Antica Italian Restaurant & BYOB
1623 Baltimore Pike
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
(484) 770-8631
Located just a few hundred yards from the Brandywine River Museum, Antica (pronounced an-TEE-ka) inhabits the space formerly occupied by Bistro on the Brandywine in the very shadow of Brandywine Prime steakhouse. And while the name sounds like some exotic Mediterranean port-of-call, it is, in reality, merely a playful nod to the area’s long-running enthusiasm for antiquing.
Owned by chefs Josh Friedberg and Gent Mema, also proprietors of the popular Il Granaio in nearby Glen Mills, the restaurant’s three light and airy dining areas come replete with soft soothing colorations, a rustic stone wall, and framed prints by Andrew Wyeth, Chadds Ford’s favorite artistic son. You sense immediately that this is a cozy, welcoming space… But it is the authentic, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented cuisine that makes this diminutive beauty worth a journey.
The moment the basket of Italian bread accompanied by a dish of olive oil decked out in a colorful array of herbs and red pepper flakes hits the table, you know you’re in good hands… And things just keep getting better.
The house specialties, for instance, are all irresistibly delicious… So let’s begin with one of those deceptively simple dishes, Pasta Pomodoro, which still manages to blow you away. It offers a choice of pastas – in this case, linguini – in a pomodoro sauce. Pomodoro is made with fresh tomatoes, olive oil & garlic and, usually, basil. It is meant to be a quick, light sauce rather than a heavy one. Antica’s rendition is most assuredly light on the palate, but it is also alive with fresh flavors. It is simple… yet utterly sublime.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a slightly richer consistency, the spinach fettuccini definitely steps up the “wow” factor. House-made spinach pasta is sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, tossed with a pesto cream sauce, and topped with shaved Grana Padano cheese (a cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano in both taste and texture). I generally find cream sauces entirely too overwhelming for my taste; but the pesto cream is both light and unbelievably addictive. The infusion of basil and garlic (basil being the chief ingredient in pesto) adds a spicy, earthy dimension that both contrasts with and, at the same time, complements the luscious consistency of the cream. And the toasted pine nuts (also an ingredient in pesto) contribute a most satisfying textural counterpoint.
Spezzatino is another house specialty that offers an interesting respite from the pasta pilgrimage. Spezzatino means “broken pieces,” in reference to the various types of meat cubes that are generally included in what is literally a stew. In this instance, the kitchen incorporates zesty chunks of braised sausage with sautéed peppers and mushrooms. This hearty mélange is prepared in an earthenware pot and then served over a crispy polenta cake. The result is an immensely satisfying & comforting dish that succeeds in warming the heart as well as the stomach.
Among the à la carte seafood items, the sautéed salmon, served at both lunch and dinner, is embellished with an asparagus white wine sauce and crowned with jumbo lump crab in the evenings; and a whole bronzino is filleted tableside and served up with a lemon-oregano jam.
Recently sampled on our most recent visits were the Veal Pizzaiola and Chicken Saltimbocca. Both are standouts. The veal is beautifully textured and marvelous tender and adorned with a Kalamata olive, caper, cherry tomato white wine pomodoro sauce. Excellent.
Even better, though, is the kitchen’s unique take on Chicken Saltimbocca, which may literally be translated “Leap in the mouth.” The dish is usually prepared with scallopine of veal or chicken layered with sage leaves and prosciutto, then sautéed in butter with white wine or marsala. At Antica, however, the chicken is pounded thin and then rolled with mozzarella and Prosciutto di Parma. After sautéing, it is then finished with a marsala wine demi-glace, a blend of equal parts of veal stock and espagnole sauce that has been slowly simmered and reduced. The result is a flavorful rich brown sauce that utterly beguiles the palate with its subtle intensity.
When it comes to what we might term “odds & ends,” there are several dishes that are well worth trying – either as an appetizer or side. The Arancini de Manzo, “little oranges,” for example, are a specialty of Sicily. These are rice balls flavored with saffron and stuffed with vegetables, cheese or meat. Here they are filled with braised beef, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. They are then breaded and fried and served with a rich marinara sauce. I have sampled this dish in various restaurants on numerous occasions, and Antica’s version is superlative in every respect.
The Carote Marsala is also highly recommended. These are freshly sliced carrots that have been braised in marsala wine and additionally flavored with thin slices of roasted garlic. Carrots are rarely offered as a restaurant side dish, usually being confined to some form of innocuous vegetable medley or nondescript garnish. But here, as elsewhere, the kitchen continues to weave it magic with a highly colorful presentation that is both tasty and tasteful.
But no visit to Antica would be complete without sampling the Gatto Napolitano. This is a savory potato cake that is layered with sopressata, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese – and it is nothing short of spectacular. The texture is rich and creamy, the taste incomparably enticing; this is one dish that has it all. Simply not to be missed!
Homemade desserts include such favorites as cannoli, tiramisu, and Budino di Pane (an Italian version of bread pudding). But if you’re not in the mood for sweet endings, you server may very well offer you a complimentary nip of the potent house-made limoncello, which is definitely worthy to be sipped and savored.
Antica is open Tuesday – Sunday at 11:30 a.m.; closed on Monday. A great spot for a quiet, intimate lunch (especially on Saturdays), it does become quite crowded and cacophonous during dinner. The owners, however, are taking steps to lower the restaurant’s elevated acoustical levels. Noise level notwithstanding, Antica is highly recommended on all counts… Just don’t forget to BYOB.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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