Antico Fornaio — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Second visit. I return to the authentic Italian restaurant with the expectation of enjoying a quality meal this evening. Upon entering, I was promptly greeted and seated. However, I noticed that it was somewhat challenging to locate the tissues or napkins at my seat and on the table, as they appeared to be easily overlooked.

The initial dish consists of garlic knots. I will be selecting a streamlined menu that includes an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert, focusing on options that are both prompt and uncomplicated. Upon receiving my first dish, I encountered an unappealing flavor and an unsettling texture, as if the food had been left out and subsequently reheated in a microwave.

I ordered the final entrée, the chicken parmigiana, and upon examination, I observed a notably small portion of spaghetti accompanied by overcooked chicken, which had lost its natural juices. The spaghetti appeared to be inadequately cooked, and the sauce lacked flavor, exhibiting a more dilute, water-like consistency.

First visit. Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately greeted by the atmosphere, which was quite inviting. The establishment, described as an authentic Italian restaurant, holds significant promise; however, the waiting times present a challenge, even during periods of low patron traffic. Upon receiving my initial dish, I found it to be excessively greasy. Additionally, I observed a noticeable accumulation of dust and dirt on my seating area.

I began my dining experience with an appetizer, specifically the garlic knots, which were prepared exceptionally well and paired deliciously with the marinara sauce. However, I encountered an excessive amount of grease, which made it difficult to manage, rendering the towel provided for cleaning purposes inadequate.

After an extended period of waiting, I finally received my chicken parmesan, which presented a genuinely pleasing flavor profile. The pasta was well-prepared, and while the chicken exhibited some dryness and slight charring, overall, it was quite satisfactory. However, it is worth noting that I did not receive a greeting from any of the employees, despite observing multiple staff members engaging in conversation with other patrons. My only interaction occurred when my order was taken.

I will be back to see if my judgment...

An update: we were dreaming of the thin, fresh, slight crispy pizza crust so went on Friday afternoon. We were seated immediately and served by Bea S. who was very friendly, attentive and wonderful. This time we ordered the garlic parmigiana wings, they were outstanding, maybe the best in city if you like zesty chunks of garlic, large amount of Parmesan and butter: think of garlic knots but much better imo. Wow! 10 baked then fried for $14, worth it! We shared two pizzas: Burratina and basic pepperoni, nothing basic about it. Yum. Also I was wrong from previous review talking about wine list, I must have ordered the “house” last time as my Sauvignon blanc was better than last.

A friend made a reservation for the 4 of us, happy she did as the restaurant was busy. Upon entering, I noticed the plastic red and white checkered tablecloths which was a slight turnoff as I was expecting a “fancier” vibe I guess but had cloth napkins. We were greeted immediately by our server Bryan B. who constantly checked in, had nice suggestions and knowledgeable about menu. We took our time catching up and leisurely eating, he continued to check in w/o getting annoyed as some servers do if you aren’t rushing, appreciate that. An Italian beer, very similar to a Peroni, a house red wine and club soda were ordered. I do wish the wine menu was more appealing to a wine snob like myself, I left 1/2 glass behind(which rarely happens). The food is delicious! We started w/ the sausage and broccoli rabe appetizer which was sautéed in a zesty garlic EVOO, so good! We also ordered the Cortolona pizza which had a gooey cheese pull w/o being greasy, light and deliciously cooked in wood oven. The best Napoli pizza imo. The lightly sautéed eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms were slightly al dente, perfect for this pizza. My husband ordered the carne trio pizza w/ crisp pancetta, salami and Italian sausage, very good. Our friend had the meatball Parmesan panini and said it was delicious w/ their in house made fresh bread, smothered in mozzarella and just enough sauce. On side, an order of perfectly crisp fries yet still creamy inside seasoned w/ salt. Lastly, we shared one piece of dessert, creamy, rich yet light tiramisu. We will definitely stop...

This dinner was an exciting celebration for husband’s 50th birthday. When we made reservations we mentioned that it was to celebrate his bday. Family met us in Boston (we’re from Florida) to surprise him for his big day! The restaurant is charming. Also, we felt a close connection knowing the owners son (from the website) was diagnosed type 1 diabetic at the age of 1. Our son was diagnosed at three. The T1D community is a close one that loves to support each other. After a long day of exploring Boston, my 9 year old was hungry and wanted to order. The adults wanted to catch up and enjoy drinks before dinner. When my son ordered we were told that we all have to order. This changed the vibe of the special dinner. As soon as we ordered, delicious food was out quickly. My son was worried to order dessert thinking since he was the only one they wouldn’t let him. I let him know it would be fine. Quickly after, a check was dropped on the table. We didn’t ask for it and would have liked to have more drinks and catch up on this special day. Instead, our $300+ dinner was over like dashing to a McDonald’s on a lunch break from work. Food was great but not worth being pushed in and out like a...