Openings

Antico Opening Tomorrow in Bucktown

Almost ready for business.
Almost ready for business. Photo: courtesy of Antico

Considering its location close to the middle of Bucktown, you’d think the intersection of Leavitt St. and Armitage Ave. would be one of the better places to open a restaurant in the city. Unfortunately, over the past three years, we’ve noticed at least three different restaurants open and then quickly close around the area. Perhaps they’ve just been the wrong kinds of restaurants, because we have a lot more hope for Antico, which plans to open tomorrow in a former antique shop. As we mentioned previously, it will function as a coffee shop during the day, before morphing into an Italian joint at night. What else can you expect?

Over the weekend it will only be open from 8:oo a.m. untill 2:00 pm, where it will serve house-roasted coffee, pastries, and truffled eggs. On Wednesday, March 23 it will finally open for dinner service. The owners hope to constantly change the menu, and so nothing is official, but they claim that inspiration is “Old World Italian.” Let’s hope it makes this list, and not this one. At the very least, with Ipsento around the corner, the area is turning into one of the best places in the city for house-roasted coffee.

Antica, 1946 N. Leavitt St., Chicago, IL 60647; 773-489-4895

Antico Opening Tomorrow in Bucktown