All' Angelo

The Scene
Blink and you might miss this Italian alcove hidden among the industrial storefronts along this coarse stretch of Melrose. Reminiscent of a low-key New York City restaurant, the small space--anchored by blond wood beams and chocolate brown carpet--softly glows with tiny candlelit tables in white linens. On any given night, owner Stefano Ongaro (who got his chops as maitre d' at Valentino and later as wine consultant at Enoteca Drago) will greet you, making sure you feel as though you've just walked into your long-lost Italian cousin's cucina. The mostly mature crowd keeps the din to a minimum, while servers, dressed in white shirts and black ties, dutifully keep the pace.

The Food
One look at the restored 1921 Berkel meat slicer near the kitchen and it becomes clear that tradition is central to the menu's regional dishes. Order the daily salami plate and watch chef Mirko Paderno (Valentino, Dolce) crank the vintage piece of machinery to shave paper-thin slices of meat, airily piled on a wood block alongside proscuitto and serrano ham. Soft pillows of housemade pasta--dressed in herbaceous marinara sauce--are satisfying enough for a main course, while entrees range from roasted quail with sauteed mushrooms to sea bream in white wine sauce. For dessert, do not miss out on the lemon polenta, a pudding-like creation of caramelized Meyer lemon sauce and candied citrus peel that is truly out of this world.

Hits: Thin is in--the nearly transluscent meat slices from the Berkel melt in your mouth, and the lemon polenta dessert alone is worth a visit.

Misses: Prices can get pretty high and the counter bar at the back can get pretty cramped.