For the last several years, I’ve been intending to eat at Antica Posta. But as they are only open for dinner and in the heart of Buckhead, visits to that space / time crossroads, without having other plans, are few and far between.  As I was right around the corner, on Maple Street, and heading downtown, tonight was the perfect chance to try it out.

Specializing in dishes from the Tuscany region of Italy, they’ve been in business for 18 years.  Opened by the Betti brothers, they were named “Best Italian Restaurant” in Atlanta, for several years after opening.  They’re now one of the stalwarts on the Atlanta dining scene, located one block before East Paces Ferry dead-ends into Piedmont Road.  I was early for dinner and seated in the front area, near the bar. Shortly after ordering, the bread service arrived.

The bread had a great crust, with a soft interior and there was high quality olive oil on the table.  Even better than the sliced bread were the thin sticks, which were a bit peppery and incredibly crisp – they actually “snapped” when you took a bite.

For the primo, I ordered shrimp fra diavola, a spicy seafood pasta.

The sauce was not as hot as an ariabata sauce, but had just the right amount of heat in it.  Pepper flakes were scattered throughout and the pasta had enough rough edges to hold onto the sauce. It was quite tasty and not a huge portion, with just enough leftover sauce to soak it up with the last of the bread. A very simple, classic Italian meal.