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Andrea’s 25
Won These Foodies Over
By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com
During Huntington Restaurant Week, which concluded on Sunday,
we always make it a point to try new places. As organizers
of the weeklong celebration of the Town of Huntington’s
restaurant industry, we make it a point to get to those restaurants
that might not see the traffic some of the high-end restaurants
get. Face it, with $24.95 prix-fixe specials, top-rated restaurants
like Prime, Jonathan’s and Amicale have plenty of people
making reservations.
With this in mind, our Huntington Restaurant Week itinerary
took us to Andrea’s 25 in Commack. And just like Restaurant
Week is supposed to do, it made us customers who will return.
Andrea’s 25 was a surprise highlight in a week of dining
excursions. Located at the former Red Dish restaurant opposite
Commack Fire Department headquarters on Jericho Turnpike,
Andrea’s 25 is a classic Italian eatery where it’s
all about food, family and a bit of fun.
The restaurant owners are brothers Salvatore and Matthew Sorrentino,
and their cousin, Peter Campisi, whose family started local
legend Matteo’s 20-plus years ago. The two restaurants
have a lot in common, including a family-friendly atmosphere.
On our Sunday evening visit, there were two birthday parties
in the restaurant. The 40 or so guests accounted for most
of the room, but ours and a handful of other tables were well-treated
and carefully attended to by servers and staff.
Customers enter Andrea’s 25 in the bar area and a wall
with glass cut-outs separates that section from the dining
room. Decorated with warm Tuscan yellow walls and an old-style
pressed tin ceiling, Andrea’s 25 has both a classic and
contemporary feel. The dining room is a flexible space where
tables can be pushed together to accommodate large parties,
and on the night of our visit, they were.
From the moment the bread basket arrived, it was evident this
place would be all about the food. The basket of crusty, oven-warmed
bread along with toasted garlic bread and a small bowl of
bruschetta gave us something to nibble on while we looked
over the menu. We devoured it.
The prix-fixe menu was extensive with several choices each
from the restaurant’s lengthy list of specialties. On
the appetizer side, fried calamari was a no-brainer. The classic
Italian dish is our barometer for judging Italian eateries;
we always try it.
Andrea’s 25 knows how to do calamari. Lightly breaded,
quickly fried and served with a tasty marinara sauce, it was
prepared to allow the sweetness of the calamari to come through.
The seafood was sweet and tender. Likewise, a simple salad
of mesclun greens with goat cheese, walnuts and a vinaigrette
dressing was refreshing, a great way to start a meal.
Entrees were likewise simply prepared. Chicken paillard, a
dish of char-grilled chicken breast and lightly dressed salad
greens, was a well-married combination. Alone, the chicken
was good. Eaten with a forkful of the salad, it began to sing.
The pork chop entrée was among the best pork chop preparations
we’ve ever had. A center cut chop, it was grilled to
perfectly pink and topped with sharp Gorgonzola cheese and
a Cabernet sauce. The mashed potatoes were creamy yet chunky.
Dessert was likewise simple. A slice of Tiramisu was freshly
made and light. A double espresso on the side might have been
redundant, but we do love our coffee.
We’ll consider Andrea’s 25 a Restaurant Week success.
Despite being busy, they made us feel welcome and attended
to. And there’s a veal picatta on the menu that’s
calling our name. We’ll be back.
Andrea’s 25
6300 Jericho Tpke., Commack
631-486-7400
Andreas25.com
Cuisine: Classic Italian
Atmosphere: Relaxed and family-friendly
Hours:
Lunch: Monday - Friday 12-3
Dinner: Monday - Thursday 4-10
Friday & Saturday 5-11
Sunday 5-9
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