After reading Katy’s review of Antico Pizza, it was only a matter of time before I managed to make it over there to try it out myself, especially since it was so close to the house! So Thursday night, the wife and I decided to give it a shot.
First off, the smell that hits you when you enter the restaurant can only be described as magnificent. The air is heavy with the smells of melted cheese, fresh bread, and cooking sausage. One look at the menu, and you can tell that these people are serious about their craft. The selections on the menu are set in stone; no substitutions, no half toppings, and only one size. I was taken aback by this at first, however an interview of the owner by Chloe from Chow Down Atlanta helped shed some light on this policy. Basically, he says that all of the pizzas at Antico are carefully crafted so that the ingredients all compliment each other, whereas if you create your own and it sucks, you blame him for your creation. While I agree with him from a business owner’s perspective, as a consumer it seems pretty arrogant and limiting. For example, I would have left off the hot peppers on the San Gennero, as my wife is extremely sensitive to spicy food. Since we couldn’t, she didn’t get to try an exceptional pizza.
San Generro (Sausage, Sweet Red Peppers, Sweet Onions)
Speaking of which, we went with a San Gennero (obviously), and a Margherita pizza, their signature pizza. I was pleasantly surprised when the pizza came out about 5 minutes after I placed my order. One of the order takers said that their oven cooks at 1100 degrees, so the pizzas cook in under a minute! The pizzas themselves look beautiful, perfectly straddling the thin line between charred and burnt. The cheese was amazingly fresh and the sauce was also excellent, with a hint of sweetness. I preferred the San Gennero, and especially liked the sweet red peppers, which added some heat to the dish that was not overpowering. The only part of the pizza that didn’t win me over was the crust. The formation of the crust was perfect; slightly charred, airy, crunchy, everything you could ask for in a traditional-style pizza crust. However, the flavor of the crust was pretty bland, and really didn’t add anything whatsoever. Even a small dipping container of sauce would have salvaged the situation, but without any sauce, the crust was forgettable.
Margherita (mozzarella, basil, garlic)
Even with that small flaw, Antico easily ranks in the top echelon of Atlanta pizza. If you haven’t tried it already, you need to experience it yourself. They import all of their ingredients from Italy weekly though, so they occasionally run out of pizza on a busy Friday or Saturday night. So go early!
Pros:
Deeeeee-licious
Superior Ingredients
Excellent Traditional-style pizzas
Cons:
Expensive ($17-$21 per pizza)
Small dine-in space
Bland crust
Details:
Antico Pizza Napoletana
1093 Hemphill Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 724-2333
Katy
April 9, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Mmmm. Antico!
I have a love-hate relationship with Antico, as you know.
While the pizza may not be as cheap as, say Dominos, I don’t know that I would call it “expensive.” A large is maybe $18 compared to a large $12 from Papa John’s. And you forgot to mention it’s BYOB, which makes the dining experience much more affordable than Varasano’s or Fritti.
I agree that the owner is a little arrogant. I wish he would tone down the dude and sip a little more of the-customer-is-always-right juice.
In the end, it’s still some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten. mmmm!
Oh, and the peppers on the San Gennero aren’t really spicy. Lindsay may be surprised.
Joe McCain
April 17, 2010 at 10:14 am
I think you should become a food critic – very nicely done – makes me want to get on a plane and go try one.