Antico

Tucked onto a side street in Bucktown, Antico has all the trappings to seduce: a simple but stylish room, a substantial menu of regional classics and an all-Italian wine list of good value and great range. Now if only the kitchen could execute. Shaved fennel had browned long before it got its citrus dressing, polenta glued to itself to form a blob under sautéed mushrooms, lamb chops saw too little seasoning and too much grill, and an impressive-looking pork chop Milanese revealed itself to be a third of its appearance, with two-thirds inedible gristle or bone. The final nail came with grease-soaked zeppole pulled from a salty, savory fryer, far from the sweet ending we were holding out for.