I really want to love this place. I'm giving it 4/5 stars because I'm weighing heavily for…read morepotential and giving credit to the beautiful attention to interiors and ambiance, but the food is really lacking. My visit is probably more objectively rated a 2/5. The Angie needs an immediate and aggressive overhaul of its menu and approach to food if it's going to survive, and I'm rooting for them.
First, the good:
The staff is attentive and very accommodating. Everyone went out of their way to take care of my companion and me throughout the meal and cocktails. 5/5.
The ambiance: it's a genuinely beautiful space with the potential to become a neighborhood staple if they iron out the kinks. My spouse and I eat out four times a week, usually at the same places in this neighborhood -- we are their target audience.
The "needs attention" category:
They need to dramatically pare down the menu and focus on executing fewer items well, maybe rolling with some seasonal offerings to change things up for regulars. Also, in at least one case: describing them more accurately on the menu. Everything we ordered, other than one cocktail, was disappointing, and everything was overpriced by 25-35%, easily.
Moscow mule: This was off-menu, but my dining companion called it perfect.
The lychee margarita: I asked for it to be less sweet, and the staff delivered on that. The problem is it arrived without ice, in a coupe glass, with no salt rim. That's not a margarita, that's something else entirely. It was fine, and tart as I'd asked, but I'd ordered based on the menu description, and I noticed the spicy margarita being served over ice in a highball at the bar, the classic way. To their credit: when I asked the waiter if my drink matched the description and requested a highball with ice, he delivered quickly and without any fuss.
The chicken club: My dining companion said the chicken was dry, and the avocado on top was visibly browned, as if it had been sliced well before service. He's not a picky eater, so his verdict was telling when I asked how it was. Essentially: "The chicken is dry, the fries are lukewarm and soggy. When you're paying $30 for a chicken sandwich, you expect the chicken to be without complaint at a minimum, and preferably the star of the show."
My clam flatbread: A huge miss, and an odd choice at that. It was so heavily loaded with cheese that it turned gluey and unpalatable, you couldn't even taste the clams which were plentiful though clearly canned. I'd expected a thin, crisp flatbread brushed with plenty of chopped garlic and olive oil, parsley, and a smattering clams, finished with just a microplane of a strong cheese on top. The way they actually served it was as if a Dominos line cook stepped in. That costs the kitchen more than the version I'm describing would. And I suspect, more would be happy with my version, which would cost the restaurant less to make.
Bread: The complimentary bread was a nice touch, and plentiful. I'd suggest proper French bread, served more sparingly. The butter was good, though I'd add a touch more salt. Still a nice gesture, and another spot where they could actually save money.
Beer: Good, a little foamy but good.
In short: I really hope management reads this. You have all the ingredients for an exceptional gem, and my spouse and I are exactly your target audience. We want to be a once-a-week regular. Desperately.