Angelo's Ristorante

What an amazing surprise! It's not hidden, but it certainly isn't in a frequently trafficked area. And what a shame for anyone who doesn't take the time to discover this charming and wonderful Italian restaurant. I just happened to be walking by and the next thing I know the lovely co-owner has taken my name (with the "Italian spelling") and signed me up for 7pm. Good thing too because when I arrived, the front entrance was crowded. Of course it was with all of the 16 year olds that inhabit this city. Honestly, if your not between the ages of 12 to 17 or 58 to 79 Sunderland is not the place for you. Weird! Anyway I digress... The waiter was a bit over the top with the "born in Sicily" persona, but it was fun seeing him correct all of my mispronunciations. As if... His wine recommendation was spot on and I never got the sense that he wasn't genuinely enjoying himself. Always a contagious affectation in the restaurant business. Bless him! The food was fantastic. My appertizer of mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto was delicious. And when paired with the garlic accoutrement it was incredibly satisfying. And my god! The entree... Lamb shank and mashed potatoes. Just heavenly! I was told that it was cooked for 48 hours and the way it just fell apart at the most delicate of encouragement from my fork confirmed that perhaps 48hours was an understatement. This is why I love dining out. Despite all of the pressure from the chains (I just read that 5 Guys Burgers was opening a jillion more stores... Yayyyyy!) they are places like Angelo's still available for us to be seduced into experiencing a truly memorable meal. And why are we working so hard for our money if not to be pampered by an over the top waiter and a genius chef. Absolutely money well spent.