All’Angelo on Melrose has closed

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All’Angelo, the Italian restaurant on Melrose Avenue owned by Stefano Ongaro, has closed its doors. Ongaro opened the restaurant in January 2007 but today announced by e-mail that ‘All’Angelo is no longer in business.’

‘Like many other restaurants here in this city and across the country we have become a victim of this unpredictable economy, and despite all of our efforts we are no longer able to keep our doors open,’ Ongaro wrote.

Earlier this year Ongaro had transformed All’Angelo, well-received by critics, from a higher-end ristorante into a lower-priced trattoria, cut staff, started delivery service and assumed many of the tasks of running the restaurant himself. But apparently it wasn’t enough to buoy business.

‘I was looking at the situation last week,’ Ongaro said when reached by phone. ‘I needed an injection of capital, but it was impossible in this economy. There’s nothing really we can do. There just wasn’t enough business to sustain the day-to-day operation. That’s the bottom line.’

Ongaro said that he would like to thank his customers. From his e-mail: ‘All’ Angelo was my dream, and I took great joy in sharing this dream and the tastes of my native Venice with all of you. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon, in better times.’

-- Betty Hallock