Totally Worth the Wait
by Kurt Epps—The PubScout
What’s tougher than going out to eat with a party of twelve?
Going out to eat with a party of twelve at a place that doesn’t take reservations.
But, it being a mini-high school reunion of sorts with Jersey folks involved, we had decided we wanted to try Angelo’s Steak and Pasta in Myrtle Beach, home of the “Greatest Steaks in the Universe!” Ty and JoJo (below, right) hadn't laid eyes on each other since 1965.
And since we had “The Godfather” Wayne Castello (who moonlights as both a deacon and a rabbi) in our group, the Italian appeal of the place would be fitting.
It was a forty-five minute drive from OIB for me, but most of the others were in close enough proximity that they could get there early and “put our name in.” I was about ten minutes out when I got the call from our gal JoJo: “It’s an hour and a half wait!”
Shizzle.
I was hankering for those sizzling steaks that you “hear coming before you see them.” But we had committed, and an hour and a half of catch-up talk since our glory days wouldn’t be wasted, and might serve to stir up our appetites—which, quite frankly, needed no such stimulation.
It turned out that the wait was shorter than 90 minutes—by five minutes, but we took our respective seats in great anticipation. The place—and likewise our server, Amber, was busy, what with it being so difficult to get help these days for ANY establishment.
Owner Angelo Antonucci, a most affable guy and winner of the Restaurateur of the Year a few years back, stopped by and chatted with me. He talked about his Steubenville, Ohio roots, his forty-one years in the business, the reason he takes no reservations (unless he knows you really well), the difficulty of attracting workers during this crazy time, his adult kids (two of whom were busily scurrying about clearing plates and delivering food) and the reason his steaks are “the greatest in the universe.”
And, after Amber delivered some irresistible bread baskets and a very fresh and tasty family-style house salad, one of those sizzling steaks came out of the kitchen. We DID hear it before we saw it, too. The sizzle was pronounced, the smell was heavenly and the size of the porterhouse was intimidating for anyone except maybe Andre the Giant. But JoJo said it was perfectly done and delicious.
Ty said his Spaghetti aglio e olio was exceptionally good as well. The missus ordered Shrimp Stuffed with Crabmeat and pronounced it outstanding. Twice. Nay, thrice. The Godfather ordered Chicken Parmigiana over pasta and declared it fit for Christmas Eve, Columbus Day—and Yom Kippur.
Pete and I shifted our allegiances and went with Angelo’s Famous Chicken Marsala. Angelo told us that there are really two styles of Chicken Marsala—one made with a dry Marsala wine, and the other made with a sweet version—which his was.
That it came in a heavenly cream sauce over two large pieces of thin-pounded, tender and succulent chicken breasts, and that mixture over linguine—made it simply heavenly. We will, however, get steak the next time.
That there was Dirty Myrtle on tap was also a plus for Ty and me. And the dessert offerings—which none of us could enjoy because we had no room left—are beautiful to look at, and, most likely, even more beautiful to consume.
Thus, there are valid reasons why Angelo’s has won a raft of Diner’s and Reader’s Choices and other awards in the past decade.
Angelo’s Steak and Pasta, featured in the Summer Edition of Food and Wine Magazine, also has a full buffet—two, in fact— chock full of your favorite Italian dishes. At just $13.95—$11.95 if you go before six—it’s reported to be fabulous. The extensive appetizer list even has specially made pierogis, and Angelo’s has a full bar.
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