The owners of Pino’s Contemporary Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Point Breeze were met with an exciting surprise last week: Their restaurant was mentioned on an episode of the hit HBO Max show “The Pitt.”
“We did a double take,” said Jen Mico, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Joe “Pino” Mico. “I think people like to see small business win. The shoutout was really great. We come from very, very humble beginnings, and we’re excited for this to happen.”
In Episode 4 of “The Pitt,” a patient tells Dr. Cassie McKay that “dinner starts at Pino’s, the best Italian in town.”
Pino’s opened in 2003 at 6738 Reynolds St. It’s a dinner-only restaurant, Tuesdays through Saturdays, known for house-made, fresh pasta alongside appetizers, salads, main courses that change every few weeks and pizza. The wine selection focuses on indigenous varieties and smaller producers.
Joe Mico, born in the Calabria region of Italy, moved to Pittsburgh as a child with his family, settling in Morningside. After attending culinary school and working in local restaurants, he opened a small pizzeria in 1994, across the street from the current Pino’s. The Micos launched the first Pino’s in Squirrel Hill and have since pared everything down to this one spot in Point Breeze.
“My husband got his start as an entrepreneur focusing on pizza and focaccia sandwiches and things like that,” said Jen Mico, 62. “But now things have changed. Pizza is probably 15% of our total business. Pasta is what people come to Pino’s for generally.”
Mico said they were in the middle of dealing with the fallout of the recent snowstorm, with subzero wind chills and snowed-in parking spots, when the family began receiving texts asking if they’d seen the latest episode of “The Pitt.”
“We were completely shocked — we knew nothing about it,” she said, as no one from the show had contacted the restaurant about the mention. “The timing was impeccable.”
Amid the snow and cold, customer traffic naturally had slowed, Mico said, aside from local, loyal customers and some takeout orders.
“I will tell you that every day and even as of this morning, everybody’s like, ‘Hey, did you guys know that you were mentioned on ‘The Pitt?’ ” Mico said. “It’s been very active.”
Pino’s has 40 seats in the dining room and 10 at the wine bar; it’s often tough to get a table on the weekend. With Valentine’s Day approaching and the spotlight from “The Pitt” thrown into the mix, it’s even harder to get one now.
“There’s definitely been an uptick of new faces,” Mico said.
Since the episode’s airing, she’s received texts from longtime customers saying they hope they’ll still be able to get reservations at Pino’s — to which she replies, yes, they will.
“We always remember where we started,” Mico said. “We love our regulars, but it’s great to see new faces, too.”
Mico wants the recognition to be shared across Pittsburgh, home to so many great establishments.
“Everybody loves that Pittsburgh reference; there’s so much pride that people have about being from Pittsburgh,” she said. “Any time there’s positive information about our city, you get to see how people shine. People who leave Pittsburgh, their heart is always still here.
“We’re happy we’re getting all the positive feedback,” she said, and, referring to the expansive outdoor seating they added in 2024, “we’re looking forward to patio season.”
