Da Andrea is very much a cute, little neighborhood restaurant with a very Italian rustic feel. From the moment I stepped in, I felt like I was transported back to my previous trips to Italy, minus the fact that I don't think anyone who worked there was actually Italian. But I was definitely feelin' the homey, rustic vibe.
After we decided what to order, we were given a basket of focaccia bread served with black olives in olive oil, which I enjoyed.
I got the Cavatelli with Fresh Salmon and Shrimp and in Light Pesto Sauce ($12.50). What I did not know when ordering this is that cavatelli is similar to gnocchi and that they look like mealworms. Aside from that, this was a really good dish. I was surprised by the amount of shrimp I got. There must have been around 10 well-sized shrimps that were cooked perfectly. I've never been a fan of fish in pasta, so I was actually happy that there wasn't much salmon in this pasta. The pesto sauce was slightly thicker than what I'm used to, but it was very good and not too heavy. Perhaps the only downside is that once the pasta started to cool towards the end, it started to taste very starchy which was sort of weird to me.
Gabe got the Squid Ink Tagliolini with Fresh Clams, Cherry Tomatoes, and White Wine ($12.50). I felt that this was the better pasta of the two. The pasta was perfectly fresh and al dente, there was a generous serving of clams, and the white wine sauce was quite tasty.
As you can see, the food here is very affordable. Our two pastas were the most expensive, believe it or not. I don't think I would go out of my way for this restaurant, especially since it's a bit far in the West Village, but it's definitely a great neighborhood restaurant that's affordable and reliable.
Da Andrea
557 Hudson St
New York, NY
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