Aviva found this restaurant somewhere, and I’m glad she did.  An Osteria typically serves food somewhere between the quicker trattoria and the all-out restaurante, while also offering more localized, seasonal, special dishes.  Angelini Osteria (323.297.0070) fills that niche perfectly.

We started with the fried calamari; the plate is huge, definitely share any appetizer among two or better three hungry folks.  Aviva followed with the seafood risotto; the rice was a little hard but the flavors were correct.  I had the lasagna verde, which tasted very much like a Bolognese lasagna.  Aviva had the glass of marscapone, which is similar to a tiramisu, for her desert, while I had the Italian traditional panna cotta, which I thought was superb.

All in all, this is the closest to Italian food I’ve had in the LA area so far.