Animale

I have really liked Osteria Langhe, the Piedmontese (Northern Italian) restaurant in Logan Square, so I was excited to read that they would be opening a fast casual place also in Logan Square focusing on a few pastas and sauces.  Called Animale, its tag line is One that Feeds Itself to Survive and its location is under the Western Blue Line Station.  With a very elaborate mural on the outside, it's difficult to miss.  Inside it's kind of small and kind of reminds me of a cross between a diner and a ramen place.  There is a narrow dining area between the front window and the (windowed) kitchen.  There are several 4 tops beside the front windows and a counter looking through a window to the kitchen.  There is a wider area to the right of the kitchen with more tables and muraled walls.  The entrance is where the two pieces of the dining room meet.  The tables and chairs are kind of cheap and dineresque and the counter overlooking the kitchen has padded stools.  This is where I sat because it gave me something to watch and I thought it would be more comfortable.  There was a box at each table and several on the counter, containing menus, napkins, and silverware, with salt and pepper beside it. 

Looking at the menu, I saw that they serve beer, wine, and cocktails.  Their beer selection is mostly local with craft beer prices and the wine was relatively inexpensive with glasses for $9 and bottles for $35.  I was very surprised to see how inexpensive their cocktails were.  All were $10 or less and most were $9.  Because of this, I decided to go with one of their signature cocktails, the Italian Mulo, a spin on a Moscow Mule, using Modest Vodka, Cocchi Americano, Ginger Beer, Lime, and Prosecco.  A Moscow Mule has quite a bit of carbonation, is pretty tart, and a spicy finish from the Ginger Beer.  This had the carbonation and some tartness, but it was surprisingly bitter, approaching Negroni bitterness.  It wasn't bad, but I don't know if I would order it again.

For my appetizer, I picked a classic of Sicilian cuisine, Arancini, which literally means Little Orange.  What they actually are are deep fried risotto balls with cheese.  This version used Saffron and Gorgonzola and was served over Pink Peppercorn Basil Cream.  The balls were crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside with an herbal and slightly bitter flavor provided by the saffron and gorgonzola.  The dipping cream melded well with the internal flavors with a nice herbal flavor from the basil and a spicy and floral flavor from the pink peppercorn.

With as much starch as I was getting from the arancini and what I would be getting from the pasta, I thought that I should at least pretend to eat a little healthy and order some vegetables.  I ordered something very seasonal, Zucca, which contained Summer Squash, Zucchini, Goat Cheese, Roasted Shallots, Toasted Almonds, and Curried Olive Oil.  I love pan fried squash and this reminded me of a vegetarian version of a dish that my Mexican grandmother used to make.  The squash was perfectly cooked, the almonds added texture, and the curried olive oil and goat cheese added flavor.  It was very good and almost big enough to be counted as a main course.  I could have stopped here, but there was still the pasta and the dessert to be had.

With the pasta, you build what you want in three steps, first you choose the weight of pasta that you want, either 4 oz or 8 oz.  Next you choose your pasta.  Plin, a small hand pinched ravioli that is a specialty of the house is only served in the 4 oz size.  Other pastas offered are Gnocchi, Pappardelle, and Cavatappi.  I went with the Gnocchi.  Finally, you choose the sauce with which you want your pasta served.  The sauces do change somewhat with the seasons.  So for my final dish, I chose a 4 oz portion of Gnocchi with a Pesto Alfredo Sauce (Diced Chicken Breast, Basil Hazelnut Pesto, Cherry Tomato Medley, and Parmesan Cream).  I went with the 4 oz size, because of everything else that I ordered.  The Gnocchi was very tender and the pesto sauce was very flavorful and the tomatoes added a light acid bite.  The chicken did add a little texture, but it wasn't critical and would have been fine without it.

With all of this good food, I had to at least try dessert.  I was pretty full when I got to dessert, so I was looking for something light and i went for their Panna Cotta.  This Panna Cotta was Vanilla and was served with Chocolate, Hazelnuts, and Raspberries.  Admittedly, it might partially be due to the fact that I was fairly full by the time I got to dessert, but I have to say that it fact kind of obligatory and an afterthought.  It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't stellar as was the pasta and the arancini.  It felt as if they felt that they needed something on the menu for dessert, so they might as well do vanilla pudding.  I will definitely have the pasta again, but I may very well waive the dessert next time.