Antico Fornaio - Clearwater (FL)

5 /5 Melanie M: 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 in again soon.

5 /5 Cristie Caseman: Food was excellent I forgot to take a picture of the muscles in red sauce. The sauce was excellent! The vodka sauce was great. Service was excellent. We had a lovely late lunch!

5 /5 Paul Barber: Looked at reviews and decided to take the plunge. So glad we did. Luis our waiter was the consummate professional, happy and very helpful. The caprese was perfectly seasoned pita on a bed of greens. A large slice of lasagna beautifully presented followed by a nice moist tiramasu. The wine was not overpriced and surprisingly good. Service was fast but not hurried. Wish all my dining experiences were this good. The restaurant was not busy. It appears that economy is slowing down in the region from our observation.

5 /5 Wendi Hurst: I randomly stopped here on my way to the Saint Petersburg airport and wow—this place seriously blew me away. I had the Margherita pizza, and it’s easily in my top three ever. The dough and crust? Probably top two of all time for me. Perfectly chewy with just the right amount of crisp, flavor, and char. You can tell it’s made with real skill and love. I wasn’t expecting to find one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had tucked away near an airport, but now I’ll go out of my way to come back. Absolutely worth it.

5 /5 Tim Waite: Absolutely outstanding! Highly recommend. The garlic knots and meatball appetizer were outstanding. Also the eggplant parmesan and chicken parmesan were incredible. Theyre tomato sauce is amazing. SO HAPPY they are in my neighborhood. You have to come here. Update: Went back a few more times and everything is very consistently outstanding!!! The Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Shrimp was absolutely delicious!! Highly recommend literally everything.