Angela Lansbury's Sweet Connection To A Beloved Restaurant
Hollywood lost another icon today when Angela Lansbury died at home in Los Angeles, five days shy of her 97 birthday, according to the New York Times. Known as the private eye Jessica Fletcher to millions of fans on the long-running television drama "Murder, She Wrote" and as Mrs. Potts to people that grew up watching "Beauty and the Beast" on repeat. Lansbury's career was bookended with five Tony Awards for her performances in "Mame," early in her career in 1966, and "Blithe Spirit" in 2009, when the actress was 83. She was beloved.
Lansbury had two children, Anthony and Deidre, through her marriage to Peter Shaw, who remained her husband until he died in 2003. Speaking with the Daily Mail in 2014, Lansbury spoke about the difficulties of balancing motherhood with being an actress, saying, "As soon as I had the babies, I went on a diet, and I was back in business. I do regret that. It was a big mistake. You have to be with your children."
Anthony went on to follow in Lansbury's footsteps. He became an actor and also directed his mother in 68 episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" (via IMDb). After recovering from drugs and a relationship with Charles Manson's cult (via Life Magazine), Deidre took a different career path. That path led to a popular Italian restaurant where Lansbury would be associated with her child in more ways than one.
Enzo and Angela - The Italian Restaurant
Years ago, Shirley Firestone received a letter from Angela Lansbury about an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica called Positano, which she raved about, according to Entertainment Today. Lansbury was, of course, raving about her daughter's restaurant, as any proud mama would. Positano was run and owned by Deidre and her husband, Enzo Battarra, a trained chef. In an article posted in 2008, Firestone shared her initial impressions of the couple and the restaurant, recalling, "From the moment I met them, I was hooked on their terrific Italian cuisine and captivated by their devotion to each other."
The restaurant eventually changed its name and location to Enzo and Angela – The Italian Restaurant and moved to Los Angeles. (Not only was Lansbury's first name Angela, but it's Deidre's middle name, per Broadway World). Adding to Firestone's lengthy rave reviews, Angie F. posted on Lansbury's fan club page, The Biggest Angela Lansbury Fans Community Online, that Enzo and Angela's was "charming and stylish." Similar to Firestone Angie F. appreciated the friendly staff and loved the restaurant. Discover Los Angeles pointed out the restaurant's signature ravioli and gnocchi dishes and how fresh the seafood was, appreciating how the "simple décor let the food take center stage."
Unfortunately, according to the restaurant's Facebook page, Enzo and Angela- The Italian Restaurant was permanently closed in 2019, and its website has since been removed.