Natalie T.
Yelp
Based on the recommendation of my fellow foodie, MaryLiz S., I made my way over to Anthony's to give it a try. I went around noon and there was just one other person in the restaurant.
My first impression was that it definitely has an old school pizza feel: modestly size and decor, checkered floor, up and close look at them making your pizza. There were three guys in the back working. The guy who appeared to be the owner or the boss took my order. Based on the Yelp reviews and because I was just grabbing a quick lunch, I decided to just try the slices. He told me they had two options: meat and veggie. Of course, I had to get one of each to get a good sampling of their pizza. I'm not huge on onions so I asked if I could get my veggie without onions. Unfortunately, I was told I could not because it was already pre-made. It wasn't a big deal because I figured I could just take them off.
After I placed my order, I saw them put my slices in the large black oven. Since they were sliced that were already made, I didn't think it would take that long. Maybe it was because I was in a hurry trying to make it back to work before my lunch hour was over, but the wait seemed a little long to me. I thought the slices just had to reheated but it appeared as if they were baking it on the spot versus just reheating. I patiently waited because I had a feeling it would worth the wait. I'd much rather wait for good, quality food that get mediocre or yucky food in a hurry. Shortly after, I was told my order was ready and that my total came to $6.00 even. I paid and quickly made my way to the car. I wasn't going to wait until I got back to work. I had to taste these babies fresh and hot, in all their glory, like they were meant to be consumed....and it was love at first bite. It was piping hot and the cheese was plentiful and the pizza sauce on top was perfectly balanced, not too sweet and not too acidic. The meat was heavy on the meat which was made it very filling. The veggie was also very flavorful, I'm sure due to the spinach and the feta. And the crust, my oh my, that crust. It was just pure perfection. I'm a bread lover so the more, the merrier. It was just a glorious experience in your mouth. If I had to choose, I'd say I actually prefer the veggie over the meat. The veggie definitely was heavy on the onions and since I'm not an onion lover, I found myself constantly scraping off the onions but even still, it was pretty amazing.
All in all, I'll definitely be back and am looking forward to trying a full pizza, a calzone, and maybe even a sub. Those looked pretty tasty as well. In the future, I think I'll call ahead and place my order and definitely avoid onions. I must admit though, for this to not be Chicago, they were pretty spot on with the authentic flavor. I'd even venture out in saying I like it better than some of the very famous pizza places in Chicago (you know who you are). Thanks for the recommendation, MaryLiz S.! I see why it's your favorite.