Restaurant Review Andiamo Detroit Riverfront

Andiamo


When I walked into the elegant Andiamos Detroit Riverfront Restaurant for the first time, I didn't really have any expectations. The only thing I expected was to receive superb service. Truth be told, I didn't know what this restaurant was going to be like, since I had never been.
As I entered into the dining room, I noticed the dark earth tones, which sets off the white tablecloths on the tables and black padded chairs. The décor is elegant and innovative with brick-hued columns, earth-toned drapes and large windows overlooking the river. It even has two large fish tanks, filled with all different types of colorful exotic fish.
During the lunch rush, the seating can be crowded. In fact, the large, round tables are used often for business lunches and can easily overwhelm the narrow, two-person tables that are placed just scant inches apart from each other. High-top bar tables in the spacious lounge are sometimes utilized for the lunch seating as well. While the high chairs are somewhat precarious and leave little room to stow a purse or briefcase, there is more breathing room between the tables.
Make no mistake: Andiamo Detroit Riverfront has a prime location along the waterfront of the Detroit River. In the warmer months, it even has an outside patio. The space inside, however, is curiously subdivided with a large section near the entrance devoted to the lounge, which has a dance floor, a tolerance for cigars and pipes, marble floors and a “L”-shaped bar. It is partitioned off from the narrow dining room beyond, making the space confusing to navigate. The odd-shaped space is rivaled only by the odder-shaped, over-head lighting fixtures, set off from the dark ceilings through texture and contrast.
The menu is northern Italian and presented by Chef Edward L. Bailey. In addition to daily specials, the menu consists of salads, Panini, pasta, chicken, veal, seafood and beef dishes. The dinner menu also includes several risotto dishes.
The Italian bread was suitably warm and tasty, and the side Andiamo salad was fresh; but the real highlight leading into the main course was the soup: New England clam chowder. The soup is poured from a cream pitcher into your bowl. It is pleasingly filled with chucks of clams and fresh vegetables with a contrast of thick and creamy goodness. It’s not the everyday New England clam chowder you get a typical restaurants, the flavor of the soup was rich and savory.
The open-faced crab-cake sandwich was served on Challah bread, an interesting and creative twist on the dish. Unfortunately, the crab cake itself crumbled and the bread absorbed the Remoulade sauce, making it impossible to obtain a cohesive sandwich bite.
The daily pasta special was ravioli with shrimp and sausage in a Cajun Alfredo sauce and was served in an enormous bowl. The shrimp were plentiful, large and shelled; the sausage was spicy; and the sauce was rich and nuanced.
Reservations are strongly suggested by the hostess staff, even during off times. While the restaurant itself was busy, we were sat at a high-top in the lounge rather than in the main dining room, just behind the exotic fish tanks.
Unfortunately, we had to wait a few hours before we received our main course. It literally took about 3 hours, before we began to dine into our mouth watering dishes. Even though we waited, the wait staff and the manager were wonderful. They gave us complimentary portions of pasta with marinara sauce, so that we wouldn’t be completely hunger. Both the waiter and manger apologized and asked us, “Would you like a complementary bottle of wine?” and, we ordered a bottle of Moscato.
Despite all the troubles, the food was excellent. The risotto was nice and creamy, the pasta was tender and the wine was smooth and sweet.
Some guests come in jeans or semi-casual, while others wear business suits. You can come for lunch or late-night drinks; order the NY Strip streak or have pasta and don’t forget about a glass or bottle of wine.
It's not the kind of high-end Italian place we've seen in the past. But in an increasingly casual society, it’s good both for the businessman or the young couple.