Anna Maria Pasteria Closes After 35 Years In Uptown

UPTOWN — A longtime Italian restaurant in Uptown has closed as the owner retires.

Anna Maria Pasteria, which has been at 4400 N. Clark St. for over 35 years, shut its doors for good this month after owner Anna Spinelli decided to retire, she wrote online .

“While this decision was not made lightly, it feels like the right time for me to step back and cherish the memories we’ve created together,” Spinelli wrote. “I cannot express how deeply thankful I am for my employees and each of you. Your unwavering support, your loyalty and your love for our food have meant the world to me.”

Spinelli and her sister, Maria Spinelli, who died in 2017, opened the Italian restaurant in 1989. The sisters came to Chicago from the Basilicata region of southern Italy before carving out a loyal following of customers on the North Side.

In June, Anna Maria Pasteria had to close briefly after a driver ran a red light and crashed into the restaurant. The interior was badly damaged by the crash, with shattered glass from the windows spread all over the floor and furniture and other items destroyed.

The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce launched a GoFundMe that raised about $20,000 to cover the costs of the repairs not covered by insurance and to help the employees who were temporarily out of work. The restaurant was able to reopen in July.

Spinelli couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the closure.

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