Andiamo buonissimo and Jen’s new start
Jen‘s been pushing me to push this post out of the drafts, just as I’ve been pushing her to publish her very first post on Where’s the Seitan?, her blooming, Chicago-based vegan food blog. Her lively, conversational writing draws you in, just as Jen herself. 🙂 When she reaches a million views per month, I hope she’ll still like to share a meal and talks about movies with the humble me.
During lunch break on Tuesday, after a fantastic plate of fresh fruits and cucumbers at the cafeteria (if I eat at St. John cafeteria long enough I’d turn into a fruitarian), we could hardly wait until dinner to eat something real, so we dived into Yelp and Google Maps in search of a “good but inexpensive” place (Jen’s request) closed enough to the bus stop. Coins were tossed, rock-paper-scissor was played, phone calls were made, decisions were revised, and a reservation was confirmed: 7:15 pm at Andiamo.
Our group has diversity: one strict vegan, one vegetarian who loves goat cheese, one omnivore who is allergic to all dairy except butter, one omnivore who doesn’t like goat cheese and doesn’t really care about any cheese, and one omnivore who loves potatoes. We start off sharing some Roasted Beet Salad ($7.75) and Caponata Bruschetta (eggplant bruschetta, $7.5). Cheese on the side.
The soft but not mushy eggplant, sauteed and deeply seasoned with balsamic vinaigrette, offers a nice contrast with the toast. Nonetheless, it loses to the refreshing simplicity of the roasted beet.
Even more points for the beet salad is the tapenade on the accompanying focaccia slice, which reminds me of pâté, and anything that reminds me of pâté reminds me of joy.
I asked the vegetarian who loves goat cheese to rate her Chilled Gazpacho (vegetable soup, $5.5) from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, and her response was a shrugging 3. I forgot to ask about her main course, but judging from her smile eating that slice of Pizza Margherita (mozzarella, parmesan, basil and tomato, $8.25), I think she would give it a 4.5.
The omnivore who loves potatoes ordered, surprisingly, the Chicken Marsala with roasted fingerling potatoes ($16.5). I would admit that for a second, I was wondering why an Italian place would serve Indian food, but the Marsala with an “r” is the name of the wine used to make a stark, rich wine reduction sauce for this braised chicken. The potatoes were good, of course.
The omnivore with dairy-‘cept-butter intolerance offered me to try a tentacle-full squid head in his Spaghetti Puttanesca with Calamari ($14). The tentacles are the best because they soak and store up so much sauce in their bundling-up state. I didn’t try the pasta, but you bet it was some tantalizing red sauce.
The omnivore with an indifference toward cheese treasures the Crispy Duck Leg. I went with the smaller order ($14.25 vs. $19.75), and it was plenty. The meat fell off the bone, the spinach sleek and sodden with a sweet sauce, the turnip al dente. If I had to complain, it would be about the unnecessary softness of the grilled polenta, it’s simply too homogeneous, like cheese.
The vegan customized herself a cheese-less pie with portabella (I like how the Italian name has a grander ring to it than “button mushroom”), arugula, roasted zucchini, roasted garlic, basil and olive oil. I can’t describe her pizza better than her, so I won’t even try. The most interesting thing is that she has found a combination on pizza that tastes “almost as good as cheese”.
And I’ve found a combination that makes Andiamo stand out in my mind when it comes to Italian food: steal potatoes and squid tentacles from the friends’ plates, eat out on the patio in the summer Santa Fe evening, watch the sun sink behind the adobe cake-like houses, and let out a sigh over the empty street, then good food becomes exceptional, and you really feel the lazing peacefulness of this town.
Address: Andiamo
322 Garfield Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 995-9595
There are some interesting cut-off dates in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There is some validity but I’ll take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as nicely
1I would like to thnkx for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I am hoping the same high-grade website post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own site now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings fast. Your write up is a good example of it.
2Hello There. I found your blog using msn. That is a very well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to learn extra of your helpful info. Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly return.
3Everyone loves what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work and coverage! Keep up the great works guys I’ve you guys to blogroll.
4I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
5Spot on with this write-up, I truly suppose this website needs much more consideration. I’ll probably be once more to read way more, thanks for that info.
6Only wanna input on few general things, The website style is perfect, the written content is very fantastic. “To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature.” by Franois Auguste Ren Rodin.
7I conceive this site holds some rattling fantastic info for everyone :D. “As ill-luck would have it.” by Miguel de Cervantes.
8I love gathering useful information , this post has got me even more info! .
9I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. thanks
10This is a topic close to my heart cheers, where are your contact details though?
11I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I by no means discovered any fascinating article like yours. It’s pretty price sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made excellent content as you did, the net will probably be much more helpful than ever before. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” by Lao Tzu.
12Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
13Thank you, I’ve just been looking for information about this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I’ve came upon so far. But, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you sure in regards to the source?
14Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
15I do agree with all of the ideas you’ve presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for novices. Could you please extend them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.
16whoah this weblog is wonderful i love studying your posts. Keep up the great paintings! You already know, many individuals are looking around for this information, you can aid them greatly.
17Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I were tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast offered vibrant transparent concept
18I carry on listening to the newscast talk about getting boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i get some?
19It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
20Thank you for sharing with us, I believe this website truly stands out :D.
21Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I am hoping to provide something again and help others like you aided me.
22Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
23Some really nice and utilitarian information on this internet site, also I believe the layout has fantastic features.
24That is the correct weblog for anyone who wants to search out out about this topic. You realize a lot its nearly hard to argue with you (not that I actually would need…HaHa). You positively put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, just great!
25I want to express some thanks to you for bailing me out of such a trouble. Because of browsing throughout the search engines and seeing opinions which are not powerful, I believed my life was gone. Being alive without the solutions to the difficulties you have fixed by means of your good article content is a crucial case, as well as the ones which may have in a wrong way affected my entire career if I had not come across your website. The training and kindness in handling every aspect was invaluable. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t come across such a stuff like this. I can also now look forward to my future. Thanks so much for the reliable and sensible guide. I won’t think twice to propose your blog to anybody who should get care about this subject matter.
26Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
27As I website possessor I conceive the written content here is very fantastic, appreciate it for your efforts.
28You are my inspiration , I have few web logs and often run out from to brand.
29I like this post, enjoyed this one regards for posting.
30That is the fitting blog for anybody who desires to search out out about this topic. You notice a lot its almost laborious to argue with you (not that I really would want…HaHa). You undoubtedly put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great!
31Great write-up, I am normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the nice operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
32Thanks for every other informative web site. Where else may just I get that type of information written in such a perfect approach? I have a venture that I’m simply now operating on, and I’ve been on the glance out for such information.
33Hi, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you reduce it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any help is very much appreciated.
34Do you have a spam problem on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; we have created some nice procedures and we are looking to trade strategies with other folks, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.
35Would you be focused on exchanging links?
36you’re really a good webmaster. The web site loading speed is incredible. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a excellent job on this topic!
37I got good info from your blog
38Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will certainly return.
39Hello! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
40I like what you guys are up also. Such clever work and reporting! Carry on the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my web site 🙂
41Hi there, simply turned into alert to your blog via Google, and found that it is truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate should you continue this in future. Numerous other folks can be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
42Fantastic goods from you, man. I have be mindful your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely magnificent. I actually like what you have got here, really like what you are saying and the best way during which you are saying it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to stay it sensible. I cant wait to learn far more from you. This is really a terrific website.
43I simply had to appreciate you once more. I’m not certain the things that I would’ve used in the absence of these hints revealed by you concerning such a area of interest. It actually was a very troublesome problem in my circumstances, but taking note of a well-written fashion you resolved that took me to leap over gladness. Now i’m happier for this service and in addition trust you know what an amazing job you are always doing training other individuals using your blog post. I’m certain you have never met any of us.
44you’ve got an ideal blog right here! would you like to make some invite posts on my weblog?
45Very interesting subject, regards for posting.
46Merely wanna say that this is very beneficial, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
47I wanted to type a small comment in order to thank you for all of the amazing pointers you are sharing at this website. My prolonged internet look up has now been honored with extremely good information to talk about with my friends and classmates. I ‘d repeat that we visitors actually are very endowed to dwell in a remarkable network with very many marvellous people with great secrets. I feel extremely lucky to have used your entire webpages and look forward to plenty of more thrilling moments reading here. Thanks a lot again for all the details.
48I’ll immediately grab your rss as I can not find your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me understand in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
49Merely wanna comment that you have a very decent web site, I enjoy the pattern it really stands out.
50