Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House opened just last week, on Friday (June 30) to be precise. Already, though, there's a common theme among the people making reservations or dropping in for a bite at the bar. They all want a look at the new restaurant that has taken the place of an old restaurant they once knew by heart.

How could it be any other way? New restaurants replace older ones all the time, though this address in the back corner of Lakeview is different. Rizzuto’s opened in the longtime home of Tony Angello’s Ristorante, an intensely local New Orleans institution burrowed into its neighborhood and beloved across the region. Founder and namesake Tony Angello became part of local families; his restaurant became an extension of their homes.