Amici Pizza and Bistro is nestled back in the old fashioned (and somewhat barren) chunk of Johnson St. in NE Minneapolis. Mr. C and I took it upon ourselves to make a trip to this little neighborhood eatery.
Upon entering, the place was indeed very bistro-ish. A small space, dim and romantic, we endured a slight wait before being seated at a small table. We perused the drink menu, with slight offerings of wine and beer. The server came and took our order, and made no impression on us at all. For food, we decided on: Baked Goat Cheese (Toasted almond, grape compote, crostini-$7), The Bucatini (Tomato sauce, fresh basil, grana padano-$13), and the Hollywood Pizza (Oven dried tomatoes, spinach, toasted garlic & fresh mozzarella - $11 for a small.)
Our appetizer came within 10 minutes, and almost everything was wrong with it. The bread was way too thin, and way too crunchy. The grape compote was kind of a chutney mess, with a slight thought about sweetness. The goat cheese was lukewarm (baked anyone???) and tasted oddly sweet and soapy. I love goat cheese, but sometimes I experience this at different places. I'm not sure why. The greens were good though, with a hint of lemon and a kiss of bitterness.
Upon entering, the place was indeed very bistro-ish. A small space, dim and romantic, we endured a slight wait before being seated at a small table. We perused the drink menu, with slight offerings of wine and beer. The server came and took our order, and made no impression on us at all. For food, we decided on: Baked Goat Cheese (Toasted almond, grape compote, crostini-$7), The Bucatini (Tomato sauce, fresh basil, grana padano-$13), and the Hollywood Pizza (Oven dried tomatoes, spinach, toasted garlic & fresh mozzarella - $11 for a small.)
Our appetizer came within 10 minutes, and almost everything was wrong with it. The bread was way too thin, and way too crunchy. The grape compote was kind of a chutney mess, with a slight thought about sweetness. The goat cheese was lukewarm (baked anyone???) and tasted oddly sweet and soapy. I love goat cheese, but sometimes I experience this at different places. I'm not sure why. The greens were good though, with a hint of lemon and a kiss of bitterness.
Bucatini
I can't be sure if Amici is related to Rinata or Al Vento at all, but I've had this dish at Rinata and it was almost identical (see here). It wasn't quite the salt-o-rama that Rinata offered, but it was tangfest 2011. I like a nice tangy tomato sauce, but this lacked any kind of balance, and I found it to be too acidic. The pasta was cooked well however.
The Hollywood
Yes, this thing comes with shaved and roasted garlic ALL over it. I really like garlic, but this was REALLY garlickey. I have heard reports that in certain areas of Italy, they are very heavy on the garlic. I'm not sure if this is true, but too much of a good thing is possible. The rest of it was mediocore. The crust was an odd mix of soft/saggy at the tip, and then more firm and slightly crispy at the brim. The cheese was applied with a light hand, and the tangy tomato sauce really went well on the pizza. Probably because it was mixed with other elements.
Overall, Amici fell a bit flat for me. I did discover that Hazel's is practically right next door, so I will be heading there next!
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