virtuous service completed a circle...

virtuous service completed a circle of pleasure one night at Antico Posto. The nutriment was quite good, too, and when you present those two elements together -- quality forage great service -- dining becomes a pleasant experience.

Antico Posto is rapiered away in Oakbrook Center, and that works against it as a destination restaurant. In fact, onward the front of the Antico Posto menu is this statement "Carefully hidden in Oakbrook Center"

Shopping center restaurants frequently get short shrift (food courts serving awful feed caused part of this dilemma) and are expected upon as nothing more than feeding stations for weary shopper Now that landscape is changing, there are eating jewels to be found in shopping center and Antico Posto is single in kind of them.

The menu doesn't stray too far from the tried, the known and the conformable to fact elements of Italian cuisine. If the restaurant were thus inclined, it could do a 50-recipe Italian cookbook at coming up with the recipes for each of the 50 dishes upon the menu.

Fried calamari (tender crispy, sweet) was as righteous as at most other Italian restaurants around town. sum of two units dipping sauces -- tomato and lemon aioli -- add to the pleasure

An arugula salad was dappleed with leaves of radicchio along with apples, cerulean cheese and candied walnuts. A tasty, light vinagrette did the dressing honors. The walnuts should proceed though; they are out of place.

Pizzas were quite suitable with a nice chew to the crust as the bombastic edges gave way to the thin center couple were tried, and both were completely enjoyed. The classic Margherita got an extra kick of pesto, and that worked public just fine. Also, the goat cheese number with oven-dried tomatoes and spinach was an instant hit (the slices flew as eager hands glomm on)

The gnocchi selection was terrific. The menu notes that these are "Homemade Ricotta Dumplings," and I believe that, because they were a bit firmer than gnocchi made with potato. "Delicata" was aligned with a lively tomato sauce, and Bolognese was adorned with a classic meat sauce. the two sauces were very well made, and the gnocchi could not have been prepare for the tableed more perfectly al dente.

admissions listed on the menu are complemented by daily specials, but we stuck with the menu and take pleasure ined a tasty Chicken Milanese (Parmesan-crusted with mushrooms and roasted peppers) veal Marsala (mushrooms, tomatoes, Marsala wine sauce) that was nicely done and generously portioned, and brick chicken. The brick chicken was not exactly the classic pollo al mattone of Italian fame (where the whole chicken earns weighted down by a brick or something heavy while being cooked) nevertheless it was juicy and delicate

couple desserts to try are the zuppa Inglese (sponge cake layered with ricotta cream) and the warm chocolate pudding cake with vanilla gelato. the two were, though commonplace, a comforting way to wind up a meal.

A plus at Antico Posto is the wine service. Many wines are available as a 6-ounce pour, 3-ounce pour and bottle I wish more Italian restaurants would do that.

Antico Posto, Oakbrook Center Mall, (630) 586-9200 Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 pm Monday-Friday; 11:30 a.m.-10 pm Friday-Saturday; 2- 8 pm Sunday. Reservations accepted.

Pat Bruno is a free-lance writer, critic and author. E-mail brunoeats@aol.com.

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