oil from California you know what I mean. The waiter said the bottle says "extra virgin" but as there are no laws in the us regulating olive oil it could be engine oil and nobody would know. Probably 80% of the menu items had "olive oil" in it or drizzled on it, so what you're eating is canola oil. There was a "balsamic" something squirted on the bruschetta that was thick and brown and tasted like it had a caramel base to it. This caramel base is added to cheap substitutes for a true balsamic dressing made with aged balsamic vinegar and real olive oil. I guess if you drown everything in cheese nobody notices the underlying flavors. The spaghetti was hot, but the sauce was bland and boring tasting though I could see garlic bits in the sauce. I'd bet the garlic was not fresh but from one of those institutional sized buckets, all chopped and ready and having no taste whatsoever. I wished for fresh basil, maybe spinach, mushrooms, anything to improve the texture and taste, but alas, boring. The dessert menu came down to six food service dessert things drowned in whipped cream so that was a pass. I was disappointed in my meal and I do not plan on a return trip unless I hear of major changes. The waiter was attentive, informative and quick with service, the venue is lovely. They need to work on creating a smaller menu of freshly made food using local ingredients and buy a far better quality olive oil. After all, this is an Italian themed restaurant and Italians pride themselves on the quality and taste of their food.
(1)
David H.
Awesomem restaurant with an amazing view to add to it. Great menu selection, encompassing everything from surf to turf. Decent wine selection as well. Did not try their custom wine but took the waitresses recommendation on a merlot and it was very pretty good. The wine menu was organized nicely as well; from sweet dry. Food quality was great. Came out at the perfect temp and in a timely manner. I got the blue crab ravioli and it was awesome. The crab meat was fresh and the sauce was delicious. Overall an excellent addition the Johnstown area. It's nice to have a higher class place with decent prices and an amazing view to bring out of town guests.
(5)
Cynthia D.
My family has been to Asiago's many times and have usually enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere. We are NOT the type of people to send meals back or complain. My husband ordered a bone in rib eye that was described by the waiter but was not listed on the menu. My daughter's friend also ordered the rib eye. My husband's meat had a bad odor and a bad taste so it sat uneaten. The other steak was fine. When the waiter came back to the table we informed him that the steak was bad - also expressing that we understood that a bad steak could happen at any restaurant. He asked if my husband wanted another steak or if we wanted a discount. This seemed very reasonable at the time and since a spoiled piece of meat made another steak seem very unappetizing, we asked for the discount. This is when things turned less satisfying. The steak meal cost $38.00 and a $15.00 discount was offered. This meant we would be paying $23.00 for a potatoes and vegetables that came with the meal. This didn't seem fair. So we expressed this to the waiter. (We also apologized to the waiter as none of this was his fault.) The manager came to the table and we could tell that she wasn't pleased. We had to explain everything to her again which was embarrassing because people at other tables were listening to the conversation. She offered to take the cost of the appetizer ($6.95) off the bill. We accepted this because we were made to feel like we were trying to get away with a free meal and we were quite embarrassed. We were in NO WAY trying to get something for nothing. The total of bill was over $160.00 after the discount so it wasn't like were trying to get away with anything. It all was a rather unpleasant experience which we tried to handle with dignity and we were made to feel terrible.
(1)
Teresa V.
We were excited to try Asiago. The menu sounded great. My fiance is a big fan of Prime Rib. We went as a party of 4. My sister, her husband, and the two of us. We didn't call head for reservations so we got there and only a bar table was available. That was completely fine. We did get to sit immediately. Our waiter was excellent. He listed the specials with detail and made them sound great! In fact, I was swayed from my menu choice and when with one of the specials (the cajun salmon). Fiance still had his horseradish encrusted prime rib, sister had salmon as well, and her husband had lasagne. We ordered two appetizers. The mozzarella moons (moz sticks in a moon shape). Three of them came. I think they were $12. We also got the Cheese Dip with bread. The cheese dip was really good. It was flavorful and the bread was awesome. The bread that actually came to the table with the oil was very dull. It was the same texture as the biscuits at Red Lobster. but with out the cheese or the garlic taste. Not a fan. Main courses- I ate half of my salmon. It was ok.. but not fabulous. I found out later it was $26..and it was definitely NOT a $26 meal. .. I actually make better salmon at home. The sweet potato spears underneath it were heavenly. They were actually PERFECT. I make them at home..but normally I peel them and also I don't think I get them quite as crisp. Normally they are also thinner. I'll be making them a little more like theirs from now on. And the broccoli was good. The prime rib was eh. The horseradish (paste?) was about 1/2 inch thick but it wasn't very flavorful. it has some horseradish taste, but wasn't hot. He brushed most of it off.It was too much..bad texture.. not good taste. His dinner came with red potatos and green beans. He didn't realize it..and doesn't like red taters, so he asked for mashed. The owner actually brought out his mashed and handed them to our waiter. The mashed were WONDERFUL. he didn't like them..as they were more a smashed potato than mashed. I thought they were perfect. They were buttery and awesome. The lasagne the BIL said was good... but wasn't like wow! He said his mom's is better.. I did break down and get dessert. PB pie for me. It's made on site and was very very good. Very rich. I ate half, took half home. I could have eaten it all... Fiance had apple dumpling ALSO VERY good. If I were to go again.. I'd not get the cocktails. Ãt's a martini bar...but the appletini was weak. ($9) and the march bubble (a champagne cocktail) was ok..but not fantastic. I'd get a soda..and get probably more of a basic pasta $15 meal. The meal i had was def more $15 ish than $26. Or maybe go for appetizer and desserts? The actual rest. was very pretty..and the view is really nice...
(3)
Lizelle A.
We wanted to show our friends a nice view and possibly go on the incline. We sat on the patio and had a very nice al fresco experience. Our waitress was very nice. She didn't know what a Moscow mule is but that's ok. She also spilled tomato sauce on my husband by accident but that's ok. She had nice energy and good suggestions. My Caesar salad was absolutely scrumptious! Well if you put bacon on anything it makes it wonderful. The lobster ravioli is also excellent. Everyone else at my table also enjoyed their meals. If you are in the Indiana county area and want a nice view but don't want to go all the way to Pittsburgh go here.
(5)
A R.
Horrible Horrible Horrible. While the view is wonderful, the food not so much. I visited with a friend from Italy and the first thing we encountered were snotty hostess/waitress staff. Really? When being shown to our table, the snotty hostess/waitress, took us to a very scenic view of the only concrete wall in the house. Thanks! After asking for a better view, the "if its possible to be even snottier hostess/waitress" huffed off leaving us as quickly as possible for an older couple. Our waiter was perplexed and did not understand that we asked for Ciabatta, Grissini or a hard bread. We received a cross between a Hawian roll, and cornbread. Neither of us had any idea what it was. Then came the "olive oil"......NOT! We got some "sun dried tomato" concoction of what we were told was olive oil and Tuscan dried tomato. More like STP motor oil/Wesson canola and some reddish tasteless puree. We then asked for simply plain olive oil with ground pepper.........again.....the oil was clear, watery, and awful. The meal lacked taste, and that it hard to do with a steak. The pasta was DENTE......not even close to al dente with what appeared to be a "plop" of canned tomato on the top. Not at all blended...... Don't get me wrong. I love my hometown but this was terrible.......terrible. I think that they should forget the pretense, and go back to good old Bar Food. We left and went down to a local pub for sandwiches. Oh, and the food was PRICEY!!! I don't think they will be around long. This place is as Italian as a perogie.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Bee S.
I used to visit this location when it was the City View restaurant and in previous incarnations under other owners. The view cannot be faulted, no matter who owns the place. It's beautiful to see the city below while enjoying a meal. I visited on a Sunday because another place was not open even though their ad said 10 to 4. I was seated quickly and had a good view, the table was clean, comfortable. The menu appears to have about 50 dishes which is very ambitious as it must slow service to a crawl on busy nights. The problem was that almost nothing on the menu did not have cheese on it or the cheese was an integral part of the dish and could not be omitted. I was left with the bruschetta ($7), Asiago salad ($7) and spaghetti ($12) all made specifically without cheese added. The waiter brought warm bread and an olive oil mix with basil and dried tomatoes that he said they "made themselves". I tried it and it had absolutely no taste of olive oil, just tons of basil. The oil was yellow from the tomato, not GREEN and tasting of olives as it should be which lead me to the fact they buy cheap adulterated "olive oil" that is mostly canola or walnut or whatever else they cut olive oil with to sell it cheap. If you have ever tasted REAL olive oil from California you know what I mean. The waiter said the bottle says "extra virgin" but as there are no laws in the us regulating olive oil it could be engine oil and nobody would know. Probably 80% of the menu items had "olive oil" in it or drizzled on it, so what you're eating is canola oil. There was a "balsamic" something squirted on the bruschetta that was thick and brown and tasted like it had a caramel base to it. This caramel base is added to cheap substitutes for a true balsamic dressing made with aged balsamic vinegar and real olive oil. I guess if you drown everything in cheese nobody notices the underlying flavors. The spaghetti was hot, but the sauce was bland and boring tasting though I could see garlic bits in the sauce. I'd bet the garlic was not fresh but from one of those institutional sized buckets, all chopped and ready and having no taste whatsoever. I wished for fresh basil, maybe spinach, mushrooms, anything to improve the texture and taste, but alas, boring. The dessert menu came down to six food service dessert things drowned in whipped cream so that was a pass. I was disappointed in my meal and I do not plan on a return trip unless I hear of major changes. The waiter was attentive, informative and quick with service, the venue is lovely. They need to work on creating a smaller menu of freshly made food using local ingredients and buy a far better quality olive oil. After all, this is an Italian themed restaurant and Italians pride themselves on the quality and taste of their food.
(1)David H.
Awesomem restaurant with an amazing view to add to it. Great menu selection, encompassing everything from surf to turf. Decent wine selection as well. Did not try their custom wine but took the waitresses recommendation on a merlot and it was very pretty good. The wine menu was organized nicely as well; from sweet dry. Food quality was great. Came out at the perfect temp and in a timely manner. I got the blue crab ravioli and it was awesome. The crab meat was fresh and the sauce was delicious. Overall an excellent addition the Johnstown area. It's nice to have a higher class place with decent prices and an amazing view to bring out of town guests.
(5)Cynthia D.
My family has been to Asiago's many times and have usually enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere. We are NOT the type of people to send meals back or complain. My husband ordered a bone in rib eye that was described by the waiter but was not listed on the menu. My daughter's friend also ordered the rib eye. My husband's meat had a bad odor and a bad taste so it sat uneaten. The other steak was fine. When the waiter came back to the table we informed him that the steak was bad - also expressing that we understood that a bad steak could happen at any restaurant. He asked if my husband wanted another steak or if we wanted a discount. This seemed very reasonable at the time and since a spoiled piece of meat made another steak seem very unappetizing, we asked for the discount. This is when things turned less satisfying. The steak meal cost $38.00 and a $15.00 discount was offered. This meant we would be paying $23.00 for a potatoes and vegetables that came with the meal. This didn't seem fair. So we expressed this to the waiter. (We also apologized to the waiter as none of this was his fault.) The manager came to the table and we could tell that she wasn't pleased. We had to explain everything to her again which was embarrassing because people at other tables were listening to the conversation. She offered to take the cost of the appetizer ($6.95) off the bill. We accepted this because we were made to feel like we were trying to get away with a free meal and we were quite embarrassed. We were in NO WAY trying to get something for nothing. The total of bill was over $160.00 after the discount so it wasn't like were trying to get away with anything. It all was a rather unpleasant experience which we tried to handle with dignity and we were made to feel terrible.
(1)Teresa V.
We were excited to try Asiago. The menu sounded great. My fiance is a big fan of Prime Rib. We went as a party of 4. My sister, her husband, and the two of us. We didn't call head for reservations so we got there and only a bar table was available. That was completely fine. We did get to sit immediately. Our waiter was excellent. He listed the specials with detail and made them sound great! In fact, I was swayed from my menu choice and when with one of the specials (the cajun salmon). Fiance still had his horseradish encrusted prime rib, sister had salmon as well, and her husband had lasagne. We ordered two appetizers. The mozzarella moons (moz sticks in a moon shape). Three of them came. I think they were $12. We also got the Cheese Dip with bread. The cheese dip was really good. It was flavorful and the bread was awesome. The bread that actually came to the table with the oil was very dull. It was the same texture as the biscuits at Red Lobster. but with out the cheese or the garlic taste. Not a fan. Main courses- I ate half of my salmon. It was ok.. but not fabulous. I found out later it was $26..and it was definitely NOT a $26 meal. .. I actually make better salmon at home. The sweet potato spears underneath it were heavenly. They were actually PERFECT. I make them at home..but normally I peel them and also I don't think I get them quite as crisp. Normally they are also thinner. I'll be making them a little more like theirs from now on. And the broccoli was good. The prime rib was eh. The horseradish (paste?) was about 1/2 inch thick but it wasn't very flavorful. it has some horseradish taste, but wasn't hot. He brushed most of it off.It was too much..bad texture.. not good taste. His dinner came with red potatos and green beans. He didn't realize it..and doesn't like red taters, so he asked for mashed. The owner actually brought out his mashed and handed them to our waiter. The mashed were WONDERFUL. he didn't like them..as they were more a smashed potato than mashed. I thought they were perfect. They were buttery and awesome. The lasagne the BIL said was good... but wasn't like wow! He said his mom's is better.. I did break down and get dessert. PB pie for me. It's made on site and was very very good. Very rich. I ate half, took half home. I could have eaten it all... Fiance had apple dumpling ALSO VERY good. If I were to go again.. I'd not get the cocktails. Ãt's a martini bar...but the appletini was weak. ($9) and the march bubble (a champagne cocktail) was ok..but not fantastic. I'd get a soda..and get probably more of a basic pasta $15 meal. The meal i had was def more $15 ish than $26. Or maybe go for appetizer and desserts? The actual rest. was very pretty..and the view is really nice...
(3)Lizelle A.
We wanted to show our friends a nice view and possibly go on the incline. We sat on the patio and had a very nice al fresco experience. Our waitress was very nice. She didn't know what a Moscow mule is but that's ok. She also spilled tomato sauce on my husband by accident but that's ok. She had nice energy and good suggestions. My Caesar salad was absolutely scrumptious! Well if you put bacon on anything it makes it wonderful. The lobster ravioli is also excellent. Everyone else at my table also enjoyed their meals. If you are in the Indiana county area and want a nice view but don't want to go all the way to Pittsburgh go here.
(5)A R.
Horrible Horrible Horrible. While the view is wonderful, the food not so much. I visited with a friend from Italy and the first thing we encountered were snotty hostess/waitress staff. Really? When being shown to our table, the snotty hostess/waitress, took us to a very scenic view of the only concrete wall in the house. Thanks! After asking for a better view, the "if its possible to be even snottier hostess/waitress" huffed off leaving us as quickly as possible for an older couple. Our waiter was perplexed and did not understand that we asked for Ciabatta, Grissini or a hard bread. We received a cross between a Hawian roll, and cornbread. Neither of us had any idea what it was. Then came the "olive oil"......NOT! We got some "sun dried tomato" concoction of what we were told was olive oil and Tuscan dried tomato. More like STP motor oil/Wesson canola and some reddish tasteless puree. We then asked for simply plain olive oil with ground pepper.........again.....the oil was clear, watery, and awful. The meal lacked taste, and that it hard to do with a steak. The pasta was DENTE......not even close to al dente with what appeared to be a "plop" of canned tomato on the top. Not at all blended...... Don't get me wrong. I love my hometown but this was terrible.......terrible. I think that they should forget the pretense, and go back to good old Bar Food. We left and went down to a local pub for sandwiches. Oh, and the food was PRICEY!!! I don't think they will be around long. This place is as Italian as a perogie.
(1)