ANTICA POSTA!

So excited to try this restaurant!  I went with my family to Florence and Tuscany last summer, and I'm eager to see what this Tuscan restaurant in Atlanta is all about.

519 E Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA  30305
404-262-7112
www.anticaposta.com

Antica Posta is owned by brothers (Owner Marco Betti (Right)
and brother Chef Alessandro Betti) who hail from Tuscany.

Photos courtesy of Antica Posta

Photo Credit: Antica Posta

Inside Antica Posta
Photo Credit: Antica Posa

The menu is quintessential Tuscan fare including: Tuscan salumi, fresh prosciutto and mozzarella, Ossobuco, Grilled lamb, Veal scallopini as well as an assortment of pastas and pizzas and more. It is way too vast to include here however.

We dined there on a Friday night with friends.  As you drive up to the restaurant (which is in an old house), you are greeted by the valet quickly, and then you walk a few steps to the non-descript front door.  Upon entering, we were immediately at the hostess stand, and the hostess was very peppy and welcoming.  Our seats were in their back dining area (see picture above), and there were only a few other patrons there at 7:00PM.

The ambiance of the restaurant is a little different.  When you walk in the bar is to your right.  As you are being taken to your table, you must go past a short hallway past the restrooms, and the main dining area is in the back.  In spite of the photo from their website, at 7:00PM, it was very dark.  Also, we were there on a Friday night in Buckhead, and the restaurant was never more than half full.  

Our waiter arrived promptly and handed us our menus and took our drink orders (we went with a bottle of pinot grigio).  He was OK albeit very soft spoken, and at times it was difficult to understand him.  When we were trying to decide on appetizers, he recommended an antipasto platter that he customized, along with a plate of octopus, that he claimed was one of their specialties.  The difficulty at Antica Posta is deciding on what to order.  The menu is vast, and I just couldn't include it here.

The antipasto selection with a caprese salad, a filet of beef and veal meatball and a ravioli stuffed with spinach and sage:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

This little selection was so good.  The caprese was fresh and delicious; the meatball was to die for with delish tomato sauce, and the ravioli was decadent.  It actually made me wish I had ordered pasta as my main course!

The grilled octopus plate:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Not sure I've ever had octopus presented in this way?  But it was very good, and I was glad we ordered it. For our main courses we went with the following:

veal chop
veal scallopini
seafood risotto
sea bass

Our salad of arugula with shaved parmesan:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

The salad was OK.  It contained romaine and arugula, so for me it lacked something, as I really like the contrast with the arugula and parmesan in a salad.  But the presentation was nice.

My veal scallopini with peas and green beans:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

The veal was prepared perfectly.  The capers added just the right amount of saltiness and tang, and I actually liked the baby peas and green beans, even though I don't think I'd ever serve them together myself.

My husband's veal chop (another highly recommended dish by our waiter):

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

I'm not a big veal chop fan, but this veal was very good.  It was tender and seasoned well.

My friend's seafood risotto:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

This risotto was the risotto special of the day, and it was delicious! It was loaded with a cornucopia of seafood items.  So good!

And my other friend's sea bass:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

I love sea bass, and this one was very tasty.  It was well prepared and was moist inside and lightly crispy on the outside.  The rosemary added and nice contrast in flavor.

We opted out of dinner and had another glass of wine.  It was a very nice evening with friends.  The food at Antica Posta was very good, and the only drawback was the price (well over $300 for 4 people).  And our waiter and bus staff were a bit awkward at times - not sure who had what dish and a bit of difficulty deciding to serve dishes to the right or left etc.  But if you are on an expense account or in the area, it's a good representation of Tuscany for sure.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Doug Bogue