Iain With Two Eyes

This was one of the more spontaneous dinner plans I’ve made as, before the previous day I had never even heard of Angelina’s pizzeria. The reason for me going here shall remain a mystery, but the experience I had shall not! So lets jump right in.

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Atmosphere

The ambience was nice. I say nice not because of a lack of vocabulary but because it simply was just nice. The lights were cool and the décor trendy but the music could do with some work. I don’t have anything against house music but at an upscale, authentic Italian restaurant, I’d hope for the house music to be at least Italian. While we started at a two person table inside, they quickly moved us to a booth outside which I appreciated because I got to experience both versions of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the outside ambience was worse. There were no cool lights and it just seemed lacking of a vibe.

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Bruciato, Guado al Tasso, Cab Blend

For drinks tonight I had one glass of their cabernet blend. I’m not the most knowledgeable wine drinker in the world but I know that I like a dry and acidic red so when I asked Hector, our awesome server, this is what he recommended and it did not disappoint. It was pretty neutral to start but at the end of the swallow you could definitely sense the acidity at the back of your throat. It was also very warm. I know this isn’t the right way to describe it but I like when my wine feels warm in my throat so it delivered. Would definitely recommend this wine as I almost took a bottle home (but I’m not able to afford that yet).

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Carpaccio

For starters we had the carpaccio which consisted of prime beef tenderloin, capers, arugula fennel, parmesan crisps, and lemon dressing. The beef was excellent. I’ve never had raw beef before so I was hesitant and excited to try it and to my delight I am not writing this while keeled over the toilet. It was very soft and almost melted in my mouth which was a pleasant experience. The capers added the perfect amount of saltiness- fun fact about capers, the first time I had them was in Cape Town so I thought that was their namesake. Also, I still don’t know what they actually are. There was way too much arugula though. Both me and my dining partner agreed that it was just unnecessary to have that much. I don’t know if it was to make the dish seem bigger or if they were trying to get rid of it by the end of the night but there was just too much. The fried parmesan on top was certainly interesting. I had never had an element like that in a dish before so I honestly didn’t know what it was at first but it added a nice crispiness that would have been lacking without it.

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Ravioli Formaggio Al Pesto

Unimpressed. That’s how I felt eating this dish. Maybe I have an unrefined palate, maybe I’m ordering the wrong dishes, but I have yet to go to an Italian restaurant and be satisfied with the pasta I was served. The pesto was good and I wish I had held onto it for later to dip my pizza crust in (credit to my oh so smart dining partner) but the ravioli itself was seriously underwhelming. On the menu it is described as a “house-made 4 cheese ravioli”. Does this mean that the ravioli is a 4/10? Probably not, but that’s what it was for me. The mushrooms on top were nice and paired well with the pesto. Would not order again.

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Burrata e Tartufo

This was a scary one for me. Every time I see pizza offered without the red sauce I’m like, “ew no why would I ever get that” and move on to the real pizzas. But in the spirit of trying something new (and because Hector said this was his favorite pizza) I gave it a shot. Excellent. I love me a prosciutto anything and this pizza had more than enough. Underrated deli meat honestly. It also came with these little heaps, or should I say dollops, of burrata cheese. My cheese experience has grown since I started working at Postino (go eat there and say hi I’ll give you a kiss) and burrata is one of the cheeses that I got introduced to through working there. This was better. I love burrata now. So much so that the next time I go to the store I’ll buy some. Oh wait, Angelina’s is actually going to be opening an Italian market soon and I can get the exact same burrata there, I’ll do that, and I suggest you do too. The pizza crust was so tasty and soft but once again, too much arugula. This is supposed to be an authentic Italian style restaurant so if they always use this much arugula maybe I’ll just never visit. There were also some cherry tomatoes on there which I liked, added a nice acidity but I think they could have had some more. The truffles were aight. I’m not a big truffle guy, its not that I don’t like them I just don’t really get the hype. Thanks Hector for the excellent recommendation, maybe I’ll ask him which pasta to get next time.

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Panna Cotta Con Bacche

When I tell you this is the best dessert I’ve ever had in my life. A fruity tart like dish topped with pistachios and surrounded by berries. So soft, so delicious. It was like I was taking scoops out of and eating a zesty, dense cloud. Words can’t describe, also I can’t remember the words I would use to describe, but just know that if you ever go here, you must order the panna cotta.

________________________________________________________________________________Overall, a tasty experience that could have been made better with a little less arugula. Am I going too hard on the arugula now? Not funny anymore? Never was funny? Will I go again? I don’t know yet, Angelina’s didn’t make it on to my favorite restaurants list on Google Maps but in a pinch for Italian, it will do.