Anteprima

We ate here last night and thought it was «just ok». Nothing really special in our opinion.
They put a bottle of water on each table and ours was empty the entire second half of the meal.
The appetizers are amazingly small. Entrees were ok.
The bread they provided on the table was quite good.
Waitstaff was nice and cheery. We were greeted immediately when we arrived and that was a positive.
Don’t anticipate returning here for quite a while.

Good service, good not great food. Everything I ate was pretty much just so-​so.
For an appetizer I had the farm fresh egg ‘in pergatory’ — this was eggcellent! It’s a poached egg in a tomato sauce with some cheese and fried polenta. Wish there was another few pieces of polenta but I just used some bread to soak up the rest of this yummy dish. For an entrée I had the steak. This dish was odd as it was essentially a salad. Double odd since I had asked about it prior to ordering and it was described as an 8oz steak w small arugula salad. I love arugula but what came out was a HEAPING plate of arugula mounded high with (tasty) pieces of steak beneath. Good, but again not what I was expecting. My partner had the octopus app and said it was super salty and the shrimp/​lobster risotto which he described as bland. Our server said the chianti wine bottle we selected was an ‘excellent choice’ but it was unimpressive. Specialty craft cocktails were tasty.
Overall the prices seemed fair, if not a little on the higher side — like $ 27 for my «salad» — I mean steak.

One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. We make the visit from St. Charles when we have Raven Theater tickets. The orecchiette with the spicy lamb sausage is like nothing you’ve ever tasted, AWESOME! For starters, we liked the crispy polenta and the beet salad. The wait staff are attentive and friendly. You’ll never feel rushed at this quaint place in the Andersonville neighborhood.

Wow! Just finished my meal here and couldn’t wait to write my Unilocal review. Now that’s a first!!! Delicious food, excellently prepared, and some of the best service I’ve ever had. Kudos to our server Armando! We will always ask for you!!!;)

Recently came here for my anniversary and was really impressed with our food!
First off, the bread and breadsticks are great. I’m a fan of any meal that starts with homemade bread.
For an appetizer, we got the shrimp and though small, I was seriously impressed. The flavor was great.
For entrée’s we split the mushroom gnocchi and the lobster and shrimp risotto. As someone who is from the East Coast and used to amazing lobster dishes, I was not disappointed. Both of these dishes went above and beyond anything we were expecting.
While we were standing outside, contemplating whether to go in, a man exiting stopped us and said that if you like amazing Italian food, with a fun, non-​traditional spin to it, Ante Prima was a great choice. We definitely agree and will be back.

nothing to write mama home about. definitely a «meno di meno» experience this time… good thing they provided 3 baskets of bread for 4 people before the first course arrived (zoppo lento) …because the portions were TINY. I hope mama or papa get a handle on this situation before it’s too late.

I lived in Florence for a year and Anteprima is the best Tuscan Italian food in Chicago. Every meal I had here was exceptional. All pastas are cooked to perfection. The best in my opinion is the orecchiette with the spicy house made lamb sausage, it has the perfect amount of spice and meat. All of the starters are top notch. If you want an authentic experience, Anteprima is the best place

I ate here with a couple of friends a few months ago. It was a lovely evening. The one thing that colored our experience is that the waiter forgot to ask if wanted a small or large plate for each of the dishes. We too were not specific and ended up with way more food than we needed. However, we ate everything that was put in front of us so who am I to complain? The bill was rather large but it was worth it.
Every dish was lovely. We started with the fig/​prosciutto and s’cmorza appetizers. Both were excellent but the fig dish hit a home run. So much flavor with a simple preparation.
We had the gnocchi, pancetta, ragu, the tagliatelle, wild mushrooms, garlic. parsley, parmigiano, and the golden beet&ricotta ravioli, butter, parmigiano. Our least favorite was the beet dish but let’s remember we ate it all. Our favorite was the tagliatelle.
I drank two Negroni’s– didn’t have to drive. They were excellent. My dining partners were very pleased with their wine choices.
I would happily visit Anteprima again.

Not sure where to begin! Greeted immediately when walked in. Seated immediately as expected. Reservation for 2ppl at 8:30pm, prime time in the restaurant biz. Place was jammed packed every seat in the house was occupied and service staff all over it. Seemed the entire staff was insync with each other, for a small space, you could tell the employees must have worked together for a long time being so organized handing off responsibility to each other with ease. Clearly experienced restauraturs, specials on a menu card, menu on the table and water on the table, these are the little things folks get a lttile aggrivated over if not executed on. well done. Loved it!
Fresh baked bread, olive oil for dipping and the best and I mean the best perfectly baked and salted bread sticks I’ve ever had, I could have eaten 50 of them. Ordered two cocktails I forgot the names but one was rye based and the other was prosecco based both excellent.
Octopus appetizer was executed well, the parsely was a nice touch the thin sliced potatos really complimented the dish the octopus was cooked perfectly tender very difficult to do without close supervision or of the chef.
As a second course we ordered the Caci di pepe, loved this staple dish when in Italy always order it when I see it on a menu stateside. The homemade pici noddle was a perfect choice held up well, tasted great could have used a bit more cheese and less oil. All in all a solid dish.
The main courses were and braised lamb shank, fennel, giant beans, tomato, potatoes and skate wing picatta, spinach, fingerling potatoes, lemon, butter, capers. Perfect execution on both dishes.
Coffee, double expresso and freah baked Biscotti for dessert, homemade and delicious way to tend the evening.

I had high hopes for this place– maybe because of other Unilocalers’ reviews and great filtered pics– but meh. It could have been an off night too, not sure. For our app, we had the grilled octopus, which we had to send back. I have never had canned octo, but I think thats what it would have tasted and felt like in your mouth. We had the orrechiette with lamb sausage and bitter greens and the strichhette with rabbit ragu. The pasta is all homemade at the restaurant, which you can tell. The actual noodle texture and flavor was amazing. However, there were little things off like our orrechiette being a little light on the sauce and too dry. Just little things like that here and there. Our server was great. He ended up giving us an extra dessert to try due to the octopus situation. Desserts were okay, not out of this world– pumpkin cake and lemon panna cotta. Lemon panna cotta could have been garnished with berries, but presentation was just that on a plate. Rahm was actual in the house that night.

Anteprima is our favorite restaurant in Chicago and we have always enjoyed the service and food. Last night, we enjoyed the hand-​made pici (thick spaghetti-​type pasta) with black truffles. That dish was simply sublime. In fact, my husband and I are still talking about the pici this morning! Last night’s appetizers include the beet salad, peppered lamb loin and polenta. Desserts were wonderful, with a shared pecorino plate and the chocolate-​hazelnut tort.
Pre-​dinner martinis made for a great night.

This place rocks! The grilled sardines are nice… All the pasta is great. They have a nice wine list. It is a little loud, dark and cramped… but the food is great. The «hosts» could crack a smile once in a while… but again the food is worth showing up for.

I’m still sitting here wishing the meal wasn’t over.
The crispy skin bass was a crispy piece of heaven. The pappardelle was exactly what I wanted to satisfy my carb-​loading fantasy.
Our waiter was Armando and he was as fabulous as the food.
I couldn’t have asked for a better date night with the little lady. Now someone get a wheel barrel and get my ass out of here!

I am happy we finally had dinner here last night! I had called the evening of to see if we could eat at 6:30 and they were able to get us in at 7:30. Other Unilocalers have raved about the fixed price menu for $ 29 on Sundays-​Thursdays and that got my attention. Everyone is right, it’s a great deal and the food is positively memorable. The establishment is small but I liked its charm. I have seen pictures of the back deck but did not see it in person. We sat at a table for two towards the back. Note: the restaurant is very lively. You will have to raise your voice to be heard by your significant other. :)
Here’s what we ordered: Me– Grilled Shrimp (starter), Pork Saltimbocca (main entrée) and Strawberry Lime Tart (dessert); my partner Chris– Roasted Beets (starter), Bison Flank Steak (main entrée) and Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (dessert). For my appetizer, four grilled shrimp came on top of spinach and beans. I found everything on the plate to be more than satisfactory. The preserved lemon vinaigrette went very well with the dish. The Roasted Beets appetizer that Chris ordered came with arugula, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts. He told me that it was outstanding.
If you like prosciutto, order the Pork Saltimbocca if it’s on the menu. It covers the entire top of the pork loin. That entrée went down my gullet quite fast. It was served with potato medallions and snow peas. The veggies were wonderful. The snow peas, in particular, had a healthy crunch. Chris said his Bison Flank Steak was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and the romesco sauce atop it was a brilliant addition. It came with an assortment of veggies that were appreciated as well.
I loved my Strawberry Lime Tart; the perfect early summer dessert. The salty crust mixed with the fruity goodness made for a fabulous taste sensation. Chris said the flavors of his Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp were good but it ended up being a bit too soupy. The speed of service was appropriate. I feel I should make a couple of comments about the staff. We asked one of the busboys if we could have more water and he must’ve forgotten, because we had to ask our actual server if he could bring us some. As for the server himself, he was a bit aloof and never asked us how we liked our food which we found very strange.
All in all, I feel everyone should swing by Andersonville and check this place out. The fixed price menu is a terrific deal and overall, the food is fantastic. A couple sitting next to us said that the octopus is to die for. We will return with some energetic and hungry peeps! xoxo

My boyfriend took us here for our first date and I loved it. We sat outside under string lights which was especially great because romantic outdoor seating can be hard to come by in Chicago. We ordered wine and each got a different pasta dish under our waiter’s recommendation. The gnocchi I had was perfectly cooked and everything was portioned so I didn’t leave the meal feeling stuffed and gross. I look forward to coming here again!

The place ambience is rustic Italian which transcribed to the taste of their food … The staff are super friendly and very attentive. Fresh food … Great ambience. Great service. Great location. I had one of the best fish I’ve ever tasted ! Definitely will go back to this place !!!

The gf and I decided to pick at random an Andersonville spot for our Friday night out. We walked by and saw it was busy with people who clearly looked like they were enjoying themselves, so we put our name on the list.
We were in no hurry so an 1hr 15 min wait didn’t put us off, we grabbed drinks at their pizza place a few doors down.
Ok to the space, very cozy and lively. Packed with other guests, typical for any popular place on a Friday night. I’d give the space 4 stars.
The food, I thought was just OK. We got 2 appetizers– the polenta (OK) and the beets (my gf enjoyed a lot, for me, meh). We were both in the mood for pasta dishes so that’s what we got as our entrée. She got a buffalo moz. basil pasta, again it was ok. Pretty good. I got the spicy lamb sausage pasta with pecorino and it was awesome! The star of the show, and my gf agreed. The basket of bread you get was alright, tasted fresh but I’ve had better. There’s no butter or olive oil that comes with the bread and I thought that was strange.
For dessert we had the chocolate hazelnut tart which was great. We also had a bottle of wine with our meal and the wine selection is reasonably priced.
The service was good, no complaints there.
I decided on 3 stars because of the 5 dishes we tried I only really enjoyed 2 of them. My gf liked the beets. For over $ 100 (without tip) for 2 people I’d hope for better.
That being said I’d give it another shot. The pre-​fixe menu on Tuesdays sounds great.

When I booked a Tuesday-​night table at Anteprima, I didn’t yet know about their killer $ 29 prix fixe offer. However, now that I have enjoyed one meal there, I have to say that the prix fixe is a big reason to visit, and to come on a weeknight. You can have a starter, a half-​order of pasta, and an entrée, OR a starter, an entrée, and a dessert. For under thirty bucks. Not to mention a much easier time getting a table than a Friday or Saturday night. Do it!
First of all, I have to observe how cozy and charming this place is. It is really perfect for date night or romantic special occasions.
The food was mostly really good, mostly. In particular, I liked my rabbit entrée and my wife’s trout, and the stuffed calamari entrée was phenomenal. It was spilling with couscous and boasted a gorgeous grilled flavor, all of which was nicely complemented by the spinach and the vinaigrette.
One major miss was the scallop risotto. I liked the mushrooms… but that’s it. Everything else was wrong, wrong, wrong: it came out lukewarm, the rice grains were large and hard, the dish overall was watery and terribly bland, and the scallops, though numerous, offered nothing but a faint plasticy flavor. It was really a shockingly awful dish amidst an otherwise delicious meal.
We finished up by sharing the carrot cake, which tasted less of carrots than of caramel. That’s not necessarily a demerit though; it was good cake.
I regret that we’ve lived in the neighborhood for so long without trying Anteprima. We will definitely be back the next time we want to eat sophisticated Italian food and stare into each other’s eyes for a while.

Went here on a cold winter’s night with our good friends who had made the choice. Lucky us! Great menu, good service, excellent cocktails (our choice) and a fine wine list for our friends. This was a Tuesday night, so the fixed price menu at $ 29.00 was available. We all went for the starter, half-​pasta and full entre option. Besides my chicken livers (excellent) I also had a taste of the grilled octopus — extraordinary — and the grilled shrimp — very good. All of the pastas were superb. The entrees did not disappoint. I went with the lamb shank and my dining partners had the chicken, skate wing and pork. Raves all around. The portions on all of the items, including the starters and half-​pastas were quite large, so a word of caution — pace yourself! Oh, forgot to mention the breadsticks — could have eaten them all night.
As regards the atmosphere, very comfortable and conversation friendly. Our only question was why had we not come to this place sooner. We will be back.

I would highly recommend coming to Anteprima if you have a weeknight date. Their Sun-​Thur prefixe option is INSANELY well-​priced. For $ 29 you get a sampling of all of the courses (I can’t remember exactly how this works, but I think it’s along the lines of Option 1: app, main course, dessert or Option 2: app, ½ pasta and main course. You’ll have plenty of $$ left to buy a bottle of wine and not break the bank.
My guy and I wandered into Anteprima on a Monday night. The place was pretty empty at 7:30pm. They take reservations, but you probably won’t need them during the early days of the week.
Anteprima is adorably tiny on the inside. Like, close together tables, kind of eclectic looking. Now, we were there when it wasn’t busy and got a nice table towards the front along a wall, but I noticed there’s high potential for a crappy table on a busy night. They have 2 tops stuffed into kind of random places that don’t feel cozy or comfortable at all.
You’ll find the menu to be pure Italian. Apps like marinated olives, marsala glazed turnips and grilled shrimp or octopus are delightfully rustic and tasty. I had the tagliatelle with pancetta ragu for my main course. It was good, but not mind blowing. My guy had the NY strip and devoured every last bite. He especially loved the arugula on the side.
Desserts are also the business. They rotate, I believe, but I think they have the hazelnut chocolate torte on the menu regularly and you should absolutely order it. It’s super rich. But awesome.
Oooooh… There’s also a killer bread basket. Ooof.
Anteprima is an impressive date spot. It’s not showy. It’s subtle, romantic and you’ll look like you know what’s up if you take someone here.