By LeAnne Notabartolo
Hidden Gem
A culinary event coordinator and live cooking demonstrator, this “Edu-tainer” with more than 1000 demos under her belt lives to cook and eat. She works with chefs at events and learns from them and translates info for home cooks. She is the Chick in Charge of Good for Spooning – read her blog here: www.goodforspooning.com leanne@goodforspooning.com
www.lvfnb.com
Photos by LeAnne Notabartolo
Like most of downtown, The D (formerly Fitzgerald’s) is making big changes and all for the better. The D’s Director of Sales Josh Nisenson assures us that more changes are on the horizon and that we can expect big things from The D this year, including sponsorship of The World Food Championships. Upping the ante on their dining spots is at the forefront and they have a hidden gem in Andiamo. Andiamo means “come” in Italian and Chef Joe Parrino invites you to come and enjoy. Chef Parrino comes from a family of fine cooks and went to culinary school in Italy in Santa Marinella. His life experience, training and passion for food shine through in each dish. Andiamo is part of a family of restaurants from Michigan owned by Joe Vicari. The best concepts of the group were melded to make this Italian steakhouse. Take the escalator up from the main casino floor and make a sharp right. The doorway is easy to miss, but worth seeking out. With an almost speakeasy feel to the entrance, you walk in and are removed from the bells and whistles of the casino floor and taken to a completely different space. Cozy banquettes, dark wood and warm colors invite you to make yourself at home and you almost expect to see Michael Corleone holding court in one of the secluded banquettes. Keep your eyes peeled for sports stars visiting Vegas. This spot has become a not so secret dining fave of several players. From the house-made olive tapenade to the rolling dessert cart, everything is top notch. The charcuterie and cheese plate is a great starter and if there is gorgonzola dolce, be sure to try it! Sweeter and creamier than regular gorgonzola, it is a perfect counterpoint to the salty charcuterie. A clear standout for this writer was the Tortellaci - handmade ricotta filled pasta wheels tossed with mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and Italian sausage with gorgonzola dolce. The steaks are aged in-house and loaded with flavor and the rib eye is served “tomahawk” style with the long rib attached accompanied by three different and equally tasty sauces. All the desserts we tried were lovely, but the winner was the cassata with greentinted marzipan on top and cannoli cream as the filling. The wine list is not limited to Italian varieties, is fairly extensive and has several offerings by the glass as well as splits of champagne. The menu and wine list boast something for every taste. The portions are made for enjoying family style, so be sure to order a variety to share. A final tip for you: if Sandra is on duty, ask for her as your server. She is a walking history lesson and has been working in the downtown area for more than 20 years. She has a winning way with service and a broad knowledge of the area and the menu items.
Chef Joe Parrino, Director of Sales Josh Nisenson and server Sandra.
June 2014 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7