Ange Netta's (Second
Visit) (First Visit) Canfield, Ohio Date of Visit: 03/06/15 http://www.angenettas.com It’s been a while. Zucchini Parm remains. Had a chance to catch up some in Y-town and also had the chance to remember the gravy at Angenettas. The place looks better, service is much tighter. The sauce is still very nice and covers pasta, eggplant and zucchini with rich tomatoey tang. The lemon and wine sauce on the Francaise is assertive in both citrus and grape but wonderfully balanced and blanketing tender chicken. Fresh delicious salads, good bread, sauced daily veg…the only thing not worth the effort is the mash…why did I order that again? The food remains really good, the rest has been getting better. Glad we had the chance to return. |
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Change in Ranking | |||||
Original Score | Which Way? | New Score | Why For? | ||
B | B+ | Food Still Tasty & Place Has Gotten Nicer | |||
An actual bonus to growing up in Youngstown is the possibility of multiple encounters with Old World, Home Style Italian Cuisine. I do not, so far as I know, have an Italian bone in my body, but I am a diligent student and feel at least a regular guest if not adopted. While many of my local friends (who get excited by the dreck and swill of say the Olive Garden) may not understand. Those from towns with strong Italian populations know that old, decrepit houses, converted to restaurants, with 184 year old women, spending 21 hours of the day in the kitchen, because they want to, using recipes handed down for generations, will ruin you for that franchised garbage. The real magic being that you can choose from several locations, each of which has specific signature dishes, gravies (tomato sauces) each so different from the next, and odd idiosyncrasies that make you feel like you are eating with a family. |
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AngeNettas is sort of an anathema in that regard. Built like a restaurant, it is the brain child of a family that has had it’s hand in a number of restaurants through the years. Named after two daughters, the somewhat mechanical décor is entirely compensated for by the food. Al dente (which is to say properly), generous, and hearty describe their offerings. One of the most unique to me was the zucchini parm. Yes, zucchini. I had tried what I believed an exhaustive list of fried items covered in cheese and sauce, but this was a first. Long planks of exquisitely crispy and hot vegetable, married with their sauce and pasta are not to miss. The chicken parm, the house spicy seafood pasta, and nearly everything else I have tried has been worthwhile, but I always return to the zucchini or chicken. |
Italian Bread (2nd only to the French) |
Bright Fresh Salads...Ranch Dressing like paste |
The Chicken Parm |
About their sauce, I like to choose Italian restaurants based on their sauces. At one place it is particularly herby, with herbs sent from the Old Country, this one is acidic with lots of basil, this one might be loaded with earthy spices instead. This is how I feel about Angenetta’s sauce…it is a wonderful blend of most other places. There is nothing in particular about it that stands out above another aspect, resulting in a well balanced and satisfying taste and consistency. This is one of the restaurants where I always order angel-hair pasta to ensure a high sauce to pasta ratio for that very reason. I have had opportunity to try various menu items and have been consistently pleased. Other standouts include the thick as paste ranch dressing or the balsamic vinaigrette which create a quandary each trip, in addition to the cheesecakes for which I have only once saved room and ended up taking home because the last couple of bites couldn’t be missed. An open kitchen adds a sense of
show and trust to any establishment and works well here. If there is
a downfall to AngeNetta's it has to be the front of the house which
seems disorganized and can be quickly overwhelmed. Somehow, when I
am just at the point of turning the table upside down, that plate
hits the table and all is forgiven. No doubt worth drive to Canfield
and the wait at the table if you are close. |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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A- | D+ | C | A | D- | B | ||
Zucchini Parm | Getting the Server who is lost that night. |