Message: | There's not an awful lot about Angeli on the board, and I wonder what y'all think of it. In a strange turn of events I ate there twice last week, both times b/c other area plans fell thru and Angeli seemed like a safe bet for disparate palates and working on a deadline.
(Lengthy aside: last Tuesday night Mom and I were looking to indulge her Italian urge and we swung by Angelini Osteria, which I've heard so much good stuff about; it was 10 past 7, there were 4 tables occupied out of 20 or so, a couple of the servers were hanging out and talking...and they couldn't seat us. Not right then. Not even if we waited for a bit to see if anything opened up. Not for literally HOURS could they seat us...and did we want to come back then? [Like hell, naturally.])
On my first visit I had the salmon with lemon pesto sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and grean beans...twas nice, twas inoffensive, twas a little on the olive oily side and I wouldn't order again. My dining compadres had pizzas, all of which were good if a little heavy on the cheese for my tastes. Second visit I ordered the pasta special I agonized over the last time around and was in heaven: linguine with fresh tuna, fennel, capers, olives, lemon juice,
and breadcrumbs. Damn. Some good stuff right there. Served in the homey-est, sweetest little dish, it could not have been more comforting. And, naturally, it's all about the bread they bring you when you sit down. That bread is manna from heaven.
Despite the fact we waited ages and asked 2 or 3 times for water, both visits confirmed Angeli as a reliable destination for groups - it's simple (too simple?), there's a little something for everyone and it has a pleasant vibe. It's not my personal favorite, but then, I can't convince people to eat Korean BBQ w/ me EVERY night. |