This week I had to take my dog, Charlie, to the NC State Vet School in Raleigh. We had to leave him for a few hours, so we had to find some entertainment and decided to have an early dinner. Actually I ended up taking dinner home and just had dessert. I wasn’t real hungry while worrying about my dog.
We went to my favorite restaurant and the only thing I really miss about college, Amedeo’s. Over my four years at NCSU, I averaged a trip to Amedeo’s at least once a week. I don’t believe you can call yourself a true State fan until you have eaten there. It is a shrine to NC State Athletics and was founded by a former NCSU football player, Amedeo “Dick” DeAngelis. He started with only 12 seats and grew his restaurant into a tradition for all State fans.
Mr. D, as most of us called him, became like a third grandfather to me. Honestly, I rarely paid for a meal at Amedeo’s. He looked forward to seeing me and providing me with good food. He would even sit with my friends and I talking to make sure we were doing well in school. Of course, we also talked sports. Mr. D loved everything about NC State and I never saw him without his ACC Championship ring from 1957.
In addition to sports, Mr. D loved his food and he wanted everyone to have the best experience at Amedeo’s. That hospitality continues today. Mr. D had to retire, but his daughter and her husband continue to be part owners at Amedeo’s. The restaurant hasn’t changed at all. It still feels like home to me. In fact, his daughter, Jill, came right up to me asking where “the heck” had I been. It didn’t matter that I have been out of school since 2004; I’m still supposed to come visit! I was glad to see her and ask about Mr. D. I’m hoping that she gets this blog to him, so that he can see how much I admire and appreciate him. I don’t remember half of my professors at State, but I’ll never forget Mr. D.
Obviously, if I ate there about once a week, the food is wonderful! Amedeo’s is famous for its lasagna and it doesn’t disappoint. They even have 3 choices as you can get Seafood, Spinach, or “Famous” lasagna. Amedeo’s is the only place I order lasagna because other restaurants don’t even come close. I bought home an order of “famous” lasagna and had tiramisu for my dessert while waiting for Charlie. The tiramisu is great too!
My normal order is angel hair pasta with meat sauce. The meat sauce is very hearty to the point that it has stuck to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter on occasion. It also comes out piping hot, so be careful. If you don’t like meat sauce, you can get any pasta with just about any sauce you desire.
Mr. D taught me that angel hair is a pasta that doesn’t make you feel so bloated after you eat it, which is great from a disability standpoint because it’s less pressure and easier to breathe. It is also easier for me to chew. You will never see a regular spaghetti noodle in my house!
I highly recommend Amedeo’s to everyone. If you’re looking for top notch Italian food in a relaxed atmosphere, it is the best place around. If you’re a State fan, it is a requirement that you eat at Amedeo’s. Of course, other fans can eat there as well, but you won’t feel comfortable wearing blue…especially on a game day! Go Wolfpack!
