Week In Reviews: Hard Times Refocus Minestraio and All' Angelo's Food Agendas

This week the Lady of Virbila tackles the impact of the economy on two Italian spots once considered high-end, now both opting for a more casual approach to food; Minestraio and All' Angelo. Minestraio focuses on pastas, and while some are better than others, overall Virbils states, "if you want a big plate of decent pasta at a decent price, Minestraio could be your place." As a whole, the restaurant serves "normal food at a normal price," but she finds the wine list to be full of mediocre options, the deserts to "taste like something you'd get on Alitalia flying coach," and the service to be sometimes very slow. The All' Angelo front looks significantly brighter, and right off the bat she says that although the prices have been lowered, "the cooking is still polished and professional." The grilled pizzas are "delicious," the sliced cured meats are "top-notch," and the bigoli is a "real treat." If owner Stefano Ongaro can keep "the quality at this level, once the economy is back, All' Angelo is poised to pick up where it left off." [LAT]

THE ELSEWHERE: The Find stops by Rollie's Bakery Cafe, LAist hits up Chango for vegan grilled cheese, the OCR tries queso fundido at Matador Cantina, Caroline on Crack checks out The Golden State, I'm Going To Kung Food My Way Around The World! samples Quality Seafood in Redondo Beach, and in a late celebration of national donut day, Gastronomy treks over to Donut Man.