Antica Pizzeria in Andersonville

I stopped in at new Neopolitan pizza place on Clark yesterday for dinner. I had heard that this was the promised coming of Neopolitan for the Andersonville neighborhood, on par to rival the wonderful pies at Spacca Napoli. I am displeased to say, however, that Antica was an utter disappointment.
It displeased me because I wanted to like this place so much. Finally, a Neopolitan fix right near my 'hood. The trek to Spacca no longer is my only option (oh how I was wrong). The servers are charming as hell, going so far as to race to the front door to hold it open and snatch up new guests. This is no surprise however, seeing as the place only had a few other couples dining in at the time and the couple of waiters seemed utterly bored out of their mind. Our server, a recent transfer student from some mysterious Italian-sounding country north of Greece. Throughout the night, the guy got friendlier and friendlier with us, giving me the impression he was either coming on or in tragically dire need of friendship. By check time, he had given us his email address (I don't know how to feel about this...)
The presumed owner made a couple of friendly rounds to our table, checking in throughout our meal with a smile to ask how things were. Needless to say, I put up a fake smile and lied. We ordered the Margherita pizze and the Salume pizze. The Margherita was completely mediocre; too flimsy and lacking any char to the crust. The cheese and basil fell off in a single bite. The Salume pizze, with Italian pepperoni, was basically exactly the same thing, except drab prosciutto-like strips of "pepperoni" subbed for the basil.
We also tried a pasta dish, tortellini with a mysterious "meat filling," served with mushrooms, ham, peas, and a cream sauce. Although we asked for no mushrooms, there they were. We assumed the meat in question was beef, but our server neglected to tell us the rather large oversight that it was veal. To go alongside, I ordered the pear and gorgonzola salad. This was wildly underwhelming. It was a simple mound of lemony-dressed greens, no trace of balsamic flavor as stated, with a few thin slices of pear, next to no candied walnuts, and a pathetic sprinkling of gorgonzola cheese.
To finish our meal, we attempted something sweet. Although our waiter couldn't remember or explain what Panna Cotta was, I luckily knew. However, this too was a failure. Served in individual, trying-to-be-cute-but-failing ramekins, the bowl of chilled white goo was not much more than that. It had little to no sweetness, none of the mentioned chocolate, an overwhelmingly cloying flavor of store-bought Jell-O, and a couple last-minute sad drops of strawberry slices anonymously sitting on top.
Needless to say, Antica is not only NOT replacement or a substitute for the likes of Spacca Napoli, it really puts the name of Neopolitan pizzerias to a bit of shame.

Antica Pizzeria‎
5663 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 944-1492

We stopped in on 11/7 and had a nice meal. It wasn't outstanding, but it was good, and we didn't have any of those weird server issues described above. We got a quattro stagione pizza which was generously topped and cooked much like a pizza at Pizza D.O.C., although the sauce was pretty flat and boring. We also got a run-of-the-mill rigatoni dish with sausage, peas, mushrooms and tomato cream sauce. It was nice to be able to B our own B and have a pretty cheap meal, so most of my favorable opinion of the place rides on the value. Plus, the people seating and serving us were very friendly. Someone from citysearch was there snapping pictures while we were eating.

So I wouldn't recommend it over Spacca Napoli or D.O.C., but if you're in the area and want oven-fired pizza, I think it's a fine option.

(For all I can tell, they are still BYOB.)


ps. germuska, that info. is right.

Well... my issues were not so much the service or the pizza, or "pizzes."
I was just kind of disgusted with the salad, pasta, and dessert we got. They seemed laughable and I couldn't understand the justification in serving them.
The pizzes were OK. Nothing great, nothing to go out of the way for. But if you're in the neighborhood, they should suffice.
Also, I thought our server, working there for only three days at that point, was EXTREMELY friendly and very attentive. This may have been because he was depressed/bored/nothing better to do, but I did get the feeling he was a genuinely good guy looking to talk. I'm not sure if he was in the right profession, but...

Ah, okay. Maybe part of the reason I had a different experience was that I didn't get anything but a pizza and a pasta. The price was right!

The wait for Spacca Napoli was too long for us last night, so we decided to check out Antica Pizzeria. The food didn't inspire the same love as Spacca Napoli, but it was a good meal and the check was lower--mostly due to the BYOB policy.

We split the arugula salad and bruchetta. The salad was fairly large, and maybe a little salty. (The gf said far too salty, I thought it was on the outer range of ok.) There wasn't much cheese on it. The bruchetta was bread topped with a lot of arugula and some mushrooms. It was tasty, but seemed to be missing some acid--I think the arugula was just dressed with oil, and the dish didn't come with the artichoke spread described in the menu.

The highlight of the first course was the freshly made bread. Basically, they bake some of the pizza dough into round flat loaves. Very tasty and a smart way for the restaurant to make use of ingredients already on hand. It had a nice crackly crust and was still warm from the oven.

The pizza margarita was tasty. The crust was a bit thicker than Spacca's and didn't bubble up as much. It had some nice char, reminiscent of camp fire s'mores, and wasn't as over the top burnt as I found Coal fire. The toppings were fine--four large leaves of basil on (shredded?) mozzarella with tomato sauce. I think I'm spoiled by the buffalo mozzarella at Spacca. It was tasty, but not transcendent.

We didn't try the pasta, so I can't comment to the concerns voiced upthread. I do want to note that there was no vegetarian pasta option, although it seems like pizza may be the way to go here anyway.

Including the bottle of wine we picked up on the way in, the entire dinner was about $50 for two people and we had more than enough food. Next time I might suggest just ordering a salad and pizza to split which would bring it to the low 40's. It was a good meal, with good service. But I don't know that it'll end up in my regular rotation.

I welcome many pizza places. The reality is that they will ultimately be compared to, and in competition with, each other. Knowing the differences of quality, price point and style of similar restaurants is why I turn to LTH.

As someone who makes, orders, and eats a lot of arugula salad -- what kind of out of touch liberal does this make me? -- I think it's fair game to comment on the dressing.

I had a pretty good meal there over the weekend, but I won't be returning.
Why? Simply put: Really BAD service.

We had the grilled calamari, which was easily the best calamari I've ever had! It must've been really fresh. Just perfect. We had 2 salads, both of which were good, and 2 pizzas - also VERY good. But one of our party ordered the tuna special and asked for it medium-rare. When the tuna arrived, it was dark pink inside, like it should be. but the center was ICE COLD. I know it shouldn't be cooked, but shouldn't the center be room temperature?
Right after we started eating, the waiter came over and asked how everything was. The man who ordered the tuna pointed out that his tuna steak was very cold in the middle. The waiter gave a condescending smile, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "That's what you ordered, that's what you got." And walked away.

We all sat there stunned. Even if it's SUPPOSED to be cold, the customer didn't want it cold. I felt that the waiter should've taken it back to the kitchen to warm it up a bit.

There actually seemed to be problems among the staff and the chef/owner while we were there. I witnessed a couple "intense" conversations between them.

anyway, there are so many other good pizza places that I doubt if I'll go back there.

I ate there about a week ago and generally enjoyed it. The wood-fired bread served before the meal is a pretty nice touch. As for the pizza, nice char on the edges, but I wasn't thrilled with the toppings. I ordered the quattro stagioni and there were a couple of disappointments in my book: first, the ham was not particularly impressive, and 2) I prefer that the four seasons of toppings be all separated on the pizza, but on this version they were all mixed together. I'm not sure what the standard is for quattro stagioni, but each time I've ordered it elsewhere each topping was on its own quarter of the pizza. In any event, Antica offers pretty good Neapolitan-style pizza, although the quality of the toppings could be better.

mdonovan wrote:I had a pretty good meal there over the weekend, but I won't be returning.
Why? Simply put: Really BAD service.

We had the grilled calamari, which was easily the best calamari I've ever had! It must've been really fresh. Just perfect. We had 2 salads, both of which were good, and 2 pizzas - also VERY good. But one of our party ordered the tuna special and asked for it medium-rare. When the tuna arrived, it was dark pink inside, like it should be. but the center was ICE COLD. I know it shouldn't be cooked, but shouldn't the center be room temperature?
Right after we started eating, the waiter came over and asked how everything was. The man who ordered the tuna pointed out that his tuna steak was very cold in the middle. The waiter gave a condescending smile, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "That's what you ordered, that's what you got." And walked away.

We all sat there stunned. Even if it's SUPPOSED to be cold, the customer didn't want it cold. I felt that the waiter should've taken it back to the kitchen to warm it up a bit.

There actually seemed to be problems among the staff and the chef/owner while we were there. I witnessed a couple "intense" conversations between them.

anyway, there are so many other good pizza places that I doubt if I'll go back there.

Some co-workers of mine went there and pretty much got the same treatment when they ordered the tuna and complained. But then they were told by the waiter that "most people who order tuna really don't understand what they are ordering and perhaps they should just stick to pizza".

The co-workers got their food to go and left with a promise never to go back there, even though they thought the food was ok. After reading your post, perhaps that is how they serve the tuna, but they should at least inform people of that. Or like you said, allow them the option of warming it up if that is how they want it.

You guys are either too hard or I'm too easy. But we were there with a group of 12 last night and had a great time from start to finish--due to both the food and the service. The grilled calamari was (as noted) superb, the thin slices of meat on the Piatto Italiano were mild, subtle and delicious, and my Fattoressa pizza (ham, hard-boiled egg, peas, mushrooms) was just wonderful. (The kind of wonderful that makes you start out saying, "I can't eat all this!," and then you eat all this.) The toppings blended beautifully, and the thin crust was neither too crackery nor too gooey, but just right.

On top of that, if there is a textbook example of how to handle a large party, last night was it. We were double-teamed by a middle-aged man of slight build and a young woman. The man gave off a proprietorial feel--is he the one who has been described here as too friendly? If so, I vehemently disagree. He was appropriately friendly and warm, dedicated to making everyone's experience a happy one. Between him and his young compatriot, dishes came out exactly when they should, and no one of our group wanted for anything at any time. They made it look simple, which (even though I have never worked in a restaurant) I know enough to know it couldn't be. Despite how hard they were working, they made it seem as though they were having a good time. Spirits ran high in the restaurant in general, our table's mood matched by that of the tables around us.

I read through this thread before we went last night and was prepared for the possibility that not everything would be marvelous, and found the actual experience far exceeding the expectations this thread created. Tuna wasn't on the menu, or the specials menu, by the way. Perhaps they are now concentrating on the things they do right. If so, this is a wise choice, because they are doing them right.

My party of 5 enjoyed ourselves at Antica Pizzeria tonight. To start, we shared grilled calamari and octopus, seasoned simply with lemon, garlic and arugula. Nothing earth shattering, but it tasted fresh and only a little too rubbery. Of the pizzas we ordered, the highlight was the Contadina, with its thin layer of excellent tomato sauce, delicious fried eggplant, and shavings of mild aged ricotta with a subtle bite to it. Though I'm generally a white pizza lover, the white pizzas here didn’t shine, probably because the crust just isn't quite good enough to be the star. It's tasty, and the wood oven imparts some nice char- but the crust at Antica is impossibly thin. Way too thin to stand up to robust ingredients, or to stand out on its own. No interesting air bubbles, no discernable lip, no interesting texture - just a pretty decent very thin crust with some char, but not much more of interest.

Antica is byob, not too expensive, easy to get into, and good. I’ll probably eat there occasionally even though it doesn’t measure up to better places that aren’t too far away.

Antica Pizzeria has been nominated as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. Please discuss the nomination in this thread. Discussion ends on March 7.

Thanks,

=R=
for the GNRs

Hi,

I have never been to Antica Pizzeria and never really thought about it. I do question a nomination from someone who registered only to nominate it. If regular posters here can offer a current recommendation, I will feel better about it.

Regards,

I like Antica Pizzeria. I'm happy to have it as an option in the neighborhood. The grilled calamari there is one of the best versions I've tried in Chicago. Pizza is good, though not at the level of Coalfire which serves a very similar style. That said, I share Cathy's concern. The fact that it was the nominator's first post made my SpideyShill senses tingle, but I think this may be a case of an honest, overeager fan of the place rather than some nefarious activity by the restaurant itself. The nomination is certainly accurate in its description of the owner--he is a welcoming, warm fellow who always greets us with kind words and a broad smile. But for now, anyway, I think Antica falls short of the criteria for GNR status.

tapler wrote:That said, I share Cathy's concern. The fact that it was the nominator's first post made my SpideyShill senses tingle, but I think this may be a case of an honest, overeager fan of the place rather than some nefarious activity by the restaurant itself.

I think you're right. It's probably worth noting that we do send out a press release to promote the the opening of the GNR nominations. So, it's entirely possible that someone who is not very familiar with our community could learn about the GNRs and simply come here to nominate a favorite. Our press release actually encourages people with an interest to come here and register so that they can make a nomination. On that basis, I doubt very much that this nomination is a shill, even though the nominator may not be well-versed in GNR protocol.

I urge everyone to gauge each nomination on its actual merits rather than the potential ulterior motives of the nominator, just as tapler has done here.

Thanks,

=R=
for the GNRs

ronnie_suburban wrote:Our press release actually encourages people with an interest to come here and register so that they can make a nomination. On that basis, I doubt very much that this nomination is a shill, even though the nominator may not be well-versed in GNR protocol.

I share the intuition that the nominator is innocent of shilling. The only part of your post, Ronnie, that I don't understand is how the poster can be said to be ill-versed in GNR protocol, when the LTH press release invites new people to register here for the express purpose of making nominations. Given this, it seems to me the poster is following GNR protocol to the letter.

For the record, I've been to Antica Pizzeria once, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but wasn't "blown to the back of the room" culinarily. I'd certainly go back if a friend wanted to go there.

riddlemay wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Our press release actually encourages people with an interest to come here and register so that they can make a nomination. On that basis, I doubt very much that this nomination is a shill, even though the nominator may not be well-versed in GNR protocol.

I share the intuition that the nominator is innocent of shilling. The only part of your post, Ronnie, that I don't understand is how the poster can be said to be ill-versed in GNR protocol, when the LTH press release invites new people to register here for the express purpose of making nominations. Given this, it seems to me the poster is following GNR protocol to the letter.

For the record, I've been to Antica Pizzeria once, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but wasn't "blown to the back of the room" culinarily. I'd certainly go back if a friend wanted to go there.

I really don't want to derail the thread any further but I only meant that successful GNR nominations are often about more than nominating a personal favorite, since a good track record here at LTH is an important factor. I probably should have said 'conventions' rather than 'protocol.'

Now, back to the discussion of Antica Pizzeria.

=R=
for the GNRs

Antica Pizzeria is a pleasant, geographically convenient place to take my relatives when they visit from California. Being both BYOB and near In Fine Spirits is good too. I wouldn't say either of these things makes it a GNR, really. When I see the GNR signs I like to read the pullquotes chosen to go on it; consider the following quotes from this discussion:

For the record, I've been to Antica Pizzeria once, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but wasn't "blown to the back of the room" culinarily. I'd certainly go back if a friend wanted to go there.

I'm happy to have it as an option in the neighborhood. The grilled calamari there is one of the best versions I've tried in Chicago. Pizza is good, though not at the level of Coalfire which serves a very similar style.

I’ll probably eat there occasionally even though it doesn’t measure up to better places that aren’t too far away.

The co-workers got their food to go and left with a promise never to go back there, even though they thought the food was ok.

The pizzes were OK. Nothing great, nothing to go out of the way for. But if you're in the neighborhood, they should suffice.

So I wouldn't recommend it over Spacca Napoli or D.O.C., but if you're in the area and want oven-fired pizza, I think it's a fine option.

You may draw your own conclusions.

I've never eaten here, but when I went back to read the thread I too was surprised at how middle of the road most postings were. I'd love to hear some more love from people who frequent Antica.

The free bread I had tonight at Antica was phenomenal, and one of the best things I've eaten lately. The wood oven imparted tremendous flavor, and the bread has a very pleasant chewy texture with a dark, delicious crust. The chef/ owner explained that it's a cross between ciabatta and focaccia, and it's made in house using the same dough and oven that are used to make the pizzas. Unfortunately, the combo works way better for the bread, as tonight's pizzas were just OK - on par with what I wrote upthread. We also shared some well-made sauteed spinach with garlic, an off-menu request that was handled cheerfully by the staff. The bread alone is enough to draw me back to Antica, and the relaxed, welcoming service from owner and staff penetrate the whole place. I'll definitely return, and will probably venture into more of the non-pizza offerings next time.

In a word: okay. We've been meaning to get here for a while, since it's walking distance for us. We liked the food well enough but found it overpriced and not particularly out of the ordinary with one exception. We liked the menu, particularly since it contains a number of choices that are unusual for a place at this level (meaning not high-end white-tablecloth). We were greeted warmly when we arrived and were surprised at the size of the place. We were also surprised, given the number of tables that were occupied--probably no more than six or seven at most--at the high noise level. All the surfaces are hard, from the tile floor to the largely unadorned walls. The restaurant is dark and, although we didn't have trouble seeing, we were very grateful to be there before it filled up (we got there sometime after 6 pm and left around 7).

The Lovely Dining Companion opted for the "Scarola"--a salad of escarole, roasted zucchini, and pine nuts, all sprinkled generously with little bits of fresh mozzarella. Fresh, good, and a pleasant appetizer. But for the price ($7.95), we were both disappointed in the portion. There just wasn't a lot of salad. Considering the ingredients, the price was high; worse, it was perfectly fine but nothing special in the least. I chose the Tortino di polenta and was very conflicted: the dish was excellent but quite small. The ingredients? Polenta (we're talking two discs about an inch or an inch-and-a-half in diameter, at most), melted Gorgonzola, sauteed porcini, truffle oil, and arugula. I love that the dish was offered. And it was marvelously done. The natural sweetness of the polenta, the tang of the cheese and the sharp arugula all worked beautifully together. A wonderful option, terrifically executed. But again, a dismayingly small portion.

Dinner: I went with rigatoni Amalfitana. Once again, you should look at the menu. It's online. The fact that such a dish is even there, not to mention so many others, is a testament to a serious place trying some inventive things. The rigatoni involved a roasted zucchini pesto, peas, asparagus, pine nuts, and cherry tomatoes. In the preparation, the pasta was perfectly cooked. But the vegetables became a much-too-thick concrete-like agglomeration that didn't so much dress the pasta as accompany it in clumps. I think I counted three or four cherry tomato halves. That said, I enjoyed the chance to try it and found it "nice." I'm shying away from saying I enjoyed it; I think that the exact same dish done a little differently would be superb. But the way it didn't quite come together made it harder for me to truly enjoy it.

LDC chose a pizza: for $13.95 (we think, it's not listed on the online menu), the mushroom pizza (scusi, pizza con funghi) was a disappointment. Again, the price/portion thing. But what made it worse was that sitting atop a really wonderful thin crust--beautifully charred, just the right chewiness/crispiness--the pizza just didn't have a lot of flavor. The mushrooms were fresh but hardly generous, the cheese nice and not too much, but the whole just didn't add up. When LDC first commented that there was no flavor, I was taken aback. How could she say that? But she was exactly right. A mushroom pizza may not have a lot going on, but it should taste--at the very least--like mushrooms. I defy anyone to taste this pizza blindfolded and tell me what it is.

Again, kudos to the restaurant for some tantalizing choices. Let me quote some of them directly from the menu:

Patate é Rosmarino - Pizza Bianca (no sauce) topped with fresh mozzarella and roasted rosemary potatoes
Pistacchio é Speck -Pizza Bianca (no sauce) with fresh mozzarella, roasted pistachios, arugula and sliced speck
Fattoressa -The “Sicilian Special” inspired by Mario’s mother. Italian cooked ham, hard boiled eggs, green peas, and mushrooms
Padania -Caramelized onions, pancetta, and mushrooms

See? Some really unusual offerings and, in themselves, a reason to try this place out. So I imagine that we will return, but we'll do so for that reason: because of the chance to try some off-the-beaten-path items, not because we were particularly taken with anything we had (small portion of one dish excepted).

One last item.

Kennyz wrote:The free bread I had tonight at Antica was phenomenal, and one of the best things I've eaten lately. The wood oven imparted tremendous flavor, and the bread has a very pleasant chewy texture with a dark, delicious crust. The chef/ owner explained that it's a cross between ciabatta and focaccia, and it's made in house using the same dough and oven that are used to make the pizzas.

We disagree, at least in part. The LDC and I thought the bread pretty much on a par with everything else, which is to say that it was pleasant. It has nice flavor but nothing I would describe as "tremendous." Definitely has a chewy texture. The crust was present more in appearance than existence. But what I think killed it for us was that it arrived with no discernible warmth whatsoever. Granted that all bread is better served warm (or more) from the oven, this little loaf lost virtually all of its appeal because of its temperature. Warmth would have added immeasurably. Maybe Kennyz got a fresh, hot loaf; because we didn't, we didn't particularly care for it or finish it--and that's telling commentary coming from two people who usually manage to kill any amount of bread set before them.

Our takeaway--at least on this maiden voyage--was a noisy, not particularly inviting, room with very attentive service and a fascinating menu, but whose execution is, by and large, just fair and which is overpriced for the portions.

Gypsy Boy wrote: Maybe Kennyz got a fresh, hot loaf; ...

Warm rather than hot, but definitely fresh. I'd guess that it came out of the oven about 20 minutes before it was served to us. And the crust on our bread had a deep, dark flavor that tasted just short of burnt.

Though you didn't say, Kenny, I suspect that even "just" warm--instead of hot--made quite a difference. I should note, lest anyone misunderstand, that our loaf was indeed fresh. But it wasn't warm. And that made, in our estimation, all the difference.

I have been to Antica a number of times and like it, but don't love it. For us, it works for a casual evening with no prior planning and is fairly close to our house. I was there on Thursday night and again thought "wow, this bread would be fantastic if it were just served warm". I actually thought the pizza crust on Thursday was quite good - chewy with some nice burnt spots to add a bit of flavor. I have found that the crust varies each time I go. For me, Antica is a nice neighborhood spot but certainly I would not travel far.