Miceli's — Restaurant in Los Angeles

You gotta hand it to the owners of this iconic eatery... thru all the ups and downs of the economy over the past 50 years, this stalwart old-school Italian restaurant (there's two - one in Hollywood just east of the super-touristy stretch of Hollywood Blvd, and one just past the intersection of Ventura and Lankershim, just south of Universal Studios Hollywood)...

They've managed to consistently turn out reliable American Italian dishes while also maintaining their 'schtick' in high-form: the servers who just poured your Chianti or dished out your lasagna will suddenly take 'center stage' near the live pianist, and belt out everything from Aretha Franklin to Beyonce... Broadway to Opera...and without missing a beat will then humbly resume serving duties.

This is borrowed from a few off-Broadway Italian joints in New York, and it's just as awesome and entertaining on this coast. (Actually - probably more so - you expect your servers a few blocks off the Great White Way to be working as a server 'in between' paying singing gigs, paying their dues... but you definitely don't expect this calibre of performance in Tinseltown!)

The reasons to book a reservation or make this your next 'good meal out' are many - excellent pasta dishes and authentic sauces, terrific chicken and shrimp entrees, great salads and antipasti and minestrone... and WOW - the desserts!

All while surrounded by the American version of a quaint Italian restaurant that in one's imagination is nestled somewhere in cozy little village of Naples... or Florence... or... (it doesn't matter - because it actually is pure Hollywood back-lot scenic-designer stuff from the 1950's =) The Corleone family certainly wouldn't be found here. But in La La Land it's just perfect - and you'll probably find yourself feeling nicely relieved of 'real life worries' the same way you do when you pass thru Disneyland's main gate. It's pure entertainment, in its own reality.

The wine list is not going to impress a 5-star sommelier, but it's perfect for this style of throw-back yum; the pricing is high for what you get ($15 a dessert; $15-$25 for various salads; pasta dishes will set you back at least $26 and that's for the simple spaghetti and marinara)- but the portions are decent, and this is hearty, definitely walk away full kind of dishes- flavorful and fun.

The cons (besides the pricing) are the lack of good parking - definitely a problem. We didn't see a valet when we went, but we managed to luck out at a meter about 2 blocks up. It's VERY loud - be prepared on a weekend night to be speaking in your 'outside' voice and to strain to hear your server. And the service CAN be a bit on the slow side; we waited about 20 minutes for our appetizer and then another 5 minutes for the wine, which we ordered along with the appetizers. But at least it's an enjoyable long wait =)

The restaurant was VERY busy and full with plenty of to-go orders also flying out their little secret side entrance for pick-up- when we were there there was not one but two rather large birthday celebrations, as well as several full tables all the way to the very back - and most seemed to be regulars (vs tourists just coming off a day of trams, sharks, stunt shows and the World of Wizarding just up the street =)

DEFINITELY worth a visit or two for a special celebration, or just a cozy dinner for two, or a fun family dinner of 5.

Thank you, MIcelli's, for staying a part of...

I am deeply saddened to say that my experience at Miceli's Italian Restaurant was nothing short of a disaster. My family and I visited the restaurant to celebrate my daughters' 18th and 21st birthdays, which happen to fall on the same day. We called ahead and spoke to the manager Kevin, and had high hopes for a memorable evening, but unfortunately, it was a nightmare.

We were all looking forward to a great meal, and we saved our appetite all day. My daughters are vegetarians and ordered the vermicelli puttanesca dish without anchovies, but after eating it, both got sick to the point of throwing up at the restaurant. The other food we ordered was equally unappetizing and went uneaten, including the pesto linguine and chicken linguine that tasted like it was dragged through the ocean and was so incredibly salty they were inedible.

I remained calm, but despite bringing the issue to the staff's attention, the manager, Kevin, did not even come to speak to us and left it to the waitress Ariel to handle. No apology, No remorse, nothing. We paid the bill, plus a mandatory 20% service charge of $46; they explained because there were 6 of us. We were forced to leave before the staff could even sing Happy Birthday to my daughters because they were so ill. To make matters worse, my daughters were sick for the next two days, and we were all devastated because their milestone birthday was ruined.

I reached out to the manager to express my disappointment, but my call went unanswered for several days, even after leaving messages for the manager to call us back. When I finally spoke to the owner, Joe, he refused to show any sympathy and called me a liar and con artist while yelling and cursing profusely. He told me to look up food poisoning on Google, saying it takes 48 hours to show symptoms. Then he told me to "ef off" and hung up.

As a long-time patron of Miceli's, I cannot express my disappointment. I never expected to be treated so poorly. I've been a loyal customer of Miceli's for over 25 years, but after this experience, I won't be back. I am appalled by the owner's behavior and the food's quality. My family's special evening was ruined, and my daughters were left crying and distraught, and the owner, Joe, clearly didn't care. It's such a shame that my daughters' milestone birthdays were ruined, creating the worst possible memory for our family. To add insult to injury, the lack of empathy shown by the owner, Joe, and his restaurant is unacceptable. I don't understand why they were so quick to disregard the safety and well-being of their customers. He should be ashamed of himself.

Please Note: 97% of my reviews are five stars because I like to share good food recommendations and experiences, but this experience was so horrible I felt the need to warn others so they don't experience what happened to me.

Miceli’s Italian Restaurant in Studio City doesn't deserve the one-star I was...

The worst experience I have ever had, in my life!! Warning! Do not go here! I came in with my family (my wife and 2 children) after being seated I informed the waitress (a grown woman) that it was my son's birthday and we had just came from Universal from celebrating where this grown woman stated "great, I will let you wed me for free!" A little obsurd to say to a child (minor) but we brushed it off. As the night continued I had informed the waitress about my family's order which included a Hawaiian pizza but instead of ham uf she could put in a substitute for pepperoni. When the pizza arrived it came as a regular Hawaiian with ham, when I mentioned to the waitress about the pepperoni her immediate response was to call me a liar, stating that I never said that, I explained to the waitress I would have no motive in lying. She then (with a bad attitude) yelled, "what do you want then!? Do you want me to take it back!?" I explained how it was fine no need to get aggressive, she then stated, "you never said pepperoni, it is not my fault you made a mistake!" At this point we had not even bothered to eat the food that was provided and immediately asked to speak with a manager (worst mistake I could have made) the so called manager was worst than the waitress. I had to go up to the manager (the same guy who seated us) and began to explain my situation his exact response was "wait. Who are you? Where are you even sitting?" And after I responded, the waitress serving us (in front of the manager) started yelling more and getting in my face (as if she wanted to fight) how she offered to take the pizza back, asking what more do i want? When I said to be less aggressive and a little more polite she responded with saying "if you don't like the service you should just leave." I asked the manager if he was going to do anything about his hostile employee, he calmy said "I will deal with it later". Me and my family decided we were not going to eat the food there (I mean how could we? After all that who could sit down and actually enjoy their meal?) Leaving the food and drinks untouched we decided to just leave, as me and my family were getting ready to leave I hear the manager aggressively yelling at me and saying you f** loser you are not walking out on this check, and saying "you fa**ot, get back over here!" While aggressively approaching my vehicle, I was afraid for the safety of myself and my family, and will definitely be reaching out to an attorney for...