EM H.
Yelp
My first time at Pizza Antica was for a Charles Schwab and Moss Adams dinner party on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Confession: I was initially apprehensive about the dinner because I can't really eat pizza anymore (insert weeping and broken heart emojis here), but at the end of the night, I left very pleasantly surprised by the experience.
Located in Santana Row, I quickly found parking on the second floor of the shopping center's garage and walked not even five minutes to the restaurant. The venue, with wooden chairs and tables [sans tablecloths] and impressive bar, is casual, but upscale for a pizzeria. The establishment offers indoor and outdoor seating of which both areas appeared to be well kept and tidy during my visit. Even the women's restroom was clean.
Below is what was served on our personalized menu for the dinner party:
STARTERS
Meatballs - Matt said that these were the best meatballs that he's ever had. I didn't find them as tasty as I wanted them to be.
Shrimp Fritto Misto - Good. There were more pieces of red onion compared to the shrimp, but that was fine with me as I enjoyed the veggies more than the fish.
Caesar Salad - Wow, our plates were such generous portions that by the time I finished my greens, I was nearly too full to eat anything else.
ENTREES
Margherita - Unfortunately, due to my lactose intolerance, I was not able to join in on the pizza enjoyment. Thin pizzas like this always call out to me. You can imagine how my FOMO was hitting the roof. V had a few warmed up leftover slices which he said were good.
Fennel Sausage - I took a few leftover slices of this home and enjoyed two reheated slices (after taking a Lactaid) a couple days later. They were scrumptious, even as leftovers.
"Everything" - My mouth watered as I watched everyone eat this ooey, gooey cheesy pizza. It looked like I was totally missing out on deliciousness.
DESSERT
Gelato - Enter sad face emoji here because I had to pass on this, too.
In addition to my drink, I did order my own main dish and sweet ending:
Strawberry Mint Lemonade - Yum!
Fried Chicken - If you like fried chicken, you need to add this BIG PLATE to your bucket list. And calling it a BIG PLATE is no exaggeration! Each of the two crunchy thigh pieces were so giant that this dish could serve as a meal for two persons. They were also lean/absent of fat which was super awesome. I wanted to devour everything on my plate, but I was so full from the Caesar Salad that my stomach allowed me only a few bites.
Spruce's Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie - I wouldn't call this a giant cookie, but it was on the bigger, thicker side. I took it home and it was big enough to share with DJ, Z, and V. We liked it. Tasted homemade. I wished that it was a bit more chewy, though.
Service was EXCELLENT. Marissa was our server. She was very informative, warm, friendly, and patient. I appreciated that she looked out for me, checking to see if the dairy in the potato puree served with the Fried Chicken as well as the dressing for the Caesar Salad were ok for my tummy to handle. She handled our big party like a pro. I was so impressed by her that I even called the Manager on Duty on August 2, 2024 to applaud Marissa's top notch customer service.
Admission: Pizza Antica knocked my socks off. This rarely happens, especially by pizza joints. I told my family that they would love this place and it's another reason to return...soon, I hope!