The exterior has a new black and white awning beckons the community to see what is new at Andiamo Trattoria, 7228 N. Main Street.
General Manager Tony Vitale describes what is new at the location in one word – ‘everything,? as Mesquite Creek changed to Andiamo Trattoria on Jan. 17, along with Andiamo celebrating their 25th anniversary.
“From when you come in, it is the colors, the feeling, the vibe,” Vitale said. “We have an open feeling to the restaurant. It has a fun family feel – Trattoria means family in Italian.”
The feedback they have received from the community within the first few weeks have been positive. The most frequent things people have said is how affordable everything is on the menu and the variety of options from appetizers to entrees.
“They get excited about it,” Vitale smiled.
He added the interesting aspect of the menu is Andiamo Trattoria has taken the favorites of Andiamo over the years and put it on the family friendly menu.
“They have created a menu with families in mind,” he said. “This is a very fun and casual version Andiamo.”
They have what you want – maybe you are craving a sandwich like a Meatball Sandwich with house-made meatballs, tomato sauce, three chese blend on a toasted baguette. Or leaning towards being healthier with a salad like the Mediterrean Kale with grilled chicken, shaved carrots, red onion, dried cranberries and toasted almonds in raspberry vinaigrette. Or maybe you are craving a pasta dish from Chef Alda’s Pasta Specialities menu with a variety of options, you will find what you find something to make your tastebuds zing to life.
Maybe you just want to enjoy a glass of wine with friends and share a Margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese on a thin crust pizza.
“We have the traditional items,” Vitale said. “We have a lasagna that just melts in your mouth with the homemade noodles, the sausage and the handmade sauce. On the appetizer menu we have a Andiamo Giant Meatball with veal, pork, veal and stuffed with ricotta cheese.”
He added it isn’t just the menu items but the ingredients they use like the herbs and vegetables and the attention to detail. One of the details is using San Marzano tomatoes.
“San Marzano tomatoes are special because they are grown at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in Italy,” Vitale said. “It is the only place in the world you have volcanic ground where you grow tomatoes. The flavor is different. The flavor is what is important. The herbs we bring in we source locally. We get all the vegetables and herbs we can while they are in season. The attention to detail and ingredients makes all the difference when it comes to the flavors you get. For that reason it is the handmade specialty flavors which set us apart from any other restaurant I know of.”
Vitale and the staff invite the community Andiamo Trattoria Clarkston Chef’s Choice Charity Week, March 2-8, when they are launching the new menu, featuring several dishes that will be exclusive to that location. Enjoy any of the new appetizers or entrees and Andiamo will donate a portion of the proceeds to Clarkston SCAMP which has been serving the community for the past 35 years with a summer day camp for children and young adults with special needs.
Andiamo Trattoria is open for lunch from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Mondays through Saturday. They are open for dinner 4 – 10 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 4 – 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; and 4 – 9 p.m. on Sunday. Please visit www.andiamoitalia.com or call 248-620-9300.
Andiamo Trattoria will host their grand opening and ribbon cutting on March 5. The ribbon cutting is at 4:30 p.m. and they will open to the public at 6 p.m.