It's a wonderful, quaint family-run atmosphere at Avolio's. The food is tops, maybe the best Italian food in the San Gabriel Valley. They have a wonderfully spicy pasta Arabiata, their fettucine Alfredo is tops and the pizzas are wonderful. Their Eggplant Parmigiana sandwiches are especially delightful. Mr. Avolio operates the place with his wife and family, and they treat you like one of their own. The restaurant is in a non-descript building near the corner of Vincent and San Bernardino Road -- I swear it used to be an old 7-11 -- and over the years the Avolio's have steadily made improvements. What's really fantastic is the rustic old-world feeling that one gets when they sit down for a meal. It's like walking into a Brooklyn scene from Goodfella's or something except without the gangsters. I've been to some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles and paid fantastic amounts for food, but I think it's these small places that touch you the most with their homey attention to food, service and atmosphere. I've got to say Avolio's puts Petrillo's on the run for the best Italian food in the SGV, let alone Los Angeles. Avolio's is definitely some of the best tasting, gritty home-style Italian food you will ever find, unless of course you land in Brooklyn or maybe Italy.
Pros: Quaint, family atmosphere. Excellent sauce. Freshly prepared home-cooked food.
Cons: Off the beaten path, but that could be good too!
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