By LINDA SALISBURY

Friends have told us for several years how much they enjoy the pizza at Angela's Italian Restaurant in Thornburg.

The restaurant is conveniently located near the Thornburg Interstate 95 exit, so it is easy for travelers to order a pie or many other Italian specialties on the way home from work or a trip.

Both take-out and eat-in business seemed to be brisk on the night we ventured in. A couple who had recommended Angela's was with us.

As it turned out, we were there on a Wednesday night--pizza night--so we ordered a small pizza along with other items.

I told My Dining Partner that he had to try something other than calamari as an appetizer--he orders it far too often, as do all calamari lovers. So, he selected Fried Oysters ($6.95). I settled on the Sampler ($6.95), which included five toasted ravioli, four cannelloni bites, three mozzarella sticks and onion rings. A friend ordered Fried Mushrooms ($4.95).

In each case, the breading was thick, and the dipping sauce was mild. Our server obliged us with hot sauce to jazz things up. The toasted ravioli were a first for me. The filling was primarily melted cheese, with a hot and crispy outer shell. The cannelloni bites, also a new taste sensation, featured meat--maybe sausage--in a rolled pasta. Everything on my platter was filling, albeit bland.

As we marveled at the very orangy walls with Roman-themed art, and the sky and clouds painted on the ceiling of this old tavern, we perused the extensive, colorful menu.

Like many of the family-style restaurants we visit, the bountiful portions mean that an appetizer and salad are probably sufficient for a meal. But that's not our mission. We must try a bit of everything to get the full flavor of the eatery.

So, already full from the appetizers, we ordered our entrees, and a side salad for $1.50. MDP selected the Seafood Platter (fried, $12.95). He had a choice of three items and selected calamari (predictably), shrimp and crab cakes. His entree came with broccoli florets and, according to the menu, coleslaw, although that was missing from his plate.

Although the menu promised crab cakes, plural, only one came with the meal. All the pieces of seafood were fried to a dark brown--heavy with breading and a bit overdone to his taste. He also ordered a side of spaghetti.