RESTAURANT REVIEW: Angelina's serves familiar Italian comforts on 30A

SEAGROVE BEACH — Sure, there are plenty of places along County Road 30A that serve pizza, but Angelina’s longevity and prices are hard to compete with. The restaurant has done so well, they have an equally, if not more, successful location in Panama City.

The food

My date and I ate there on Saturday, one of the recent frigid days. We were glad to be in a warm place, and our appetites demanded something warm and filling.

It was hard to decide what to order, as everything was priced well, since it was lunchtime. You could chose almost anything for under $9.

I couldn’t decide between the manicotti and the pepperoni calzone. Whatever I ate, I knew it had to have ricotta.

Other choices on the lunch menu, which has specials that run until 3 p.m., included lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs or sausage, eggplant parmesan, rigatoni Bolognese, linguini with clam sauce, fettuccini primavera and baked ravioli.

I finally decided to go with the calzone, and I wasn’t let down. The golden mound of crust oozed ricotta and mozzarella as I made my first cut into it. It wasn’t overload with pepperoni, but there was some in each bite – perfect. On the side was a small bowl filled with marinara for dipping.

Angelina’s also offers an array of appetizers such as the antipasta salad, stuffed mushrooms, baked clams, bruschetta and caprese.

Some of Angelina’s pasta specials include Spaghetti Alla Shrimp Puttanesca, which has shrimp, garlic, imported tomatoes, black olives, fresh oregano, anchovies and extra virgin olive oil. They also serve chicken and veal picatta, chicken and veal marsala, seafood ravioli and shrimp scampi.

If you’re still hungry, or just want to end your meal with something sweet, Angelina’s offers a few desserts, including cannolis.

The atmosphere

Angelina’s looks like most hometown Italian joints – nothing fancy, just very warm and comfortable. Interesting family photos take up a majority of wall space.

Our dining companions included an older woman who dined alone, a man who waited at the bar to pick up a pizza for home and an older couple who ordered a carafe of red wine before their meal.

The service

Our waitress seemed really busy and we waited a while before ordering and before she brought the check, but we weren’t rushing to go anywhere, so it didn’t bother us. I think she was the only server at this time and there was another seating area out of our view that she was taking care of as well.

Once she took our orders, the food came out amazingly fast, as promised (six minutes to be exact).

She got some bonus points for offering to fill up to-go cups with our drinks. I always appreciate when a restaurant does something like that, and they really don’t have to.

A final word

If you haven’t been to Angelina’s in a while, or if you’re new to the area and looking for something familiar, I think you’ll find something you’ll enjoy. I did.

Quick Bites

Angelina’s Pizzeria and Pasta

Location

4005 E. Hwy 30-A

Seagrove Beach, FL 32459

1/2 mile east of Seaside

Telephone

850-231-2500

Hours

Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday through Thursday 11a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Handicap accessibility

Good

Children’s menu

Yes

Price range

Lunch menu

$6.99 to $8.99

Pizza

$8 to $16.99

House specialties

$7.99 to $14.99

Pasta Features

$14.99 to $16.99

Payment

Major credit cards accepted