BY DONNA COVRETT

Oakley's ANDIAMO!, an Italian restaurant that opened last year, is bustin' with pride to have landed a big chef coup: Beth Partridge and Dan Pancake (I swear these names are real), both of the famous Spiaggia in Chicago. After a mediocre reception of Andiamo's first chef, owners Joe Tato and Mike Belmont went in search of more experience and dazzle, wooing away Partridge and Pancake (oh, the fun we'll have) from their positions as Chef Di Cucina and Café Spiaggia Chef, respectively. Partridge -- who has received a lot of favorable press in Chicago -- returns to Cincinnati (she's a native of nearby Hillsboro), happy to be reconnected to her roots and enthusiastic about Andiamo's ability to redefine Italian dining. "House-made pastas are going to be huge here," says her partner, Pancake, adding, "The important thing is to get the freshest and best product you can find, preparing it just enough to bring out the natural characteristics." Look for a new menu this month.

Want to Salivate and Scribble?
Do you experience a mild tingling sensation when you read food news such as the above? Do you enter an altered state when you dine out? Do you drive your friends crazy debating the merits of heirloom vs. hybrid tomatoes? Do you have any friends left who will dine out with you? Is there pumpkin seed oil in your pantry -- and you know what to do with it? Have you used the expression "better than sex" when describing a favorite dish? More than once? Every time you try to convert a new believer? Can you describe at least six of the following words: aioli, basmati, burgoo, ganache, jicama, kasseri, Kobe beef, pignoli, sashimi, udon? Have you always dreamed of being an underpaid freelance writer?

If you answered "yes" to at least one of these questions -- and if you salivated as you did -- CityBeat would love to have you as a well-fed food writer! Picture this: Dining out five nights a week in the hippest restaurants on an all-expense-paid gorge-fest, writing summaries of your experiences and receiving volumes of mail from devoted readers who hang on your every savory word. Not convinced? What if I said you'll be able to quit that job as a forklift operator once you receive a fat advance from a big publishing house for your witty and whimsical food-related essays?

OK, so we're not The New York Times, and I'm full of slumgullion. But we do hold our department meetings in a bar! If you are still reading and still interested, e-mail me 600-750 words discussing a local restaurant by Oct. 31. You have a bright career ahead -- if you know what slumgullion means.

E-mail Donna Covrett

Printer-friendly version

more...

personals | cover | news | columns | music | movies | arts | dining | listings | classifieds | mediakit | promotions | home

Dining Guide