Angelo's Rises from the Ashes

Imagine putting months of work and thousands of dollars into completely renovating your business. Two months later, the building is struck by a devastating fire. And you have to start over.

That's what happened last year to Angelo Pilinci, who has owned and operated  in Lake Hiawatha since 2001.

In February of 2011, the . 

"The fire happened in the kitchen in the morning when we were closed," Pilinci recalled. "The repairs took almost a year."

The longtime Lake Hiawatha resident told Patch that the event was one of the worst things that had happened to him.

"I've been in the restaurant business for 30 years," Pilinci said. "Here, we put a brand new building in, and not even two months later, we had the fire. I was really hurt inside, because we spent so much money, and it took time to build it. It really hurt me, and my family too."

The veteran chef said it was his "beautiful family" who got him through the pain, calling his 19-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter the inspiration for his work. He said his kids and his wife are a big part of the operation, which he said has been successful since it first opened its doors 11 years ago.

And now, like the proverbial phoenix, Angelo's is back and, according to its owner, better than ever.

Pilinci said there are many reasons behind his success.

"I have a very good reputation," he said, matter-of-factly. "I've been a chef for a very long time. I'm not a beginner. And I give good portions with good prices and fresh food, so people know me. We've been back open almost three months, and it's going very well, thank god."

The financial hardship from two renovations has been tough for Pilinci, but he said the rebuilt Angelo's is thriving despite the current economic crisis. 

"If you work hard and have good food, the economy shouldn't bother you that much. We're doing well,and I'm happy. I'm happy."

He isn't kidding about working hard. The chef said he puts in about 15 hours a day, seven days a week. But he waved off any comments about doing something extraordinary.

"Everybody here works hard," he said.

The Bergen County native does admit that he has something special driving him to put so much into his work.

"It's my passion," he explained. "I love to work. I've been doing this since I was a little kid. It's my thing."

As a youngster, Pilinci said he apprenticed in Italian restaurants, eventually owning five before launching Angelo's in Lake Hiawatha.

"I am concentrating on this one," he said.

Asked if he has any favorite menu items to recommend, he refused to make a choice.

"Everything's good," he said, and even some gentle arm twisting doesn't make him budge. "The pizza's good, pasta's good, chicken, steaks... We use all fresh ingredients, and again, I've been doing this a very long time."

Even so, there are a lot of good Italian restaurants in Parsippany and, specifically, in Lake Hiawatha. The competition doesn't bother Pilinci, who said that his overall commitment to quality makes his eatery a standout.

"We have great food, but also, we keep our place very clean," he explained. "It's like eating in your own dining room in your home. And this is a commercial place, where a lot of people go in and out. So that takes a lot of work too. It's so clean it's amazing."

For the future, Pilinci said he plans to keep quality high and to keep working hard. Asked whether he sees himself running Angelo's, say, 20 years from now, he laughed and noted that he doesn't want to work that long. But then he corrected himself.

"We'll see how long it goes. But I enjoy what I do, so who knows?"