Italian Family Fun at it's Finest

If you’re craving delicious Italian cuisine as well as a LOT of eye candy, Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante in Fullerton is the place to be! I took my husband and three daughters there for dinner and we loved it!

This restaurant is packed full of history and charm. The restaurant was established in 1971, but the building itself was originally built in the early 1900s and when it was renovated in 1992, they reused some of the original wood, terra cotta tiles and brick, which just lends to its charisma.

As we walked into the restaurant, my girls were immediately drawn to a very inviting sign with an ominous stairway leading down to… Monsters and Games? Hmmm ... Not so much (no working games LOL), but the kids kept wanting to venture down there nonetheless, accompanied by someone of course. Danger is inviting, but not when you’re alone and you’re 6, 7, or 10. The stairs actually lead to the Monster Wine Cellar where King Kong, Dracula and Frankenstein guard the multitude of wines amidst witches, ghosts and skeletons.

There are so many colorful and interesting things to look at EVERYWHERE. This is not for the ADD faint of heart, let me tell you. Every spot on every wall has been claimed. Lights, mirrors, trapeze artists dangling precariously from the ceiling, clowns, grim reapers, photos, statues, art. Even the bathroom leaves you feeling amused with pictures of models, advertisements from magazines, movie ads and celebrities decoupaged all over the walls.

The staff were all very friendly, quick to greet with warmth and a smile. We were seated right away, and the fresh, warm rolls of deliciousness came just as quickly it seemed. We had to fend our bread-loving girls off of too much of the great yummyness as to leave some room for the main course.

We ordered an extra large pizza with pepperoni, bell pepper and onion (half just pepperoni for the kidlets) and an antipasto salad as a precursor. Let’s not forget my beloved glass of House Chardonnay which was lovely, crisp, dry and embodied a hint of floral to it. So lovely in fact, that I had two. :)

As my sweet little 6 year old, Montana, was swiping all of the ham out of the salad, she was quick to inform me (mouth full of food) that “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my whole world!” Apparently she takes after her Momma and loves her food too!

Then came the much-anticipated buffalo wings… Mmmmmm. Mouth-watering for sure! We are somewhat picky abut our wings so were eager to check these bad boys out. They were the perfect balance of spice, tang and flavor. I like my wings hot, but not so hot that your mouth is on fire and you can’t actually TASTE what you’re eating. Know what I mean? Hot enough to need a tissue, but still leave those precious and much beloved taste buds intact. And these most definitely lived up to our expectations, for sure! Delizioso!

Once the pizza arrived we could hardly contain ourselves. The hand-tossed, thick, soft yet crisp dough, the massive amounts of mozzarella cheese oozing everywhere, thick and scrumptious, the copious amounts of pepperoni, bell pepper and onions, were all enough to drive our senses crazy! Heavenly! Perfect in every way! This is by no means your average, run of the mill pizza! It is vast deliciousness at its best. An extra large was enough for my family of five to eat TWICE, which in itself was quite a delight.

We loved this place so much that we went back a couple of weeks later to celebrate my hubbys' birthday! We had an equally fabulous time then! Plus I had the pleasure of our waiter bellowing out to the entire restaurant that it was in fact Greg’s birthday and brought us a special treat of some Spumoni ice cream on the house (with a candle of course!) It was a delight of creamy goodness. A perfect way to wrap up our meal.

We were also pretty excited to discover the many options that Angelo’s and Vinci’s has for large parties or banquets. There are many fabulous rooms to choose from, all of which are dripping with romance, charm, decorative Sicilian carts, vineyards, mini-theaters, twinkle lights, hand-painted theater backdrops, etc., and seat anywhere from 15 to 450 guests. So next time you and 400 or so of your closest friends need a place to gather, you know where to go!

Safe to say, with the affordable prices, the unending charm and remarkable food, this will become a regular place for us to frequent as a family and bring our friends along as well.

Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante is located at 550 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. For more information, log on to angelosandvincis.com or call 714-879-4022.