ANGELINO BRINGS PERSONAL TOUCH TO ITALIAN DINING.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic SHERMAN OAKS lost Il Balcone, but Studio City has gained Angelino. In a Studio City area congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. by sushi bars, a brave little Italian restaurant called Angelino has emerged, perhaps filling the void created by the demise of Il Balcone to the west, now in the sushi fold as SensAsian II. All that Angelino has to do right now is fight off immediate neighborhood Italian competition from Giorgio's, Cafe Fiorini, La Loggia loggia Hall, gallery, or porch open to the air on one or more sides. It evolved in the Mediterranean region as an open sitting room with protection from the sun. It is often a roofed, arcaded open gallery on an upper story overlooking a court, though it can also be a , Aldente, Spark, Ca del Sole and others. In the former Emmanuel space, Angelino, the second restaurant of chef- owner Angelo di Santo (his first is Trattoria trat·to·ri·a n. pl. trat·to·ri·as or trat·to·ri·e An informal restaurant or tavern serving simple Italian dishes. [Italian, from trattore, host, from trattare Frascati in Woodland Hills) doesn't try to be different other than the fact that it refrains from cooking pizzas. This makes some sense, because there are surely enough pizza purveyors in the area to satisfy demand. But will its relatively well-crafted antipasti Antipasti can refer to:
Previous tenants with a full-service, somewhat upscale approach have had trouble filling the dining room regularly here. But Angelino has a no-holds-barred policy of satisfying diners. Whatever they want, as long as the kitchen has the ingredients, will happily be made. One night it was mentioned that only one chicken dish was listed on the menu. The waiter then rattled off a list of possible off-menu chicken options. Consequently, chicken marsala ($16.50) was chosen. It was delicious. Chef di Santo's kitchen cooks good soups for around $5 or $6 a bowl (including tortellini in brodo), and his plate of grilled calamari on arugula arugula or rocket Yellowish-flowered European herbaceous plant (Eruca vesicaria sativa), of the mustard family, cultivated for its foliage, which is used especially in salads. ($9.50) is probably his best starter offering. The same calamari reappears with grilled langostino, salmon, shrimp and swordfish on a bountiful grigliata mista de pesce ($22.50) platter. Steaks and sea bass (branzino) plates at market prices can be enjoyed here. On different days they are offered with slightly different preparations. But if you like your steak or fish a certain way that hasn't been mentioned, chef Angelo will do his very best to make you happy. He's a gregarious man, neatly attired in chef's whites and a toque, who roams the small dining room between cooking chores chatting up the customers with his thick Italian accent, constantly ready to discuss food and wine topics. Impatient newcomers may find him sending out complimentary bruschetta bruschetta Noun an Italian open sandwich of toasted bread topped with olive oil and tomatoes, olives, etc [Italian] to nibble Half a byte (four bits). (data) nibble - /nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte") Half a byte. Since a byte is nearly always eight bits, a nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be represented by one hex digit). on even if they've ordered starter dishes. And no matter that you vaguely remember having a better rendition of veal scaloppine sca·lop·pi·ne also sca·lop·pi·ni n. Small, thinly sliced pieces of meat, especially veal, dredged in flour, sautéed, and served in a sauce. [Italian, pl. or tiramisu tir·a·mi·su n. A dessert of cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum, layered with a rich cheese filling, and topped with grated chocolate. somewhere else - chef Angelo will easily win you over with his personality. He conquered Woodland Hills that way. Why not Studio City, too? Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com ANGELINO CUCINA ITALIANA Food: Three stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: Two and one half stars Where: 11929 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, for dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. Recommended items: Soups, calamari alla griglia, cappellini alla checca, chicken marsala, steaks, branzino. How much: Starters from $6 to $12.50, pastas and entrees from $9.50 to $22.50. Beer and wine. All major credit cards accepted. Wine list: The multipage starting list is surprisingly deep, especially in expensive Italian reds (brunellos, barolos, super Tuscans, et al.). Bottles range from $19 for a house pinot grigio to a $700 Italian amarone. Nine wines by the glass are unnamed house choices ranging from $5.95 to $12. Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $15. Reservations: Helpful. Call (818) 769-0822. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Filet mignon comes on a well-appointed plate at the new Angelino Cucina Italiana in Studio City. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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