Don Antonio by Starita

Antonio Starita

If you are a long time reader of this blog, you probably remember my post on STG Trattoria from a couple of years ago. For a while, it was my favorite pizza spot in town, with fun cocktails and the best panna cotta I'd ever tasted. Then their pizzaiolo ran into some trouble, Josh Hopkins left for Empire State South and it just wasn't the same after that, so I continued on my quest for the perfect pizza. Fast forward to Les Dames d'Escoffier Afternoon in the Country in November where I was lucky enough to get the last, room temperature slice of margarita pizza being handed out by a lovely Italian gentleman, Roberto Caporuscio. Even though it wasn't hot and the crust was decidedly limp, I could tell that it had the potential to be a truly delicious slice of pizza. During our conversation, I found out that he was representing a new, not yet opened pizza place called Don Antonio by Starita. When I asked where they were located, I was surprised to hear that they were opening in the STG space.

Potato Croquet

I waited patiently for the grand opening, what seemed like forever, but was really only two months. I was fortunate enough to attend a preview night where I got to sample quite a few things off the almost overwhelmingly large menu. The biggest surprise for me were all of the tasty antipasti, from the croquets with their velvety soft potato interior and oozy cheese creating a lovely contrast to their crispy exterior, to the completely insane home made burrata filled with truffled cream, it's hard not to fill up on them while you wait for your pizza.

Fried dough stuffed with provolone and pepper

Luckily, the pizzas only take about 90 seconds to cook, so if you don't want to stuff yourself silly on all the lovely starters, you can just dive right into the pizza.

Italian Old Fashioned

As with STG before, they have a solid list of cocktails, including an Aperol Spritz that will be a big hit when the heat comes back to Atlanta, and my personal favorite, the Italian Old Fashioned. Let me just say that I am not a Scotch drinker, but somehow, this drink tastes like caramel and vanilla and everything delicious. Plus, I can never pass up any drink topped with cherries.

Racchetta

The pizza choices are completely different from anything else being offered in town, both because they have a number of gluten free options that are apparently as good as the real thing, and because they offer different shapes and styles than I have ever seen before. The Rachetta, above, has a "handle" stuffed with ricotta and mushrooms as well as the mixed vegetables and mozzarella on the "head", so it's like getting two pizzas in one.Their signature Montanara Starita is a lightly fried disc of dough, topped with their flavorful tomato sauce, little pieces of intensely smoky mozzarella and fresh basil, baked in the oven for another few seconds to melt the cheese and then served. I will say, when I went back with a friend, the sauce was actually cold, but I didn't really mind because I was wolfing it down too fast to pay much attention to minor problems.

Prosciutto e Arugula

With over 50 different pizzas to choose from, there is sure to be something on the menu for everyone. The Prosciutto e Arugula was one of my favorites, with the salty ham and bitter arugula, as was the Pistachio e Salsiccia with pistachio pesto, fennel-y sausage, creamy mozzarella, it was wonderful.

Nutella Pizza

It's worth saving room for dessert, if you are a nutella fan, it's their slightly sourdough crust baked, sliced open and slathered with a generous smear of melty nutella, cut into wedges and dusted with powdered sugar. You may want to eat an entire one yourself. If you want to see more of my pictures from Don Antonio by Starita, and other restaurants around town, follow me on Instagram.

Don Antonio by Starita
102 West Paces Ferry Rd NW
Atlanta, GA
30327
Phone: 404-844-2879

Hours:

Monday-Thursday:  Lunch 11:30AM-2:30PM, Dinner 5:00PM-10:00PM

Friday & Saturday:  Lunch 11:30AM-2:30PM, Dinner 5:00PM-11:30PM