Where do so many of us turn for comfort in a time of endless uncertainty? Spaghetti, tomato sauce, molten cheese over crackling pizza crust or fried in bread crumbs, curling cups of pepperoni, grilled vegetables, lemony chicken, tiramisu. Italian takeout options are never far in Los Angeles. Even a mediocre plate of penne alla vodka can soothe. An exceptional margherita or billow of tagliatelle can shift a mood, break a storm, reframe the day. 

Angelini Osteria

A Beverly Boulevard paragon for nearly 20 years, Gino Angelini continues to prepare sophisticated dishes — silky vitello tonnato pinged with fried capers, brothy halibut surrounded by cherry tomatoes and spinach, a purist’s tiramisu — that roar “dining out” even when they’re consumed at home. His polished repertoire of pastas includes an impeccable lasagna verde (also available as a family-size tray) and agnolotti filled with braised veal shank in a Parmigiano-Reggiano sauce.