Dee Angelo’s Pleasant Ave. Cafe
For my first restaurant review, I thought it was only appropriate to review the restaurant where I work, Dee Angelo’s. So maybe I’m a little biased, but I also know the inside scoop.
Dee Angelo’s is owned by Dee Perfido and Lenny Angelo, and is located on Main Street in Westhampton Beach, NY. The name of the restaurant comes from Pleasant Avenue in the Bronx, where Lenny grew up.
The cafe is very small, with only nine tables inside, and ten outside. We serve both brunch and dinner at the cafe. Brunch is served from 9:30 to 3:00 on weekends and from 11:30 to 3:00 on weekdays. As opposed to a typical brunch, the menu is really breakfast on one side, lunch on the other, with the whole menu being served all day. The breakfast side of the menu consists of various egg dishes including frittate, omelettes, and eggs benedict, and the house specialties, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and “Italian” toast, French toast made from panettone, an Italian holiday bread which originated in Milan.
Sidebar: There are many stories about the invention of Panettone, but this is my favourite. A boy working for the local town baker, Toni, in the 15th century fell in love with the baker’s daughter. To win the baker’s approval, the boy invented a sweet bread with fruit and orange peel baked inside and named it after the baker: Pan di Toni.
The lunch side of the menu is mostly panini and salads. Lunch in general is pretty low key. Most people like to sit outside on Main Street during the day, or out on the side deck under the umbrellas if it rains. Lunch is generally about 14 dollars per person including a non-alcoholic drink.
At dinnertime, both the menu and the atmosphere of the restaurant change dramatically. The menu features salads and traditional Italian appetizers like Fried Calamari and Artichokes “Al Guidea,” pasta dishes, and Italian and Italian-American “secondi.” As far as specials are concerned, the chef utilizes all of the fresh fish and produce from the area to create lobster and crab dishes to combine the traditional seafood of Long Island with the typical preparation styles of Italian cuisine.
Every restaurant has its high points and low points. The highest point of Dee Angelo’s is most definitely the food, which is probably the best meal you can get in the area. As for complaints? I mostly hear three: 1. The portions are too big, 2. We don’t take American Express, and 3. Our reservation policy is… confusing. We “don’t take reservations,” but anyone who is a regular knows that they can call and reserve any table, any night. It helps if your name ends in a vowel (i.e., You’re from the boot.) What else can you expect from Italians?
