Last week
Angeli Caffe closed it's doors after 27 years. I started going to Angeli not long after moving into the city and have been a regular ever since. Over the years, my husband and I have gone to Angeli with many friends,
for KCRW dinners, and I even took a pie class with Evan Kleiman. The food is simple, fresh, and always satisfying. I was sad when I heard they would be closing, so R and I immediately made a reservation so we could go one last time. Every seat was full and there was a line of walk ins out the door. Angeli fit a need for us in that the food is reliably good, the prices are reasonable, it's close, and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting.
One of the highlights of Angeli was the HOT out of the oven rounds of bread that every table gets along with olive oil. This bread is incredible and you know you should probably not eat the whole thing so you can save room for your food, but to stop eating it is next to impossible. Fresh bread that is still steaming has to be one of the best smells, and the taste lives up to the aroma here.
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| Cheers, Angeli! |
Angeli always had a great selection of seasonal items on the menu and the spicy carrots had so much flavor. The gnocchi specials were some of the best, and her veggies never failed.
The butternut squash lasagna is another stand out and we had to get one last fix. It may not look like much, but the flavor and textures are really something special. The lasagna bolognese was my second favorite in LA, behind the lasagna verde at
Angelini Osteria.
The half roast chicken at Angeli was outstanding! However, we weren't really hungry enough for that much chicken, so we went with the Petto di Pollo alla Griglia instead.
The food at Angeli isn't fancy or pretentious, it's straightforward, well cooked, and feels like something you would get at an Italian grandma's house.
Jonathan Gold wrote a
eulogy for Angeli and of course, says it much better than I ever could!
We'll miss you Angeli!
