Age: 28
Neighborhood: Ocean Beach
Current Job: Founder, Owner, and Kitchen Manager of Cesarina Ristorante
Background: Angius’s recipe for success is about as straightforward as his favorite pasta. “Amatriciana. It’s made with just three ingredients—fresh tomato sauce, guanciale, and pecorino cheese—and I’m a big believer in that simple things are the best.” He happily says he was born into the restaurant industry, having stylishly carted around carbs to tables since the ripe age of 13 in his father’s restaurant in Italy. After laboring as a server and then general manager elsewhere in the Bel Paese, he moved to San Diego in 2015 with his wife, Cesarina, and named his new Point Loma pastificio concept after her. “At 24 years old and hungry to learn more, I decided I needed something new.” His handmade pastas (just water and flour, no egg) garnered quick success on the San Diego farmers’ market circuit and the rest is, well, simple as that!
Fashion Philosophy: “I search for the small, local artisans. I want to see the people behind a product. Just as it is in the kitchen, the quality of the ingredients or materials and the caliber of the chef or tailor are the most important thing.”
Personal Style: “It always comes down to simplicity. I feel most comfortable wearing a button-down shirt, jeans, and boots or sneakers.”
His Picks:
“I bought my first Antichi Telai tailor-made shirt when I was 18 and have been a loyal customer ever since. They take my measurements once a year when I go to Italy for vacation and ship the shirts right to San Diego. I prefer cotton or linen and light pastel colors and also get my initials embroidered into them—this design detail is something very common and traditionally found in Italy.” $90
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“J. R. Moehringer’s The Tender Bar is a great novel and story of a young boy who grows up in and around a bar; it describes the personalities of the regulars in a very accurate way. I had a similar childhood, but in a restaurant setting.” $16, The Book Catapult, South Park
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“My favorite bottle of red after a long day at the restaurant is the Côte Bonneville Carriage House Bordeaux Blend. I’ll often enjoy it at 3rd Corner.” $30 per bottle, 3rd Corner, Ocean Beach
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“You can get blood oranges from the Ocean Beach Farmers Market at just $5 for two pounds. They’re so good!”
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“My wife said I was spending too much time and money on Bird scooters, so she gifted me my own. The Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter allows me to commute to work in an environmentally friendly way.” $448, walmart.com
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“All my life and business are inside my MacBook Pro. Without it, I would be lost.” Starting at $1,499
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“When you own a restaurant, you basically live there. But in the spare time I have at home, I like to know I can make fresh pasta whenever I want—the Imperia manual pasta machine helps me do that.” $80, Williams Sonoma, Fashion Valley and Westfield UTC
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“My everyday shirts are from Upper Playground, based in San Francisco. Their tees just make me—and the ones who walk by me—smile.” $29
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“Nutella has been with me all throughout my life growing up in Italy. It’s my quick energy snack on a busy day.” $11, amazon.com
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“I’ve listened to classic rock since I was born. The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album from 1971 is one of my favorites, because the track order is just perfect. But, I’m not a High Fidelity kind of guy. I listen to my music on Spotify.” Free subscription or $10 per month for Spotify Premium
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“I have seven golden pothos in my house in San Diego and two huge ones in my apartment in Rome—they’re almost nine feet long! I inherited the passion for these from my mom, who used to have a lot in her apartment when she lived in New York.” Starting at $14, Thistle, Ocean Beach
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“I know it’s odd, but my favorite cookbook, called Jerusalem by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi, is about Middle Eastern cuisine—it’s very different from Italian, but the ingredients are similar.” $35, Warwick’s, La Jolla
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
Benjamin Boujenah
“I once owned 15 different colors of these Hartford linen swim trunks. While it takes ages for the trunks to dry after you get in the water, I love the fabric. It’s so simple yet elegant.” $165
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
“My 1969 Fiat 500 is currently in Rome. My dad was the one who instilled in me the love for vintage Fiats. He bought one for my brother when he turned 21, and then one for me when I turned the same age.”
Shop like a Tastemaker with the Founder of Cesarina Ristorante
