Squeezed in between a dry cleaning store and a small grocery shop in the middle of Koreatown, All’ Angolo was one of those places that was hard to spot even after one’s GPS had announced the arrival at this restaurant.

The Italian family kitchen clearly did not lack customers despite its modest look from the outside. Many came back again and again for the fresh and crispy crusted pizza. Some sought it after seeing its extremely high 4.5 out of 5 stars rating on Yelp, and others simply couldn’t help but enjoy the intimate atmosphere created by the staff in this small family restaurant. Only about 3 miles away from USC campus in the heart of K-town, authentic Italian flavors may be found at a place less expected.

The open kitchen, separated by a low glass screen from the dining area, occupied at least half of the restaurant. About ten small metal tables occupied the other half. All’ Angolo also offered two tables for outdoor seating. There were no waiters at All’ Angolo - the chef/owner of the store, Giuseppe, took care of taking orders in addition to making pizzas. 

Upon one’s arrival at the restaurant, one should simply find an empty table to sit down, and an elderly Italian gentleman would hand out the one-page menu. The cucumber infused water served here was refreshing, and other drinks such as sparkling water or soft drinks were located in a fridge were self-serve.

At All’ Angolo, it was not uncommon to be completely surrounded by Italian speakers. The incredibly friendly and personable Giuseppe, however, would definitely make any non-Italian-speaking diner feel less left out. The only worker here who spoke English, he would always make conversation and kindly remind customers if their order would consist of too much food, or suggest that a much larger size pizza was only 2 dollars more and was a better deal.

Every pizza came freshly out of the oven. In fact, the process of pizza making – from tossing the dough to placing toppings, can be directly observed by customers while waiting for their orders – an experience one can’t find at most restaurants. Pasta dishes were also made one order at a time in small pots.

The pizza had a wonderful crisp in its crust - definitely great for any thin-crust pizza lovers. Each kind ranges from a small 10 inches to 12 and 14 inches, priced from $10 to $15. With about 15 different kinds of topping combinations offered, one could go for meat-lover’s Carnivora, or order a simple yet always delicious Margherita pizza. All’Angolo offered quite a few vegetarian pizzas as well.

The hand-made pasta definitely won the highlight of this petite restaurant. Rich in flavor but light at the same time, they were packed with flavors and would leave anyone satisfied without feeling greasy or bloated. Linguine alla Riviera, for example, had just the right amount of tenderness and smoothness in its pasta, and the tomato-based sauce added a subtle sweet and sour flavor, delicately coating the linguine, combined with some fresh clams and squid. For about $7 or $8, one serving of pasta was enough to satisfy a guy’s appetite yet was not a preposterously large amount that many American restaurants would serve. 

Despite the restaurant’s small size and relatively inexpensive price, all dishes were delicately made and served; they could very well have been served at more high-end places such as Bottega Louie.  

In addition to pizza and pasta, All’ Angolo also provided appetizers including a soup of the day and four kinds of salad, as well as calzones.

 

What we liked: the staff! Linguine alla Riviera (linguine with seafood), Penne alla Boscaiola (chicken sausage and mushrooms in a cream sauce), soup of the day, pizza Margherita, cucumber infused iced water.

 

Average cost $15- $20 per person

 

All’Angolo also offers take-out as well as deliveries.

 

All’ Angolo

4050 W 3rd St (Koreantown)
Los Angeles, CA 90020

(213) 368-7888

http://www.allangolopizza.com

 

Reach Staff Reporter Shirley Feng here.