At Angelo's in Burien, a welcome as hearty as the portions

Over the years, The Seattle Times has received many fan letters on behalf of Angelo's of Burien, which has been operated by the Ricci family on the corner of Sixth Avenue Southwest and Southwest 153rd Street for more than 50 years. After one visit, we can see why: It's got a lengthy menu of classic Italian dishes, generous portions and easygoing, super-competent servers who make even newcomers feel welcome.

The menu: Name your favorite, it's here: spaghetti ($9.50), beef cannelloni ($12.95), ravioli ($11.50), fettuccini Alfredo ($10.95), pizza (16-inchers start at $14.50); veal piccata ($19.95) and chicken parmigiana ($15.95). The wine steak is a big seller (8 ounce, $16.95; 12 ounce, $19.95; 16 ounce, $23.50), and a rotating list of specials ventures a little further afield. Most dishes are served with garlic bread and green salad, with homemade dressings.

What to write home about: The seven dishes our party sampled were fine; nothing spectacular, but no total failures, either. Most impressive, for sheer size and presentation, was the chicken cacciatore ($15.50) — an enormous half chicken, smothered in a tomato-onion-bell-pepper-and-mushroom sauce. It's served Fridays and Saturdays only. The 8-ounce steak my nephew ordered was similarly huge — so big he thought the server had made a mistake and brought the 12-ouncer by mistake.

The setting: It doesn't look like much from the street, but Angelo's has a quaint, comfortable (if a little too dark) interior, with red tablecloths, electric "candlelight" and murals of Roman ruins on the walls. Multiple rooms (plus a bar) accommodate banquets and special events — no less than five family parties were in full swing on a recent Saturday night.

Summing up: Angelo's isn't cheap, exactly, but since most meals are inclusive, if you stick to the pasta menu, you can eat quite affordably. My husband and I ordered rigatoni Alfredo ($13.50) and a linguine special ($14.50) plus a beer apiece ($8) for a total of $36 plus tax and tip.

The restaurant's biggest selling points are ease and comfort: On a very busy Saturday, we showed up for our reservation with extra people in tow. Our server immediately rearranged the tables and brought extra chairs without any fuss at all. If that alone doesn't warrant a fan letter, I don't know what does.

Lynn Jacobson: 206-464-2714 or ljacobson@seattletimes.com