Andiamo Italian Ristorante — Restaurant in Saint Paul

Visited here a few weeks ago. It's a mixed bag.

The space itself is lovely. They did a great job at renovating the old Buffalo Wild Wings spot into a very romantic and elegant place. Well done there.

Our server was very kind. There were a few people milling about the host stand that didn't appear busy while she was the only one hustling around working. She was good at her job, very attentive. No issues there.

Then there's the food. It's not bad, but it's not good either. I had a tortellini dish and my partner had some spaghetti based dish. Neither were memorable and I suspect for good reason. The food came out in minutes, and mind you that isn't necessarily a good thing. It came out so quickly there was absolutely no way any part of our entrees were made from scratch, and it tasted that way.

The tortellini was overcooked, very mushy and the sauce was this thick, generic cream sauce. My partner's spaghetti was cooked the same way with a basic, ordinary red sauce with recognizable parts. I suspect their pasta and sauces are premade (or supplied by Sysco) and held warm in the kitchen and assembled in seconds with minimal effort. Again, with how fast they came out of the kitchen, there's no way anything was made to order.

Now, I can't recall the restaurant ever advertising themselves as homemade, authentic Italian. If they're not, then no harm done. It's food. Just like how Kraft Mac n Cheese is food. Is Kraft Mac n Cheese the best in the world....no, but it's comforting, recognizable and available. That's what this is. Americanized comfort food. You may be amazed or disappointed. It all depends on your expectations and what your definition of...

Andiamo Italian Ristorante

We were searching for a spot that served calamari but wanted to try somewhere new—and this place caught our eye. Without reading Google reviews or even checking the menu, we noticed they had calamari and decided to give it a shot. Andiamo Italian Ristorante was a pleasant surprise!

The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. They started us off with a basket of fresh bread and breadsticks, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for dipping. We ordered the calamari with shrimp, and it did not disappoint. The portion was generous, with plenty of rings and baby squid—my son was thrilled. We did need to ask for extra lemon, but it was quickly brought to us. The shrimp were large, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor.

For the main course, I enjoyed the Parmesan-Crusted Walleye topped with lemon butter and crushed red pepper, served with a side of pasta in Alfredo sauce. It was absolutely delightful. The Caesar salad was crisp and well-dressed—just how I like it.

My husband ordered the Scallops with Crab & Pea Risotto, and he was impressed by how many scallops came with the dish. The fried leeks added the perfect crunch and elevated every bite. He said he wouldn’t hesitate to order it again.

Our bill was under $75 USD, and we still had leftovers to take home. We love supporting family-owned and operated restaurants over chains, and Andiamo’s exceeded our expectations. We will...

I'm sorry, but this was a disappointment of epic proportion. I found this place on Google looking for ideas for Valentines day. Made the reservation, showed up to a mostly empty restaurant, a bunch of people in uniform, place looked nice and my wife thought it felt classy. We got seated at a table right in front of the door which means our jackets stayed on. It took almost 15 mins to place a drink order, mind you the place is still mostly empty (maybe 6 tables) finally get drinks in and then the bread came... I've had better bread at a fast food restaurant, it tasted bland as anything, and felt like it came out of the microwave. We placed our orders my wife got the chicken marsala with mashed potatoes, I got the chicken parmesean with white sauce pasta. The mushrooms came from a can, the chicken was rubber (which hints at a microwave) the sauce was sour(?) and the mashed potatoes were.... off tasted like they had cilantro in them (which I know makes no sense) the chicken parmesean was ok, the chicken itself was actually decent, the red sauce tasted like a can of hunts tomato sauce straight from the can, the white sauce pasta was again ok except it tasted like they drained the noodles and added about 5 lbs of melted butter then let it sit for a bit. We couldn't eat it and management handled it great, but I cannot recommend this...