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Andalu: Delicious Tapas Style Courses at a Reasonable Prices
By Jason Ku
I love trying new dishes, but usually the size of my bank account (and stomach) limits me to one entree at restaurants. Andalu's modestly priced tapas style menu solves both of these problems.
The decor of Andalu is a blend of classical and trendy. The two-leveled interior is more spacious and neat than restaurants such as Cha Cha Cha and provides a nicer dining experience. At the same time, Andalu has a very casual atmosphere and unlike more upscale tapas restaurants such as Isa's, remains reasonably priced.
Although food is served tapas style, the cuisine is not exclusively Spanish. On the contrary, the dishes vary from the French steak tartare to Mexican ahi tuna tacos to pastas and even Coca-Cola glazed ribs. The menu was broken down into several sections and although not explicitly titled, included dishes ranging from salads to appetizers to pastas and meats. Most of the plates were priced between $6 and $11. Small sides such as olives or fries were also offered and cost around $3. Bread is complimentary but must be requested. An extensive wine list is also available as are various domestic and imported beers. We had Andalu's red sangria, which is the fruitiest sangria I have ever tasted. White sangria, which I have never seen before, is also offered.
The waitress recommended two plates per person, enough food for one to be comfortably full. We ordered five plates for two people and skipped dessert. We started off with a spinach and pear salad garnished with pecans and feta cheese and steak tartare. The spinach salad was excellent. The lightly dressed baby spinach leaves and cheese had a savory flavor that was accentuated in both taste and texture by sweet pears and crunchy pecans. The steak tartare was a mound of raw ground beef that held a raw egg in its center. There was too much mustard in the beef and made the ensemble taste like meat salad. Our next plate consisted of six medium-sized grilled shrimp served in a bed of tender greens and drizzled with olive oil. The shrimp were tender and subtly seasoned and a delight to bite into. We finished with torchio pasta with fennel sausage, arugula, and goat cheese and rabbit sugo pasta. The torchio, sauteed with the rest of the ingredients and spiced up by croutons and pepper, was the better of the two. The rabbit sugo was reminiscent of chicken pot pie, except the rabbit was stringier than chicken and had a wilder taste.
After the five plates and two baskets of bread, we were stuffed. There was more than enough food per plate to give each of us a good taste of each dish. Four diners would probably be the ideal number to get a good sampling of the menu while at the same time allowing each person to enjoy more than a bite of each dish. A cursory look at the dessert menu showed a variety of sweets from bananas to custards, each accompanied by a wine recommendation. I will have to wait until my next visit to Andalu to report on these.
As an alternative to Cha Cha Cha and its dreadfully long waits, try getting your tapas fix at Andalu, located at 16th Street and Guerrero in the Mission. The cost is comparable and the dining experience more refined. With some diligence and a bit of luck, finding free parking on the street is not impossible. For those who want to avoid the hassle and can afford it, valet service is available for $8.
For more information, visit www.andalusf.com.
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