After 22 years in business and counting, Avanzare Italian Dining is a name synonymous with Springfield Italian food. But although I’ve lived here my entire life and have covered local food news for more than half a decade, I was an Avanzare virgin up until recently. Shocking, I know.
I did get a chance to visit the old location on Glenstone when I interviewed owner Tony Garcia for a previous story. After dining in the new sprawling space at 3240 S. Fremont Ave., which can accommodate 250–300 guests, it was hard to imagine how they were managing in the old location that could only seat 100 people max. It was a full house the night I visited, and there was a lively, excited energy all throughout.
The spacious entrance alone makes a grand first impression with a large glass chandelier hanging high, while on the right, there’s a beautiful fireplace with a mosaic tile design above. There are multiple seating areas to choose from: a dining room hidden behind the wine cellar perfect for private parties, the main dining room located on the east side, the back bar area and the covered patio.
It was a beautiful evening the night of our visit, so my husband, Chandler, and I decided to enjoy our meal on the patio. We kicked it off with fried calamari and bruschetta. Out of the two appetizers, the bruschetta was our favorite. The bread was easy to bite into, and the tomatoes tasted super ripe despite it not being peak tomato season yet. As for the fried calamari, the dish really came alive when we added the squeezed lemon on top.