Can an L.A. kitchen be truly Italian without the touch of Gino Angelini? Hardly a major "boot country" eatery in the area has flourished without his divine stroke since he emigrated from the motherland in 1995. His eponymous Beverly Boulevard eatery is perhaps his most celebrated success to date, a place where off-duty chefs go to relax and enjoy sublime portions of his grandmother's lasagna with glasses of wine, and where lifelong foodies ooh and aah over the likes of oxtail alla vaccinara and exquisitely simple whole branzino. Though the Midas of L.A. Italian has achieved well beyond celebrity chef status – and has even earned a prestigious James Beard nomination for Best Chef:California – his Osteria's intimate, authentic atmosphere remains a humbly ideal space for the rustic Italian fare of his childhood, playfully imagined through California lenses. Beer and wine available. Serving lunch Tue–Fri, dinner Tue–Sun. Closed Mon.
Where the Locals Eat rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Los Angeles
"An idealized version of Italy is just what Angelini Osteria conjures. ... Gino Angelini's brilliant rustic style captures the fundamental modesty of great Italian cooking with a simply laid table, an order of his grandmother's lasagna, a crust of bread, and a glass of wine."
—Los Angeles magazine
"Gino Angelini is basically a creative chef, a guy who likes to put his stamp on dishes rather than preserving traditions. ... The osteria is a release for the chef, a place where he can serve less elaborately garnished versions of his dishes to people who love them, fuel a happy lunch crowd with pasta al limone and tripe, serve oxtails on Thursday nights."
—Los Angeles Weekly
"I doubt even in Italy that you could easily find a spaghetti alla carbonara as satisfying on every level as Gino Angelini's at the new Angelini Osteria in Los Angeles."
– S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times
"Gino Angelini's sophisticated comfort-food restaurant is where other chefs go when they're off duty."
—Condé Nast Traveler
How others rate Angelina Osteria
James Beard Foundation
Gino Angelini, Best Chef: California nominee, 2005
Zagat 2008
27 Food Rating (Extraordinary to Perfection)
Italian Tops
Los Angeles Times
**1/2 (Very Good to Excellent)
Los Angeles magazine
No. 17 on 75 Best Restaurants list, 2008
*** (Bold and Ambitious)
Los Angeles Weekly
20 Best L.A. Italian Restaurants, 2007
Gold 99, 2005-2007