KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
Must be more than a decade - Lord, of course it is, and more - since Andiamo saw the light as a daytime cafe. Then it morphed into one of the first weekend breakfast venues, back when we all thought eggs benedict was the height of urban sophistication.
Andiamo has always been big on urban sophistication - that's what comes of being on the Rue Jervois. Peugeots and Audis and Golfs outside, PR and TV and media types inside. Some sociologist could chart our city's contemporary history over 15 years here. Fads and trends - brownies, scrambled eggs with chilli, creme brulee, outdoor gas-heaters, gastro-bars, the first uneasy stirrings of tapas - owners and chefs who've come. Gone.
Andiamo has endured. Usually changed ahead of the times rather than with them. Like us, we hope, matured. Post-Peter Sinclair, post-Neil Roberts ... dare one say post-Ralston, former VBG owners Andrew and Lucy Bell have bought and re-tuned their bistro favourite.
As Bridget observed, "There's a remarkable number of tables full of women here. And an awful lot of blonde bobs." Yes, sweets. It's "I used to be on TV One" Ground Zero.
Does that mean nibbling? Grazing? Menu descriptions of "Prime beef eye fillet served on a French onion jus with a crisp potato dauphinoise and parmesan and sage ravioli" or "roasted lamb rump served on a Provencale ratatouille with spiced chickpea fritters and saffron rouille" deduce that they serve real meals here.
First impression was that the meals looked heavy on a muggy evening, but we girded our loins and remembered we were doing it for Viva.
Bridget's lamb fillet entree was suitably pink, suitably juicy; its salad the colours of the Italian flag - vine-ripened tomato, goat cheese, roquette. Her only quibble was that the tomato seemed drawn from the fridge too soon, against the other room-tepid flavours.
Me, veal sweetbreads. Seen that around Auckland lately? I hadn't so ... admired the dish's composition, its coins of chorizo, warm vege touches in shallots and leeks. Sometimes the point of offal still eludes me.
At mains, the tart ... I'm sorry, The Fragrant Bridget had first crack and picked duck, confit, on a beetroot potato mash. Grilled asparagus, fennel and puy lentil vinaigrette.
Joves, that was good. Well, from the infinitesimal sliver that I was allowed, and the cheeky, witty, bold red mash I was given a taste of, it was damned good. The melange of lentils and asparagus and fennel pushed the dish into the cooler evenings of autumn.
I should talk. Doesn't this sound like winter comfort food: pork belly, red cabbage choucroute, mashed kumara and crackling. Hell, yes, it does, and I enjoyed almost every bite. Almost. There were parts where the pork was just a little on the burned side and the meat veered towards dry.
One of the nice things about Andiamo is that yes, these are real meals, but the portions are not overwhelming. We added tasty sides of buttered green beans and almonds, the ubiquitous vine-ripened tomato with pesto and feta.
Bridget allowed me to choose dessert. She hinted at lemon mousse with all sorts of amusing additions: sable biscuit, mint coulis, fruit compote and passionfruit sorbet.
The last settled it: Bridget says that sorbets have an effect on her that I am not allowed to repeat in a family newspaper, even if you are reading the section of your family newspaper dedicated to satisfying the XX gender. 'Twas good. 'Twas worth the journey through several post codes and the inconvenience of finding a park off Jervois Rd.
Before we leave the dessert and move on the dissertation, a word about the wine. The list appears exhaustive and some descriptions a tad florid (I should talk, again). Many names are unfamiliar so we left decisions to the sommelier: from pinot noir with duck, Hollick CSM '02 alongside pork. I felt the crew winged it and didn't get the impression there was a confident choice for each dish.
Andiamo means "let's go" so when it was time to pay the check, what added up? That it's a way-above-average restaurant that knows its clientele. Locals love the place and it sure impresses the visitors to Herne Bay.
Address: 194 Jervois Rd Herne Bay
Phone: (09) 378 7811
Open: 7 days
Cuisine: Bistro
From the menu: Rare big eye tuna, seared and served chilled with roasted artichokes, Sicilian olives, watercress, cioppino salsa $18.50; Oven-roasted chicken breast with feta, dukkah and couscous stuffing on melange of oyster mushroom, roasted tomatoes, tarragon demiglaze $32; Pannacotta of Valrhona chocolate, poached seasonal fruit, mascarpone $12
Wine: Out of the ordinary
