Ciao

I’ve always been fond of Ciao, partially because I rarely had to pay for the food there thanks to casino comps and food vouchers, but honestly they have hands down the best desserts in Pittsburgh.
The food is cheap and delicious, but the dessert is the highlight. Tried their cannoli, apple dumpling, mango cheesecake bomb, and the very reason I’m writing this review — italian cupcake!
Before this cupcake I’ve never really understood women’s obsession with cupcakes, it’s a cake with some icing, sure it’s small and cute, but I was so sure nothing about the taste of a cupcake can possibly impress me a big deal. and well, this one did! it was a very nice buttery walnut/​pecan pound cake, filled with egg custard (the kind you would normally find in a fruit tart), and topped with cream cheese (not the shitty sugary icing, it actually taste like a cheesecake on top of a butter pound cake!) and the walnut/​shredded coconut on top is a nice touch too. For the first time I feel the inflated price on cupcakes are totally justified, in fact this one should cost more! God damn I gotta get this recipe. and their cannoli recipe! (side note: I was comparatively unimpressed with their tiramisu and bearclaw, not because those are bad, just because the other desserts are too good! — just for reference, in case you’re picking between several options as I always am)