The Local's Favorite Italian Joint: Rosie Angel Hair Pasta

I'm here in Monterey, California, known for its Cannery Row and awesome seafood, to check out a joint that the locals love - an old-school family-run Italian joint. This is Rosie Angel Hair Pasta, and I'm down two or three times every week because it's our favorite restaurant. Chicken parmesan isn't even on my radar; I love it more than my Sicilian grandmother's cooking.

Everything at this place is absolutely amazing, and I've never had a bad meal here. The ultimate burger and Reuben are must-haves for any visitor. "How long you worked here?" the chef asks. "All my life," I reply, "basically since 1980." My mom, Rosine, is actually a Sicilian, and if you time it right, you'll catch Rosie herself helping out in the kitchen - this is definitely a family that couldn't get any more family than this.

The staff always walk around to make sure you have everything you want. "You're going to get a wonderful home-cooked meal," they promise. And when I say home-cooked, I mean it's real hearty food that fills you up - not just a bunch of empty calories. This is the kind of place where every dish is made with love.

One of the local favorites here is their minestrone soup. "We're gonna make our minestrone soup," the chef says, starting with a can of top brown tomatoes and no hot water. Instead, they start cold, watching my reaction as we add dry red beans, granulated garlic, onions, sugar, oregano, sweet basil, black pepper, bay leaves, white pepper, tomato paste, beef base, and finally, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. This is without question one of the craziest minestrones I've ever seen - no other veggies, just this.

We add the cooked beets first, then let them cool down before shredding them exactly as instructed next step will be adding celery carrots zucchini onions and cabbage. "How much longer do you let it cook until the vegetables are tender?" I ask. It's about an hour there we go, now take all this meat and shred it and throw it back in - okay, Jimmy, dish it up a little pasta, and we top it off with parmesan cheese.

I love the cabbage in there; the shredded beef isn't typically found in minestrone, but that's what makes it so great. And of course, you know that this whole thing is absolutely homemade. When I ask if Rosine is back there now, "this is the authority," she replies, and everyone agrees that she has a lot to be proud of - girl very nice, very nice hair and bling. There's even a rule here: you can't wear more bling than the host of the show.

And speaking of home, this place feels like it. You get good cooked food that fills you up - not just on lambshakes but all day long. And come down Friday is when she makes the cakes - I'll make you a pie you won't forget.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso i'm here in monterey california known for cannery row and awesome seafood well i'm in the locals area i'm downtown to check out a joint that the locals love an old-school family-run italian joint this is rosie angel hair pasta we're down two or three times every week because it's our favorite restaurant chicken parmesan i don't like it i love it it's better than my sicilian grandma's wow someone's out of the will authentic italian's been headlining this joint since 1980 when chef jim kokosi's parents jim and rosine made it a family affair everything is absolutely amazing i've never had a bad meal here ultimate burger reuben table six how long you worked here all my life basically since 1980 my mom's rosine really yeah is your mom italian yes sicilian actually and if you time it right you'll catch rosie herself helping out in the kitchen this is definitely a family you couldn't get any more family than this always walk around and make sure you got everything you want you're going to get a wonderful home-cooked meal wonderful portion here's your minestrone tell me about the minestrone this gun is off to charge the minestrone soup is one of the local's favorites we're gonna make our minestrone soup okay we start with top brown then do we get hot no we start cold watch i'm getting a little freaked out right now but i'll go with what you got dry red beans granulated garlic and onions hold on how many cups of granulated onion and garlic a lot sugar oregano sweet basil black pepper bay leaves white pepper tomato paste beef base then we add water okay we give it a stir here we go and then we add our diced tomatoes and our tomato sauce this is without question one of the craziest minestrones i've ever seen no other veggies no no this is the first part this is the beginning this is the beginning okay don't rush the song we're gonna let this cook for about four hours four hours now we're ready to pull out all the beef okay all right let's put on the pan all the beets out you let this cool down before you shred it exactly next step will be we add celery carrots zucchini onions and cabbage i like where this is going now how much longer you let this cook until the vegetables are tender about an hour there we go you take all this meat now shred it shred it yes and throw it back in all right jimmy dish it up a little pasta okay so i like the pasta it's not floating in the pot thing because that always drives me nuts and then we top it off with parmesan cheese start your meal i love the cabbage in there the shredded beef not something you typically find in minestrone a nice rich broth i mean the whole thing great it's delicious but i want to call the real boss in rosine are you back there now this is the authority got a lot to be proud of girl very nice to meet you you guys very nice look at her i mean to the nines the hair the bling we have a rule that there is no you can't wear more bling than the host of the show oh my gosh minestrone can't wait to get in your mouth as soon as you taste it you know that it's absolutely homemade here's your lambshakes it feels like home you get good cooked food it's real hearty fills you up come down friday that's when she's here making the cakes i'll make you a pie you won't forget youso i'm here in monterey california known for cannery row and awesome seafood well i'm in the locals area i'm downtown to check out a joint that the locals love an old-school family-run italian joint this is rosie angel hair pasta we're down two or three times every week because it's our favorite restaurant chicken parmesan i don't like it i love it it's better than my sicilian grandma's wow someone's out of the will authentic italian's been headlining this joint since 1980 when chef jim kokosi's parents jim and rosine made it a family affair everything is absolutely amazing i've never had a bad meal here ultimate burger reuben table six how long you worked here all my life basically since 1980 my mom's rosine really yeah is your mom italian yes sicilian actually and if you time it right you'll catch rosie herself helping out in the kitchen this is definitely a family you couldn't get any more family than this always walk around and make sure you got everything you want you're going to get a wonderful home-cooked meal wonderful portion here's your minestrone tell me about the minestrone this gun is off to charge the minestrone soup is one of the local's favorites we're gonna make our minestrone soup okay we start with top brown then do we get hot no we start cold watch i'm getting a little freaked out right now but i'll go with what you got dry red beans granulated garlic and onions hold on how many cups of granulated onion and garlic a lot sugar oregano sweet basil black pepper bay leaves white pepper tomato paste beef base then we add water okay we give it a stir here we go and then we add our diced tomatoes and our tomato sauce this is without question one of the craziest minestrones i've ever seen no other veggies no no this is the first part this is the beginning this is the beginning okay don't rush the song we're gonna let this cook for about four hours four hours now we're ready to pull out all the beef okay all right let's put on the pan all the beets out you let this cool down before you shred it exactly next step will be we add celery carrots zucchini onions and cabbage i like where this is going now how much longer you let this cook until the vegetables are tender about an hour there we go you take all this meat now shred it shred it yes and throw it back in all right jimmy dish it up a little pasta okay so i like the pasta it's not floating in the pot thing because that always drives me nuts and then we top it off with parmesan cheese start your meal i love the cabbage in there the shredded beef not something you typically find in minestrone a nice rich broth i mean the whole thing great it's delicious but i want to call the real boss in rosine are you back there now this is the authority got a lot to be proud of girl very nice to meet you you guys very nice look at her i mean to the nines the hair the bling we have a rule that there is no you can't wear more bling than the host of the show oh my gosh minestrone can't wait to get in your mouth as soon as you taste it you know that it's absolutely homemade here's your lambshakes it feels like home you get good cooked food it's real hearty fills you up come down friday that's when she's here making the cakes i'll make you a pie you won't forget you\n"