Growing up in and around her family’s Italian bakery in Cleveland, Angie Rito’s passion for Italian cuisine and cooking grew naturally from a young age. Her family has owned and operated Rito’s Bakery and import store in Cleveland since 1965. Angie learned about cooking, baking, and running a business as an integral part of her childhood, instilling the dream that one day, she would like to open her own restaurant. 

A passion for food led Scott Tacinelli away from a successful career as an advertising sales rep after eight years in the industry at CBS radio. Being brought up in New Jersey in an Italian-American family with a mother and grandparents who were avid cooks. Tacinelli enrolled in the French Culinary Institute and before graduation, was hired as a line cook at the newly opened Park Avenue Seasons, where he was quickly promoted to sous chef a year later.

Angie started her restaurant career in the front of the house, and ended up in New York City, with the job of captaining at Park Avenue Seasons. Her passion for cooking drew her to the kitchen, and she worked her way from line cook to sous chef, where she ultimately met Scott.  

Scott went on to work as Chef de Cuisine at Quality Meats while Angie continued to fine-tune her Italian culinary craft at Torrisi Italian specialties, before the duo developed the opening menu at Quality Italian with Scott in 2012. They later developed and operated a 19-seat speakeasy restaurant project in the East Village together called dinnertable, where they gained acclaim for their creative menu and unique lasagna. 

In 2017, Scott and Angie partnered with Michael Stillman and his restaurant group Quality Branded to open Don Angie, later opening their second restaurant San Sabino in 2024.