I've managed to snag reservations to go to Andiario twice now --- which is no easy feat after it was named to the NY Times Best Restaurants in the US last year. My advice: be ready on their website at 11:55 AM on the 20th of the month prior and don't be too picky about the exact timing --- reservations open at 12 PM and are gone within 5-10 minutes. If you're able to see a timeslot available, snatch it, because it'll likely be gone by the time you think about it.
Andiario offers a four-course prix-fixe tasting menu that changes week to week to feature local offerings (including, on my most recent visit, locally grown PA citrus!!). They do offer the option to adapt the menu for vegetarians. The price of the meal was recently increased to $80, which is very reasonable for the quality and amount of food you receive. I've seen some other reviews complaining about the lack of artistry in their presentations --- this is not entirely off base. While the presentation of their dishes isn't unappealing, this isn't a place wasting time cutting your portion into a perfect circle and making sauce swoops shaped like a heart. The art here is for your taste buds, and on that, this restaurant excels.
My biggest complaint is their drink situation. They offer two cocktails (a Negroni or an Aperol Spritz --- essentially the same flavor profile) and a variety of wines that are $15-ish per glass or $60+ per bottle. Alternatively, you can BYOB, but they charge a $35 corkage fee PER BOTTLE, which can add up quickly (but is still more affordable than buying their wines). I'd love to see them offer another cocktail or two that appeals to a different palate.
On our most recent visit, our amuse-bouche was small serving of tuna crudo with lemongrass oil that was fresh and flavorful. I would have loved for this to be a full course by itself!
Our first course was a farro arancini with a salad of radicchio, blue cheese, and walnuts, all of which was served family style. The arancini were crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside, and the salad was delicious and very well balanced. The salad portions were large enough that we wound up taking some home.
On this visit and our prior visit, the pasta course was our favorite by far. We were served a fresh pasta filled with butternut squash, served with a buttery sauce, fennel sausage, and brussels sprouts to create a delightful combination of textures and flavors.
Our third course featured smoky chicken thighs along with roasted salsify in a delicious sauce, again served family style. Though I tend toward a predominantly vegetarian diet these days, I do indulge in an occasional meat dish while I'm out if it fills a craving or is particularly tasty, and this chicken was totally worth it. The texture and seasoning were perfect, and it was equally delicious warmed up as leftovers the next day. Of note, our firmly vegetarian friend was served the largest roasted carrot I've ever seen, which was also surprisingly delicious for being essentially a giant vegetable by itself on a plate.
We ended with a lilac torte with blackberry cream, a light but delicious dessert that we all agreed was a highlight of the meal.
All in all, a delicious evening, and I do look forward to visiting again.
A note about parking: it's all street parking in that area of West Chester, but there is a public lot 1-2 blocks away on Chestnut Street that was very convenient if you want to skip the driving-in-circles part of the evening. read more