D’Angelo’s Italian Ristorante’s return to classic Italian fare is bringing customers back to the table
By Nina Polien Light
Paul D’Angelo says sometimes it’s better to leave well enough—or, in this case, mouthwatering recipes—alone.
“We’ve been in business for 29 years and feel comfortable with who we are,” says the owner of D’Angelo’s Italian Ristorante.
“We recently tried a new direction with our menu, but we made the decision to go back to our tried and true family recipes that were so popular in the past. Customers in this area want good comfort food at good prices.”
Paul is referring to the restaurant’s introduction of variations to their main menu late last year.
“We brought in a chef from outside of the family who added a lot of contemporary dishes,” Paul says. “The food was good, but we strayed too far from Mama D’Angelo’s beloved recipe favorites like Palermo and Luigi sauces.”
Customers noticed and D’Angelo’s responded by reinstalling Paul’s son, Paul D’Angelo Jr., at the helm of the kitchen, where he and an enthusiastic team delight in preparing the family’s traditional recipes. The return to classic Italian fare comes with a bonus—a rollback to 2014 prices.
Additionally, chicken or veal entrees that come with a choice of a side or house salad, can include both for just $2 more. Or add the well-loved house salad to any entrée for just $2.
“In the short time we’ve been doing this, people have said they’re happy we’ve gone back to what we’re known for,” Paul says.
Back on the menu are tortellini tomato pesto, Cajun salmon salad, salmon Oscar, and shrimp Luigi, which can be ordered with chicken or veal. Its slightly spicy garlic and olive oil sauce is available in both red and white versions. Marinara sauce, meat sauce, chicken and veal Parmesan, penne vodka, and Palermo (breaded chicken breast with mozzarella, peas, and mushrooms in lemon-wine sauce) are back to their original glory.
New menu items, many featuring seafood, pay homage to the family’s Italian heritage. These include shrimp scampi pasta, pan-seared sea scallops with sweet corn risotto, crab and shrimp ravioli, and stuffed shells. All have been well received.
The D’Angelo family’s history in the restaurant business dates back to 1971, when a cousin opened an eatery in St. Louis. Paul’s uncle, Jim, acquired many of the family’s treasured recipes and opened his own place in Ft. Wayne in 1977. Then, in 1989, Paul and his wife, Donna, founded Casa D’Angelo in North Royalton with Paul’s brothers, Sam and Jim, and their late father and mother.
Locations in Mentor, Macedonia and Twinsburg soon followed. The North Royalton and Mentor spots have since closed, but Casa D’Angelo in Macedonia and D’Angelo’s Italian Ristorante in Twinsburg continue to delight area diners.
Located in an easy-access strip mall with plenty of parking, D’Angelo’s Italian Ristorante boasts a well-appointed 7,000-square-foot interior. With seating for up to 145 guests, dining room walls are awash with warm colors, nostalgic black-and-white family wedding photographs and colorful paintings.
Banquettes and tables dressed with white tablecloths sit below romantic chandeliers. Interior etched glass windows lend an artistic touch. The refurbished bar’s feature wall is constructed of reclaimed wood and anchors open shelving lined with wine bottles.
It’s an inviting setting for the D’Angelo family and the customers they serve and befriend.
“We’re here a lot because we’re a family business and we like to spend time with our customers and see everything is being done properly,” Paul says.
“It’s always been that way and it’ll always be that way.”
D’Angelo’s Italian Ristorante is located at 7995 Darrow Road, in Twinsburg. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It’s available for private parties. The phone number is 330-963-0603 and the website is DAngelosItalian.com.