Amada- Phila

I have seriously been dying to try Jose Garces's tapas restaurant, Amada, for the longest time now. Having spent a semester studying (and mostly eating or taking siestas) in Spain, the bar's been set rather high. Reading the reviews on Yelp, I knew I had to get the crab-stuffed peppers that so many reviewers raved about. And trust me, I had every intention of ordering it but when the server made his way over to take my order, I had totally forgotten to do so. Oh well, I guess this means I'll have an excuse to revisit soon.

The waiter suggested that we order four or five tapas a person but I'd say three tapas each is more than enough unless you're absolutely starving (in that case, Amada is probably not a good choice).

Chips and Tuna Dip

This little snack was gratis (free) and therefore that much better. The chips were fresh and crunchy and the tuna dip was marvelous. It was really creamy and tasty.

 

Pulpo a La Gallega (Spanish Octopus)

I almost always order grilled octopus when it's offered on the menus of Spanish or Italian restaurants. The dish looks really spicy but trust me, it wasn't. Octopus is definitely one of those tricky foods that can easily overcook but if prepared properly, tastes great. The skin had just a slight crisp and the inside was meaty but not chewy. Even the slices of potato were cooked well.

Aged Manchego with Truffled Lavender Honey

Given that my dad is a beekeeper and bottles his own honey every year, I think I know my honey business inside and out. OK, just kidding, I'm not that much of an expert but I've definitely sampled a wide variety of honey in the past. More viscous than most, this lavender honey was thankfully not cloyingly sweet and the truffle was distinctly present. The flavor or scent of truffles is one that's hard to describe but easy to detect. As for the cheese, the crunchy manchego, though not overly sharp, paired well with the sweetness of the honey.

Datiles con Almendras- Bacon Wrapped Dates with Almonds and Cabrales
I highly recommend this tapa as it was easily my favorite (or second favorite) dish of the night. A perfectly toasted nut encased in a sweet date wrapped in a savory skin of bacon made for a perfect bite of sweet and salty. Then there's the cheese sauce that adds an element of richness, as well as moisture to offset the dryness of the meat. I wished all of the other tapas were this good.

 

Alcachofas y Setas- Artichoke, Wild Mushrooms, Black Truffles, Manchego Flatbread

Since when did pizzettes become a part of Spanish cuisine, I'm not entirely sure but they were offered on the menu so we sampled two. I naturally favored the shortribs flatbread pictured below because I'd choose meat over veggies any day of the week but this one wasn't bad. However, at $14 a pop, I was expecting something spectacular but that was sadly not the case. This flatbread in entirety was about the size of ONE regular slice of pizza. So with that in mind, I wouldn't recommend ordering any of the flatbreads unless you were looking for a tiny slice of overpriced pizza (call it what you will).

Costillas de Ternera- Beef Shortribs, Horseradish, Parmesan, Bacon Flatbread
As explained above, these flatbreads are good, but not great and definitely way overpriced. I will admit that the beef was extremely moist and flavorful not to mention tender and easy to eat. The crust is crisp and the flatbread wasn't greasy but these are all aspects that should come standard with any good pizza so I can't give these guys too much praise.

Albondigas- Lamb Meatballs, Shaved Manchego
Our waiter, in his NOT-so-infinite wisdom, suggested this dish to us and it was unfortunately a horrible choice. I found the sauce far too salty and my dinner guest didn't enjoy the meatballs too much. I don't really know how the Spanish preparation of meatballs differ from the Italian ways (if there's any difference at all) but they tasted like your average run of the mill meatballs. After nibbling on one of these, I had to send this selection back.

Crema Catalana- Vanila Custard, Caramel Veil, Ginger and Pine Nut
We ordered this dessert thinking it sounded and hopefully would taste similar to a creme brulee but such was not the case. I had just a tiny bite of this dessert as it was rather small to begin with but I wasn't a huge fan. The "veil" is a thin film of gelatin of sorts and the custard was similar in texture to a semifreddo. I'm unsure as to why the pine nuts were paired with this ginger sauce (or vice versa) but that's beyond me.

 

Lemon Torta- Blueberry Jam, Lemon Confit, Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

The blueberry ice cream (hiding in the back to the right) was almost half melted by the time it was served. NOT COOL. Literally. I was expecting the cake itself to pack a little more tartness but it was definitely on the sweeter side. In terms of texture, the cake is neither airy nor dense, something in between. It wasn't a bad end to the entire meal but I'd certainly try a different dessert next time.

Ambiance: 4 out of 5

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Verdict: Not that I was disappointed (OK, I was slightly disappointed) with Amada but for the prices they charge for these tapas, I was expecting far better.

http://www.amadarestaurant.com/menu.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/amada-philadelphia

L'Espalier- Boston

As the first restaurant I visited for Restaurant Week- Winter 2011, I elected L'Espalier, located in Back Bay. Recently relocated to this building on Boylston Street, the new space is a bright, open room with plenty of light. The decor is simple, clean and effortlessly sophisticated. As with many, if not all, of the higher-end restaurants, service is expected to be superb. However, our waiter was a tad inexperienced and fumbled in explaining some of the components of our dishes.

The presentation of all of the plates was the most noteworthy aspect of the dining experience. They say, you feast first with your eyes. This expression certainly resonates with L'Espalier as each plate is beautifully composed and painted like works of art.

 

Isn't the butter so cute?

 

Goat Cheese Curd with Rhubarb

I'm not even going to pretend I know what's going on with this plate. These were the thoughts flying through my head: what are these little crumbly brown bits, do I eat the foam, what's this blob of sauce doing over here? Without a clue as to what I was doing and even less of a clue as to what I was eating, I delved into this starter, tasting a bit of everything and my, what an explosion of flavors lit up in my mouth. There were so many layers of complex flavors from creamy to sweet to sour. This first course definitely plays up both tastes and textures. I got the crunch from the rhubarb and the endive, while experiencing a velvety softness from the goat cheese, followed by a grainy bite from the gritty crumbs, finished off with the lightness from the foam.

 

Slow Braised Short Ribs

For my second course, the meat was extremely tender and easily pulled apart as I ate it. The sauce was extremely flavorful and not overly salty. The parsnip veloute (close to a puree) was delightfully thick and creamy.   

Trio of Cheeses- Gouda, Manchego, Hartwell (left to right)

The cheese guide that accompanied our third course describes Gouda cheese as "crunchy, with a sweet caramel flavor. Eat it like candy." I can hardly say I agree with that description. Sure, the cheese was "crunchy" or hard, if you will. But sweet?...that was hardly the case. I thought the Gouda was quite sharp.

My favorite cheese was the Hartwell, which was semi-soft and buttery. It was very similar to Brie.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Guava Cream Cheese Mousse Gateau
Finishing off the lunch on a fruity note, the guava shined in this dessert. Again, there was a variety of textures. As expected, the panna cotta was decadently smooth but too bad I didn't pick up much flavor from the lychee foam on top. Also, a big complaint of mine regards the execution of this plate. As you can see from the photo, there's a ring of dried foam on the plate. I understand it's restaurant week and the food that's served is usually not the best that the restaurant has to offer but there's just no excuse in serving up a pre-made plate with dried foam, not from a restaurant of L'Espalier's caliber anyways.
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What my lunch date ordered:

 

Mussels in Curry Emulsion

After the egg was thankfully removed and consumed, I sampled the mussels. The tabbouleh was packed with curry flavor and much more impressive than the little mussels themselves.

 

Herb-Crusted Arctic Char

I'm usually not a fan of under-cooking anything but the preparation of this fish was perfect. It was just slightly underdone and retained a buttery-soft texture, allowing the fish to melt away in my mouth. The skin of this fish was equally divine with a great herb rub and a tremendous crunch. The bed of pea risotto with a dash of lemon zest also spruces up the complexity of this dish. I also enjoyed feasting on the colors of this plate- the orange arctic char pitted against the vibrancy of the greens makes for a lively combination.

 

Dark Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Gateaux

It's a pity that neither desserts were as fresh as they could have been. The flavors were present, but not the freshness since the cake was a tad dry. The Chantilly cream was quite mild and not overly sweet, thank goodness!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-espalier-boston 

Cuchi Cuchi- Cambridge

If it's personality you want, it's personality you'll get. From the "bling-ed out" mermaid who welcomes you at the entrance to the beautiful stain glass windows lining the wall at the bar, down to the wait staff dressed in costume, Cuchi Cuchi bubbles over with character. The decor can be overwhelming to say the least, some may even venture to call it borderline gaudy, but that's what makes this establishment so much fun. Bringing together a medley of fares from around the world (Russia, Guatemala, Spain, Italy, France, you name it!), Cuchi Cuchi embodies international cuisine in the form of easy-to-share "small plates." Our waiter, dressed as a Flamenco dancer, was very knowledgeable about the menu and we asked him to serve up the dishes at his digression.

Chicken Liver Pate

The pate was really rich and dense. My dinner date said it tasted like hummus. Haha, I can't say I agree with that statement. The fruits and syrupy sauce do a wonderful job at masking some of the gaminess of the liver. But between the two of us, this block of pate was far too much to stomach in its entirety. On a side note, there is something odd about the placement of the pepinillo (small pickle) that sticks out awkwardly and throws off the presentation of this otherwise beautiful dish.

Brie en Croute

Everybody who comes here must absolutely try this ball of heaven. That's not a suggestion, that's a command, and trust me, you'll thank me later. Encased in a light and crispy pastry shell is brie, walnuts and bacon. There is nothing I would change or criticize about this dish. It was served extremely hot and fresh and when you cut into the ball, the melted brie just overflows. The apple slices on the side perfectly complement the salty bacon and cheese, giving it that punch of tartness.

Duck a l'Orange Crepes

Whenever I think crepes, I think desserts and sweets. This is my first savory (and by savory, I mean salty) crepe. I was so busy scarfing down the brie puff that when I got around to finally eating the crepes, they were a little soggy from the citrus dressing. However, it was still delicious. The meat inside was tender and the light vinaigrette was refreshing without being overly citric. The minced fennel imparts a bit of crunch to the texture of the dish.

Grilled Eggplant Napoleon

Sandwiched between the layers of eggplant, the sour slices of tomato do a great job at cutting through some of richness of the dish. The goat cheese is extremely smooth and creamy. The grilling of the eggplants gives it that charred, crispy outer edge but the eggplant is nonetheless, still very soft and moist in the center. Although it added nothing in terms of flavor, I love the whimsicality of the fried leaf sticking out of the cheese on top.

Chicken Kiev

This is easily my dinner date's favorite dish (perhaps because it's the most normal and he's all about simplicity). The fried chicken breast is stuffed with a melange of herbs and diced mushrooms, and sits in a bath of melted butter. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen. Although the chicken breast is deep fried, it maintains a great deal of moisture and is very juicy as well as flavorful. Likewise, the stuffing was tasty and seasoned well.

This picture doesn't do the place justice but everything about Cuchi Cuchi is over the top and glitzy.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cuchi-cuchi-cambridge

Tria- Phila

Wine. Cheese. Beer. You surely must be crazy if you're not a fan of one of these items. and don't forget all of the delicious tapas-styled snacks that Tria has to offer. I can understand why this place doesn't accept reservations because it's always bustling and filled with people. Reviewing the menu, I appreciate the writer's comedic and creative way of breaking down the different types of wine and cheese offerings. For example, the selection of cheese ranges from "luscious" and "approachable" to "stinky" and "stoic." (http://www.triacafe.com/menus/cheese.php) Best of all, these little snacks are moderately priced so you can afford to order a few, different items instead of committing to one, huge entrée. 

Warm Poached Black Mission Figs with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto di Parma

salty ham and sweet figs make a dynamic combination. poach the fruit in some sort of wine or alcohol and top it off with cheesy goodness and you are in heaven!

Pistachio Herbed Ricotta with Lavender Honey 
you get the touch of added sweetness from the honey along with the freshness of the ricotta cheese served on a slice of crispy toast.  i've mentioned this before, but i'm not a huge fan of sharp or aged cheeses. i much prefer the light, creamy, sweet types so ricotta is perfect for me. the pistachio is a nice addition, giving a little more texture as well as bringing that nuttiness to the flavor.

Valencay Goat Cheese and La Tur Cheese
i'm no cheese expert (i just like trying different kinds) so i'm not entirely sure which cheese was which. but i have reason to believe that the cheese to the left is Valencay and the cheese to the right is La Tur...why? because La Tur has a rind on the outside and it was sort of oozy. it was also much creamier than the cheese to the left.

additionally, i was perplexed by the red sauce. it wasn't a sweet jam or molasses..in fact, it tasted a little spicy but it wasn't pepper paste (or so i hope not). the little dish to the right is a small cut of honeycomb. definitely try any of the cheeses here, they have a great selection. all i need to do now is go back and figure out that red sauce.

Barbuzzo- Phila

This place is always packed! The space is tiny so we were seated literally less than half a foot away from the next table. It's supposed to be a Mediterranean kitchen but at least half the menu was Italian.

Goat Cheese Board
i'd seriously be lying if i said i enjoyed all of the cheeses from this sampler. the verde cabra and blue were both way too sharp/ strong for my liking. the most enjoyed would easily be the young goat cheese (top right). it was airy, spreadable, and the drizzle of honey further sweetened the already creamy, light cheese. the marcona almonds (which i had mistaken for macadamia nuts) and the jams were all delicious complements to the cheeses.

Mia Pera Pizza
baked into this pizza is sweet bartlett pear, gorgonzola, walnuts, and prosciutto. the pie was topped off with a heaping of arugula and a light drizzle of saba (a grape reduction similar to balsamic vinegar). the saba can get messy because it runny and drips all over the place. they were pretty stingy with the walnuts. but overall, it was an enjoyable pizza as the gorgonzola was creamy and the crust was crisp and thin.