Angelini Osteria

Thanksgiving is the time where family members are finally reunited after many months of separation. As it is such a rare occasion for us to see our grandmother, she always feels it is necessary to take her grandchildren out for a nice meal with just the four of us. Our family always struggles finding a restaurant to go to because we are so picky about what places we do and do not like, but we always are satisfied with Italian. Even though my mother claims she is not a fan of Italian food, we know she does, she only despises the taste of pasta. My parents always rave about how great Angelini Osteria is, but for some reason we have never gone there with the whole family, and finally, I had a chance to get a taste of one of the most recognized Italian restaurants in the city of Los Angeles. We were quite fortunate to get a table Friday evening because it is typically a nightmare to find a table, but a last minute cancellation and we were thriled. Walking into the restaurant, I noticed it is very tight inside, and even moving my seat was an issue for the table behind me. Usually, trendy restaurants in Los Angeles consist of a young crowd, but I believe the average age in the restaurant must have been between 65-70. Getting to the food, I began with a common beef carpaccio which was topped with an arugula salad and some parmesan cheese. This dish never seems to disappoint me, but at the same time, restaurants never really mess with the dish to try and create something original. I was not very hungry before the meal, so after eating the carpaccio dish, I was not sure how I was going to eat a full dish of risotto. My entrée was a risotto, which was topped with seafood consisting of shrimp, crab, clams and more. I was not sure whether I was just too full by the time the dish reached the table, or it was lacking something, but it was not one of the better risotto dishes that I have had. I felt the rice was wonderful, but the sauces used on top of the risotto did not mix well with the rest of the dish. To make up for a disappointment of an entrée, we ordered a panna cotta for a dessert. The rich panna cotta was topped with a berry sauce which was one-of-a-kind. Overall it was a quite satisfying meal, and I would definetly go back, but change my order in the future. 8/10