If you took an amari shot for every time you heard “tesoro” in Da Angelino’s dining room, they’d have to call an ambulance for you. In a city suffocating in mediocre Italian restaurants, this one in CocoWalk stands out in two ways: really good pasta and hospitality. Neapolitan servers swing by your table carrying plates of fig ravioli while their Florentine colleagues prepare cacio e pepe with truffle in giant cheese wheels (both claiming they’re from the best city in Italy). The banter brings a welcome warmth to the restaurant’s starched white tablecloth and cold stone columns. And while we’ve never had a pasta here we didn’t love, not all of their dishes are as good as the rigatoni and gnocchi. For example, the dry $45 tiger shrimp. Still, this is a good spot if you’re on the hunt for pasta in the Grove. And if you’re wandering around for lunch, their $39 lunch special is a great deal.
photo credit: Da Angelino Cucina Italiana
photo credit: Da Angelino Cucina Italiana
Food RundownVitello Tonnato
The thin veal is a little dry, but you can barely tell thanks to the silky tonnato sauce.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Rigatoni Al Ragu Di Angello
This is our favorite pasta here. The rigatoni is textbook al dente and tastes like it was made by someone who spends a lot of time hunched over pasta dough. The lamb in the ragu comes through, and they throw in a grilled lamb chop that’s charred but tender.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Tortellini Funghi & Parmigiano
Another great pasta. Our only complaint is that it should be a bit bigger for $26.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Mazzancolle Catalana
This tiger shrimp was definitely on its high school basketball team. It’s massive. But it’s also tough and a little shy—it doesn’t come out of its shell very easily.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Tiramisu
This tiramisu is constructed at your table straight out of a moka pot, with espresso poured over individual ladyfingers, which keeps them from getting too soggy. It’s then topped with a fluffy mascarpone cream scooped from the espresso maker’s base.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Executive Lunch Menu
For $39, you get one antipasto (we like the burrata), one pasta, and one dessert. An extra $8 gets you steak or salmon instead of pasta. We like the tagliatelle alla bolognese with heaps of beef ragu. After tax and tip, you’re paying about $50 per person, but it’s so much food, you’ll likely take some home. This menu is only available Monday through Friday from 12-5pm.
video credit: Virginia Otazo
Dining and Cooking