Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Angie Rito was surrounded by the aromas of her family’s Italian bakery, Rito’s Bakery, which has been a local institution since 1965. From an early age, she learned the intricacies of baking, cooking, and running a business, setting the foundation for her dream of opening her own restaurant.
Rito’s restaurant career began in New York City—but in the front of the house as a captain at Park Avenue Seasons. However, her passion for cooking led her to transition into the kitchen, where she worked her way up from line cook to sous chef, ultimately meeting Scott Tacinelli, her future husband and business partner.
She refined her Italian culinary expertise at Torrisi Italian Specialties, a celebrated restaurant known for its innovative take on Italian-American cuisine. In 2016, Rito and Tacinelli launched dinnertable, a 19-seat speakeasy restaurant in the East Village, where their unique and creative approach to Italian cuisine—particularly their innovative lasagna—earned critical acclaim.
In 2017, Rito and Tacinelli partnered with Michael Stillman and Quality Branded to open Don Angie, a modern Italian-American restaurant in New York City’s West Village. The restaurant quickly became a sensation, drawing praise for its inventive pasta dishes and contemporary take on classic Italian flavors.
Today, Angie Rito is recognized as one of the leading voices in modern Italian cuisine, blending tradition with innovation to create dishes that honor her heritage while pushing culinary boundaries.
