Recently, my Seattle Foodie Podcast co-host Nelson Lau and I were invited by Annie Nguyen to have lunch at Andare Kitchen & Bar on a lovely Saturday. Andare is located in the brand new Hyatt Regency in Seattle.

I’m never quite sure what to make of hotel restaurants but I appreciated getting to know more about Andare and found out it’s a reasonable option for locals in addition to hotel diners.

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We started lunch with Viola, a beautiful, instagram-worthy cocktail. It’s made with Empress 1908 gin, tonic, and grapefruit. The gorgeous indigo color comes from the infusion of butterfly pea blossom in the gin. When you add the tonic, it changes into a vibrant purple!

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At the tasting, we tried two different salads. The Andare Salad is composed of mixed greens, artichoke hearts, castelvetrano olives, lemon vinaigrette, pistachios, and ricotta salada. It had a nice blend of flavors including a punchy citrus component and a salty bite. We also tried the Caesar made with romaine, kale, parmesan, and garlic herb crumbs. It was a classic Caesar but I loved the kale which added a nice texture.

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We tried many pizzas that day – four to be exact! The Duck was my favorite which had duck confit, roasted garlic, smoked gouda, arugula, and balsamic drizzle. Those are all flavors I can get with. The other three pizzas we tried were the Margherita, Mushroom, and Prosciutto.

The Andare Signature Meatballs were made of beef, pork, and veal. They were smoothered in rustic pomodoro, topped with shaved parmesan and basil, and served with grilled pizza bread.

The Signature Cavatelli was easy to eat because of the bite-sized pieces of pasta. It was made with tomato sofrito, whipped ricotta, and cracked black pepper.

The Fettucini Carbonara had pancetta, parmesan blend, and egg yolk. The yolks were perfectly prepared and made for the best yolk porn! The pasta had good texture and mouth feel.

For dessert, we were treated to the Signature Cannoli with ricotta cheese, luxardo cherries, and pistachios. The shells had a nice crunch contrasted by the creamy filling.

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That day, they also served us Gelatiamo chocolate hazelnut, berry, and pistachio gelato with lemon shortbread. The chocolate hazelnut was my favorite! I’m not a fan of lemon shortbread but it was soft, fragrant, and really stole my heart.

When we left, we were given a bag with a jar of meatballs, pomodoro, and pasta to go. The sauce was in a mason jar and I immediately thought it was a great idea for lunch since I work downtown. I think they should sell these to folks who work/live downtown since it’s very easy to prepare. A few minutes to boil the pasta, heat the sauce, and dinner is served!

The take out menu was a great addition. The prices were very reasonable for lunches downtown. I’m looking forward to seeing more of their offerings in the future! Many thanks to Annie and Andare Kitchen & Bar for a great event!