My daughter wrote a review of Miceli’s in Hollywood, and I insist on sharing it here:

Miceli’s is a family tradition for us. When my dad was a struggling college kid in 1961, he brought my mom here on their first fancy romantic date. Dad wanted to impress her, and I guess it worked, because they got married in 1962, and I was born 15 months after that. You could say I owe my life to Miceli’s!

Over the years, Mom and Dad would come to Miceli’s to celebrate their anniversary or a birthday, and the experience continued to be memorable and magical. Mom is no longer with us, but my husband and I decided last year to keep the tradition alive, and last year and this year we brought Dad to Miceli’s to celebrate their anniversary. Still memorable and wonderful! The food, the music, the ambience, the drinks — everything is wonderful.

We’ve been lucky enough to be greeted by Frank Miceli each time we’ve brought Dad. Frank’s love for the restaurant is evident, and it’s infectious. His parents started the restaurant together in 1949, decorating the walls and ceilings with campy Chianti bottles, booths rescued from the famous Pig ‘n’ Whistle, and lovely carved woodwork and stained glass accents throughout.

We ordered calamari and antipasto for starters, and a rye Old fashioned for my husband and an Italian 75 for me. The drinks were a generous size, and potent and flavorful. Calamari was tender, served as rings with very little breading, light garlic, lemon wedges, and a fresh marinara sauce on the side. Antipasto was simple with a nice mix of roasted red pepper, salami, cheese, fresh tomato, lettuce, peperoncini, olives, and a light dressing. Both were a decent amount of food for the three of us.

For the mains, I had shrimp scampi. Served on a bed of al dente vermicelli in white wine sauce, the shrimp were succulent and abundant, popping out of their tails with little effort. The pasta was nicely seasoned, and was a generous portion. My husband had the carbonara — also a generous portion with perfectly cooked fettuccini, rustic-sliced thick bacon, and a sauce that wasn’t thick or greasy, allowing the flavors to come through. Dad had the baked mostaccioli, and his dish may have been the best of all 3 for its authenticity and flavor: al dente mostaccioli filled with delicious meat and sauce, the perfect balance of fennel and spices to really make the tomato base POP and wake up the senses. We really enjoyed our meals! We saved room for an affogato and a slice of cheese cake, both winners!

Throughout the meal, we were well-cared for by our server, and the piano music was playful and wonderful, two of the wait staff sang several times — hitting the high notes with confidence — and the vibe in the restaurant was wonderful. Frank came by to check on us personally a couple of times and shared more stories of his family history going back to Palermo, and he was eager to hear more about us, too.

After a leisurely two hour dinner and drinks, we bade our farewells, and are already looking forward to next time. Miceli’s is a place that makes magic. It makes memories that last a lifetime. Miceli’s is an important part of our family history, and of L.A. history. I hope our daughters and their families will also continue the tradition of experiencing this kind of magic. I truly hope the next generation of the Miceli family knows how special this place is, and the deep and lasting love that touches so many people, and that they are waiting in the wings to take the reins one day.