Anna Maria Pasteria

07/07/09

Yummy Italian

by dc817 at Citysearch

I stopped in for their unlimited brunch special and was blown away at how great their food was. The olive oil and bread hmmmmm. Haven't had this good Italian in awhile and the people were so freindly and nice. The pictures on the wall and lighting made da ambiance calm and relaxing. I will go back and would do the brunch special again

• Pros: Location

10/24/07

Not a favorite anymore

by ferngap at Citysearch

My boyfriend & I loved going to the old Anna Maria ? delicious food, great ambiance & even greater service. We decided to try the new location & have a Fri date night there. When we arrived at 8, they said that we had made our reservations for 7:45 (untrue) & we would have to wait. There was a bar so we said no problem. As soon as we ordered our drinks, they said our table was ready. The hostess took us past the main dining area to a small room, actually a small nook, which barely fit the party of 8 already there, who had most likely requested the area for themselves. They seated us about 1 ft away from the other table, in front of a full-length mirror. That way everyone in the dining room could watch us dine in profile. Luckily, those who couldn?t see us in the mirror could catch a glimpse on their way to the restrooms, which we were next to as well. And though every waiter in the restaurant had to walk by us to get to the kitchen directly behind my boyfriend, no one waited on us for at least 25 min. It was the complete trifecta. We decided to have a good time despite feeling like the extra losers crammed in at the kid?s table on Thanksgiving. Everytime someone from the party had to move, we had to get up. And we didn't want to be rude because they were probably even less pleased we were there. We ordered a bottle of wine & appetizers first & were hoping a table in the dining room would open up. After appetizers, 4 additional people joined the party & we all got to squeeze closer together. When we got our food, my boyfriend decided we weren?t going to be polite anymore & went to talk to the hostess. At this point, barely half the dining room was full & we were incensed they hadn't even tried to move us before we went to them. Food was bland & the waiter thought he was doing us a favor by letting us spend over $125 there. He was lucky that I am a chump & I can?t give less than 20%. Wish I had something nicer to say but I am never going back again.

• Cons: Service, Seating, Food

05/12/06

Great Italian Food *by* Italians

by bettie_page_il at Citysearch

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. When I want a good, solid Italian meal, Anna Maria's is a sure thing. They recently moved to their location at Clark/Montrose and the ambiance is even better than their previous spot. The grilled calamari is always tender, the main dishes are cooked to perfection and the Tiramisu is the best I've ever had -- so light and airy and not heavy like most versions. Weekends can have a little wait, but it's always worth it. The owners are from Italy and it shows.

• Pros: good street parking, good value

03/05/06

Okay Italian Food, Good Ambience

by carlson_b at Citysearch

I have eaten here 3 or 4 times - mostly take-out - and after trying many pasta dishes I have to say that only 1 of about 6 dishes stood out as great. The red sauce (and many of the pastas in general) are extremely bland, the bread is nothing special, and there just isn't much that makes the food stand. In terms of the restaurant itself, it is very quaint with nice decor and ambience which is nice for the neighborhood. It is definitely a relaxing and friendly place for a meal but if you're looking for great food there are many other restaurants I would choose.

• Pros: Friendly, Lots of street parkin
• Cons: Bland food

Cozy spot for Lakeview couples craving Italian.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
The warm, golden space features dim lighting, soft music, Renaissance paintings and an ornate tin ceiling. Starters include Italian classics like fried calamari, bruschetta and polenta. For entrees, most diners choose from the more than two dozen pasta dishes. Meat-stuffed tortellini in Bolognese sauce; rigatoni with chicken, portobello mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in cream Gorgonzola sauce.

• Pros: good fooddecent prices

08/16/04

Good.

by kleec at Citysearch

I like this place. The pasta is really good but in actuality what I like most is that they use the GOOD olive oil with the bread. So I eat end up eating a lot of bread when I go there. The ambience is nice but it's a little too well lit and some of the tables are kind of close together. It also does get crowded so expect a wait during peak periods. For nicer ambience & still great food I would go to Fornello just north of there on Irving Park. And I think it's cheaper too. And the wait staff is not so "clinical" as Ive noticed can be the case at Anna Maria.

• Pros: good pasta, olive oil

02/12/04

Homemade Pasta

by everythingisdifferent at Citysearch

Most other Italian restaurants in Chicago will probably be very good. Anna Maria's is excellent though. They make their own pastas, by hand. She even has time to answer the phone. It is quiet enough to have a conversation with the person sitting across from you. It's low lighting and excellent service.

• Pros: Homemade Pasta, Great Service

01/23/03

Great Italian Food!

by katmat at Citysearch

This was a small place my husband and I went to for our wedding anniversary this year. The place is quite and cozy, the service was great and the food was outstanding!

I would definitely recommend this place for a nice, quite Italian dinner!

• Pros: Quite, Excellent food, Great service
• Cons: No parking

05/23/02

Great!

by bpearson at Citysearch

Great service, great food, reasonable prices. Definitely worth checking out.