Angelina Ristorante — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Well where do I start? I don't know what it was about last night, but we had a very interesting experience at Angelina. We went there because I remembers that I really enjoyed one dinner with a friend a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, this time it was a completely different experience! 1. Dishwashers kept slamming the dishes in the kitchen, they were super loud! One patron went in to ask them to be more gentle with the dishes, and it still didn't help. 2) we ordered mussels, they smelled like.. barn? pee? I always order mussels whenever they are on the menu, and something was wrong with these ones. A couple at the table next to ours also had mussels, and they didn't complain though (trying to be objective.) 3) Burrata - it's not the creamy kind that I expected, but a regular mozzarella from Jewel. 4) Salmon Pasta - the pasta was very pale, with a blah texture, the sauce was watery and left sour aftertaste, salmon was terribly overcooked and dry. 5) duck.. they didn't trim excess fat as they should have, the dish lacked flavor. My fiance had salmon as his main course, and it was, once again, dry. The place was half-empty, and still they were very slow with everything. We got there at 7, and we only got to eat at 8 (by that time we only had caprese, and we had to send the mussels back.) 6) One of the busboys was snacking while cleaning the tables - literally walking with a plate of food, and chewing. He didn't seem to care about his job at all. The whole experience was so amusing and ridiculous, that we decided not to cancel our order after the mussels fiasco, but hope for the best and see what else was going to go wrong. We were barely able to hold down laughter when they brought pasta and main plates. It was just ridiculous! The food was SO plain, we rated it as "one step above cafeteria food." We decided to leave and finish the night at our beloved Mia Francesca a few blocks away. We had the real burrata there, and had their delicious cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie with cinnamon gelato. One good thing about Angelina (well, two!) - the waiter, the bartender and the water busboy were very good. I've never written a review like this before, but this time I felt like I absolutely had to. I truly hope that you have a better experience when...

Overall subpar experience for the following reasons:

I ordered the rigatoni Bolognese with cinnamon. For around $27 they only gave me 2 small pieces of meat for the entire dish.

My girlfriend ordered pasta and had large chunks of peppercorn for seasoning. The peppercorns were so large that if you took a bite of the pasta, all you could taste is the pepper. At some point, my girlfriend was taken aback by the powerful and overwhelming taste of the pepper.

I called to set up a reservation. I was going to be late, but my girlfriend arrived early so I called and asked them to seat her. She had also asked before I called. When I called and asked. They replied and said the entire party must be at the restaurant before they can seat us - despite me making a reservation for a table, they needed to wait until we arrived to get a table. What is the point of having a reservation if you have to wait for a table? Shortly after, a waiter came by and asked if my girlfriend was being seated, she said no, and they ultimately seated her. What?

The restaurant is loud. Very loud. Despite small tables and a more intimate layout, my girlfriend and I had to lean in close to hear one another due to the volume.

The menus were disgusting, with stains and food chunks on them. Is Angelina's so cheap they can't afford real Menu books? They also don't have anything to explain their specials, so you have to rely on the waiter to inform you. Good luck remembering everything about the specials while looking through the menu.

The tables were not clean. They're made up of a tablecloth and on top of that, a piece of paper that already had multiple stains and chunks of food before we sat down as if it wasn't cleaned before we sat.

The Bread was stale and tough. Just overall not good, even with the oil. Speaking of which, the oil at our table had "stuff" floating at the bottom of it. Didn't look like seasoning to me, and didn't taste...

A not-so-hidden jewel of Lakeview East! Angelina's has the rare trifecta of incredible food, excellent service, and charming ambiance. Each time I walk through the doors, I know a wonderful evening lies ahead. Anton, Andres, and Philip are masterful in engaging with every customer and building a dining experience that exceeds the standard checkbox of criteria used when making a restaurant choice. If you find yourself lucky enough to have dinner at Angelina's, I have the following suggestions. Give one of the specialty cocktails a try. The Pink Elephant, Espresso Martini, and Blackberry Gin are my favorites. Make sure to ask about the daily specials. The Beet & Burrata Salad, Minestrone Soup, and Chicken Parmesan with Linguine Pomodoro have been phenomenal. Try one of the incredible pasta dishes. All the pasta dishes I've tried are spectacular, especially the Gargenelli, Risotto, Pasta Pomodoro with Sausage, and the Rigatoni Bolognese. When in doubt, order the Short Ribs or Salmon. The portion sizes are generous, the sides tasty, and the sauces still make my mouth water thinking of them. Save room for dessert! The seasonal dessert is the perfect indulgent end to a spectacular meal. If you are looking for a more traditional dessert, the Bread Pudding and Tiramisu are also top contenders. Enjoy! I can't stress enough how much I enjoy the people, food, and atmosphere of Angelina's and how positive of an impression it has made upon me. Whether you're a local or a visitor, I can't think of any restaurant that continues to surpass my...