by Jackie Nunnery –
Mention Angelo’s Restaurant and Raw Bar, a decades-old tradition tucked into a corner of Kings Highway as it cuts through Montross, and you’re most likely to hear “their baked spaghetti is really good.”
And while that is, in fact true, if that is all you ever tried, you would be missing out on some great seafood.
“Everybody thinks we’re just an Italian restaurant,” said owner, cook and man of a thousand hats, Bryan Oliff, who purchased Angelo’s in 1991. In that span of time, he has expanded from classic Italian dishes to an extensive menu that features local seafood and produce in addition to local wines and craft beers.
Of the casual, family-friendly restaurant, Oliff said he is a true hands-on owner, getting involved in all aspects of the business. “As much as I value my staff—and they are great employees—nobody will do it like you do it,” he said.
But his involvement is not just Angelo’s. In addition to the bustling restaurant—there was a steady stream of curbside pick-ups in addition to a nearly full dining room—Oliff is busy preparing hundreds of meals for his catering business as well as Meals on Wheels two days a week.
At Oliff’s urging, my husband and I started things off with the Oysters Oliff, a play on Oysters Rockefeller. Served on the half shell and baked with onions, bacon and parmesan cheese, they were a flavorful start to the meal along with the parmesan blackened scallops. True to their name, the scallops had a nice char and crust, which contrasted with the soft, buttery taste and texture of the scallops.
For the main course, my husband and dining partner stayed in the blackened theme, choosing the blackened tuna, which is served with a pico and wasabi sauce. Full of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, avocado, cilantro and a kick from the wasabi, the sauce paired wonderfully with the tuna steak.
I had the crab trio, which includes a soft shell crab and crab cake, both generously topped with lump crab meat. Full disclosure: I am not a fan of soft shells, but my husband is, and in his words, the battered and fried soft shell crab was “fresh and really nicely done.”
The crab cake, from the outside, had a really nice sear and crunch to it. Inside, it was loaded with well seasoned crabmeat and little else, just like a crab cake should be. As a testament to just how good the crab cakes are, “people come from all over,” Oliff said, pointing to a New York Times article framed and mounted prominently on a wall in which a travel writer referred to them as “some of the finest crab cakes in the region.”
All seafood dinners are served with salads, bread and two sides—baked potato, french fries, corn on the cob, vegetable medley or cole slaw. There is also a raw bar after 5 p.m. featuring Chesapeake Bay oysters, both raw and steamed, but steamed shrimp, mussels, clams and Alaskan crab legs are also available.
If you are not in the mood for seafood, there is, of course, the famous baked spaghetti in addition to other traditional Italian pastas and pizza. They even have a cauliflower pizza crust option for those who eat gluten-free. For the red meat lover, they offer hand-cut New York strip steaks, cooked to your specification, a favorite of our server, Mayra.
If you happen to come by Angelo’s during lunch time, you’ll still find seafood appetizers on the menu as well as plenty of salad, sandwich and sub options to choose.
And if you like to end your meals on a sweet note, again, there are plenty of options. From the classic apple pie and carrot cake to baklava, brownie sundaes and root beer floats, there is something for everyone. We decided we had to try the xango, marked as an Angelo House Specialty on the menu. For the unfamiliar, xango is a Mexican dessert made of cheesecake wrapped in a flour tortilla, fried, dusted with cinnamon and sugar and topped with ice cream or a cherry topping. Truly a sweet treat and a great way to bring the meal to a close.
An extensive menu, quality ingredients, well-prepared and served by friendly staff. You couldn’t ask for anything else. Except maybe seconds.
