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Anteprima in Andersonville

Anteprima in Andersonville
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  • Post #31 - July 1st, 2009, 11:18 am
    Post #31 - July 1st, 2009, 11:18 am Post #31 - July 1st, 2009, 11:18 am
    i love the food and service at anteprima however after last night's dinner i will dine early or perhaps outside due to the outrageous decible level in the dining room.i enjoyed the spagetti with capers black olives and tuna very much but wanted desperately to take my plate out onto the street so i could escape the screaming loud tables on either side of me.
    i also enjoyed the figs,mascarpone wrapped in proscuito and i could have eaten a whole order of their brocolli rappini that was paired with polenta.
  • Post #32 - July 20th, 2009, 8:23 am
    Post #32 - July 20th, 2009, 8:23 am Post #32 - July 20th, 2009, 8:23 am
    dug wrote:i love the food and service at anteprima however after last night's dinner i will dine early or perhaps outside due to the outrageous decible level in the dining room.

    I was just about to post a question about dining outside at Anteprima. Not because I found the decibel level inside objectionable (I didn't, at all), but for the opposite reason: I like the room at Anteprima, and am wondering if dining outside there provides just as pleasurable an experience. We didn't check the patio out when we were there, and I'm curious. If we happen to go next week, and the weather's nice, should we opt for the patio on the basis that the patio is lovely (if it is), or is it not all that lovely and eating inside is more the quintessential Anteprima experience?
  • Post #33 - July 26th, 2009, 10:55 am
    Post #33 - July 26th, 2009, 10:55 am Post #33 - July 26th, 2009, 10:55 am
    We had an excellent dinner at Anteprima on Friday night.

    To start, the wife and I split some mascarpone filled figs served with prosciutto. She then moved on to a special of chilled cucumber soup and I had the polenta with spicy rapini. I was also able to try a sardine from a special of sardines cooked en cartoccio. Everything was bright and flavorful, and serious props to the restaurant for serving the sardines whole (head and all) and on the bone.

    I did a main course of the bucatini amatriciana which featured house made guanciale. Wow, what a great dish. The pasta was cooked absolutely perfectly and the little bits guanciale were a real treat. Some chilis in the sauce brought just enough heat to make the dish interesting.

    I finished the meal with fresh cherries served in puff pastry, which was light and summery and just the way you'd want to end this type of meal.

    The restaurant was loud and crowded on a Friday night, but I didn't find it uncomfortably loud.

    Our server was fantastic. A couple of people at our table wanted to order the scallops. Our server knew they were running low so he ran back to the kitchen to put a hold on two orders. He came back and reported that he was only able to hold one. He took our orders and came back a little while later to report that someone had taken the scallops that he had reserved. He was very gracious in selecting a replacement dish and even bought us a couple of half bottles of dessert wine for the trouble (even though we hadn't complained and were generally good natured about the whole thing). Very classy, IMO.

    So even with about a million Italian restaurants in this city, and even though Anteprima isn't exactly right around the corner from me, I will definitely be back.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #34 - August 10th, 2009, 12:03 pm
    Post #34 - August 10th, 2009, 12:03 pm Post #34 - August 10th, 2009, 12:03 pm
    I visited Anteprima for the first time last night, and I have to say it was one of the most disappointing food experiences I've had in a while. Fortunately, we got to sit out back and felt like we more or less had the place to ourselves, with only one or two other tables occupied. We ordered the assortment of starters, much of which was pretty flavorless. The stuffed summer squash with fregola was the worst with no taste at all. I didn't think caponata could taste flat, but that was the case last night. I knew it was bad when my vegetarian companion threw her hands up and decided to dig into the cannellini beans with sopressata, which she thought had some taste and was therefore the best thing on the platter. I did enjoy the brightness of the sweet & sour market onions, and the olives were pretty good.

    For our mains, my friend got the eggplant ravioli, which were rubbery and dry on the plate. Again, until my visit to Anteprima, I really thought eggplant was one of those vegetables you really couldn't mess up. I was wrong apparently. I got the spaghetti with baby fennel, anchovy, tomato, calabrian chilis and crispy bread crumbs. I could recreate this dish at home by boiling half a box of generic spaghetti and topping it with sliced red chilis and some fried bread crumbs. I really struggled to make out any fennel or anchovy. We finished our bottle of Lagone and then decided we weren't interested in any more food. Service was friendly and fine.

    Perhaps we could have ordered better, or the restaurant was just having a really, really off night, but it'll probably be a long while before I give it another go.
  • Post #35 - August 10th, 2009, 2:29 pm
    Post #35 - August 10th, 2009, 2:29 pm Post #35 - August 10th, 2009, 2:29 pm
    ^
    I think you may have had an off night.....
    We were just at Anteprima on Saturday night with another couple. It was our 4th time there, but the first time for our friends. The other couple are Italian and were wowed by everything we ordered. The basket of bread is great-the breadsticks are full of olive oil and sprinkled with herbs. We started with crostini and caponata, both fresh and delicious. We also had zucchini flowers, anchovies, grilled octopus, tripe, grilled whole porgy and pan sauteed trout. For dessert we had the chocolate tart. The waiter was attentive, the wines were reasonable and the portions ample. We were happy. As we were leaving the other couple made reservations for the husband's upcoming birthday.
  • Post #36 - August 12th, 2009, 7:14 am
    Post #36 - August 12th, 2009, 7:14 am Post #36 - August 12th, 2009, 7:14 am
    Diane wrote:I think you may have had an off night.....


    I think I might have hit two off nights...
    I've now been to Anteprima twice and...shrug...
    This place just doesn't do it for me.
    The first visit I went with two friends who love this place (both fabulous cooks and I really trust them), plus I knew it had gotten some LTH love.
    I tried the rabbit, which was delicious, but everything else (mixed appetizers, a fish dish, the orrechiette with house-made lamb sausage) was pretty bland. In fact, we all agreed that the fish tasted a little off. My friends urged me to try it again so I went last night with another friend. Also, it's a cute little place and it's close to where I live.
    The host was very warm, we got to our table right away (and they were busy).
    But the waiter kind of rubbed me the wrong way--he just didn't seem very interested in helping us, though I wouldn't say service was bad (indifferent, maybe).
    Because I didn't like what I tried the first time, I wanted to make sure we hit the highlights. So I asked, something like, "Could you give us a recommendations for what you think are the highlights of the menu in the starter section?". He sort of shrugged, pointed at the specials pages (a list of 10+) items and said "Try the specials, everything there is seasonal"
    Really? Seasonal items on the specials list?
    The bread was good but not great.
    We did really enjoy the selection of wines by the 1/4 liter (an aglianico and a primitivo)
    We tried a corn sfumato (not sure about the spelling, basically a tart/pudding type of deal) which was very good, stuffed zucchini blossoms with ricotta which were kind of bland, corn and crab risotto (no taste of crab at all, undercooked risotto and pretty bland) and the eggplant ravioli (wish I'd read happy stomach's review they were rubbery and also not much flavor. After the appetizers, we decided to make it a light meal (no entrees or dessert) and hit Pasticceria Natalina. Dinner for two included 2 appetizers, 1 full pasta, 1 half pasta and 2 1/4 L of wine for $75 (so not expensive but certainly not cheap).
    Alas, I'd forgotten they P.N. is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So we hit Baskin-Robbins for some peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, which turned out to be the highlight of the night.
    I really like the idea of Anteprima but I'm still searching for a go-to neighborhood Italian place. This isn't it for me.
  • Post #37 - August 14th, 2009, 8:17 am
    Post #37 - August 14th, 2009, 8:17 am Post #37 - August 14th, 2009, 8:17 am
    thaiobsessed wrote:stuffed zucchini blossoms with ricotta which were kind of bland

    I had these last night, and they will be on the Top 10 Things I've Eaten in 2009 list. Light, crispy coating and mild, creamy ricotta filling really let the floral aroma and flavor of the blossoms shine. One person's bland is another person's bliss.



    thaiobsessed wrote:corn and crab risotto (no taste of crab at all, undercooked risotto and pretty bland)

    Had this too. My version had an extremely intense crab flavor, as if the rice had been cooked with a deeply flavored stock made out of the shells. The roasted kernals of sweet corn added robust, sweet and complementary flavor. Beautiful as the flavors were, the texture of the risotto was indeed a little off.



    thaiobsessed wrote:everything else (mixed appetizers, a fish dish, the orrechiette with house-made lamb sausage) was pretty bland

    Had the orrechiette as well. Those dandelion greens were among the most intensely bitter greens I've ever tasted. Loved the sausage too, and the pepper flakes added pleasant heat. Big flavors in this dish.



    Service was as informed and pleasant as ever. The one disappointment of the night was an upside down plum cake that I found a little dry. Everything else was very good to excellent.
    ...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

    Fuckerberg on Food
  • Post #38 - August 28th, 2009, 10:27 am
    Post #38 - August 28th, 2009, 10:27 am Post #38 - August 28th, 2009, 10:27 am
    I was mostly impressed with my dinner at Anteprima last night. We started at the bar with some cocktails - I had, on the bartender's recommendation, a very smooth, well-balanced Negroni, my wife one of the more generous pours of Chianti that I've ever seen.

    Anteprima offers a Sun-Thurs $29 three-course special, where you can choose any starter, entree ($5 extra charge for whole steak, lamb chops or whole fish, I believe), and either a dessert at the end of the meal or a half order of pasta before the entree. I thought this was quite a bargain, and especially liked that you're given free reign of the menu (regular & specials)...I'm used to these sorts of deals only including some of the lower-cost or higher-volume options.

    I started off with a yellow tomato soup with basil pesto from the specials menu...this was easily one of the best soups I've had all year. Salt and pepper shakers were on the table (a nice touch...their absence always annoys me), but neither were needed...the soup was salted exactly to my liking, and had a smooth, velvety texture. As a few folks noted upthread, no oil or butter is provided to go with the bread basket, but this was fine with me; I used a slice of the (pretty decent, in my opinion) Italian bread to make sure not a single drop of that delicious soup went back to the kitchen.

    Rather than dessert, I went with a half order of the orrechiette with lamb sausage, dandelion greens, chilies and pecorino. I really can't describe it better than Kennyz did in the post just above this one - it was a fantastic dish, and I happily cleaned the plate. In hindsight, I wish I'd opted for a full order of doing the three-course deal and getting an entree, as I was sad when I ate the last little perfectly al dente orrechiette.

    For my entree selection, I got the wood grilled rabbit with baby fennel and radish salad and "grain mustard". Unfortunately, this dish was a big downer. The rabbit was very well cooked, with juicy flesh and a nicely browned exterior...but it was way, WAY oversalted. The fennel and radish salad, I don't know what it was about it, but it just seemed off to me. I love baby radishes, but only found a half of one in the salad. As for the "grain mustard", I'm pretty sure there wasn't any on my plate...either it was hidden away somewhere, or it was forgotten. Overall, I was quite displeased with this dish.

    For dessert, we split a piece of the upside down fig cake. It had a really nice texture, moist, not too crumbly, and was topped with some pleasantly tart fig preserves. I liked that both the cake and the figs were subtly sweet.

    Despite the disappointing entree, I still give last night's dinner a solid two thumbs up...service was excellent, and the soup and the orrechiette were fantastic. I look forward to going back.
  • Post #39 - August 28th, 2009, 11:54 am
    Post #39 - August 28th, 2009, 11:54 am Post #39 - August 28th, 2009, 11:54 am
    Khaopaat wrote:Anteprima offers a Sun-Thurs $29 three-course special, where you can choose any starter, entree ($5 extra charge for whole steak, lamb chops or whole fish, I believe), and either a dessert at the end of the meal or a half order of pasta before the entree. I thought this was quite a bargain, and especially liked that you're given free reign of the menu (regular & specials)...I'm used to these sorts of deals only including some of the lower-cost or higher-volume options.



    I've been meaning to check this place out and this only encourages me, especially the bolded, not sure how the cost compares, but an app, half pasta and main for 29 sounds pretty solid to me.
  • Post #40 - September 3rd, 2009, 9:14 pm
    Post #40 - September 3rd, 2009, 9:14 pm Post #40 - September 3rd, 2009, 9:14 pm
    Just wanted to report with another glowing review. I had a lovely dinner with a friend at Anteprima last night and I ate some of the best food I've had all summer. My only complaint was not food related -- it was particularly stuffy in Anteprima last night -- not sure why, considering that the back door and front door were open the whole night and it was not at all crowded (pleasant noise level too). I'm sure a little of it had to do with the the 1/2 bottle of delightful primitivo we were drinking but I was glad to get out in the fresh air after I completely stuffed myself.

    So -- to the food. I started with the grilled polenta with rapini which I had had before and wanted again. Soft and crispy and slightly cheesy, melt on your tongue polenta with mildly bitter rapieni, flavored with tomato, chili and garlic -- it was a nice contrast to the silky and crisp polenta and i enjoyed it quite a bit. My dining partner had grilled greek sardines with grilled fennel. I didn't taste them but he enjoyed them very much.

    I had a half order of risotto with pesto and sungold tomatoes. This was one of the best things I've tasted in a long, long time. Seriously. It was just summer -- garlicky basil pesto -- rounded and fresh and yummy paired with perfectly al dente arborio and then, bursting with sweetness, four lovely roasted sungold sweet cherry tomatoes. I almost licked the bowl.

    Then our mains -- I had a berkshire porkchop with grilled peaches and the grilled fennel that my partner had with his sardines. The pork was done exactly as I wanted it done -- medium rare -- juicy and seasoned well. The peaches and the fennel really matched with it well -- then a drizzle of balsamic finished it off.

    My dining partner decided to have the bucatini carbonara with house made guancial and I don't even know how to talk about it. It was perfect.

    I realize I'm waxing rhapsodically here but it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I think this place is really wonderful.
  • Post #41 - October 10th, 2009, 9:01 am
    Post #41 - October 10th, 2009, 9:01 am Post #41 - October 10th, 2009, 9:01 am
    Finally made it here, recently moved to the area and have had a long list to hit.

    Overall a very positive experience, as to the noise issues that seem to come up, yeah it's loud, but i'm just not the type of diner to be upset by that, so no big deal there.

    Had a reservation for 2, 8pm on Friday, arrived 5-10 mins early, was seated immediately.

    Deceided to start with two half orders of pasta between the two of us, which without asking came nicely split up one 2 plates for the both of us, which was a nice touch. As for the food, ricotta gnocchi with sweet potato, sage and parm reg was as expected, sweeet, soft and smooth. A classic fall flavor profile done well. The other was the pappardelle pasta with veal sweet bread, swiss chard and chanterelles, this was possibly the tastiest dish i've eaten all year, i tend to order sweet breads where ever they turn up (most recently Avec and Blackbird) and this dish sung with a great rich flavor, it was wake up thinking about the next morning good.

    For main, we split the slow cooked lamb shoulder, to my liking this was a nice fatty piece up meat and had the side of beans, also good.

    overall a nice experience.
  • Post #42 - October 10th, 2009, 10:30 pm
    Post #42 - October 10th, 2009, 10:30 pm Post #42 - October 10th, 2009, 10:30 pm
    Just ate at Anteprima again this Friday and since it just popped up in the thread I thought I would post. We had the sweetbread pasta mentioned in the previous post and agree it was great - the pasta was perfectly al dente and was easily one of the best Italian dishes of the year.. However, we ordered a Chantrelle Custard we had which was simply amazing. Awesome earthy mushroom flavor, with a light delicate fluffy egg custard texture. I am not typically a fan of ordering savory custards, but this was seriously just an awesome dish.

    ALSO

    As we were eating, the owner sat down next to us for a meal and team meeting with his chef and front house manager. Overhearing the conversation I was reminded how hard work, commitment and passion are the cornerstones of success. Anteprima is a successful restaurant - the owner could easily slide into a big shot absentee owner.. but there he was on a Friday night, sleeves rolled up, running through next weeks menu with the team in detail... Why is this place not a GNR?

    P.S.

    When you go to Anteprima, order the tripe!!
    There is no accounting for taste!
  • Post #43 - May 17th, 2010, 7:29 pm
    Post #43 - May 17th, 2010, 7:29 pm Post #43 - May 17th, 2010, 7:29 pm
    Thouroughly enjoyed our second meal at Anteprima last night. On our first visit we shared an assortment of starters as a first course. As much as we were impressed by the selection we had, I felt like trying the grilled octopus appetizer solo last night. Hands down, the best grilled octopus I've had. Incredibly tender and smokey. The chilis, lemon juice and olive oil were a perfect foil. I went with pasta as an entree. The special of Spaghetti with Artichokes, Chilis, Garlic, Herbs, and Crispy Breadcrumbs was made even better by my request for an addition of anchovies (which they gladly provided.) Service was excellent on both visits. Anteprima is quickly making it into our regular rotation.
  • Post #44 - September 5th, 2010, 6:33 pm
    Post #44 - September 5th, 2010, 6:33 pm Post #44 - September 5th, 2010, 6:33 pm
    Just a few assorted thoughts on this evening's meal at Anteprima.

    We're grateful yet again that this place is walking distance from the house. And though we ended up with an early meal since the place was booked solid after 6 pm, it was nice to have the place be so quiet!

    Negative: too much was oversalted: my sweetbreads appetizer which was otherwise excellent, my sturgeon, and the Lovely Dining Companion's halibut. The sweetbreads and sturgeon, I should add, were both specials. (I should note that both dishes had crispy crusts and it was the crust that was the culprit in both cases.) My cacio e pepe unaccountably had greens in it (dandelion?) and lots of sliced garlic. Hello? Again, it was otherwise very good, but garlic and greens? (It was also very heavy on the black pepper, but reasonable minds can differ on the appropriate amount of pepper). Although the dish didn't have what I consider to be the requisite creaminess, I'll also concede that it's one of those terribly simple dishes that's almost impossible to get just right. And finally, the sturgeon--which was a very hefty hunk of fish--was drastically undercooked. After eating my first slice, I cut into the fish again only to find it completely raw. Not rare, raw. Now I like sashimi as much as the next diner, but raw? The server took it back almost immediately.

    Positive: The house, to their enormous credit, handled it exceedingly well: both my server and the host stopped by the table several times to apologize and apprise me of the dish's imminent reappearance. On being re-served, it was quite enjoyable (except for the oversalting noted above). The house insisted on comping us dessert and, when we weren't interested in dessert, I settled for a glass of house-made laurel liqueur. Never heard of it before. And it was really excellent. The spirits (our server said vodka, but I wonder) were VERY mellow and the flavor quite wonderful: bay, cinnamon, and ? A great cap to a very good meal. I should also note that Sunday through Thursday they have a terrific special: app, entree and dessert or app, half-pasta, and entree for only $29!

    Finally, a question: I had an arugula and parmesan salad with lemon. It was quite good but the slices of parmesan looked odd to me. They had lots of what might otherwise be best described as worm holes. I've never seen such a thing in parmesan before. Am I just under-traveled?


    Edited for clarity.
    Last edited by Gypsy Boy on September 6th, 2010, 8:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #45 - September 5th, 2010, 6:46 pm
    Post #45 - September 5th, 2010, 6:46 pm Post #45 - September 5th, 2010, 6:46 pm
    Isn't it just that when you shave a place where there's salt crystals, you probably get a hole rather than a whole crystal?
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  • Post #46 - September 6th, 2010, 8:26 am
    Post #46 - September 6th, 2010, 8:26 am Post #46 - September 6th, 2010, 8:26 am
    Mike G wrote:Isn't it just that when you shave a place where there's salt crystals, you probably get a hole rather than a whole crystal?


    Possibly. But each hole was so absolutely perfectly round, I wonder. And wouldn't one expect shards of salt crystal here and there? OTOH, I really can't come up with a better explanation. In the event, the cheese was excellent.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #47 - September 7th, 2010, 12:47 am
    Post #47 - September 7th, 2010, 12:47 am Post #47 - September 7th, 2010, 12:47 am
    We had a terrific dinner at Anteprima last night, our second time there. We took advantage of the prix fixe menu: I began with the grilled octopus with sliced baby potatoes, Mrs. Trpt had the salumi plate. The octopus was stellar, some of the best I've had in Chicago, nice smoky flavor and cooked perfectly. The salumi plate was top notch, nice proscuiutto that wasn't overly salty, thin sliced salami and nice pork terrine, with a little mashed fig and blueberry jam on the side to sweeten things. For the half pasta course I had the paparadelle with prosciutto ragu, and she had the risotto with pesto, corn and tomato. Then mains I had the wood fire Berkshire pork ribs with farro, shallots and peppers, awesome. Mrs. had the lamb medallions, pink circles of goodness. As some have pointed out, these were a bit on the salty side which I didn't mind, I find way too many things undersalted in restaurants today. My doctor would disagree but I liked it.
    With a couple of cocktails $85 with tax but not tip, which I thought very reasonable, and it was a lot of food. We'll be back, it was very pleasant. It was loud but not overpoweringly so; this from someone who has spent a lot of time standing next to drummers.
    trpt2345
  • Post #48 - September 19th, 2010, 8:42 pm
    Post #48 - September 19th, 2010, 8:42 pm Post #48 - September 19th, 2010, 8:42 pm
    I had a great meal at Anteprima last night. I absolutely loved my pan seared halibut with green beans, sungolds, farro and basil pesto. Every element of the dish was fantastic and the dish was beautifully prepared. I had small tastes of my dining companions' wood grilled ribs and pan seared duck breast and both were also excellent.

    Desserts were perfect too - the lemon panna cotta was so light and creamy and delivered the perfect ratio of tart to sweet. It was as good a panna cotta as I have had. Meanwhile, the chocolate tart had a very rich bittersweet chocolate flavor, the bitterness of which was offset perfectly by the sweet pastry crust and vanilla whipped cream. The chocolate filling was also very thick but smooth.

    I've had a number of good meals at Anteprima, a couple even excellent, but this meal was easily my favorite. Even when not as good as last night, I still find that Anteprima does as good a job as any restaurant around when it comes to featuring seasonal produce, both ordinary and less common items.
  • Post #49 - September 19th, 2010, 10:42 pm
    Post #49 - September 19th, 2010, 10:42 pm Post #49 - September 19th, 2010, 10:42 pm
    We had dinner at Anteprima tonite as well...group of 8 for a friend's birthday.

    First up: We enjoyed the antipasti platter, a terrific value at $15 for a small portion of each of the first 8 items on the starter list. I usually order it first thing while we're getting our drinks and settling in. It always reminds me of the spread of antipasti items we used to graze on at a favorite bar in Milan. I enjoyed my cocktail as well--aperol and prosecco with a spritz of soda and an orange slice--very refreshing start to the evening.

    After that, we had starters or 1/2 pastas since everyone ordered the $29 prix fixe. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a weak night for the specials. My friend and I ordered two prix fixe dinners to include 2 starters, a half pasta, 2 mains and a dessert. For the 1st course we both ordered specials: the crispy sweetbreads and the wood grilled sardines. The sweetbreads were more than a bit underdone, although they were still tasty (meaning they were cooked through but not at all crispy although the sauce and apples served with them were delicious). The sardine was borderline inedible --extremely strong smelling (to the point that I felt bad for the rest of my table, as well as those in proximity to us) and so large that the bones had to be removed (when I've ordered this elsewhere the bones are so soft that you can eat them--not this time!) but not before I had to spit out a few--not a pleasant experience. The grilled cippolini onions and eggplant served beneath the sardine were very flavorful and enjoyable.

    Next up: our 1/2 pasta--gorgeous al dente bucatini carbonara--thick, perfectly crisped guanciale, savory parmesan, very lightly eggy with a good grind of black pepper. Best dish of the night for me. And a split of a half was actually the perfect amount since this is a hefty dish!

    For entrees, birthday boy and I split the aforementioned halibut and the sliced NY strip with arugula and thick curls of parmesan. Both were delicious and well-executed. Others in the party raved about the squab and the lamb. The friend who got the duck commented that it was a bit tougher than he was expecting. A few others had pasta for their main--all ordered the spaghetti with anchovy, olive oil and breadcrumbs and parmesan and looked/sounded very happy.

    Desserts were shared around the table so I got to taste a few. My favorites were the lemon panna cotta--only a hint of lemon in the cool cream--and the chocolate crema which was also cool and creamy and but not insipidly sweet as some versions can be. Finally, I had a sip of delicious fig grappa. Will definitely order that next time!

    Service was "interesting"--started out fine and friendly, progressed to snippy as the evening wore on (when ordering a second round of drinks, one of my friends didn't realize our server was still talking to me about a wine recommendation and he actually snapped at her to wait until he was finished with my order. Ended with a lack of any but the most perfunctory interaction. Didn't spoil our evening but was a bit disappointing considering I've always had good service here. Must've been an off night for him.

    All in, a very nice evening and a very good meal.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #50 - November 14th, 2010, 8:14 pm
    Post #50 - November 14th, 2010, 8:14 pm Post #50 - November 14th, 2010, 8:14 pm
    We love Anteprima. Took the in-laws there last night before the Flatlanders concert at the Old Town School and could not have had a better experience. Jonathan and I can't get away from starting by sharing the $15 assortment of antipasti. It always amazes me how distinct, seasonal, and perfectly prepared each of the 8 items are. The roasted beets, the barley-cauliflower salad, and the marinated olives were stand-outs last night. The portion is also extremely generous. My FIL was thrilled to have a starter of goat and an entree of lamb shank. Items you can't readily get in small town Ohio. The shank was so huge it was also his lunch today.

    Service here has always been outstanding in our experience and last night was no exception. Another highlight was dessert, which Jonathan and I are usually too full for. One Lemon Panna Cotta split between the four of us was phenomenal and especially enjoyed by my gluten-intolerant FIL.

    We peeked in "Acre" next door and plan to check it out soon. -Lynn
  • Post #51 - February 5th, 2011, 10:05 am
    Post #51 - February 5th, 2011, 10:05 am Post #51 - February 5th, 2011, 10:05 am
    Another satisfying meal at Anteprima. BF and I were driving around on a Monday night looking for someplace that spoke to us both (not always an easy discussion) and ended up in Andersonville. BF has always shied away from what he perceives as "trendy' spots but has been trying to be a bit more adventurous and, remembering that I'd suggested going there once before, offered it up as an option which I was only too happy to accept!

    We opted to do one three course (app, 1/2 pasta and main), one full pasta and a dessert--perfect amount of food and gave us an opportunity to try a nice assortment of dishes. Bread basket was delicious as always--my only quibble is that it might be nice to see some variety in the offerings but hard to complain when what they serve is so well-executed--especially love the grissini.

    For the starter, we opted to start light since we knew we were doing 2 pastas, and selected the arugula salad. Not over-dressed, fresh and simple. Next up, a half order of the bucatini carbonara which I love--I knew BF was sold at that point. Loved it. Again--simple, restrained--lets the ingredients do their stuff.

    For mains, we had the pan seared halibut, cabbage & leeks, glazed shallots, house lardo and a full order of a pasta with salt cod--can't remember much else about it and I didn't see it on either the regular or specials menu on the website. The pasta was good--not necessarily memorable although we enjoyed it. The halibut was terrific--BF kept commenting on how much he liked the cabbage (of course, the lovely fat of the lardo melted into the leeks certainly enhanced the experience--not that he was much aware of that!) and the fish, as always, was cooked perfectly.

    Dessert was the lemon panna cotta--creamy, lemony without being acidic, with a balancing smear of lemon preserves underneath.

    Service was excellent--room was busy for fairly late (9:00ish) on a Monday night and all was handled smoothly. Made for a nice pre-blizzard meal. Happy to have a spot as reliably warm, hospitable and creatively delicious as Anteprima nearby.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #52 - February 11th, 2011, 8:06 pm
    Post #52 - February 11th, 2011, 8:06 pm Post #52 - February 11th, 2011, 8:06 pm
    Anteprima has been nominated for a Great Neighborhood Restaurant award. Please post your comments in this thread. Discussion continues through March 7.

    Gary for the GNRs
    One minute to Wapner.
    Raymond Babbitt

    Low & Slow
  • Post #53 - February 11th, 2011, 9:10 pm
    Post #53 - February 11th, 2011, 9:10 pm Post #53 - February 11th, 2011, 9:10 pm
    I couldn't think of a better nomination. First of all, it is a real neighborhood place. Second, it's stellar. Third, it's a place with a real personality and (to me) great value. Enthusiastically seconded.
    trpt2345
  • Post #54 - February 12th, 2011, 7:51 am
    Post #54 - February 12th, 2011, 7:51 am Post #54 - February 12th, 2011, 7:51 am
    Anteprima is probably my favorite Italian restaurant in the city that i can afford to dine at with any regularity. I think they do a great job keeping the menu fresh with interesting specials while maintaining tried and true favorites to appeal to less adventurous tastes.

    The warm salt cod, cannelinmi beans, mint, preserved lemon and chilis on the current specials menu is awesome, but i'm a bit of a salt cod addict.
  • Post #55 - February 12th, 2011, 9:20 am
    Post #55 - February 12th, 2011, 9:20 am Post #55 - February 12th, 2011, 9:20 am
    My one meal at Antiprima was somewhat of a dissapointment...especially after reading the good reviews posted earlier in this thread. There were two of us at this dinner. Both of us ordered pasta which was served undercooked (much "tougher" than al dente) and vastly over salted. I drank what was probably close to a gallon of water that night, and I'm not really salt averse. I've never gone back, but now that it's been nominated for a GNR, I'll probably give it another try.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #56 - February 12th, 2011, 10:36 am
    Post #56 - February 12th, 2011, 10:36 am Post #56 - February 12th, 2011, 10:36 am
    So happy to see this nomination!! Anteprima is my go-to spot in Andersonville and I've never been disappointed. Like anyplace, I've ordered the occasional dish that didn't work but, considering that I've probably tried almost everything on the menu, it's remarkably consistent. Delicious food, interesting cocktails, nice wine selection, great value--a true neighborhood gem!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #57 - February 12th, 2011, 11:36 am
    Post #57 - February 12th, 2011, 11:36 am Post #57 - February 12th, 2011, 11:36 am
    I think this is a true GNR. I couldn't agree more with this nomination.

    It's obvious that the owners and chef are interested in serving great food, that comes from quality ingredients, which are skillfully prepared, and served in a dining room that has a ton of energy (even if it can be loud on occasion.)
    Check out my Blog. http://lessercuts.blogspot.com/
    Newest blog: You paid how much?
  • Post #58 - February 12th, 2011, 1:14 pm
    Post #58 - February 12th, 2011, 1:14 pm Post #58 - February 12th, 2011, 1:14 pm
    boudreaulicious wrote:So happy to see this nomination!! Anteprima is my go-to spot in Andersonville and I've never been disappointed. Like anyplace, I've ordered the occasional dish that didn't work but, considering that I've probably tried almost everything on the menu, it's remarkably consistent. Delicious food, interesting cocktails, nice wine selection, great value--a true neighborhood gem!

    What she said! On top of that, I always find that their menu is anything but ordinary, with a number of items I rarely see on other menus in town. I especially love their dedication to seasonal and local produce and meats, including many such produce items offered in small enough plates where you can order several to share. And with very good housemade pastas and great desserts, there's really so much to like, if not love, about Anteprima. Absolutely a GNR in my book.
  • Post #59 - February 12th, 2011, 1:36 pm
    Post #59 - February 12th, 2011, 1:36 pm Post #59 - February 12th, 2011, 1:36 pm
    I've only been to Anteprima once but it was an enjoyable and memorable experience. I loved a lot of what we ate and thought the all-Italian wine list offered some interesting choices and good values. I keep wanting to get back and will eventually but there are so many restaurants and so little time.

    Anyway, based on my single visit, I support their nomination as a GNR.

    =R=
    By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada

    Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS

    There's a horse loose in a hospital --JM

    That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
  • Post #60 - February 12th, 2011, 3:50 pm
    Post #60 - February 12th, 2011, 3:50 pm Post #60 - February 12th, 2011, 3:50 pm
    I love the food at Anteprima and am happy to support it as a GNR. I've never gotten a real warm and fuzzy feeling from anyone who works there, but based on food alone it is certainly GNR-worthy.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat

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