Antica Italian Restaurant 3355 Richmond Rd. Owner Fadi Daoud in March debuted the second location of Antica, which has been a hit in the original location in Avon. Housed in the former Red and Cut 151 space, the Antica in Beachwood offers a similar menu with the exception of a few more steak and seafood options. Everything from the pizza and pasta dough to the tiramisu is made in house. Appetizers include arancini, Kobe meatballs, shrimp scampi and fried calamari. A roster of soups and salads joins a half dozen thin, crisp pizzas, including the signature chicken parmesan “pizza.” Credit: Photo courtesy Antica
When Fadi Daoud took over the former Blu (and Moxie) space in Beachwood to open Hecks, he also got the keys to the adjoining property that previously housed Cut 151 (and Red). The plan all along was to import his Italian concept, Antica, which has been cruising along in Avon since the summer of 2021. Come late-February/early-March, that plan will have come to fruition.

“I think the space kind of lends itself perfectly to cozy Italian, casual-fine dining,” Daoud explains. “We just kind of tied them together.”

The largely turnkey space seats about 100 guests, with roughly 30 of those in the bar and lounge area. Since opening two and half years ago, Antica has built a loyal following for its classic Italian cuisine dished up in a contemporary restaurant.

“We’ve made really good progress at Antica in Avon,” the owner adds. “It’s everybody’s favorite now; it’s the place to be on that side of town.”

Diners on the opposite side of town can look forward to a similar playbook in terms of food and service, but with a few tweaks and additions. Antica in Beachwood will offer a couple more steaks, such as a porterhouse and bistecca alla Fiorentina, plus more seafood options and a beefed-up house-made pasta program.

“I think Beachwood is pretty excited about it,” Daoud reports. “We started letting people know at Hecks and everyone shared the same statement, that we need a good Italian option in the area.”

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This article appears in Jan 17-30, 2024.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.