By Nick Christophers

In the old school area of Little Italy which is rich in history lies a friendly and welcoming eatery that opens it arms to all who enter. Among so many famous and well-to-do restaurants it seems that Casa D’Angelo, founded in 1901, still holds its own. It is hard to choose while you walk down Mulberry Street with workers of so many eateries trying to wave you into their establishments. As we walked up to Casa D’Angelo even though there was no one outside to pull us in, there was no need as the glowing sign above the restaurant was like a guide all its own.

When we walked in the owner Bruno, was there to greet us with that Italian charm. The restaurants décor made you feel like you landed in Napoli, where Bruno is from, but the bar to the left gave it a modern twist. As we were escorted, the place was buzzing with parties of two to eight delighting in their feast. After generous pleasantries and a glass of delicious Moscato, Bruno also treated us to a glass of Limoncello. And that was smashing.

“We try to keep up our tradition of authentic Italian cooking but also injecting a modern flavor. So far, we are fortunate to have been receiving nothing but positive feedback from our patrons,” added Bruno.

Bruno came on board to run the eatery during its 50^th Anniversary. To make this place even more enticing is that the head chef is also from Napoli; a rare to find an Italian restaurant with a chef right from the source. This would explain the dishes we tasted. First as an appetizer we dug into the mozzarella carrozza which was rich in flavor, and you can tell it was made with fresh mozzarella as it melted in your mouth.

Moving onto the main dish we had the Pollo alla Francese and Salmone. The chicken was dipped in lemon butter and egg and melted smoothly and was very tasty. My fiancé had the salmone and she is very picky when it comes to salmon which is her favorite, and she was floored by how soft it was and how the lemon sauce gave it a delightful flavor. After finishing off the main course, we did it quickly since it was so good. We inquired Bruno about what you could suggest for dessert, and he quickly said the tiramisu.

“Our tiramisu is freshly made which happens to be my favorite,” confirmed Bruno with a smile.

He was not kidding. It was enough for the two of us and it was beyond delicious as it was too obvious as we cleaned the plate dry. She had a macchiato coffee, another thing she is very choosy about, and she wanted a second, it was so good. If you are looking for exceptional service coupled with a mouth-watering meal and desert look no further on the famous Mulberry Street, for Casa D’Angelo who will be pleasantly surprised!