L'angolo Ristorante

01/24/09

A genuine treasure among South Philadelphia BYOBs

by jeffallegretti at Citysearch

I have been going to L'Angolo off and on since it opened (I was a weekly regular for lunch, which, sadly, is no more). Over that time there have been a number of changes in the kitchen, and I think the current chef, a young and talented Gallipolian (Puglia) may just be the best. The trick with getting the most out of the L'Angolo experience is the same one I advise for all true Italian restaurants: look for the simplest dishes and you will find the best. The baked funghi infused with the rich flavors of olive oil and rosemary, the grilled calamari drizzled with olive oil and your own squirt of lemon, the insalate served with olive oil and salt - just as is in Italy - all simple, all exquisite. Likewise with the pasta, stay away from the over-sauced, the over-creamed, the over-piled with ubiquitous lump crab meat. Choose instead the simple papardelle with Ox tail braised until it falls apart, a real "slow food" celebration for the palate. Or the orrecchiette with shredded duck cooked simply in wine and herbs. Or, my favorite, still made but no longer listed on the menu, delicate and flavorful gnocchi in a 'molte semplice' olive oil and rosemary condiment. (to call it a sauce would be to mislead). But superb simple food is only part of the allure of L'Angolo. The energetic, eager, and uncannily anticipatory young wait staff perfectly compliment the food with their own balance of simple artistry. To the reviewers who fault this part of the L'Angolo experience, I say, eat at Babbo or Vetri if formal pampered service is your Idea of Italian dining. For me, the uniqueness of L'Angolo is inseparable from Nino's familiar but always professional doting, and especially his vicarious participation in the festive celebration of il cibo italiano.

• Pros: Siimple but equisite Pugliese/Italian food; wait staff adds to enjoyment.
• Cons: Some overambitious menu items sometimes miss the mark

11/30/08

Old School Italian, Cozy, Delicious

by ljallen at Citysearch

Small but comfortable. Fantastic meal. There were 6 of us. We all had 3 courses & coffee. We all raved throughout the 3 courses, and insisted on everyone else tasting how delicious it was. It was about $55 per with tip, byob. Probably better with a small group, it's a little close and bright for romance. Make reservations. Parking can be tough on the small South Philly streets.

Truly superb old school italian food. I highly recommend the aspargus wrapped in prosciutto as an appetizer. Two of us raved about the lobster ravioli.

• Pros: THE FOOD
• Cons: tight dining room

11/03/08

Amazing Food at an Amazing Price

by Mommy2Ava at Citysearch

The service, food and price are all part of the wonderful experience at L'Angolo! We plan to return everytime we are in the sports complex area.

05/13/08

yummy food, great atmosphere

by tattoolaedy18 at Citysearch

My Date and I came here on a friday night (made a reservation, was shown RIGHT to table). the place is small, but not cramped, and the decor transports you to an Italian villa, you forget you're in south philly! food was fantastic, service was good (all hot boy waiters!), although it took awhile for our main courses to come out. my date had one of the daily specials, veal and we both loved it ( i normally hate veal). i had a seafood and pasta combo (also for dinner the next night the portions were so generous). we ordered two desserts, tiramasu (totally homemade) and an awesome dark chocolate truffle tort with a raspberry sauce (maybe my favorite part of the night). oh and the fresh mozz and tomato appetizer was like they picked the tomatoes out back and aged the cheese in the basement. DELICIOUS!!! would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a quite date with above average food! bring a bottle: it definitely adds to the experience.

• Pros: awesome food and decor
• Cons: took forever to get main course

02/27/07

Simply Excellent

by eidensk1 at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I just visited L'Angolo's for our Valentine's dinner last weekend. It was small and quaint but made a BIG impression on us. There weren't many tables in the place, which pretty guaranteed good service. There were at least three gentlemen that served us throughout the night. You can tell that they truly want you to have the best experience possible. Now, about the food.... simply excellent. I ordered a Lamb dish, even though I've never eaten lamb, because the woman next to me recommended it as she was eating it! It was spectacular. The meat fell right off the bones and it was served over marinara with gnochi. Amazing! My boyfriend ordered a seafood spaghetti dish which he enjoyed thoroughly as well. Overall a great experience. Very close quarters in the restaurant, but they definitely make it work. Be sure to have reservations ahead of time. We made reservations and our table was waiting for us when we arrived. Another perk to this place is that it's a BYOB, which usually means a MUCH LESS expensive dinner. My boyfriend and I got an appetizer and 2 of the more expensive dishes they offer and our bill was still only $50! Great value!

• Pros: Great service
• Cons: Tight seating