Feb. 2, 2019 Amada 217-219 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19106
Amada
217-219 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(4 and 3/4 plates)
This was our first trip to the Amada in Philadelphia, and the food was wonderful. As you can see from the menu, it is a Spanish restaurant owned by Iron Chef Jose Garces.
There were 26 people in our party in the private dining room in the back of the restaurant. The waiters and waitresses were polite, proficient, and willing to help. There are a full bar and a large selection of wines.
We were served family style with three to four plates of food for each part of the meal, per table, all throughout the evening. There was plenty for all. The foods were varied beginning with an assortment of Spanish meats and cheese including the Truffled Lavender Honey which was delicious with the cheese.
We had a Green Salad with varied additions of arugula, parsley and thin slices of cheese on top which added another depth of flavor to the tasty dressing. This was followed by a Spanish Flatbread made with Artichokes, Mushrooms, Black Truffles, and Manchego Cheese. It was delicious!
Other plates held Bacon-Wrapped Medjool Dates, small Potatoes, and Onions which had been cooked to a brown crispness. I had never had Dates prepared this way, and I must say they were also delicious along with the potatoes and onions.
We were next served small bowls of Chickpeas and Spinach. Again, tasty and flavorful. Shortly after, we were given portions of Spanish Octopus. The pieces were small and well seasoned. Next, came the Scallops served in pairs on wooden forks. They had a refreshing salty, parsley-flavored seasoning.
We then had Chicken Brochettes served on a wooden stick which, were heavily seasoned, and it was served with a Poached egg. The chicken pieces were about an inch wide and easy to eat. None of the seasonings were too harsh to the palette.
The final meat was the Lamb Chops. My grandson loved them. He said they were the best part of the meal. Everyone else loved them also. They had been grilled to perfection with a medium to medium rare center and a crisp outside.
I cannot complain about any of the food. It was so good to go to a restaurant which served such totally different, delicious food.
My only complaint is that Amada no longer offers Valet Parking. I was counting on that since my husband has a problem walking much more than a block. Their website claims that it is available, but when I asked the hostess, she said that it had been done away with a ‘long time ago’. We wasted at least fifteen minutes trying to find a parking space, and when we did, it was a little more than half a block down a dark alley.
Why, then, is the offering still on their website?
I, therefore, give Amada 4 and 3/4 plates.
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