Andreoli Italian Grocer — Restaurant in Scottsdale

Just returned from our 5th or 6th time to Andreoli's in the last couple of months. Always delicious, fresh, and perfect. We have had the light and delicate sole, the absolutely perfect calamari, and several delicious pasta dishes.

Not this time. We had been raving about the food so much that for my brother's last night in Phoenix we decided to have what we assumed was going to be a great meal. My foody mom's quote "never again, this was horrible." So what was wrong? The bill was a lot for 6 people -- 2 sole, one seafood mista (which involved 3 shrimp and 2 pieces of fish -- not very "mista", spahetti with clams, fusilli (which was fine) and the veal bolognese. Happy to have paid that had it been at least a little better than medicore. It was not. Calamari lacked the usual crispness and freshness. Also smaller portion than previously. The lemon sauce on the sole was thick and heavy handed, not like the prior versions, the fish was dry and tasted like it had been warmed up, the mixed peas and broccoli that had been FRESH and DIVINE last time were unidentifiable, lukewarm MUSH, the potatoes lacked the usual rosemary flavor. The seafood mista was just underwhelming, oily shrimp and fish were dry and overcooked. The veal bolognese was clumpy and seemed warmed up. The fusilli was tasty but had some cold spots in it. Yep -- I think things were just warmed up. The food overall lacked a freshness. I could go on but you get the picture.

Yes, we should have sent things back. I did mention that things were really not up to the quality to one of the staff, he said sorry but thats it -- but he was quite young and likely did not know how to respond to that. Yes, we should have sent our meals back. What went wrong? Well, it is the holidays and all of the staff seemed young, the owner (who is wonderful and clearly has high standards) was not there to oversee. But really for as awesome as Andreolis has been, the lack of consistency and quality was supremely disappointing. Had this meal been only a little off, I would not have written this review. But, it was really not good. I am certain that this meal was nowhere near the...

This is going to be a long review, so buckle up.

I'm autistic and trying new places can be overwhelming for me, so I tend to stick to the same restaurants. I've been hearing about how great this place was so I finally decided to try it. I went in for an early dinner, as places tend to be more quiet and I can take my time. When I walked in it wasn't obvious for me the process of getting a table and order (ie no hostess to seat you), so I walked up to the counter.

I greeted warmly by the gentlemen behind the counter and I let him know it was my first time in and asked if he could explain the process to me. With no hesitation or attitude he walked me through the menu, what the salad was dressed with, explaining that the seafood was flown in, the different options for calamari, what the items on the handwritten board were and how one line was Italian with the second line being the description in English. He further explained the different ways I could get wine (bottle or by the glass), where I could find the different beers, and soft drinks. He then let me know they bake bread daily, explained the desserts, have wood-fired pizza in the winter, and that at lunch you settle your check when you order, but at dinner time they'll settle it at the end of your meal. He then asked if I had any questions; I didn't so I asked for some time to review the menu.

A different gentleman, who was equally kind and patient, took my order and assigned me my table. I got... -grilled squid -viva l'italia sandwich -quarter litre of wine -water -2 desserts (because you only live once)

The food was delicious and I also ordered an espresso to have with dessert.

As I was eating, I noticed how many people came in and seemed to be on a first name basis with the staff. With the amount of kindness and patience shown and the quality of the meal, this didn't surprise me at all. The level of service here is incredible. I can't wait until they return from their summer holidays because this is going to be my new...

This restaurant was spectacular in every way. We were greeted by a man behind the counter who gave us a quick summary of how everything works, and helped to guide our choices before we were seated. I wondered how many times he would have to go through that in a day! He seemed like he might be the owner. If this man helps you, listen to everything he says and do as he suggests! I can't say enough good things about our experience there. Super great service without being overbearing. The Gnocchi appetizer was the best Gnocchi I have ever had, surpassing Gnocchi I had at restaurants in Italy. We ordered a variety of dishes, and every one was well presented and delicious. I can only hope I get back to Scottsdale frequently enough in my life to try out their whole menu. Our friends who spend the winters there are appreciative of us insisting on taking them to Andreoli. They said we helped them find their new favorite restaurant to take family and friends in the future. The stemless wine glasses were so appropriate and strongly reflected that the vibe here is not stuffy culture, but suggest that we should just have some great food and drink. They don't take reservations, and show an early closing time, but that must be they don't take more people in after a certain time as we were there after whatever time it said they close. The star rating system here only allows for a 5-star maximum, but there should be a special category for this restaurant. 5-stars...