When writing this column, I like to cover restaurants that are either local or within a reasonable driving distance from campus. While this restaurant is certainly drive-able, it’s not exactly the closest, but it holds a special place in my heart.

Anthony’s in Old Forge is an Italian restaurant. More importantly, it’s a restaurant my family visits on special occasions, this particular occasion being my brother’s birthday.

Upon entering, Anthony’s has the vibe of most Italian restaurants – lower lighting, simple decor, and a friendly wait staff. It features a bar with a smaller dining area for small parties, as well as a much bigger dining room to accommodate larger parties. My family fits into the bigger party category.

We started with water (this water will play a role later on), and, for an appetizer, we ordered a tray of Old Forge-style pizza. If you’re not from Northeast Pennsylvania and have never had Old Forge pizza, you have to try it. It’s very different from the pizza you’re used to, but it is arguably the best. The tray we got had the perfect balance of cheese and sauce and a light airy, yet crispy crust, that served as the perfect treat prior to our main dishes.

For my main course, I settled on one of my personal favorites, chicken alfredo. As you would hope for in an Italian restaurant, the pasta is homemade and, based on the taste, you can certainly tell. It tastes like none I’ve ever had before. The difference between homemade and boxed pasta is hard for me to describe; all I can say is that homemade is significantly better.

The alfredo sauce was creamy and well seasoned, but not overpowering. It complimented the chicken well. My only complaint is I wish the dish offered more chicken but there was an upcharge for adding chicken.

Overall, my meal was extremely satisfying.  What was not satisfying was when asked by the waitress if we “needed anything else,” my brother promptly asked “Yeah, can I get THIS to go?” while holding up his glass of water. Wow. You can tell what degree he got in college – it certainly wasn’t in comedy.

As I have for the past few years, I hope to return to Anthony’s for another satisfying, celebratory meal.