Odam's Second Review; Sutter El Alma Cafe

Matthew Odam pops by North Austin Italian restaurant Andiamo for his second Statesman review, and predictably is not charmed by the location:

Its location is not what you'd expect for a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant. Located off Burnet Road in a dated strip mall that looks like it could be home to a baseball card shop and a Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Andiamo appears as if it were plucked from early-'90s Middle America.

All right, but how's the food? Odam writes, "The authentic dishes suffer from a bit of wanderlust and richness, but they are certainly not Americanized caricatures of Italian food." Well, that's something? Comrade Odam gives them a 6.5. (For those of you just tuning in, starred reviews are so 2010 — Odam's ditched them for a ten point scale.)

The Chronicle reviews Roll On Sushi Diner, which just opened last week: "There are still a few kinks to iron out in terms of predictability at Roll On. The dishes described on the menu don't always match the food on the plate, and I get the sense the kitchen staff is still experimenting with what sells and what doesn't." [Chronicle]

Rogue restaurant critic Mike Sutter stops by Alma Alcocer-Thomas's El Alma Cafe to see if they've got staying power: "It’s good to see life at 1025 Barton Springs, even if it's still a work in progress. Some of the waitstaff are a little green, the bar needs work and the place is still sorting out how to showcase its star. But it's alive all the same." [FedManWalking]

Andiamo. [Photo: Joel W. / Yelp]