The restaurant where I drank my first legal beer will hold a special place in my heart forever. I occupied the third booth from the front on that auspicious occasion, but in those days the booths were all wood.
Anton's closed this spring to allow for redecorating, then reopened under the new management of Tom Anton, son of the restaurant's founder. The restaurant looks a bit more upscale, with brighter, brick-hued colors over the original stucco walls and a bit more upholstery. But it retains the ambience that has attracted local patrons for more than 40 years.
Food continues the focus on value that has sustained Anton's popularity for so long. The wine list takes a similar approach. Fourteen selections are all available by the glass.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls ($3.95) seemed a bit incongruous on this menu, but they tasted good - pretty much identical to those served at various Asian restaurants around town and elsewhere, their crisp texture accented by the sweet Thai dipping sauce. Fried Oysters ($7.80) were light and crisp, pleasantly accented tartar sauce - just the way Greensboro patrons have always liked them.
In Hot Crab Dip ($8.45), and abundance of backfin crab generated the primary flavor, augmented by a little cheese to soften the impact and hold things together, plus a little onion and garlic. Fried buttered bread completed the effect. Fried Calamari ($6.25) had been lightly battered and fried crisp, accented by an herb garlic aioli and a marinara sauce. Some of the pieces were a little firm, but I rated this quite good overall and an especially good value.
Most entrée prices include a house salad constructed primarily around iceberg lettuce plus a little leaf, along with carrot, red cabbage, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, dressed with a mild Italian balsamic vinaigrette or a ranch-style blue cheese. In the Italian Specialties section of the menu, the salad adds $1.95 to the entrée price.
My favorite came from the Italian Specialties list. Thank goodness the new management did not change the original family recipe for Lasagna ($6.95), a classic rendition of ground meat, and melted cheeses that deserves to be preserved. One caveat: The portion size of the lasagna although adequate, was about half the size of the other pastas. Spaghetti ($5.25) with Meatballs ($2.50) is another tradition that has earned its longevity. We took part of this ample serving home. Chicken Parmesan ($7.25) used boneless breast meat covered with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese, producing a rich tomato flavor.
Baked Spaghetti Ravicotti ($7.25) made me imagine a traditional Italian family, where Mama put together all the leftovers into a Sunday-night baked casserole. Layers of spaghetti, sautéed onions, green peppers, mushrooms, tomato-meat sauce and melted mozzarella cheese played host to a sliced turkey product that did not add much flavor of its own, given the robust impact of the other ingredients.
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From the regular dinner menu, Pasta Jambalaya ($9.95) placed pieces of chicken and andouille sausage, plus very salty medium-sized shrimp, in mildly spicy tomato-marinara sauce over spaghetti. If I were to order this again, I would request more chicken and no shrimp. I'm a fan of Anton's Eggplant Parmesan ($9.50) - lightly fried eggplant with slightly sweet tomato sauce and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
I would not recommend Beef Leonardo ($12.95). Beef tips had been marinated in red wine and Italian spices, then sautéed with fresh mushrooms. The meat bore an unacceptable off-taste and the texture was quite tough and chewy. A replacement yielded the same effects. To management's credit, dissatisfaction was noted and no charge was issued.
Parmesan Crusted Trout ($16.95) had been pan-fried and served with tomato caper basil pan sauce. The fish bore a rather heavy, crisp breading and lots of fresh tomato - a good treatment, overall. An off-menu special of Whole Flounder ($18.95) was served bone-in, broiled tender and augmented with a light application of butter, then sprinkled with dried oregano just before serving.
Sides of grilled vegetables were provided in abundance: carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, red and green bell pepper, and red onion, all sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. A baked potato or spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce was the other side.
We ordered two deserts. Peach Bread Pudding ($3.75) exhibited a wonderful cinnamon flavor from the pudding, although I yearned for more peaches. White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie ($3.75) combined the tastes of bananas and crumbled chocolate cookies, plus a chocolate sauce.
Food consistently arrived on heated or chilled plates, as appropriate for the ingredients. Servers were attentive and deliveries prompt.
It's hard to argue with enduring success. I started going to Anton's when I was in high school, spending all the money I earned playing drums in a local rock combo. The restaurant continues to occupy a popular niche in the local restaurant market that would term family Italian. And it executes the concept as well as ever.
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